Cost of living in Singapore

[TravellingMummy231]

Can someone please advise whether 6000 Singapore dollars per month will comfortably support a family of three, including a toddler?

I've looked at a few cost of living websites and came up with the list below but I would love to know if I'm off at all, especially with food.

Rent for a 2 bedroom property = 2000-2200?
Eating in = 500
Eating out = 500
Utilities = 150
Transport = 200 (2 adults)
Mobile
Nappies = 150
Toddler playgroups/classes?
Gym = 250 (2 adults)

Anything else I haven't thought of? We don't drink alcohol btw 😉

Just about but it'll be tight.

Is your job covering medical insurance? It's expensive if not and 100% necessary. You will also want a policy to include dental, and account for any vaccinations that your
Toddler might need - they're also expensive.
2k will get you two beds but not in the central zone , as long as that's okay for you.

Will you want a helper? Around 700 sgd per month. Most expats end up having one and they are a great benefit to life in Asia.

Soft play type Activities are mega expensive - like 20-25 dollars a go. Free water play is better for small kids.

What about pre-school/nursery for your toddler? Most children in Singapore go at least part time by age 2, very few do not. We used to pay 900 dollars for our DD to go to a local kindergarten mornings only- this was cheaper than many others.

That's a good point re medical insurance - I'll check.

I think we're going to try to get by without a helper - DH doesn't like the idea of having anyone else with us at home.

Once we're on double income we'll put our toddler into nursery.

With medical insurance and 2 incomes you would be okay. Decent insurance will be 8-10k a year.

Most people get a helper in the end especially if you both end up working.

If you are relocating yourself you need to make sure you put aside a month and a half's rent to pay upfront , you normally have to pay your agent too something like a months rent.

How old is the toddler?

It's much more typical among foreign families to have a helper and then put the child into a kindergarten/nursery for half day session at 2-3 years old leading up to full day session by age 4/5 years old. Being in nursery all day is quite unusual.

We struggled with the same idea of having a stranger in our home but as two working parents it became obvious that helper was the most flexible option. There have been plenty of times that due to sickness or other unexpected reasons nursery has been closed, but work was not going to just let me take a day off.

You should be very comfortable with $6000 a month.

For an idea of the sort of property you could get for £2000-2200, have a look at www.propertyguru.com.sg/property-for-rent District 9-11 is posh, D1, 2 and 6 is in the CBD. I wouldn't be too worried about how far things are as it only takes 25 minutes by car to travel from one end of the country to the other. The further away from the CBD you are, the more you get for your money. You could rent a condominium with $2000-2200 with a swimming pool and gym in the building which means saving on gym membership.

Public transport is cheap (less than $2 a journey on the MRT/tube system), eating in local coffee shops is cheap ($5 for a main) etc. There is a lot of wealth in Singapore though and this is reflected in what is on offer. You could go Michelin-starred every day which will cost, of course!

Not sure where you are getting your figures from 242Mummy because a two bedroom will be a bit more than $2000 pm. Also the 25 minutes by car from one end of the Island to the other is not true. I travel from Changi (the East) to about the centre at least twice a week by car not during rush hour and it takes me 25 minutes, to go to Jurong or Tuas will take at least that again by car. Also that is assuming the OP will have a car which are insanely expensive. If the OP is taking the MRT the travel time could double.

Eating at Hawker Centres is cheap but it gets tiring and Supermarkets can be expensive if you want Heinz Ketchup

My husbands salary package initially paid for all medical, dental and for my children to go to International School, rent, car, petrol. Now, 24 years later because of the world downturn we don't get dental, the rent allowance has remained rather static, car allowance the same. We have also noticed that prices have gone up, taxis, MRT, food etc.

I'm not complaining, I've had a wonderful 24 years here but it is much more expensive than it used to be. Also, we didn't want a live-in helper but baby sitters/nannies are few and far between. After one year we employed a Philippina helper and she was an absolute godsend. She is still with us 23 years later and I love her like family. Helpers are not cheap though, you have to pay a monthly levy to the Government of around $500 and then pay your helper about the same or more.
So when you count it all up $6000 isn't really a huge amount. I would make sure of the financials first then if they add up come to Singapore, it is a lovely Country with lots to see and do, but normally at a price

Sorry for the long post but I thought I needed to send it.

I agree with Hyrana. 6k is not comfortable really- remember you need to pay tax and put it aside yourself as you're not usually taxed at source. I'm about to return for a second stint in Singapore - I have school places included and medical, and my salary is 11.5 k including a housing allowance of 3,250k. I still don't think it's loads by the time we've employed a helper (which we need as 2 kids at school and 2 adults will be working ) thats minus 1k including the levy. School uniforms, food, travel all adds up and you would hope to take advantage of the travel to nearby countries while you are there.

My husband will be working on local terms for around 6.5k after we've settled back, this will be money we can save hopefully. I wouldn't do Singapore with a child on 6k

I have lived in Singapore twice. I was also a HR Director there and responsible for hiring expats into Singapore and I can tell you that that is not a lot of money to live on.

Can I ask what kind of work that is for? What salary is being earned back in the UK? What are your reasons for going there?

I understand from my friends there that rents have dropped from when I left 4 years ago. Expat packages are also being phased out. Having said that though Singapore is an expensive place. Also, one of the best reasons for living in Singapore is to use it as a hub to visit Asia. you won't be able to do that on that salary.

I am interested to know what kind of work that is though. Just to put it into perspective, my DH's admin assistant, a local, was paid S$5,500 plus 2-3 months annual bonus.

You could do it, just. But it would be tight with no room for error or savings. Would you have any savings as back up? What if you needed to repatriate quickly?

Regarding your expenses, the grocery allowance is on the low side if you eat meat and dairy.

If you rent an apartment in a condo, they generally have a gym (size & equipment varies).

Mobile phones would be about $40 each per month, depending on how much data you use. Internet varies, but around $40-60.

As mentioned above, medical insurance is a huge cost. The level provided by employers varies a lot. Some lucky ones get full comprehensive cover. At worst you get GP visits covered only. So a lot of people need to buy top up coverage which can cost a fortune and won't cover anything pre-existing.

Where would your DH's office be? Your transport costs might be on the low side, especially if you add in the occasional taxi/Grab car.

What kind of work would you be looking for? Be warned a lot of "trailing spouses" underestimate the difficulty of cracking the job market here. It can be very tough and demoralising, unless you have good experience and an in-demand set of skills.

Thanks for all the advice folks. I'll negotiate for more - what would you say was the comfortable minimum? I'm looking at condos for 2800 SGD, some quite central and some further out, that seem to tick all the boxes. We like to eat out, which is great as food is so cheap, and thankfully we don't drink much.

I do get medical insurance but it's probably not very comprehensive. We do have savings so we can come home if we have to. I'm expecting we'll have to dip into them to visit Asia.

To answer the question about the job, it's a mix of quantitative stuff and project management. Hard to be specific without being outing. DH is an academic so I don't expect his salary to exceed 6000 SGD if he goes to another university.

Hi OP, I have been looking on Property Guru and there is a decent sized condo called Roxy Square on the East Coast. I live in the East and it is fabulous. My kids went to Chatsworth and I know it was and still isn't the best academically but they loved their time there and both got good enough results to go to University.

What they did gain by being in Singapore was tolerance, empathy and a sense that they were not special. We were able to travel to many places, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong and all over Asia. My kids have been to places I would never have dreamed of.

It is really hard as a trailing spouse, but it can be a lovely place for a few years

It's hard to say what a comfortable minimum is, because everyone's standards and non-negotiable are different. I've been on Facebook threads where people ask this question and the replies seem to be a form of competitive outrageousness, with claims that a family could not survive on less than $30,000 a month.

You could probably find a 2-bed condo for around $2000 a month on the East Coast, or other areas that aren't the typical expat enclaves.

Thanks Hyrana, I considered marina bay area but I think we might be better next to the MRT? This is what everyone has advised me because the bus service isn't reliable?

This is what everyone has advised me because the bus service isn't reliable?

The bus service is amazing! All the public transport is. It's nice to be near an MRT but it pushes the price of a condo up quite a lot in most cases.

Agree with tomhazard that public transport is fab in Singapore. You'll see the first world difference as soon as you land at Changi airport.