Hi. great video and breakdown., watched the other one on the loft tour as well. I'm interested in staying in a shophouse in that same area (Duxton I believe?), can I find out which housing provider you are using? Thanks
I'm from Zurich, Switzerland. Years ago my parents migrated to Singapore and to this day they're still living there as a Permanent Resident. They absolutely love living there, and they have a great quality living as the cost of living in Singapore is so much more affordable than in Switzerland.
@@steventay5834aside from car, SG is definitely cheaper than Switzerland. You don't have to go for condo. Problem is there are many people with way less earning power than her, but spent way more.
S$2450 with bills included for an apartment like that is a very very good deal. People living with flatmates in a master bedroom probably pays 1500 easily.
Maybe that's just her portion - she dd mentioned she is living with her partner. Perhaps 50-50; which will bring the total costs to SGD4900 /mo (USD3600++). That's probably about the price of an apartment in SFO area.
Thank you for sharing. Useful information about the cost of living in Singapore. Ten years ago, I visited Singapore and was impressed with a few things such as clean streets, efficient and affordable public transportation, beautiful airport, and cultural diversity. People were courteous as well. Being an Asian myself, I felt at home. I think I can afford to retire in Singapore.
singaporean living in the bay area, we take for granted how cheap things are in singapore compared to the bay. Other than housing, I cannot understand why people complain about the cost of living in singapore
I had a plate of chicken rice yesterday at a food court, it cost $5.80, the chicken slices were thin and weak looking with 3 very thinly sliced cucumber. There’s a difference between business owners who’s out to make a profit and be stingy in serving portion or those who with the intention of serving customers good food.
Good review of cost of living in Singapore. Let me add that for groceries, Cold Storage/Jason's probably has the freshest groceries (but most pricey), followed by NTUC Fairprice/Finest. You can find cheaper groceries at Sheng Siong and Giant (located mainly in the neighborhoods), but their fruits and vegetables are not in the best shape. I get my fruits at NTUC weekly and to Sheng Siong for non-perishables (monthly to stock up).
Great sharing! Some restaurants extra charges include service fee and gst So you can use the total x 1.199 for the total bill. Also based on your phone bill, you can get a $10 /mth one nowadays for even more data and some overseas data (JB/Thailand etc)
You are lucky to find such affordable unit to live; not very common in Singapore. You most likely do not need a car to commute as MRT can take you to virtually anywhere in Singapore.
Does the unit come with furniture? It is good to have the overseas working experience especially in country like Singapore. I am an ex-Singaporean but have not had a chance to work in Singapore.
Not expensive except for car ownership since I use to live in NYC then move to Miami, FL in my 30’s. But everything is dependent on salary. Florida is notorious for low pay compare to cost of living but I can definitely get more bang for my bucks here. I am so glad I left NYC. My quality of life improved a lot!
Been traveling to Singapore more time than i remember in work and always get shocked how expensive it is compared to Bangkok where i lived and worked +15 years now Here in Bangkok i live almost a" luxury life" compared to west and often never spends more than usd 1300-1500$ a month incl 280$ rent + 40$ for electric and water and house fee for a 1 bed condo with a small pool and gym in the building food clothes transportation and everyday life etc Phone shocked me to..i pay 200 baht (about 5,50$) for 30days unlimited 5 g data here
Bangkok is a great city but when you compare Singapore to Bangkok it seems inappropriate as they are of different league. It is more appropriate to compare Singapore to London, New York, Hong Kong and Shar
@@BasilLeaf-o4c well it seems like more and more ppl leave" the great "Singapore because of the rent costs and overall costs that take the most part of their salary . many of them seems to end up here in bangkok..=)
@@nattm6553 true quite a bit of people left due to the high cost of living. But life is about choices I must say Bangkok or Thailand is affordable and suitable for retirement. Singapore is clean, safe offers much better employment opportunities and is a business hub for Southeast Asia and Asia. It’s like choosing to live in the CBD or the suburbs. Both has its merits.
Hi, thank you for this amazing video! Can you please share the name of the company you're renting this unit from? I'm moving out from my student accommodation in Singapore soon so looking for options.
I remember how inexpensive Singapore was in the 1980s but as the country progressed, cost of living has also skyrocketed. Do you think HK is more or less expensive then Singapore? Thanks.
welcome back! I was wondering where you went. I use to go back to your channel in hopes you'd upload someday again. I've been thinking about moving to singapore for the past year. I've been trying to find employment but I feel like they only want to hire people from Singapore. I'm also from the U.S as well. I've reached out to so many job agencies and haven't heard back. Any advice?
I appreciate your patience 🙈 I'm back and committed to uploading consistently! You read my mind because this is exactly the topic of my next video, so stay tuned...:)
If you have singaporean-citizen friends, notice that few had to work part-time during school and even fewer contribute to their parents' household expenses, groceries, utilities, road tax, property tax, rent etc. Young singaporeans live rent-free under their parents' roof for a long time and it explains the unrealistic biatching n complaining about "high" cost of living.
US has a car culture because cars are very cheap by Singapore standards. Getting a Grab might cost 10 times more than public transport, but still does not reflect on the true cost of owning a car in Singapore because of our unique COE system. This stands for Certificate of Entitlement for owning a car for the period of 10 years. After 10 years, you either renew your COE for another 10 k for the same car! or buy a new car! with a 10 Year COE! or just take take the public transport. So Public transport like Grab or PHV is very cheap when compared to car ownership. Public transport system is cheap and reliable where Buses are concerned. But the Gov has been adjusting bus routes to ensure the MRT is fully utilized. Just imagine what would happen if the MRT breaks down. We would all wish we had a car in the end because at times like these, Grab and Gojek would jack up their prices by a thousand times. You also mentioned that lots of your costs are company associated. Would really help if you could give an actual ball park figure needed for an expat to live comfortably after paying off for the basics like property, transportation, food, and medical costs. What would really help is giving a total amount an expat should be earning before ever considering Singapore for its plus points like public safety.
Total expenses seem to be way lowered down... Price of house, it was told is shared, so is half, right? From the other side, phone bill overpaid, you can get better cheaper
My Malaysian expat friend spends $800 to rent a room, on mrt and bus, 10 or mobile data, and about 1000 on food. She earns 13k so saving about 8k a month. It's not that expensive.
Hi, Amazing video! I'm just recently employed and also looking for a apartment to rent (Hopefully like ur gorgeous loft), could you share the company or platform you used to find your place?
If offered a job which pays ~8000SGD/month, as a person looking to relocate, after tax, will that be enough to live, if alone and needing only a small 1bd apartment? Also, does not have to be in the city center, but close to MRT... Thank you, please take care! ☺
wow u r thrifty man. only spend 1.3k excluding housing. so the monthly rent is 4.8 in total? u can get a condo with 2-3 bedrooms with that price i reckon.....
Regarding car ownership in SG, it is quite tough for a family with young kids or those who have elderly who are not so mobile to NOT own a car. Hence, while transportation cost is cheap for single folks, it is very expensive when you have kids/elderly folks who are not so mobile.
Age old arguement eh. Many people have elders and youngs so no concession given. If everyone's allowed cars it just wouldn't work in Singapore. You will be looking at Indonesian or Thai traffic jams which defeats the purpose of coe. I'm sorry. But it's just too bad.
@@shutengloke5907 Simple. The rich. Does everyone want the latest iPhone or Samsung? Who deserves these devices if there are limited supplies? The most productive members of the society? Those who have the most friends and need to be the most connected? So? The richest who can afford it.
@@karebu2 yes, the rich can afford it but my question was who should own a car? Why is car ownership (COE) depends on who can afford to pay it? And why the rich can own 10-20 cars at one time? Do they need so many cars at one time? I understand in SG ownership of car have to be limited but I think limiting it to those who can pay for it seems like a poor and lazy decision.
@@shutengloke5907 Coz we aren't a communist society. Can the rich own more properties? Can they have more gadgets? Yes they can. Because they can afford it. Why shouldn't they own more things? They earned it, literally. Should everyone get an equally sized house? Should everyone get the same pay? If you aren't happy about the state of things, change them. Go join politics. If you don't have the will/energy etc, change yourself. Change yourself internally (mindset) or externally (get more $).
i plan go to Singapore. Philippines is true hell with familly law. I run away from them. And my country Switzerland is also expensive but Singapore you can find still cheap options. And I like that its very strikt. U look also beautiful. To other channels. That is the right way u not need to much make up.
Spend $3700 / mo as minimalist that does not go out much. Mind if I ask how much do you make from your day job (not including YT income)? Or the range that an average person (not to minimalist that goes out once a week) needs to be making to live in Singapore? Edit: One commenter mentioned "Median salary in SG is about $4k/month." True?
I think u missed the sweat factor. As a SG in USA, hands down we head for USA. The sweat factor causes one to drive or grab rather than public transport. Also at this age group - u need to plan for asset building - meaning saving for the down u need. If u want to enter the private sector, then savings need to be substantial. The US allows entry level to private housing and cars easily for white collars. Also the weather sucks, and the English and mandarin u hear are sub par. Basically u need to pay for privacy daily. Come bk to USA - Its not that bad
Guess how many emojis I used in this video :) thank you for watching my longest video yet!
Is 7,700 SGD a good salary, and how much could you save as a single person? I'm not a huge drinker but like to go out at least 2 times a month.
Hi. great video and breakdown., watched the other one on the loft tour as well. I'm interested in staying in a shophouse in that same area (Duxton I believe?), can I find out which housing provider you are using? Thanks
As a singaporean, I would say that the information presented in the video is very accurate!!
I'm from Zurich, Switzerland. Years ago my parents migrated to Singapore and to this day they're still living there as a Permanent Resident. They absolutely love living there, and they have a great quality living as the cost of living in Singapore is so much more affordable than in Switzerland.
Is expensive for Singaporean as we need to buy a flat, easily $600k!!
Stressful country
@@steventay5834 i bought mine for $275k hey if you can't afford it , set your eyes lower .
No but switzerland is alot more expensive than singapore… u probably haven’t went there before.
@@scythazz A car in Singapore easily cost $180000. A private condo can cost $2m.
@@steventay5834aside from car, SG is definitely cheaper than Switzerland. You don't have to go for condo. Problem is there are many people with way less earning power than her, but spent way more.
S$2450 with bills included for an apartment like that is a very very good deal. People living with flatmates in a master bedroom probably pays 1500 easily.
Maybe that's just her portion - she dd mentioned she is living with her partner. Perhaps 50-50; which will bring the total costs to SGD4900 /mo (USD3600++). That's probably about the price of an apartment in SFO area.
Thank you for sharing. Useful information about the cost of living in Singapore. Ten years ago, I visited Singapore and was impressed with a few things such as clean streets, efficient and affordable public transportation, beautiful airport, and cultural diversity. People were courteous as well. Being an Asian myself, I felt at home. I think I can afford to retire in Singapore.
singaporean living in the bay area, we take for granted how cheap things are in singapore compared to the bay. Other than housing, I cannot understand why people complain about the cost of living in singapore
Cars are damn expensive.
Costs of living is manageable
which bay area ? marina bay or garden by the bay ?
@@letsgoletsgoletsgoletsgoletsgo west coast park
@@bdjeosjfjdskskkdjdnfbdj baller
Those lists are for expats and include cars, western food and I think house with yard
I had a plate of chicken rice yesterday at a food court, it cost $5.80, the chicken slices were thin and weak looking with 3 very thinly sliced cucumber. There’s a difference between business owners who’s out to make a profit and be stingy in serving portion or those who with the intention of serving customers good food.
@@menutokitchen I bought my chicken rice with drum stick at hawker centre $5.50
Sample size of 1
Thank you so much. I love when people are transparent and give real numbers - so helpful for my future move to Singapore
Good review of cost of living in Singapore. Let me add that for groceries, Cold Storage/Jason's probably has the freshest groceries (but most pricey), followed by NTUC Fairprice/Finest. You can find cheaper groceries at Sheng Siong and Giant (located mainly in the neighborhoods), but their fruits and vegetables are not in the best shape. I get my fruits at NTUC weekly and to Sheng Siong for non-perishables (monthly to stock up).
Welcome back 🤗 Thanks for sharing your perspective on cost of living in Singapore as an expat
Great sharing!
Some restaurants extra charges include service fee and gst So you can use the total x 1.199 for the total bill.
Also based on your phone bill, you can get a $10 /mth one nowadays for even more data and some overseas data (JB/Thailand etc)
❤ thanks for this break down was looking for an update version and just found yours
Thanks for watching!
You are lucky to find such affordable unit to live; not very common in Singapore. You most likely do not need a car to commute as MRT can take you to virtually anywhere in Singapore.
I agree though rent prices seem to have cooled lately, not as bad as 2023 was!
Does the unit come with furniture? It is good to have the overseas working experience especially in country like Singapore. I am an ex-Singaporean but have not had a chance to work in Singapore.
@@modhua4497 Yes, it is a fully furnished unit
There’s Michelin starred hawker food as well which is quite good!
i think you missed a big pro of singapore, the low effective tax rate. This easily offsets quite abit of the costs described in the video
You look so healthy. I learned a lot. Thank You.
It's not about the price only, it's about money management. You cannot control the price always but you can possibly make more money.
That is very expensive relative to other countries! Hope you are getting a great life there! 65% om housing is crazy!
Not expensive except for car ownership since I use to live in NYC then move to Miami, FL in my 30’s. But everything is dependent on salary. Florida is notorious for low pay compare to cost of living but I can definitely get more bang for my bucks here. I am so glad I left NYC. My quality of life improved a lot!
good breakdown, thanks!
This is a very useful informative video! Thank you for sharing 😊
Thanks for watching!
Been traveling to Singapore more time than i remember in work and always get shocked how expensive it is compared to Bangkok where i lived and worked +15 years now
Here in Bangkok i live almost a" luxury life" compared to west and often never spends more than usd 1300-1500$ a month incl 280$ rent + 40$ for electric and water and house fee for a 1 bed condo with a small pool and gym in the building food clothes transportation and everyday life etc
Phone shocked me to..i pay 200 baht (about 5,50$) for 30days unlimited 5 g data here
Bangkok is a great city but when you compare Singapore to Bangkok it seems inappropriate as they are of different league. It is more appropriate to compare Singapore to London, New York, Hong Kong and Shar
@@BasilLeaf-o4c well it seems like more and more ppl leave" the great "Singapore because of the rent costs and overall costs that take the most part of their salary . many of them seems to end up here in bangkok..=)
@@nattm6553 true quite a bit of people left due to the high cost of living. But life is about choices I must say Bangkok or Thailand is affordable and suitable for retirement. Singapore is clean, safe offers much better employment opportunities and is a business hub for Southeast Asia and Asia. It’s like choosing to live in the CBD or the suburbs. Both has its merits.
I am comparing Singapore and Bangkok now. So lucky that I ran into your comment
@@BasilLeaf-o4c search "companys fleeing singapore" same there.. rent and overall prices
Is 7,700 SGD a good salary, and how much could you save as a single person? I'm not a huge drinker but like to go out at least 2 times a month.
Hi, thank you for this amazing video! Can you please share the name of the company you're renting this unit from? I'm moving out from my student accommodation in Singapore soon so looking for options.
I remember how inexpensive Singapore was in the 1980s but as the country progressed, cost of living has also skyrocketed. Do you think HK is more or less expensive then Singapore? Thanks.
Singapore is now more expensive than HK!
welcome back! I was wondering where you went. I use to go back to your channel in hopes you'd upload someday again. I've been thinking about moving to singapore for the past year. I've been trying to find employment but I feel like they only want to hire people from Singapore. I'm also from the U.S as well. I've reached out to so many job agencies and haven't heard back. Any advice?
I appreciate your patience 🙈 I'm back and committed to uploading consistently! You read my mind because this is exactly the topic of my next video, so stay tuned...:)
Loved this despite the use of a pie chart 😢😝
We miss you so much! 🥲
😂 Thanks for watching! 💛
If you have singaporean-citizen friends, notice that few had to work part-time during school and even fewer contribute to their parents' household expenses, groceries, utilities, road tax, property tax, rent etc. Young singaporeans live rent-free under their parents' roof for a long time and it explains the unrealistic biatching n complaining about "high" cost of living.
Great explanation
Welcome to my country Singapore island I hope you will continue to like it here.😀😇😘
Hey, thank you for this video! I'm curious, is VPN necessary in SGP?
US has a car culture because cars are very cheap by Singapore standards. Getting a Grab might cost 10 times more than public transport, but still does not reflect on the true cost of owning a car in Singapore because of our unique COE system. This stands for Certificate of Entitlement for owning a car for the period of 10 years. After 10 years, you either renew your COE for another 10 k for the same car! or buy a new car! with a 10 Year COE! or just take take the public transport. So Public transport like Grab or PHV is very cheap when compared to car ownership.
Public transport system is cheap and reliable where Buses are concerned. But the Gov has been adjusting bus routes to ensure the MRT is fully utilized. Just imagine what would happen if the MRT breaks down. We would all wish we had a car in the end because at times like these, Grab and Gojek would jack up their prices by a thousand times.
You also mentioned that lots of your costs are company associated. Would really help if you could give an actual ball park figure needed for an expat to live comfortably after paying off for the basics like property, transportation, food, and medical costs. What would really help is giving a total amount an expat should be earning before ever considering Singapore for its plus points like public safety.
My gf and I pay 2300 SGD for a condo master bedroom in a flat that we share with 4 others. :D
Total expenses seem to be way lowered down... Price of house, it was told is shared, so is half, right?
From the other side, phone bill overpaid, you can get better cheaper
What areas are more cheaper to leave in SG?
My Malaysian expat friend spends $800 to rent a room, on mrt and bus, 10 or mobile data, and about 1000 on food. She earns 13k so saving about 8k a month. It's not that expensive.
Yr Malaysian expat friend really can save! Earning 13k 还这么省 👍👏
Hi, Amazing video! I'm just recently employed and also looking for a apartment to rent (Hopefully like ur gorgeous loft), could you share the company or platform you used to find your place?
You can simply live anywhere since you can live simply 🎉 thanks for your insightful sharing 😂
If offered a job which pays ~8000SGD/month, as a person looking to relocate, after tax, will that be enough to live, if alone and needing only a small 1bd apartment? Also, does not have to be in the city center, but close to MRT... Thank you, please take care! ☺
Yes that should be enough!
wow u r thrifty man. only spend 1.3k excluding housing. so the monthly rent is 4.8 in total? u can get a condo with 2-3 bedrooms with that price i reckon.....
$29 for phone is very expensive these days. Go look at contract free plans again. $10 will get you at least 100gb, free incoming etc
Hi, is $2,450.00 your share of the rent, or the total rent? Thanks! :)
My share! These costs are all for an individual
Regarding car ownership in SG, it is quite tough for a family with young kids or those who have elderly who are not so mobile to NOT own a car. Hence, while transportation cost is cheap for single folks, it is very expensive when you have kids/elderly folks who are not so mobile.
Age old arguement eh. Many people have elders and youngs so no concession given. If everyone's allowed cars it just wouldn't work in Singapore. You will be looking at Indonesian or Thai traffic jams which defeats the purpose of coe.
I'm sorry. But it's just too bad.
@@karebu2 I agree that for practical reason not everyone should own car in SG. The question is really who should own car?
@@shutengloke5907 Simple. The rich.
Does everyone want the latest iPhone or Samsung? Who deserves these devices if there are limited supplies? The most productive members of the society? Those who have the most friends and need to be the most connected?
So? The richest who can afford it.
@@karebu2 yes, the rich can afford it but my question was who should own a car?
Why is car ownership (COE) depends on who can afford to pay it? And why the rich can own 10-20 cars at one time? Do they need so many cars at one time?
I understand in SG ownership of car have to be limited but I think limiting it to those who can pay for it seems like a poor and lazy decision.
@@shutengloke5907 Coz we aren't a communist society. Can the rich own more properties? Can they have more gadgets? Yes they can. Because they can afford it. Why shouldn't they own more things? They earned it, literally.
Should everyone get an equally sized house? Should everyone get the same pay?
If you aren't happy about the state of things, change them. Go join politics. If you don't have the will/energy etc, change yourself. Change yourself internally (mindset) or externally (get more $).
U can get an even cheaper plan with more data with simba
i plan go to Singapore. Philippines is true hell with familly law. I run away from them. And my country Switzerland is also expensive but Singapore you can find still cheap options. And I like that its very strikt. U look also beautiful. To other channels. That is the right way u not need to much make up.
Sigapore way cheaper than Los Angeles
It seems Australia is still cheaper compared to the US and SG but don’t live in Sydney😂
Cost of living aside, living in Singapore is a pain. It is hot and it is humid, and so humid my toenails turn fungal.
Try showering at night and soap your damn feet and washing in between your toes.
Seems like you do not keep hygiene ...
$5000 is enough for a single. That includes rent
Spend $3700 / mo as minimalist that does not go out much. Mind if I ask how much do you make from your day job (not including YT income)? Or the range that an average person (not to minimalist that goes out once a week) needs to be making to live in Singapore?
Edit: One commenter mentioned "Median salary in SG is about $4k/month." True?
I spend same amount for 2 pax with better quality of living in Abu Dhabi.
Malaysia is right next door
It's free..
Expensive to live there 😮
For a Singapore family with 2 kids, we need $15000.
that's u. big spender. the average household expenditure not include rent for 4 is 5099. biggest item is transport meaning car.
I think u missed the sweat factor. As a SG in USA, hands down we head for USA. The sweat factor causes one to drive or grab rather than public transport. Also at this age group - u need to plan for asset building - meaning saving for the down u need. If u want to enter the private sector, then savings need to be substantial. The US allows entry level to private housing and cars easily for white collars. Also the weather sucks, and the English and mandarin u hear are sub par. Basically u need to pay for privacy daily. Come bk to USA - Its not that bad
And if you own a car, you have to pay to park everywhere.
1800 for 2 is NOT expensive lol
at least you won"t get shot in Singapore .
rent is fucked up
Singapore is a very expensive place for the average citizen
u can get 100gb for 10 dollars lol