Anybody in Singapore with young children?

[CheeseAndFriedMushrooms]

Talk to me about life in Singapore with a 4 year old and a 1 year old please. I really want to move there, but DH doesn't. He has an opportunity to move there with work for two years. We are currently in India. Visited Singapore over Christmas and absolutely loved it. Tell me it's not so great so I won't be disappointed when DH turns down the offer

I'm not in Singapore, but up the road in KL.
Compared to India, it is easy to live, good medical care etc but very expensive. You will need to be on a good package.

My dh was offered a move from KL to Singapore, for the same salary and benefits we have here, and for what we pay for a four bed house with a pool here would barely pay for a two bed appt righ out of town in SG.

Schooling is good, but again, expensive so needs to be paid for by your company unless your are on an extremely high salary.

I love Singapore though, and would live there if the package was good enough.
Compared to KL (and I assume India to a degree), there is virtually no corruption, everything works, efficiently and on time. Everyone speaks good English, the taxi drivers don't try and rip you off and the public transport carries on working even when it's raining (which it doesn't in KL) .

Thanks FatOwl. I think that's the deciding factor, the package being offered isn't fantastic, and it would cost us money to some degree. I jut fell in love with the country, but appreciate how expensive it is.

What did you love about it? It's not often you hear people say they love Sg ime usually all the expats lists the pluses such as safety, cleanliness, schools, good food but there is not huge amounts to inspire great devotion iyswim.

We like it, have been here 3 years with a now 4 and 2 year old and have had great fun But we we lucky, got a great package and have been able to live without worrying..have still spent A Lot of money though!!

It is v expensive more than probably even your worst estimate and I have a number of friends considering their options a the mo as the sums just don't work if the package isn't there..

Do you have other options on the table? I haven't been to India but I can imagine sg with kids your age is more appealing by comparison?

I have a 4 year old and a 1 year old and living in Singapore..... well it's a bit dull to be honest. There are lots of major pluses on paper and yes it's all very easy and simple (and I would have had the same opinion of it as you when we lived in China) but it's just not got anything exciting about it.... well it does if you've never lived anywhere interesting but after India, you'd love it for a few weeks for the novelty value then you'd realise it's all a bit sterile. And that's not to mention the expense - seriously you need to be on an amazing package or willing to make some serious lifestyle compromises.

OP here. That's interesting reading, maybe it's what I needed to hear. I think we would be on a good package, not an amazing package. Hmmm. Thanks all

I think you've got great info here and you probably don't need any more, but I'm here in SG with 6, 4 and 2 year olds. It's fine. Safe, clean, nice travel opportunities, but I'm with Pickles - there's not much to "love" - enjoy for a period, like a bit, but I can't get much more emotionally invested in it than that! And I imagine I would feel even less for it if the finances didn't work for us.

I moved with a 1 and 4yr old. Loved Singapore though things can drive you mad like everywhere.

Downsides are extreme heat - really missed long walks and picnics and days in the park lasting hours. It's very built up and concrete which can be a pain if you like to get away and have open quiet spaces round you. It's very, very expensive. Long way from family, we had an illness and a death a close family member whilst there. The cockroaches can carry off small children. Most folk live in condos which I was worried about being closed in with small children - not having easy access to a garden and worried about high rise balconies as well. I'd say it's easier for men to start and many men's egos go through the roof - some relationships don't Coe well with the change.

I think I 'loved' it because I'd been in India for three months, and the safety, cleanliness and efficiency was in stark contrast to India. Reading all the posts has made me realise I do love the open space here in India, and life, apart from rent etc, is not expensive. Thanks, needed that reality check.

I'd go along with what's been said here.

Re the finances, we were not on a local package so had to pay everything ourselves. I would say that if you don't have school fees to worry about you need a salary of at least £100k GBP. If you have school fees make that £150k GBP. This won't get you a large condo or a house though - a 3 bed in a good, central area I would say. No car either but then you don't really need one (unless you have very young kids, sub 5 years).

If you have DDs come and live here when they are teens. I think it is a great place for teenage girls, mine are having the time of their lives.