Singapore 9th most expensive city for expats

I don't usually take these surveys very seriously. There's a huge gulf between what many expatriates expect, and the reality of actually living like a local. Many foreigners (usually the ones with more sense), will downsize their spending and start to save their allowances instead. Obviously, there are things you wouldn't cut out, like international school fees.

Exchange rate fluctuations are playing a large role this year. If you're a muppet that won't make do without a car in a city with good public transport, you'll be blowing a thick wad of cash on car ownership in Singapore...

OTOH, such surveys give you more leverage when negotiating pay...
http://www.eca-inter...?ArticleID=7062

What say You?

Car ownership is a privilege more than a right in Singapore. It might be a total bitch to pay what they want for even a small car like a Corolla- and you'd better have VERY deep pockets to keep a big V8 like a Roller or even a 300C Chrysler on the road- but imagine if everyone in Singers old enough to get a licence owned a car. The island would be in total gridlock 24/7.

Saving allowances is not a new thing. Nearly 40 years ago when I lived in Singers more than a few Aussie and Kiwi families pocketed the money they were paid to hire an amah and used it as a deposit for a house back home, or to kick it into the mortgage of an existing one.

If your allowances are fixed, rather than you present an invoice to your employer and they reimburse you for it, you could probably do quite well by dropping down one or two tiers in the social strata. Especially if you're up on the higher rungs to start off with. Ditto for eating "local" and minimal alcohol consumption.

This post has been edited by Uncle Gweilo: 04 December 2009 - 06:02 AM

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Which makes UK Expats paid in Sterling the equivalent of Eastern Europeans

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Exactly. I have a mountain bike and EZ Link card so not only do I keep fit and save money but with no car I am certainly not a target for the notorious Singapore Party Girls.

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Yes there is delicious local food on every street corner but the high saturated fats, salt and lack of raw fresh vegetables can take their toll on the delicate Caucasian body.

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Steady on old chap! Let us not get fanatical here.

Mandrunk, on 04 December 2009 - 12:02 AM, said:

Such surveys are somewhat complicated.
If you see it from the EU/US view, of a foreign expat living in Tokyo, it will be the most expensive city.

But there are surveys also from the Japanese point of view, checking out about needs for Japanese expats for living outside of Japan, and they find costs very high, as all what Japanese are 'missing' in Japan, has to be imported in other countries by air-cargo. Not to talk about school-fees for a Japanese school in Europe, medical fees for private doctors for Japanese diplomats in USA, even unexpected expenses for private guards because of criminality in Latin America.

Generally, we in Japan see very little difference between living costs in Europe vs. Japan vs. USA. However it is well-known that such big cities like Metropolitan Tokyo (over 36 millions during rush hours) are offering a much bigger choice than a small business-city in Europe, like Oslo in Norway or Zurich in Switzerland.

Therefore, the difference between 'cheap and expensive' 'poor and rich' is much bigger here in Tokyo than for example in Copenhagen, you have just more CHOICE between lower and upper pricing level.

Here in Tokyo, foreign immigrants doing simple jobs like Filipina maids, Brazil farmers, Pakistani factory workers etc. do survive on remarkable little money, even sending money home all the time. On the upper side of the scale however there is an 'open end' with (almost) no limits.

Often rich Japanese enjoy both, they have a big expensive foreign car but they are also going out using a bicycle or subway. Or their children are owning expensive designer clothings, but have to go to public school using the cheap school uniform. Or playing golf in membership-only clubs, but eating the cheapest noodles in the meeting room of the executive floor together with their co-workers during lunchtime.

...Indeed, I see Luanda is top of the list. I can't see this as applicable to the average Angolan. It's just the most expensive if you wish to live The Expat to the full in Luanda; I imagine the cost of a case of the 1989 Charles Heidsieck Brut is scandalous

Note the survey is always based on a particular set of goods and services. Many aspect of the expat living is not considered, including the housing. This survey is equivalent to asking "How much bread can I buy with 100$ around the world".

So the standpoint really depends on what the basket of goods and services includes:

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alexhh, on 04 December 2009 - 04:08 PM, said:

Yes, this is the survey for companies for calculating the additional allowances of their overseas staff, which are a part of the salary.

But there are also other surveys available, about how much to spend for office space, or for housing of staff, for business trips and house moving, international school etc. for overseas staff of all categories.

I had a very expensive day in Singapore today..

69 cents bus fare each way to work. 2 x 69 cents = $1.38
3 cups of tea from the vending machine in the office. 3 x 20 cents = 60 cents
$4 for lunch. Tom Yum Seafood.
$4 for dinner Gado-gado on my way home.

Thats a total $9.98

I don't know how I'll ever survive this expensive place.

If you do not drink, do not smoke, do not party, have no car, no condo, no credit card and well, have no girlfriend/wife in Singapore, you can indeed live there for pretty cheap.
And so can you anywhere in the world.

For sure my expenditure goes up when Mrs Tiz is in town or I'm haveing a drink or 10, but its still far cheaper than Aus.

I think one evening/night in Brix costs me more than what you spend in one month there Tiz

Andiamo, on 04 December 2009 - 01:25 PM, said:

*sigh* there's always a downside somewhere!