Is it even worth living in SG anymore as a foreigner?

[Lisafuller]

A general theme seems to be that is God damn expensive to have kids in Singapore. What are the differences then in terms of help from the government? Meaning if you have kids as a citizen/PR/work pass holder.


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Cheaper to raise them in the US but still bloody expensive either way.

[Lisafuller]

A general theme seems to be that is God damn expensive to have kids in Singapore. What are the differences then in terms of help from the government? Meaning if you have kids as a citizen/PR/work pass holder.


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Benefits include: baby bonus scheme, child care subsidy (up to kindergarten level), lower school fees for public schools (up to university level), tax relief.

Plus if they're born in a historically significant year for SG (like SG50) you get a nice goodie bag! LOL

[Lisafuller]

A general theme seems to be that is God damn expensive to have kids in Singapore. What are the differences then in terms of help from the government? Meaning if you have kids as a citizen/PR/work pass holder.


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My brother and his wife just had a baby 2 years ago. One of the biggest differences I noticed is they got a whole lot of donated items from their colleagues at work for free, so they didn’t have to spend very much in the beginning. The community spirit is alive and well. You can also get cheap stuff at rummage sales. Used stuff in general is a lot more attractive in the US because people tend to be more generous in the way they price stuff they no longer want.

When we had young ones I noticed most kids stuff tends to be cheaper in the US. Everything from clothes, food, toys, strollers, etc. In fact I brought back a lot of stuff from trips there, including a couple of car seats which were well under half the price vs. here. Diapers were about the same price, but we were amazed at the technology difference — despite being half the thickness, they could absorb twice as much! Don’t get me started on the price of milk.

As far as schools go, public schools are always free no matter whether you are a citizen, permanent resident or work permit holder. You’ll just want to make sure your residential address is in a good school district.

As far as housing goes, it’s affordable for most. Government subsidized housing rentals can be found in “the projects” but only apply to the truly needy — something like the 1 and 2 room HDB flat program here, but these are often in scary neighborhoods. Outside of the city, trailer parks are where you’ll find low cost housing - despite the reputation of “trailer trash” its usually not as bad as you’d think. I visited several of my high school classmates who lived in them - just simple, ordinary folks.

Although it’s getting harder, you can still get a basic home for 5-figures and a used car for 4-figures in many parts of the US. If you’re smart with your money and not trying to keep up with the Joneses you can really save a bundle.

The point about schooling is especially significant, having good schools in the area tends to drive up the prices of homes in the neighborhood, even if the homes themselves are not nearly worth the price. In this sense, people are slowly getting priced out of access to a top quality school, which kind of defeats the purpose of having education be free.

[Lisafuller]

A general theme seems to be that is God damn expensive to have kids in Singapore. What are the differences then in terms of help from the government? Meaning if you have kids as a citizen/PR/work pass holder.


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Benefits include: baby bonus scheme, child care subsidy (up to kindergarten level), lower school fees for public schools (up to university level), tax relief.

By comparison…

The US has child tax credits up to US$2,000 per child each year. I even received some of these refundable credits (not just tax relief) while living here in Singapore.

The US also has a tax credit for dependent care expenses. I also used this one while in Singapore, for the cost of our helper. This one has never been refundable, only a tax relief.

US public schools are free up to university level, and public colleges and universities are subsidized at the state level in which you reside. Community colleges (similar to a Polytechnic here) are especially affordable and classes can be transferred for full university credit. That is what I did when I was a teen.

I almost forgot to mention, all of the above applies to any US taxpayer, regardless of citizenship, PR or work permit.

Having a kid was especially great when stim cheques were distributed during COVID.

[SGBoyxxx]

As a Local here, I shall say " getting more and more boring " Daily mainstream always mention about property , HDB , private property sales etc. You see how the mainstream report news already tell u SG getting boring as years gone by .....unlike the good old days in 80s, 90s.

[malcontent]

As a Local here, I shall say " getting more and more boring " Daily mainstream always mention about property , HDB , private property sales etc. You see how the mainstream report news already tell u SG getting boring as years gone by .....unlike the good old days in 80s, 90s.

These days Singaporeans that live around me do not seem to welcome anything out of the ordinary. If it’s not boring and expected, they want no part of it. While in the lift, I can’t even tie my shoes without getting a horrified looks.

[NYY1]

Click on "Flights" and "One-way." Problem solved.

https://www.expedia.com.sg/

[malcontent]

Having a kid was especially great when stim cheques were distributed during COVID.

Yes, all told I collected S$11k in stimulus money… made all of the reporting and tax filing headaches worth the trouble, for a few years anyway.

[SGBoyxxx]

As a Local here, I shall say " getting more and more boring " Daily mainstream always mention about property , HDB , private property sales etc. You see how the mainstream report news already tell u SG getting boring as years gone by .....unlike the good old days in 80s, 90s.

These days Singaporeans that live around me do not seem to welcome anything out of the ordinary. If it’s not boring and expected, they want no part of it. While in the lift, I can’t even tie my shoes without getting a horrified looks.

huh why cannot tie your shoes in the lift

[malcontent]

Click on "Flights" and "One-way." Problem solved.

https://www.expedia.com.sg/

Even crossing the border to Malaysia provides some good relief from the mundane… sometimes to the extreme, and you’ll be glad to come back here.

[malcontent]

huh why cannot tie your shoes in the lift

I live around some very sheltered and conservative types… middle aged or older, ultra strait-laced. I doubt they have had any fun or adventure in their entire lives. They just expect people to stand still in the lift, anything else makes them very uncomfortable. I also don’t understand it.

[Lisafuller]

As a Local here, I shall say " getting more and more boring " Daily mainstream always mention about property , HDB , private property sales etc. You see how the mainstream report news already tell u SG getting boring as years gone by .....unlike the good old days in 80s, 90s.

Agree, but perhaps it's better that life here is stable or what you call boring instead of being chaotic every day.

[Lisafuller]

As a Local here, I shall say " getting more and more boring " Daily mainstream always mention about property , HDB , private property sales etc. You see how the mainstream report news already tell u SG getting boring as years gone by .....unlike the good old days in 80s, 90s.

These days Singaporeans that live around me do not seem to welcome anything out of the ordinary. If it’s not boring and expected, they want no part of it. While in the lift, I can’t even tie my shoes without getting a horrified looks.

That's a little dramatic! Granted, as a woman if I was wearing a dress and had a man crouch down right next to me I might be a little uncomfortable, but other than that there should be no issue.

[Lisafuller]

Click on "Flights" and "One-way." Problem solved.

https://www.expedia.com.sg/

LOL! Honestly, going overseas will probably help people appreciate the piece that comes with living here.

[Lisafuller]

Having a kid was especially great when stim cheques were distributed during COVID.

Yes, all told I collected S$11k in stimulus money… made all of the reporting and tax filing headaches worth the trouble, for a few years anyway.

Don't remember how much we collected, but either way it was definitely welcome.