Singapore $$$ cars, housing, tax...worth taking it in the shorts?

[Danny Greaves]

I have some questions and hope someone may be able to point me in the right direction - apologies in advance to all the experienced heads for the dull thread:

1) How do you get by without a car? What about taking the kids to school/nursery in the morning? Do people have regular drivers?

2) My offer should come in at around $20k Sing - is that enough? I need a 3 bed house and have two kids who are 4 and 5.

3) What are the best areas for us to live in and what would the cost be for said 3 bed house?

4) What is Singapore like for a Brit expat family? In 2011 Singapore was rated the 8th most expensive place to live in the world...is this offset by the experience?

What else do I need to know?

I'm currently expated in the Middle East so not a total novice but realise that opinions on a forum like this could help me short-circuit the usual out of date textbook nonsense found via the internet....

A big THANKS for anyone who can point me in the right direction!

Danny

**edit - just found the JohnSin thread - thanks to Moovin' on**

[Moovin' on]

Brother, you're gonna get flamed but...

1. Your wife will strangle you if you have a car now and won't have one in Singapore with a 4 and 5 yo. There are many Singaporeans with less than half your salary and won't live w/o one. Taxis used to be a good option but they are now expensive (many surcharges when you need them) and hard to flag down when you need one.

2. Are there housing and school allowances on top of that? If yes, that is plenty. If not, it will be a struggle.

3. Depends on your preference. Many will say the central areas for convenience but I prefer the area near the reservoir because the air is cleaner. The air is very polluted in the central areas and in the industrial west, particularly near Jurong Island where there are many oil refineries and chemical plants (think Bhopal).

4. Can't answer that one, we're not Brits.

Check out a recent thread started by JohnSIN. That's an unusually good one.

[Derp]

You need to use google and so some research on Singapore and read the archives

Its very expensive here, cars are expensive (COE), driving is expensive (ERP),food is expensive, alcohol is expensive, schools are expensive, accommodation is expensive.  Customer service is not something you get anywhere.  You wont get a house, think condo.

For a Brit family its no different to any other nationality.

Singapore is a small place and you will undoubtedly want to get out on a regular basis to visit other countries in the region.

If 20K is your total package, you will struggle with forking out for a car, accommodation and schools.

Suggest you come over and have a look at it sounds like you have never been here before

The lifestyle in Singaporew will be way lower than what you have in the middle east

[Danny Greaves]

Thanks for the responses. That pretty much stacks up with what I've read this morning. I've been to Singapore before but only briefly - once for business and once as a tourist which I realise is pretty meaningless vwhen set against moving your whole family there.

Re. cars, what are we talking monthly to lease a basic A to B vehicle...?

[cars n things]

A couple of friends of mine rent cars - long term lease.  I think it goes from about 1.5K per month upwards - google lease/hire cars Singapore for more info.

We've never bothered with a car here - been here 10 years - our children were 3 and 5 when we moved; they adapted to bus travel quickly.  They love it when we go abroad and hire a car though - it's a novelty.

Housing - I'd honesty wait until you've started the enrolling in school process before thinking about areas.   It is nice to live quite close to the school, especially when your children are small and it seems like you're always up at the school to watch an assembly or some performance (parents are not usually allowed to get the school bus with the children).

Many children get school buses to school (even tiny children) - they have 'bus aunties' who keep an eye on them.  However, school buses can be costly especially if you go for international school (local school buses are cheaper........just another way to rip off the foreigners - it's not like fuel costs more for international school buses than it does for local ones  ).

Singapore is easier for a Brit expat family than some - mainly those for whom English is not their native language.  I've got friends from non-English speaking countries - they've all had to brush up on their English since living here.

Serviced apartments are a good option for those newly arrived.   You usually have to have your employment pass before embarking on things like renting apartments, opening bank accounts etc (maybe even enrolling in school.........it has been a while since we enrolled in school but I'm sure we had to have the passes first).


Search the archives - there's always loads of stuff for those new to Singapore (I think you have to be logged in to search though).  The site mods have got some info for newly arrived expats too if you search the pages other than the forums.

[avis]

for a standard A box car 1500$ per month rental.

[loco vato]

Between my wife and I, we pull in around $20k+ per month. With that we can just afford a small 2,000 square foot, 3 bedroom apartment outside of Orchard and one mid-size car, we "eat in" mostly, kids go to local school and I take the train to work everyday. We have very little savings, but enough to take at least one major vacation each year, plus a few short trips nearby. Leisure activities are limited to lower cost pursuits. Welcome to the local package.

By contrast, a good expat package will pay around $12k per month to rent a 3,000 square foot apartment flanking Orchard Road, around $5k per month for your 2 children to attend international school, $4k per month for two cars, $1-2k per month home leave, $4-5k per month posting allowance. And that is before you even touch your salary.

[Mystery]

PP...
not sure where you think these packages are paid.....for a CEO/CFO of a large company maybe....below that, I think forget it !

The days of packages as generous as that are definitely over...!

[To mystery]

definitely not over. You just need to know where to look