moving to Singapore/ living expenses for a family

[northernlight]

Hi!

I have been offered a job with a salary of about 4500 SGD per month. I'll be moving with my wife and two children (aged 7 and 4).
How much do I need to rent a 3 room apartment (60 square metres)?
I read that I have to pay for school fees of my children. How much does it cost for normal Englsih medium schools in Singapore /per child / month?

Will I be managing with the living expenses with a moderate life style?

Thanks in advance!

[v4jr4]

Perhaps these 2 threads can help you
http://forum.singaporeexpats.com/ftopic89771.html
http://forum.singaporeexpats.com/ftopic63811.html

Or search the keyword "expense"

[zzm9980]

Hi!

I have been offered a job with a salary of about 4500 SGD per month. I'll be moving with my wife and two children (aged 7 and 4).
How much do I need to rent a 3 room apartment (60 square metres)?
I read that I have to pay for school fees of my children. How much does it cost for normal Englsih medium schools in Singapore /per child / month?

Will I be managing with the living expenses with a moderate life style?

Thanks in advance!

Short answer, you can't afford it.

If you rent in an HDB, you'll pay at least half of that salary for a three room apartment. Note three room here generally means two bedrooms, one main room. A three bedroom will be a four room or five room apartment, and those will cost more.

If you go to a private school, expect to pay 2000-3000 per month per kid. Local schools will still have some fees,but you'll have a hard time getting in depending on your location. Your child may be placed in a school 20km away.

[v4jr4]

My friend rented a very-very-very decent HDB for almost 1500S$ (his wife and 2 kids were here at that time), but the location is too far.

[zzm9980]

My friend rented a very-very-very decent HDB for almost 1500S$ (his wife and 2 kids were here at that time), but the location is too far.

Even if you could find another, the remaining 3000/month will make it difficult to raise a family on that, and impossible if the kids go to a private school.

[offshoreoildude]

It will be very, very tight. I'd suggest you come out first before committing if you don't believe us. Do some homework and see if your kids can get into any schools and have a look a housing. You're basically on nigger wages.

[northernlight]

Thanks for your quick reply.
Yes, I am looking for a three room (two bed room and a main room) apartment. I am looking information regarding the local school fees not International School.

Regards

Hi!

I have been offered a job with a salary of about 4500 SGD per month. I'll be moving with my wife and two children (aged 7 and 4).
How much do I need to rent a 3 room apartment (60 square metres)?
I read that I have to pay for school fees of my children. How much does it cost for normal Englsih medium schools in Singapore /per child / month?

Will I be managing with the living expenses with a moderate life style?

Thanks in advance!

Short answer, you can't afford it.

If you rent in an HDB, you'll pay at least half of that salary for a three room apartment. Note three room here generally means two bedrooms, one main room. A three bedroom will be a four room or five room apartment, and those will cost more.

If you go to a private school, expect to pay 2000-3000 per month per kid. Local schools will still have some fees,but you'll have a hard time getting in depending on your location. Your child may be placed in a school 20km away.

[offshoreoildude]

Thanks for your quick reply.
Yes, I am looking for a three room (two bed room and a main room) apartment. I am looking information regarding the local school fees not International School.

Regards

Hi!

I have been offered a job with a salary of about 4500 SGD per month. I'll be moving with my wife and two children (aged 7 and 4).
How much do I need to rent a 3 room apartment (60 square metres)?
I read that I have to pay for school fees of my children. How much does it cost for normal Englsih medium schools in Singapore /per child / month?

Will I be managing with the living expenses with a moderate life style?

Thanks in advance!

Short answer, you can't afford it.

If you rent in an HDB, you'll pay at least half of that salary for a three room apartment. Note three room here generally means two bedrooms, one main room. A three bedroom will be a four room or five room apartment, and those will cost more.

If you go to a private school, expect to pay 2000-3000 per month per kid. Local schools will still have some fees,but you'll have a hard time getting in depending on your location. Your child may be placed in a school 20km away.

Local schools aren't expensive (I pay $5 a month as a PR I think - its more for you but I think $150 each or similar). The problem you have is finding housing on that package. You won't be able to afford any entertainment or save significantly at all either. I would not accept this offer unless you are in dire straights and need the job.

[ScoobyDoes]

Actually from January, international students at local schools are still having to pay something like $500/month plus $6-7 for materials.

If you are ASEAN then it's better at just $350/month.

PR kids are even to be $90/month from January, up from $40 this year.

Overall, from $4500 per month you will already have to fork out more than $1000 in school fees. It will be more as most likely you'll have to get extra tuition for the kids to be able to pass their Mother Tongue classes (Chinese, Tamil or Malay) unless you are speaking one at home. The kids must sign up for one language and only the MOE can authorise dropping out later.

Whilst the cheapest International Schools may be around $1500-1800 per month local schools are, therefore, a much better choice, but they are not as cheap as our oil friend makes out. Int'l student fees are going up $155 this year alone from $345/month.



At $4500/month salary, walk away. Call it $1500/month in school fees, $2000-2500/month for a HDB 2/br apartment and you are already hitting around the $3500-$4000/month before you factor in food and travel.

[bro75]

This is a good salary (if you are from a 3rd world country). If you are from Finland as your profile says then the standard of living you will experience at this salary level may not be for you.
To make it work with savings, you can rent a hdb master bedroom only for your whole family (900-1500/month depending on location), your primary age child will study at public schools at about 550 per month, your preschool kid will need to be at a kindergarten which may cost from 200 per month (PCF) to about 1500 per month. You can also homeschool your preschool kid if you are confident that you can prepare him/her for primary schooling. You can still eat out frequently if you eat at the food courts or hawker centers ($4 to $10 per meal). Buying from the wet market and cooking at home will be cheaper. You will not be able to afford a car. Overseas trips to go back home will be expensive also and to be able to save you may decide to limit your family to 1 trip every 2 years.

[Callput]

This is a good salary (if you are from a 3rd world country). If you are from Finland as your profile says then the standard of living you will experience at this salary level may not be for you.
To make it work with savings, you can rent a hdb master bedroom only for your whole family (900-1500/month depending on location), your primary age child will study at public schools at about 550 per month, your preschool kid will need to be at a kindergarten which may cost from 200 per month (PCF) to about 1500 per month. You can also homeschool your preschool kid if you are confident that you can prepare him/her for primary schooling. You can still eat out frequently if you eat at the food courts or hawker centers ($4 to $10 per meal). Buying from the wet market and cooking at home will be cheaper. You will not be able to afford a car. Overseas trips to go back home will be expensive also and to be able to save you may decide to limit your family to 1 trip every 2 years.

Its not good salary even for 3rd world, may be 4th world, haha.

[the lynx]

This is a good salary (if you are from a 3rd world country). If you are from Finland as your profile says then the standard of living you will experience at this salary level may not be for you.

I beg to differ. This salary may be ok if OP is coming here as a single person without any dependent.

But for a family? That SGD4500 is hardly anything! And OP has a school-going child (which may have to end up in expensive private school if he can't get in for local school timely)

[v4jr4]

This is a good salary (if you are from a 3rd world country). If you are from Finland as your profile says then the standard of living you will experience at this salary level may not be for you.

I beg to differ. This salary may be ok if OP is coming here as a single person without any dependent.

But for a family? That SGD4500 is hardly anything! And OP has a school-going child (which may have to end up in expensive private school if he can't get in for local school timely)

If both of them work, I guess it's manageable.

[ScoobyDoes]

If both of them work, I guess it's manageable.

Fine, but do you know how hard it is to get work on a Letter of Consent? Half of employers even have no idea such a thing exists or that by doing so there is no need even to pay CPF.

[v4jr4]

If both of them work, I guess it's manageable.

Fine, but do you know how hard it is to get work on a Letter of Consent? Half of employers even have no idea such a thing exists or that by doing so there is no need even to pay CPF.

Yeah. It's pretty hard. Plus, the kids are 4 and 7. Not to mention the bills from childcare