Cost of Living in Singapore

Thanks for your information

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Hi Team,

I would like to move to Singapore along with my wife and 2 years old daughter. I;ve applied for few job openings in Singapore (Bid Manager), however, not much success.

1. Could you someone recommend or help me with Bid Manager profile job/job consultants who can help getting into Companies that provide working VISA?

2. How much monthly salary i should ask as i'm relocating from India with my family i.e. salary that can let me stay a descent lifestyle?

3. What place i should stay in which is safe for my family and less expensive on my pocket?

Decided to look at data for Singapore (where I currently live) to get a sense of the data's accuracy, because I wished to use the site to get estimates for another city I am considering moving to.

Well, the data for SG is kinda under-estimated.

The current estimate of 8 bucks for a meal at an inexpensive restaurant is way too low. For non-airconditioned hawker centre yes 8 dollar is enough, but this would be too low for even some food courts (particularly the touristy ones). For example, even a pizza hut meal deal is around SGD15 per person excluding GST and service charge.

Rent estimates are also on the low side, and come on, men's leather business shoes for SGD115? Strange.

Average monthly salary after tax also seems low. I think the official average is above SGD5k+/month after tax.

Hi....I got offer in Sigapore of 15000 SGD per month as Senior Maintenance Engineer. I have family with son(8 years & daughter 6 years).So as per survey monthly expense will be as below.

Fooding # 1000 SGD
Restaurant # 1000 SGD
Water # 50 SGD
Yearly tour # 500 SGD
Travelling # 600 SGD
Utility # 200 SGD
Clothing # 200 SGD
Schooling(2 kids- 8years & 6years) # 2000
Grocery # 500 SGD
Total expense # 6050 SGD
1)Is it correct?
2) How much tax to be paid?
Please reply as soon as possible

Nobody should come to singapore to take up a job. it is way overpopulated. stay in india please and enjoy your own country.

Hi, I was offered a pay package of SGD52,000 per YEAR. And the company that I work for includes the 17% in to my pay package. So It is 37% being deducted from my monthly pay package. And this 37% goes to CPF.

Is it enough to lead a comfortable kind of life? I'm just a fresh local grad from Singapore.

Hi,

I am an offer of 7500SGD per month before tax. I am getting a work visa for 2 years. I checked online for the tax to be paid.It comes around 4500 per annum and the take home per month comes to 7000 approx. First, wanted to confirm if there would be any other deductioon and if the calculation is fine ?

I would be relocating with my wife and we expect to lead a descent(not expensive) lifestyle. I would need a one room apartment (non sharing, since i have a family), I am ok to use public transport. Wanted to know if it is a good propspect to consider ?

Can somebody help me with some insight ?

Regards,
Karan

Hi,
I am currently reviewing an offer and will like to have some suggestions from folks out in Singapore.
The package is 11,000 SGD per month with 13 month pay & variable bonus
That is around 143000 SGD per anum fixed.

Is this sufficient to sustain a comfortable lifestyle for a family of 3.
My known expenses per month are as below:
3500 SGD per month for housing( Assuming i get an apartment/condo in that amount)
1500 SGD for my kids school
1000 SGD to pay expenses/loan back in home country
1000 SGD savings per month

Can i sustain in the remaining 3000 SGD ( groceries,shopping, meals, travel, entertainment)?

Appreciate feedback's from folks out here.

Thanks
Dev

It depend #@George. It depend on your educations and job criteria.

#Andy, Thanks for your response. My employer is promising work VISA , seems to be called " PASS". i will go by your suggestion on making sure my work VISA is approved before i resign in my current job. Any idea i can connect with some relocation consultant who can let me know the school fee etc?

Thanks

I am getting a offer for 200000 SGD ( PA ). I have 2 kids ( 10 nd 4 ) and wife is homemaker. Need to know if its viable in today's time. My major expenses would be , Rental ( 2-3 BHK ) school fees and transport. Myself and family's insurance is paid by company. I am seeing 20-30K as the school fees not sure how true is that.
Need to guidance from this group as i am in a stable job earning good in India and not sure if i should move.
Also , not sure if there are any government guide lines or labor laws to protect the interest of working population.

Hello Everyone,
Is there anyone who can guide me, from last 7 month i am applying for jobs in Singapore, but until now not got any response,i don't know where to go and how to apply so that i can get a job.
If anyone knows any genuine consultancy or any way from where i can get a job genuinely please let me know, it will be very helpful for me..
Thanks

How much living cost in singapore for 1 person?

I got offer 4000$/month before tax, do you think it's enough?
I'm looking for medium lifestyle, (dont eat at exepensive restaurant etc)
How much that I can save each month with 4000$/month before tax?

I got job option in Singapore.and my salary is 6600 per month before tax. can any one tell me how much i can save.I am a family man with one kid.

i got a offer of 4000 per month in singapore. is it good package to live with my wife.

@Subpohimokote

I will call you Mr Show-off. Had you spend 2 mins reading a few comments, you would understand with SGD 35K you can afford 2 or 3 families. So I guess you will have enough money, but you cant buy humbleness :)

Congrats though :)

Hi,
I'm Shazia.I've completed my B.SC in Aeronautical Engineering(Major: aerospace). Now I want to complete my M.Sc in a Singaporean University like Nanyang Technological University or National University of Singapore. If I get some scholarship about 2,500 Singaporean dollar per month then is there any possibilities for me to save some amount around 1-2 yrs.what are the opportunities for a student to share room?How much it will cost if I share my room with someone & cook by myself? I'm not used to any types of alcohol & I belongs to a middle class family. So. I need not any other entertainment costs except my accomodation, transport, groceries, medicine, mobile & educational expenses.Can anyone predict me how much it will costs & how much I can save per month.

@ #Maria on Feb 19, 2015

Typical Singaporean who did not Graduate usually do not start in office job.
Typical Singaporean Graduate from Diploma starting Salary is SGD 1,400 to SGD 1,800 onwards.
Typical Singaporean Graduate from Degree starting Salary is SGD 2,300 to SGD 3,200 onwards.

Depending on industry, job nature, etc.

A typical clerk in Singapore SME office earns about SGD 1,500.00 per month.
A typical foreign housemaid in Singapore earns about SGD 550.00 per month (expenses borne by Employer)
A typical foreign laborer in Singapore earn about SGD 500.00 per month (expenses borne by Employer)

The figures is just for reference purpose only and are not absolute.

There is a real difference between wages, normal salary, and professional salary.

A clerk will earn what a normal salary. A nurse will earn professional salary. If you have a skillset and it is being recognised/certified, that is professional.

Hi everyone,

I'm a local Singaporean, just feel a little helpful today to answer some questions.

My topic will be, the minimal cost of living.

For accommodation, you can rent a private room in HDB apartment for approximate 600~700 SGD (without aircon, with WIFI) and 700~900 SGD (with aircon, WIFI). I do know of some ppl who even co-share! 300+ SGD per month on room rental only.

For food, assuming you do not cook, we have a lot of hawker centres and coffee shops around Singapore that sells decent food. Each meal will probably cost you say, 3.00 SGD + 1.20 SGD (Drinks) = 4.20 SGD per meal. Cap it at 5 SGD per meal x 3 meal per day @ 30 days a month, the food cost total to SGD 450.00

For travel, Singapore is a small island city! We have buses, subways, taxis! Public transport (buses/subway) will cost you maybe 200 SGD per month - really dependent on location.

For handphone, you do not need to sign a post-paid agreement plan. Take those prepaid and WIFI kind, you will save alot. Less than 30 SGD per month i think.

So, all in all, if you are someone with no life and can surive with just WIFI entertainment at home, the basic cost of living in SGD would say to be SGD 1,000.

(To : #Anjan Dudda, so to answer your question, if you are discipline - no gambling, no smoking, non alcoholic, you can save near SGD 3,000.00 before deducting your tax).

hi everyone, I just want to share my experience living & working in Sg. I worked there for about 4-5 years but now I have moved to other country..

I see a lot of people comments below using terms such as decent, enough, expensive, etc. which is very subjective and most of the time misleading. so I'd like to share some facts and hopefully gives you some rough idea how much you will need to spend based on your job type, office location and which country you coming from.

first thing first, you need to get a working visa or so-called "Pass". there are many different types and criteria, but in general S-Pass is for blue-collar job, and E-Pass is for white-collar job. Please check the government website (http://www.mom.gov.sg/) to find all the information regarding requirement and application and procedure to apply the Pass, though the company is responsible to do all the process, but you need to know if the company really hiring you for good reason and fair employment. these regulation updated frequently, so you need to check again even for you whom already working in Sg. I'd like to take one of the fact that minimum S-Pass salary is $2,200 and E-Pass salary is $3,300. please note that this is minimum considering the applicant is young graduate, and the government has put this benchmark with a reason of course. the longer your working experience and higher academic qualification, you will be required to have higher salary. So if you apply for a white-collar job and the company offering blue-collar salary, please consider again the offer. don't be fooled with that relatively high amount of money comparing to your home-country salary for those of you who come from developing countries.

second thing is the monthly expense, this can be in very wide range depends on your lifestyle. some people here come from rich family in western country, some from poor family in developing country. so using the words "decent" and "sufficient" is definitely irrelevant. but let me give you some price for your fundamental expenses,
1. rent. there are main two types of apartment. first is private condo, second is hdb condo. private condo is significantly more expensive than hdb condo but the price comes with better unit interior design and extensive in-house facilities such as swimming pool, small gym, designated parking, garden, and higher security system. for some people, hdb is a better option because the minimum standard is already much better compared to cheap condo in developing countries. and likely, hdb location is close to mrt subway and bus station. whereas private condos located in preserved area and a little bit far from subway or bus stop.
2. food. surprisingly I find groceries is not much cheaper compare to if you buy food from hawker (local semi-outdoor foodcourt). you can easily spend $4-$8 per meal. different story if you use to eat in shopping mall food court or even a mid-range restaurant, the price can go double or triple. this is very important to consider especially if your office located in central/ CBD area, you will feel obliged to have lunch/ dinner with your colleagues in a higher range restaurant. it's hardly you can find hawker food below $5, and please note that hawker food option is asian food, hardly you can find good taste of western food. so for those of you who use to eat western food.. my congratulation!
3. leisure and clothing. this part is really depend on your lifestyle, but your office environment will set the tone for you. I've seen young graduates like to wear expensive branded clothing and hangout after hours at bar, there's nothing wrong with that if you have the ability to spend money like that.

lastly, I think you need to realise your purpose of coming to Sg, if it's only for temporary or for good, alone or with family, to have fun or trying to save money. all these aspects you need to consider because if you coming with family especially with children it will be difficult if you only get average income, because buying condo, school for cildren, hospital care is much more expensive unless you get a PR or convert to citizen. but it's a whole different story if you trying to get PR, the requirement is complicated and you need to take waiting list for 1-2 years.

I'm not going to tell you whether to take a job or not, it's all depend on your motivation to work in Sg. if I can make a summary from my own experience, I won't stay in Sg for a long time if I don't convert to PR/ citizen, but I had built a very good professional resume that is valuable to continue my career.

good luck and God bless!

Hi,

I am working in India having 10 yrs of experience in .net Technology. Any one could you please tell me how much we will get the max salary after tax? as a family(me,wife,kid) if we come how much we can save?

Coke/Pepsi (0.33 liter bottle) in Singapore costs 5.00S$ (about 6 minutes ago)

As this is RESTAURANT price, $4-5 is correct for a can of coke.
For a similar can of coke at the groceries store, it is around S$0.80

Surprised to find so many Indian nationals express interest looking for jobs in Singapore. One ADVICE: DO NOT come to Singapore. Reasons: Many, amongst them the locals do not really like Indians as most Indians are regarded as arrogant and vicious, and also lots of eye-witnessed bad incidents committed by Indians (from low-skill workers to professionals) that news do not report.

i just an average Singaporean making 100k a year and my wife makes the same in a year. we have no kids and we are struggling to make ends meet. Welcome to Singapore where you need an annual household income of half a mil to be fairly comfortable. Anything less just makes you feel real poor in the city where the rich unabashedly flaunt their wealth.

7 S$ for a pint of draught beer in a restaurant after tax and service charge? You won't get a draught for less than 10, usually around 13-18 S$.

Hi I am shakil
I want Job in singapur my English is not good
But I want job

Hello,
I have an offer of SD 4500 per month as a contract for 6 month.
So I would like to know the living cost for bachelor in singapore?(Company wont provide accomadation)
What is the % of tax on the income ?
How is the opportunity in Singapore to find another job(Automotive Embedded Software), in case if the contract not get extended ?
Thanks in advance!

Hi.
I have almost read many comments from experienced people here who have vast knowledge about cost of living in Singapore.I whole heartedly thank you.Now I have something to say.I am from india,seeking for job in Singapore.I have 6 years experience in Indian stock market.I am currently working as Senior market executive.I want to work in singapore,preferably my field.Knowing its tough.I am ready to work irrelevant of my work experience.Can I get job where I can earn and save money which can be family here in India.Can anyone can guide.Please email me on -cnmodi_7@yahoo.co.in

can my brother (indian) who has completed his btech software in australia get a job in singapore

hi, i'm 38 years , BA, more than 15 yrs experiance in tourism managment , i have 01 chd, how can i find job offers in my job field and who can help me in this matther?

Hi,
I got a job with NTU as research associate.
Presently working with an Oil & gas company in Dubai and leading a splendid life

But to pursue my higher studies, I have decided to join NTU and do my Phd.
My salary would be 3700 SGD, with wife and a baby, how tough it will be to live a normal life?
Is it possible to get spouse visa with a salary of 3700 SGD?

Thanks ,
Aman

@Shivam

Hi, as mentioned in your question, you salary will be $8333 before tax, here is the breakdown for you how much you will be left with at the end of each month.

Tax Rate: 15% (which means you will be left with $7083.05 after the heavy 15% tax. Do note that the tax rate will increase as your salary increase. For detailed info, refer to http://www.iras.gov.sg/irasHome/page04.aspx?id=1190)

You will probably need $100 for monthly public transport though it may increase in future (the public transport fare will probably increase every 1~2 years)which left you with $6983.05

Rental wise, 2 room apartment could easily cost you between $2000~$3000. Prepare for the worst $3000. And you will be left with $3983.05 after rental

Since you will be eating at home mostly and have a weekly leisure (movie & dine out I suppose), you would probably about $300~$500 for 2 pax ingredients. Movie ticket cost between $9~$12/pax, that would be around $24 for 2 tickets. Dinning out are incredible expensive especially in the restaurant (which could easily cost you $40~$60 per person). So, take the average $400 + ($24*4) + ($50*2*4) [assume 4 times leisure per month] and that will be around $900. So, you will be left with $3083.05. Utilities wise will depend, should be around $150~$300 for you if have the habit of sleeping in air-condition (that will makes you left with about $2800 each month). However, do note that in Singapore, if you do not have health insurance, you will be doom if you are required to stay in the hospital so be sure to get health insurance for you and your wife (You company probably only insured you with the most basic medical coverage. I would recommend you to get an health insurance from AIA).