Living In Singapore As An Expat On A Budget

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Living In Singapore As An Expat On A Budget

Living abroad allows you to explore, meet new people, and call a new country home. However, living abroad has its challenges. The biggest challenge for many people is the cost of living. Here we look at living in Singapore as an expat on a budget.

Food, water, and shelter are the most important things to take into consideration when creating a budget for yourself. Housing is typically the most expensive part of your budget. If you’re an expat looking to live in Singapore, here are some of the most important things you need to consider.

Cheap

The first thing you should do when in Singapore is to look for housing that’s within your budget. The lower the cost, the better. If you find a situation that’s less than ideal but is the perfect price, you can always fix it up. You can use a home treatment of bedbugs to get rid of the pests in your place. Paint and rugs are also cheap fixes for an unsavory living situation. Color is the best way to make a dreary place feel more lively.

Central

If you have several budget-friendly options, you can use the location to figure out which makes more sense for you as an expat. It’s best to stick to using local transportation rather than purchasing a car. In Singapore, buying and caring for a car is very expensive. However, Singapore has great alternative transportation. Their public transportation is always on time and fast. You can get from one end of Singapore to the other in only two hours. It would take much longer to drive from one side of the country to the other.

Local

Expats should also consider the people they are going to live around. If you like to go out and socialize, you may find it difficult to live in a place where you don’t know anyone. As an expat, you have several options in terms of housing if socializing is important to you. You can opt to live in an area where many other expats live. However, this could be a more expensive option. You could instead live in a local neighborhood. The more local people you know the more they will be able to show you the local hangouts, which are typically cheaper than the places you may go to socialize in downtown Singapore.

Size

Another determining factor in what you will spend on housing is the size of the place you want. A great option for many expats is condominium living. This kind of living gives you your own space and you are typically living near many other expats. This is usually the most expensive option for expats. Cheaper options include living in an apartment or an HDB flat. An HDB flat is reasonable government housing. Most native Singapore residents live in HDB housing, so this is an excellent option if you want to meet locals and experience what it’s really like to live in Singapore.

Amenities

If you need certain amenities in your house, such as a dishwasher, you may end up paying more for housing. This is considered a luxury and therefore will cost more. Other amenities, such as a pool, will also cost you more. Having a place for your family to play or a dedicated space to work out can be difficult to come by unless you choose to live in a condominium. If those amenities are necessary to you, your housing budget will have to increase.

Living in Singapore as an expat is both exciting and intimidating. It has everything you need from beautiful sandy beaches to dazzling downtown lights. If you stick to a budget, Singapore can be an affordable and great place to live.

Moving Abroad Checklist

Initial Considerations

Will your partner be travelling with you?

If so, what will they be giving up in your present home and will they be able to continue with their career in your new home? You will need to check whether a separate visa is required for your partner to work or if your visa gives that right. If they are unable to work you will need to decide on the effect on your finances and what alternatives are available to give a fulfilling life (home business, training, voluntary work).

Are you taking family with you?

Moving with family raises many exciting opportunities, but also can create challenges. The HSBC Expat Explorer survey indicates that expat kids can take six months to settle in to their new country (see article). Getting young or even older children to prepare to move and leave their friends and family behind can be a challenge and should be thought through.

The options for education is another area that needs to be thought through.

Moving your child to a new country with a different education system can be a great opportunity to broaden their experience, but if they are close to key exams the timing can make this inadvisable. If you do take your family with you, it is important to decide between joining the local school system or choosing an international school.

Where will you be living?

Whether you will be living in a house or apartment, furnished or unfurnished, these decisions will affect what you need to take with you. The time you are planning to live overseas will also affect whether you should leave your property at home empty, rent it out or sell it. See the article Sell, Store or Ship.