Living in Singapore
Singapore is often jokingly referred to as 'Asia for beginners', a tongue in cheek way of saying that this city state is a clean, safe, air conditioned haven with westernised shopping malls and serviced apartments... and one never gets to experience the so called 'real' Asia...
That may be true... but the reality is that Singapore has possibly the most diverse multicultural mix of ethnicities to be found anywhere in Asia. Lovers of Singapore would argue that you are getting the best the region has to offer in a safe, crime free environment. You can get good, stable employment and your children will get the best education available (See: Education in Singapore).
On the other hand, some expats argue that there are more stimulating places to live and work and that Singapore has become a facsimile of the west... country clubs, western corporations etc and that it lacks the buzz of places like Bangkok, or other cities in the developing world.
It has to be said however, that in our experience, of those expats that have spent time in various Asian cities, they will invariably prefer to settle somewhere like Singapore in the end. The low crime, top notch infrastructure, clean streets and high standard of living will nearly always trump the 'edgy' cities, especially for families.
Hong Kong is Singapore's big competitor when attracting expatriates. A question often asked is how do the two cities compare. This is too broad a subject to cover on this introductory page and we have many threads on our Singapore Expat Forum that address this question... but in brief, the fact that Singapore is a garden city, with so much greenery and many parks, makes it very attractive indeed...
Coming to Singapore? Take a look at our apartment rates: Singapore Serviced Apartments
It is clean, clinically clean. Everything works. You know that when you pick up a telephone to make an international call, it will connect in a few seconds. You can take a taxi without having to look suspiciously at the meter (unlike Bangkok, for example) and you even see women walking alone or jogging in the park at night without fear of being attacked.
See also: Is Singapore Safe?
The people are cosmopolitan, hard working and the government protects all, whatever their race, background or income. No matter which way you look at it, culturally, socially, economically, education, healthcare... Singapore is a complete success.
Your biggest expenses will likely be accommodation and if you have children, education. You can quite easily manage without a car, as public transport is fast, clean and efficient.
See also: Singapore Cost of Living
Worried about language?... nearly everyone speaks English and unusually, Singapore actually has no less than four official languages... English, Malay, Chinese and Tamil. Government signs are often written in all of those languages.
This website is where you'll find pages of advice and information about living in Singapore, so take some time to browse and don't forget that if you have any questions, our Singapore forum has plenty of experienced expats happy to share their knowledge with you. If you are one of those experienced expats, join our community, make friends and share your advise with us.
See also: Why do you like living in Singapore
Need advice? Got a question? Go to our Singapore Forum