Cost of Living

[Bill T]

Hi guys, hope you are all keeping well. I may have the opportunity of relocating to Singapore and wanted to know if $180,000 pa with the usual extras. Is it a good basic package. I’m single and have no dependents. It’s the things like rent and tax etc. Any answers would be gratefully appreciated.

Regards

[JR8]

Hi guys, hope you are all keeping well. I may have the opportunity of relocating to Singapore and wanted to know if $180,000 pa with the usual extras. Is it a good basic package. I’m single and have no dependents. It’s the things like rent and tax etc. Any answers would be gratefully appreciated.

Regards

This is a regular question, and you can use search to find those discussions.

It is also a bit of a 'how long is a piece of string' kind of Q. Tax... Google Singapore tax rates. On $180k it is not going to be more than 20%. Rent? as a single person you can rent from say $800pm to $unlimited. Use the Search function up in the header bar to look at some property to give you ideas.

[zzm9980]

Really depends on what your expectations are. Honestly I'd say no matter what, you'll be able to live quite comfortably on that salary, unless you fancy yourself a movie star or ultra high class jetsetter (but those types wouldnt be posting on a forum like this worrying about it!).

The only variables (based on your expectations) will pretty much be how much money you're saving/putting away, and maybe what kind of car you want to drive. (note that a car is 100% optional and not required for Singapore, and in many cases will be more of a hindrance for daily commutes)

[Bill T]

Thanks for the reply, not too bothered about a car as the local transport links look really good. The previous post indicated 800 pcm; I’ve been on the web and can’t find anything like that. How about costs i.e. electric, gas etc. If successful I will be working in and around the financial centre, which district would best suit this location, keeping in mind I would like to save as much as possible.

[JR8]

Thanks for the reply, not too bothered about a car as the local transport links look really good. The previous post indicated 800 pcm;


I said 'as a single person you can rent from say $800pm to $unlimited'. The reason is that without having any idea of your age, current circumstances etc it is to all intents and purposes simply not possible to suggest what kind of property you will want to rent. S$800 would be renting a common room in a flatshare, and as is intimated is the probable likely baseline.


I’ve been on the web and can’t find anything like that.

Search on 'common room' or 'flat-share'

How about costs i.e. electric, gas etc. If successful I will be working in and around the financial centre, which district would best suit this location, keeping in mind I would like to save as much as possible.

The Search button is top-right!

[nakatago]

Hi guys, hope you are all keeping well. I may have the opportunity of relocating to Singapore and wanted to know if $180,000 pa with the usual extras. Is it a good basic package. I’m single and have no dependents. It’s the things like rent and tax etc. Any answers would be gratefully appreciated.

Regards

Yes.

[Bill T]

The whole idea of a forum is to be helpful especially when that forum advertises itself, amongst other things, as a place to go for to get friendly advice. Obviously I’ve been a tad naive and I apologise for insulting your intelligence but please if you’re unable to respond without clarity in that response, why bother. I got more information from zzm9980’s single response than both of yours put together.

[Mary Hatch Bailey]

Umphf! A real smartass! I usually like that in a person, but in your case I'm willing to make an exception

Here's the deal, $180K for one person is more than sufficient, while for others it's not nearly enough. $180K for housing alone isn't even at the high end anymore.

Put another way, "good" jeans can cost $300 or $30. Come to that, Levi's can cost range that much. Unfortunately there are no shortcuts when figuring this stuff out.

The internet is your friend, so use it to look specifically into:

the rental market (prices are wildly inaccurate, but it's enough to get a general idea)

the neighborhoods via Google maps (how close is the MRT in the pouring rain, the hawker stand, etc.)

the prices of food at the various supermarkets or butcher websites

what a nice meal costs at a top restaurant to the grungiest kopi tiam and everything in between

movies/museums/libraries/the Zoo

flights out of the little red dot

It's all there if you're willing to look. Sundaymorningstaple has a comprehensive list at the end of his posts, it's a good place to start. In the meantime, use the search engine here to get specific information and remember that a forum is not by definition friendly, but merely a venue for discussion.

You have some work ahead of you, good luck.

[Bill T]

Thank you, that’s all very helpful and considerable food for thought. Although I’ve never flown into or out of a red dot before, should be interesting. Have a good day and if we don’t correspond again happy Christmas and all the best for the new year.

[sundaymorningstaple]

Sounds like BillT just spit his dummy. Another precocious kid who is really overpaid if his attitude here is any indication of his basic capabilities.....

JR8, does that answer your PM?

[Bill T]

Dummy spitting, I think you will find that if any dummy was indeed spat, your initial response to my question would have won Olympic gold for dummy spitting if indeed it were an Olympic event. My friend you seriously need to get a life, turn off the computer step outside and engage with other humans, face to face interaction is an amazing thing.

I have no real need to surf the web apart from when I actually need information and when I do it never ceases to amaze me the amount of times that I come across complete idiots such as you. The fact that the moderator allows you to continue on this forum offering up advice as useful as kick to a man’s special parts tells me everything I need to know about you and this web site. You really are a very sad individual; please tell me that you have more to your life than this, in fact don’t bother.

[JR8]

The fact that the moderator allows you to continue on this forum offering up advice ... tells me everything I need to know about you and this web site.

Sorry, but I couldn't help but laugh at that. He'll be asking for help next.

I bet he's got a Masters

[sundaymorningstaple]

Dummy spitting, I think you will find that if any dummy was indeed spat, your initial response to my question would have won Olympic gold for dummy spitting if indeed it were an Olympic event. My friend you seriously need to get a life, turn off the computer step outside and engage with other humans, face to face interaction is an amazing thing.

I have no real need to surf the web apart from when I actually need information and when I do it never ceases to amaze me the amount of times that I come across complete idiots such as you. The fact that the moderator allows you to continue on this forum offering up advice as useful as kick to a man’s special parts tells me everything I need to know about you and this web site. You really are a very sad individual; please tell me that you have more to your life than this, in fact don’t bother.

You, my friend, need to really take a long look in the mirror. Or, at the least, go back and read your posts in this thread from a neutral POV so you can see what we are seeing. Haven't you wondered why virtually ALL the posts in reply are negative? That should tell you something. If it were just one, fair dinkum, two? Okay, maybe, but a stretch. But ALL but one? I'd say it might be the OP. If it walks & squawks like a duck, it's probably a duck. The only thing sad about me, is the fact that your presence in Singapore will NOT help the Foreign Talent reputation at all. That saddens me. But on the up side, if you continue with your imperious nature, you won't be here long.

Do you, perchance have a masters degree?

[sundaymorningstaple]

Crap! I didn't see your post! You beat me to it.

Wonder if he realizes that it says moderator under my nick?

[nakatago]

Crap! I didn't see your post! You beat me to it.

Wonder if he realizes that it says moderator under my nick?

Yes.

---wait; what?