Many Questions of a nearly Newbie

[Millersman]

Hi everybody,

I am a German 19-year old male who will move to Singapore soon to begin an internship for 12 months. Even though it will not be the first time for me living abroad, it will be the first time for me living by myself. And since the company where I will be doing the internship is very small they will not be able to help me with accommodation and stuff.
So I hope you guys will have a few tips for me.

1. Where is a cheap place to live for that time? Is it possible to find a flatshare with other expats? I will have to settle my accommodation prior to my stay of course, so what would be the best way to do that? (I do not have a lot of money for the accommodation, since the internship is not paid.)

2. Even though the company will help me with the visa I just want to make sure: I will apply for the work permit in Singapore, right?

3. Are there any general tips you have for me concerning grocery shopping, using the MRTs (is it possible to get a year-long ticket?) or things like that, which affect daily life?

Sorry, that I am asking so many questions in my first post, but I just got the notice that I got the internship today and I really do not have that much time to prepare my stay. I know that some of the questions are really basic, so please do not think that I will not be able to survive on my own ;o)
But since I have to go to school and work in the afternoons, I do not have too much time on my hand. I thought you might have some good advice for an expat novice like me.

[taxico]

do you know where you'll be working? a street name would help. the cheapest way would be to rent a room from a flat instead of private condos.

singapore's small. if you live near work, it will cut down on travel expenses (and time). rush hour on public transport in singapore isn't as bad as japan, but it's no fun either.

if where you stay is near a train/bus station, that would also make it convenient for non-work travels.

the farther away from the city (south'ish part of the island), the cheaper - but this doesn't always ring true (certain parts elsewhere may be cheap, but it's usually because they're huge houses).

URL CENSORED DUE TO COPYRIGHT ISSUES

i don't believe there're multi-trip tickets for trains, but they have those for buses i think... bearing in mind there are 2 bus companies and they don't share bus passes.

i can't comment on work permit because i don't know.

general tips? bring plenty of sun block and don't commit crimes. : )

grocery shopping should be a piece of cake, but newer housing estates tend to have a less extensive/smaller grocery stores, as well as facilities (public pools, running tracks, gyms, etc).

[Millersman]

Thank you for the quick response. I will be working near Victoria Street, so pretty central.

So I guess a flat near the CBD could be as cheap as a flat further south, when considering the train tickets?

[Saint]

Thank you for the quick response. I will be working near Victoria Street, so pretty central.

So I guess a flat near the CBD could be as cheap as a flat further south, when considering the train tickets?

Victoria Street isn't actually in the CBD but runs between Bugis area up to City Hall and is about as south of Singapore as you can get. To be honest, public transport is so cheap here that it wouldn't be seen as the difference in rentals price between central, and say, East Coast. I bus it in everyday from Siglap to Bugis and it costs me 50 bucks a month.

[taxico]

i forgot about the URL censorship thing here.

i meant to say: check out the real estate classifieds section and use the popular online mapping websites to figure out how far the dwellings are from your work place.

[gillypadi]

You can invest in an EzyLink and that pays your MRT (trains) and all public buses fares (you can even purchase a happy meal from macca's with that!)
It's easy to top up your card at any MRT station or bus interchange.

Victoria Street is so central, it's easy to get to by bus from practically anywhere in Singapore!

GL!

[Millersman]

Thank you, you all have been really helpful. I will be looking through a few Classified sections now and contact some owners or agents.

Concerning the MRTs and Buses I think I got the situation, thanks.

And another short question, what do people mean when they say, "light cooking is allowed in condo or apartment", do people eat out in Singapore almost every other day?

[gillypadi]

I suppose light cooking will be instant noodles, one pot meals. No deep frying, no bbqs, no steaks and chips.

If it's cooking for one versus eating out, i would say it's cheaper to eat out. And you get more variety. Lots of coffee shops (open air food stalls), food courts and cafes around!

[AngMoKio]

> do people eat out in Singapore almost every other day?

Yes. Many do.

[taxico]

non-restaurant "normal" meals go for $2.50 to $5.

drinks are like an additional 80c to $1.50 (non-alcoholic/fruit juice).

i usually spend about $5 at food courts/centres on a meal, drink inclusive!