How do people manage on 3000 SGD?

[longstebe]

After my company dangling the carrot about a possible move to SG, I decided to do as much research as possible. With the cost of living in SG how do people manage on low wages?
I have a friend over there at the moment and he said that I would be comfortable on 8000 SGD.

So again, how do some people do it?

[x9200]

This cost of leaving has a single one major contributor - accommodation. Living in HDB: 1200-1800 (average). Other costs are low. No problem to squeeze them to less than 0.6-1k if you live on a tight budget. You can still save some money. There is a number of threads with detailed listings of the living expenses. Just search them up.

[nakatago]

For a lot of people (ok, Filipinos on SP, Q's and EP2's), 1500 actually is a safe monthly expense figure. This assumes renting a room which goes for around 700-800. Ditto on what x9200 said--food is cheap (for reasonable value), especially if you cook. This would also include a once-a-month drinking/clubbing session or the every few months trip in SEA or gadget purchase. Again, there's a thread somewhere listing possible expenditure figures.

But hey, if you can take as much as you can...

[curiousgeorge]

After my company dangling the carrot about a possible move to SG, I decided to do as much research as possible. With the cost of living in SG how do people manage on low wages?
I have a friend over there at the moment and he said that I would be comfortable on 8000 SGD.

So again, how do some people do it?

They have different expectations and standards.
On 3k you can expect to share an apartment, not eat at tourist/expat places, not own a car, not get best seats at the F1.

[Girl_Next_Door]

End of the day, you also need to consider your age and the years of work experience you have.

If you are at your early 20s, hardly ever had a full time job, you are probably either staying at home or sharing an apartment with your ex-classmates? In that case, coming over to Singapore and sharing an apartment is not a big problem. Its almost like college days.

Of course, if you are in your late 30s, earning $3K on a job that you are not passionate about and sharing an apartment, then you might want to re-evaluate your priorities.

[longstebe]

Some good points made.
Without sounding arrogant, I won't entertain coming to SG on less than 10k p/m. After all I'm in my mid 30's and not doing bad at all.
I suppose it's like anywhere, people have to manage their money very well.

[beppi]

S$3k for a single person is perfectly adequate to have a reasonable bachelor lifestyle, same as people in Europe or USA have. Everything above that is considered luxury everywhere in the world - and people who claim it "necessary" are indeed a bit arrogant.
However, S$3k for a family would be tight in Singapore.

[Strong Eagle]

S$3k for a single person is perfectly adequate to have a reasonable bachelor lifestyle, same as people in Europe or USA have. Everything above that is considered luxury everywhere in the world - and people who claim it "necessary" are indeed a bit arrogant.
However, S$3k for a family would be tight in Singapore.

That's a bloody arrogant quote you just made. Who are you to say what is 'necessary' and what is not? I choose to live in a semi-detached. It costs a lot more than 3K. Is that arrogant? Sheesh!

[beppi]

Hey, don't get worked up about it!
This was my reply to the following quote:
"Without sounding arrogant, I won't entertain coming to SG on less than 10k p/m."
I just wanted to say that some people here tend to declare as "necessary" some things they wouldn't reasonably expect back home (despite being from the "rich" world).
There is nothing wrong with affording yourself the luxury of a semi-d over a flat - I also had one for several years, until priorities of life changed and we moved to a (cheaper) apartment. But calling house with garden (in land-scarce Singapore!) a necessity, rather than personal preference, and thus looking down on the 97% of people here who cannot or don't want to afford one - that IS arrogant!

[Strong Eagle]

^^^^^^

Yah... I agree with that... it's not a necessity. It's a choice. 8K? 10K? 12K? I know of semi-detached houses around here that rent for 12K... so then you'd really need to make 20K to handle the rent.

[Girl_Next_Door]

^^^^^^

Yah... I agree with that... it's not a necessity. It's a choice. 8K? 10K? 12K? I know of semi-detached houses around here that rent for 12K... so then you'd really need to make 20K to handle the rent.

Even if I earn $20K, paying $12K in rent is still quite excessive? That's 60% of the income. Utilities and maintainance of a landed property is generally higher than an apartment as well.

When I look at the properties available for rent, I noticed that there are so many properties (landed properties and apartments) asking for $10-$25K in rent. The number runs in thousands. Are there really so many people who pay that kind of money, for rent?

[longstebe]

^^^^^^

Yah... I agree with that... it's not a necessity. It's a choice. 8K? 10K? 12K? I know of semi-detached houses around here that rent for 12K... so then you'd really need to make 20K to handle the rent.

Even if I earn $20K, paying $12K in rent is still quite excessive? That's 60% of the income. Utilities and maintainance of a landed property is generally higher than an apartment as well.

When I look at the properties available for rent, I noticed that there are so many properties (landed properties and apartments) asking for $10-$25K in rent. The number runs in thousands. Are there really so many people who pay that kind of money, for rent?

No, I'm a cheap b*stard.

As far as I'm concerned your rent should be no more than a third of your monthly earnings.

[/b]

[longstebe]

Oops, problems with the bold option. Hate people who do that.

[4hour]

I know a lot of Indonesian & Pinoys who survive on $1700 and still manage to save and build a small business back home after 2-3 years!

Most are single though and really frugal.

[sundaymorningstaple]

The median household income in Singapore is only slightly over 5K/mo. The median income here was around 2,600/mo in 2009. Looks like a lot can do it don't it.