Is $3,000-$3,300 Basic, Excluding Commission Enough?

[Kardin25]

Hey there!

So... I'm 23 this year, fresh graduate from Malaysia. Recently I got a job offer as a Recruiter near Raffles Place. I asked about the range of salary and they said it would be around $3,000 to $3,300 without including the uncapped commission.

So my questions are (taking minimum $3,000) Is this able to cover up the basic cost of living?

- I'm not looking at anything fancy, just looking for a comfortable life for single person
- Best place to rent a room? Budgeting around 500-700
- Price of food around Raffles?
- If I'm staying in Pasir Ris (with relative) would it be cheaper to travel instead of staying around Raffles? If so, how long would it takes?
- What are the major differences between Working Permits & Employment Pass?

Thanks in advance!

[PNGMK]

That's a good starting salary. The difference between a WP and EP is the level of salary that is required (EP is a higher level) plus EP can bring in dependents but WP cannot. WP = wage slave basically.

[x9200]

WP also comes with other restrictions, e.g., you will need to ask the SG fgov or permission to get marry to a SC, even if you don't work in SG any longer (unless you converted to EP in the meantime).

BTW, a recruiter sounds like a pretty common job many Singaporeans can do and should be no shortage of them. Why the SG gov should grant a pass to a foreigner fresh-grad?

[sundaymorningstaple]

At that salay rate, you'll only qualify for an S pass, but it's still much better than a Work Permit. However, has your company here gotten your approved IPA yet? I ask as if you are being hired as a recruiter, it would surprise me that you could get a pass at all as there are sufficient people here that can fill that position.

[BBCWatcher]

Turning to the monetary questions, unless your relative is an axe murderer it'd be better to stay there. According to Google, once you board the train at Pasir Ris MRT a ride to Raffles Place MRT takes 28 minutes. A total commuting time, door to door, of 40 minutes wouldn't be surprising. You'll get a seat on your morning ride since Pasir Ris is at the end of the line, and it's one train. Of course it depends on how close your relative lives to that station and whether you have to take a bus, but if it's just the train, and you're close at both ends, it's quite reasonable. Bring a pair of earphones and enjoy the ride like everybody else does. That's your worst commuting option, and it's not bad at all.

However, there are also express buses that can work very well, specifically routes 538 and 539, if you have a regular work schedule that fits. They charge a flat fare of S$4.50 (early 2016 price as I write this) each way. If you take an express bus every work day in both directions then it's just under S$200/month in bus fares. Financially that still makes tremendous sense compared to living in the CBD. Those express buses make several stops in the Pasir Ris area, then head to the Central Business District without stopping, then make a few stops in the CBD. Singapore doesn't really have traffic problems, so they're quite reliable. You can also mix and match: take the train in (with a seat) and the express bus back, or vice versa, as convenient. It's all the same fare card (any card with EZ-Link or NETS FlashPay -- my favorite is the EZ-Link equipped debit/ATM card that you get with a Citibank Singapore "Tap and Save" account, assuming you can maintain the minimum balance requirement to avoid fees).

There's a reasonably affordable (by Singapore standards anyway) food market called Telok Ayer Market that's right in the middle of the CBD. Or here's a novel idea: you can pack a lunch and bring it with you. Or stop at Ananas Cafe (or some place similar) -- there's one right outside Pasir Ris MRT station -- and spend S$2.50 (or even less) to get some takeaway noodles. In the CBD those noodles magically double in price.

[ecureilx]

I ask as if you are being hired as a recruiter, it would surprise me that you could get a pass at all as there are sufficient people here that can fill that position.

Chief, did you miss the part where the OP said he is a Malaysian ?

[ecureilx]

Turning to the monetary questions, unless your relative is an axe murderer it'd be better to stay there. According to Google, once you board the train at Pasir Ris MRT a ride to Raffles Place MRT takes 28 minutes. A total commuting time, door to door, of 40 minutes wouldn't be surprising. You'll get a seat on your morning ride since Pasir Ris is at the end of the line, and it's one train. Of course it depends on how close your relative lives to that station and whether you have to take a bus, but if it's just the train, and you're close at both ends, it's quite reasonable. Bring a pair of earphones and enjoy the ride like everybody else does. That's your worst commuting option, and it's not bad at all.

However, there are also express buses that can work very well, specifically routes 538 and 539, if you have a regular work schedule that fits. They charge a flat fare of S$4.50 (early 2016 price as I write this) each way. If you take an express bus every work day in both directions then it's just under S$200/month in bus fares. Financially that still makes tremendous sense compared to living in the CBD. Those express buses make several stops in the Pasir Ris area, then head to the Central Business District without stopping, then make a few stops in the CBD. Singapore doesn't really have traffic problems, so they're quite reliable. You can also mix and match: take the train in (with a seat) and the express bus back, or vice versa, as convenient. It's all the same fare card (any card with EZ-Link or NETS FlashPay -- my favorite is the EZ-Link equipped debit/ATM card that you get with a Citibank Singapore "Tap and Save" account, assuming you can maintain the minimum balance requirement to avoid fees).

There's a reasonably affordable (by Singapore standards anyway) food market called Telok Ayer Market that's right in the middle of the CBD. Or here's a novel idea: you can pack a lunch and bring it with you. Or stop at Ananas Cafe (or some place similar) -- there's one right outside Pasir Ris MRT station -- and spend S$2.50 (or even less) to get some takeaway noodles. In the CBD those noodles magically double in price.

That cheered me up a lot !! And I meant it.

Telling a Malaysian how to travel in squeaky clean Singapore And how to live in organised Singapore.