Moving to Singapore,

[user1498759808]

Hi All,
I'm currently in the midst of a severe panic attack as we have just made the decision to move to Singapore!!!!! My concerns are financial, we have a 19month little one, the expat package is not very good as my partner works in the arts. Is 5k a month enough to live on and pay rent? ( we are fairly frugal as we both work in the arts) I'm concerned I will feel isolated by the lack of money and the heat. This is a huge lifestyle change for me and I'm struggling. I don't want to let me partner down and I don't want my little one to pick up on my anxiety. Any advice?

Do you have to find your own accommodation and pay for it within £5k? My DH lived there a long time ago and I've many friends still there but they are all on a lot more than that with accommodation paid for.

If you have not spent much time in climates like Singapore, it is going to be a huge shock to the system. Let alone the lifestyle (although I have only been there as a local, not as an expat, if you see what I mean).

I would also concur with pp on the financial side. It is not cheap AT ALL.

I would do the sums and the culture expectation consideration very carefully indeed, that is a big leap without having had a "halfway" expat experience.

We are trying to negotiate the theatre my partner works for to help pay for accommodation but I am aware compared to most expats 5k is pretty low. Too low?

Is that pounds or sterling? It's doable but it won't cover nursery or school fees. And check the price of health insurance

That's s$5000 a month. I believe there is health insurance as part of the package. I don't think I will be able to work there either.

That is no way enough. Seriously. You will struggle.

Thanks for your honesty. I had a feeling that may be the case.

Look on propertyguru for an idea of condo prices and you will see what I mean. And also you really dont want to feel totally trapped in the house and isolated with a toddler because you cant afford to go out or to travel.

If you're talking about SG$5k, then it will be rather tight for you and it'd be a working to live situation. Say a 3-bedroom condo in a reasonable non-central area would cost $2400/mth, utilities and broadband around $300, that's almost $3,000 (min). You've not yet factored in food groceries, maybe $1,000 then traveling expenses (public transport or car), obviously with car there will be in the insurance and lease amount to consider. And what about nursery or playgroup cost for your child ...

$2,400 for a three bed condo? Prices have come down but I still think a condo would cost more

Also: that salary may not be enough for your dh to get a work permit. Have the theatre group thought this through?

My partner is skyping the theatre company on Monday to negotiate terms. They have said they can help with a visa. I think we would only need a 2 bed plus I don't think we will have a car. I've lived in London for a long time so used to expensive. But being skint in a country far away from my family seems a lot harder than being skint here! That's my main concern. Does anyone know if nursery places are expensive?

We're here and while condo prices have definitely fallen and are negotiable, if you factor in travel and food I think you'll be stretched.

You'll have cheap food options like hawker places but supermarkets aren't cheap and if you're considering nursery, it all adds up.

Feel free to PM me with any questions.

Oh and our three bed place is more than 4, however you could consider an HDB.

It would be very tight. But how long is it for? If it's just a 2-yr contract with a defined end it could be worth the experience. We've been here >5yrs & love it. But both of us work, we aren't on expat packages & money does get stressful.
Things to find out are:
relocation/repatriation at the start & end of the contract - will they pay for flights and excess baggage/shipping or is this something you'll need to cover.
Insurance - a huge must as there is absolutely no public system. Will the insurance cover all of you for everything (including GP visits), will you need to pay first and then claim expenses (this means you need savings available to cover the bill & then wait for insurance to pay you back).
There are few toddler-classes here which are low-cost like in the UK. In UK we went to great library sessions & Sure-Start centres, here 'Bounce & Rhyme' type class can be $20+ for 30mins. This will matter if you're trying to connect with other expat mums so you don't feel isolated.
Groceries can be expensive - look at Redmart to get an idea of costing.

I'm sorry but I really don't think it's worth it on such a salary. It would be too tight.

Sorry, I agree with most of the PP. You'd really struggle on that salary and it would be a fairly grim old time. I'm usually the first to say that you don't need a fortune to live here unless you really want to do the whole River Valley Expat Bubble thing, but that really isn't enough to get anything out of the experience, I don't think. You'd really live cent to cent and it would be no fun at all, in my opinion.

My youngest goes to a local nursery and it costs us $1k per month - it's not a hugely expensive one either - although that is for full days. You will probably be free to apply for jobs and if you were successful you'd get an Employment Pass yourself, but it can be very difficult to find work as a 'trailing spouse' here.

This: www.expatistan.com/cost-of-living/singapore will give you a reasonable idea. Some of it looks high to me, some of it too low, but overall it's not too inaccurate. Good luck with your decision!