Housing Allowance

[KrishX]

Hello

I've been offered a job with Singapore General Hospital. The package I have been offered include $600 housing allowance.

Having looked at the classifieds - is this realistic? Should I ask the company to increase it for me?

I'm happy to share (pref. expats) and I don't really want a commute longer than 30minutes. Which districts would be best?

Thanks for any views and opinions!

Krish

[Calmday]

Tell them to add a zero. $600 might rent you a room in a shared HDB unit.

[sundaymorningstaple]

I have my doubts that they will budge as I think I've read on here before that the government medical facilities all only offer 600/mo housing allowance. I might be wrong, but it does sound rather familiar.

[nakatago]

600 definitely won't pay for a room (single occupancy) in a nearby HDB unit but it will, however, definitely help.

For example, 3+1's reach the sweet spot of sharing, privacy, availability and cost. They cost around 2500 to 3000 a month in convenient locations. Depending on the agreement with the other occupants (we usually use 40% for masters, 30% for each common room), the cost for a common room would be 750 to 900.

Convenient locations, you can use google maps/street directory/gothere to figure out commuting directions from the postings that you see. Read around to see which districts sound ok to you.

Of course, YMMV.