Hi. I had a bit of a weird question. :)
I've been wanting to move to Singapore from the United States ever since I was 18 (24 now), but I've felt discouraged by how it is mostly people 30-50 years old with high incomes who seem to move there. I make around $1,200 USD per month, about $750 USD goes into my rent and the rest is for bills, food, and savings. I run a web design business from my home. My income is enough for me to live in the United States very comfortably, but I am worried it would not be enough elsewhere.
I am interested in moving to Singapore because I have always been fascinated with the country and society and respect the vision of the government. I have friends there too, so part of the reason I would be moving would be to be near a lot of the people I care about.
I had some questions that don't seem to be answered anywhere online, at least not that I've ever been able to find.
1. How much money is generally needed for plane travel, apartment deposits, and so on? I would be packing light, so a moving service would be unnecessary.
2. What sort of income do you need to comfortably live in a studio apartment?
3. Are there any low-income expats that I could get advice from?
4. I know that the first thing to do is visit Singapore and make sure that I truly like it. What sort of things should I pay attention to while I'm visiting, and is there anyone here who would be willing to meet up?
5. Is there any way I can get a visa to run my business in Singapore, or do I need a salary job in order to attain residency status?
6. What's the best way to look for a house once you've gotten your plans finalized? I don't think my friends would have room for me to stay with them while I searched.
I know that this is all going to take time - years, probably. I know that I'm probably going to need a much higher income job, and I'm willing to work towards that. I'm in this for the long haul, and I'm willing to do what's necessary; I just need some advice on how to get started. I spent years thinking that I probably wouldn't be able to do this until middle-age, but I realized that it's probably very possible with enough effort.
Thank you for your time. :)