What is life like in Singapore?

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TeaLeaf

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#293510 27-Jan-2022 11:44

I have never been, it is on my bucket list along with some Japanese cities I have not visited.

I also notice Singapore tax appears relatively low and IT salaries higher than NZ.... Not sure what the health and education system is like though.

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#2857099 27-Jan-2022 11:48

Health and education are good, not sure about cost of living, as cars are taxed heavily. But yeah would love to live there. Hot tropic weather though, that's the one thing that's kinda putting me off.

wlgspotter

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#2857150 27-Jan-2022 13:36

zocster:

Health and education are good, not sure about cost of living, as cars are taxed heavily. But yeah would love to live there. Hot tropic weather though, that's the one thing that's kinda putting me off.

Well, car ownership costs are high as zocster mentioned you pay a premium (i.e. tax) for owning a car. Having said that, Singapore do have a really world class transportation system with it's pretty extensive MRT (Mass Rapid Transit, which is their city subway trains) and public busses. Even taxis and private hire cars (Grab - Uber exited the Singapore market a couple of years ago) are considerably accessible, so one literally could "survive" in Singapore without owning a car without too much inconvenience.

But yeah, the one negative aspect though, if any, is the hot and humid tropical weather, although a lot of indoor places and public transport are fully air conditioned. If you don't mind the heat and humidity then that's well and good.

Edit: Editorial and typos

Jase2985

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#2857152 27-Jan-2022 13:39

Also be aware some of their laws are very strict. i believe they still cane people for some offenses.

MikeAqua

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#2857175 27-Jan-2022 14:56

Also as a foreigner you can't own residential property, you have to rent. We have family who lived there for a decade and still couldn't legally buy a house.

Mike

Divhon88

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#2857178 27-Jan-2022 15:05

MikeAqua:

Also as a foreigner you can't own residential property, you have to rent. We have family who lived there for a decade and still couldn't legally buy a house.

Even local can't buy houses, they would just froth how cheap houses are in Auckland.

That's why they bought North Shore. Singaporians beisdes are the only foreigner who don't require residency in NZ who can buy instantly a house tomorrow if they wanted to.

Their rentals though are very affordable relative to income as most if not all are controlled by the gov't.

MikeAqua

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#2857196 27-Jan-2022 15:26

Divhon88:

Singaporians beisdes are the only foreigner who don't require residency in NZ who can buy instantly a house tomorrow if they wanted to.

A pity that's not reciprocal.

Mike

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#2857204 27-Jan-2022 15:43

Visited about 4 years ago and loved it

lxsw20

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#2857210 27-Jan-2022 15:51

humid and the best fried chicken i've ever had in my life.

wlgspotter

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#2857213 27-Jan-2022 15:59

Jase2985:

Also be aware some of their laws are very strict. i believe they still cane people for some offenses.

Well yes that is true, but generally you only will be sentenced to caning for the most serious of offenses. But IMO if you're law abiding then there really is nothing to worry about. And Singapore (and Malaysia) are very strict when it comes to drug offenses, even recreational drugs, so as long as you stay clear of those you'll be fine. :)

MikeAqua:

Also as a foreigner you can't own residential property, you have to rent. We have family who lived there for a decade and still couldn't legally buy a house.

Hmm generally that is not quite totally true. Foreigners can buy residential property in Singapore, but you can only buy properties from private developers and not the Govt subsidised public housing. And again if (or your partner, for example) happens to have Permanent Residency in Singapore, then you can still own a public housing apartment - it is just that you cannot ballot and purchase a new built unit but have to purchase if from the open market, which would cost a bit more than a new built. At one stage when property prices plunged years ago many people were snapping up private properties because they were cheap - even the locals could "afford" it so to speak.

Edit: Typos and editorial

MikeAqua

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#2857243 27-Jan-2022 16:57

wlgspotter:

Hmm generally that is not quite totally true. Foreigners can buy residential property in Singapore, but you can only buy properties from private developers and not the Govt subsidised public housing. And again if (or your partner, for example) happens to have Permanent Residency in Singapore, then you can still own a public housing apartment - it is just that you cannot ballot and purchase a new built unit but have to purchase if from the open market, which would cost a bit more than a new built. At one stage when property prices plunged years ago many people were snapping up private properties because they were cheap - even the locals could "afford" it so to speak.

Edit: Typos and editorial

Thanks for the clarification. Our friends definitely said they weren't allowed to buy residential property. Maybe they weren't permanent residents? They've since left Singapore.

I love visiting that place. The laws are strict, but it's very safe, and not restrictive place to visit. Most of the vices available in NZ are available there, just not recreational drugs.

One tip I found is that beer was much cheaper at Hawker markets.

Mike

TeaLeaf

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#2857257 27-Jan-2022 17:16

Wow so many people with experience there. Thank ya'll

Just say NO to caning. What do people get caned for? Like crimes? And dont do any drugs but occasionally drink. The night life there looks good, reminds me of Tokyo a bit.

I was looking at easiest places to migrate too, it popped up. So I looked into the visas and did the SAT and it says I could have an EP.

The pay looks rather good, but what about English being my only language (a little German)?

I figure I would rent a nice condo somewhere. It sounds like Germany, houses are expensive but dont fluctuate much, where rentals are dirt cheap. Depends where you live of course. But relative to NZ rents do not pay off mortgages like Landlords do to renters in NZ, by default of the market. Are there some nice apartments?

I really wish I had tried Hong Kong, I was reading something about Jean Claude Van Damme and why he moved to HK. Im not sure if he would want to be there right now.

Is Singapore inclusive society of foreigners?

The access to rental cars reminds me of a setup in Aus, you pay a little bit to have access to a vehicle when required, they are stored in a permanent spot in public parking.

What about motorbikes? I still have my bike license.

The humidity and heat, well its not the same but lived in Qld a long time and Cairns can get pretty hot and humid. It sucks but you get use to it is my thoughts. Nice at night in spring.

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Jase2985

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#2857263 27-Jan-2022 17:39

TeaLeaf:

1. Just say NO to caning. What do people get caned for? Like crimes? And dont do any drugs but occasionally drink. The night life there looks good, reminds me of Tokyo a bit.

2. The pay looks rather good, but what about English being my only language (a little German)?

3. Is Singapore inclusive society of foreigners?

4. The humidity and heat, well its not the same but lived in Qld a long time and Cairns can get pretty hot and humid. It sucks but you get use to it is my thoughts. Nice at night in spring.

1. Google it

2. Most speak some English, all be it broken in some cases, then its Chinese or Malaysian

3. They get a lot of tourists so i would say yes but ive never lived there only spent about 2 months there through out the years.

4. 30-35 during the day and like 28 at night. humidity rarely fluctuates

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#2857271 27-Jan-2022 18:03

Jase2985:

Also be aware some of their laws are very strict. i believe they still cane people for some offenses.

This is my enduring memory of flying into Singapore

mclean

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#2857277 27-Jan-2022 18:14

You very quickly acclimatise to the weather. especially if you go for ceiling fans rather air conditioning in your house. After a few years living there I really missed the warmth when I came home. If your work includes outside activity you have to plan it to avoid the midday heat.

The marketing culture is different to here, much more aggressive and involves a lot of "entertainment", but to the exclusion of wives and family. My wife much preferred other Asian countries where the entertainment was more centred on the expat community.

That aside, it's a great place to live.

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#2857282 27-Jan-2022 18:36

Beer is expensive. Chewing gum and homosexuality are illegal. Humid. Good public transport. No twilight (it goes dark very fast at night.) Tidy.

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