80 dollars a day to live from, possible?

[guido1976]

Hello Everybody,

This is my first post here. From january my company sends me to singapore
for about a year(as a start).

The company will pay for my house and transportation. They also pay for
my phone and internet.

They give me 80 sing dollars a day as living allowance.

My question is if that is reasonable for daily live. I will cook my own food
a few days a week. I dont go out every night. Like to join a fitness/sports club etc. When eating out it will not be a fancy restaurant but just a healthy, normal daily food thing.

So will 80 dollars a day do this?

thanx!

Guido
Netherlands

[x9200]

Hello Everybody,
This is my first post here. From january my company sends me to singapore
for about a year(as a start).
The company will pay for my house and transportation. They also pay for
my phone and internet.
They give me 80 sing dollars a day as living allowance.
My question is if that is reasonable for daily live. I will cook my own food
a few days a week. I dont go out every night. Like to join a fitness/sports club etc. When eating out it will not be a fancy restaurant but just a healthy, normal daily food thing.
So will 80 dollars a day do this?

It is reasonable to very reasonable depending on your food requirements.

[hellonoko]

If your careful with your money no problem.

I think you could even eat out every day for about 5SG or less a meal...

I have been staying here for about a month in a backpackers/hostel and it has cost me about 1000SG for rent/food.

Getting around on the MRT is quite cheap also maybe 1SG or less? Per trip.

[sundaymorningstaple]

If you company is giving you accomodtion and transportation, then per deim if S$80/day is sufficient unless you intend on drinking every night of the week and eating steak in restaurants. Depends on how frugal you are.

[guido1976]

A friend of mine lives in Singapore and he says my combined salary and living allowance dollars will fly out of my wallet like hell.

Basicly he says it's hardly enough.

My idea is to keep my salary on my bank. Exept for normal things like clothes or something.

At least I don't want to use it for daily life expenses.

I have to finance everything except accomodation/transportation/phone from 80 dollars a day.

I don't have a high standard. I plan to cook several days a week myself, and will not spend every night in a bar.

So my guess it would be enough. I will live there alone. My girlfriend will come over reguarly from thailand.

[x9200]

Have you read this thread?
http://forum.singaporeexpats.com/ftopic63811-30.html

[beppi]

I find it easy to survive on S$20 per normal weekday excl. accomodation/transportation/phone. Even incl. occasional luxuries (or on weekends) I rarely spend above S$80.
Cooking yourself doesn't help saving money - it actually costs more than a meal in a hawker centre.

[nakatago]

Cooking yourself doesn't help saving money - it actually costs more than a meal in a hawker centre.

This is rarely the case, unless you plan badly for your meals that you'll cook.

A dish may last a person 3-4 meals. Cook another dish, have them alternately each day. Bonus points if the types of food you cook can have several permutations--a different combination each meal.

Just a little creativity goes a long, long way

[sundaymorningstaple]

It's actually cheaper to cook your own it you do ALL the sums. You get to use a better grade of food. You don't have food full of MSG (in order to give the cheaper grades of food more flavour), You don't have the cost of transport to the eatery, you don't have the unhealthy selections full of oil (unless you tend to cook that way yourself). You will actually eat healthier by eating at home so over the long term you medical costs will probably be lower as well. I've saved about 1/3 of my food costs since I gave up eating out for the most parts. And my health has improved dramatically.

[guido1976]

well, if you go by bicycle or you walk to the restaurant...

but yes, the intention of cooking yourself is that it is more healthy, more controlled, more fun etc.

But it will all depend on how the working day is. late at home means no cooking anymore.

Cooking is something I have to learn anyway as the last 12 years there has always been cooked for me. Either in hotels or on board ships.

[econoMIC]

As all your major expenses are paid I would say SGD 80 is definitely possible to live on unless you are used to champagne and caviar all the way. I think cooking at home vs eating out (Singaporean food) will be the same price roughly if you live alone (like I did last time). It was the same for me in the end. One thing to note though: you wouldn't want to cook yourself too much as you are only planning on staying for one year and have to sample every local food available at every possible hawker centre. That is what Singapore is all about and you shouldn't miss out on it.

[sundaymorningstaple]

after 27 years though........

[ringo100100]

Hard to tell your lifestyle but is fine if you don't go want to drink much or travel.

80 per day = 560 per week.

My average weekly budget excluding work transport, internet, phone, travel:

7 X breakfast = 35
10 X lunch/dinner (budget) = 80
4 x lunch/ dinner (treat) = 200
1 x cinema = 20
6 x taxi (various) =100
Friday night =100 -250 - (8-20 drinks)
Saturday night =100 -250 - (8-20 drinks)
Other stuff (mag/ book/cd/cloth) = 30- 250
Total =665 - 1,185 per week.


So for me, my main expenditure is really controllable if I need. But if you like a drink in a lively spot, then it is a killer.

[resm]

Hello Everybody,

This is my first post here. From january my company sends me to singapore
for about a year(as a start).

The company will pay for my house and transportation. They also pay for
my phone and internet.

They give me 80 sing dollars a day as living allowance.

My question is if that is reasonable for daily live. I will cook my own food
a few days a week. I dont go out every night. Like to join a fitness/sports club etc. When eating out it will not be a fancy restaurant but just a healthy, normal daily food thing.

So will 80 dollars a day do this?

thanx!

Guido
Netherlands

there are a few points you have to clarify:

by paying for your house (how much ?) does this mean inclusive electricity/water ?
is it your own apartment or do you have to share with others ?
or is it just a room ?

transportation: local transportation or just your return air ticket ? is it a fixed allowance or can you claim ? whats the limit ?

your phone: is it your hand phone bill inclusive overseas calls ?
calling back home is expensive !

Cable TV can cost you about S$ 100.- a month. inclusive ?

If all the above is covered by your company, then S$ 80.- a day will keep you alive nicely but you will not go back home as a rich man.

[Pepijn]

Guido,

I noticed you are Dutch and moving for work. The S$80 a day per diem seems very familiar

I was based in Singapore for 7 months by a Dutch employer in the past as well, more or less with the same terms I expect you will be getting:

Work pays for a Serviced Apartment including all perks
Travel allowance on reimbursement
about 42,50 euro a day to spend as per diem (which is about S$86)

As mentioned before, it really depends on your lifestyle. Basic cost of living should pretty well be covered, but take into consideration a beer will knock you back about S$15. Most other things (clothes, books etc) will not be a lot cheaper then you would expect in the Netherlands, depending on what you need.

The way I looked at it: What do you have to spend on a daily basis in the Netherlands? If that is 40 euro or less, you can have the same standard of living (unless you are a chain smoking alcoholic ) . The thing that makes Singapore considerably more expensive then even Amsterdam is housing (and a car) but that is taken care of by work.

I wouldn't worry to much about the allowance if I were you, and having a salary back at home you might only touch once in a while, you'll be good to go.

Make sure though your employer arranges an Employment Pass!

I'll be relocating to Singapore around christmas, you can give me a holler when you're over.

Pepijn