i'm getting assinged to singapore next year. Anybody with info about the cost of livign there? tax? I appreciate any input. Thanks.
I lived in Singapore before and will be visiting again later this year. Its nice in that you can drink the water from the tap, its clean, modern and has great food but it does get monotonous after awhile since its so small and the culture is somewhat repressed. The cost of living is cheaper than the US especially if you live in the Housing Development Board (HDB) housing. Private housing is much more expensive than the US. Food is slightly cheaper but many other things are much more expensive like cars. Good thing though is that you really don't need to drive in Singapore. One thing that is much better than the US is health care is significantly cheaper even for foreigners with quality as good, and even better in some cases, than the US. When I was there last year I got a full physical that included a chest X-Ray, bloodwork, and even ultrasound of my internal organs for about $200 US. You can't even get an X-Ray for that here in America. As far as taxes other than a gig where I was paid a few hundred under the table I've never had a paying job in Singapore so I don't know too much about the taxes. I know that have all sorts of fees for things and sales taxes plus everyone has part of their salary taken for the Central Provident Fund (CPF) that works sort of like Social Security and medical savings account. I believe though that as a foreigner you can withdraw what you paid into the CPF once you leave Singapore. Let me know if you got any other questions and I will be happy to answer them.
thanks a lot. did check the private condo rentals, one bedroom is 4K a month... considering that currency rate is only 1.2 a dollar, that's almost twice my current mortage here. hmmn... i'll check this hdb housing. thanks again.
Sorry to break it to ya but you have to work Saturdays there! Housing is extremely expensive for a very small space...the link below probably will help you some: http://www.xpatxperience.com/makinghome/singapore_cost_of_living.shtml
One thing to watch out for HDB housing is access for foreigners. You might have to go through your job to see if they can get it for you. Also don't let the idea that it is government housing dissuade you as this isn't Cabrini Green or any of the concrete ghettos that we see in the US. A lot of HDB housing is as good as the private housing in Singapore and the way HDB works is that people are considered owners and not renters. They can build equity in HDB and sell their homes for a profit, with certain conditions.
+1. About 80% of Singaporeans live in HDB housing and it is certainly not substandard housing. Condos in Singapore are highly luxurious by North American standards and HDB offers a much cheaper alternative.
Maybe these links can help you: IRAS FAQ for foreigners http://www.iras.gov.sg/irasHome/page.aspx?id=9790 Singapore Expat forum http://www.singaporeexpats.com/guides-for-expats/faq-for-expatriates.htm As for CPF, it is only compulsory for Singaporeans and Permanent Residents.
Are you sure about that? I have known many expats who worked in Singapore including my own family who have had to pay into the CPF. Its possible though that the policy has been changed on the CPF since the government does tinker with it every now and then.
Never lived there. Been there for vacation. I can imagine it getting boring after a week though. There's only so much you can do and so many places you can go to.
Oh I see. I'm not sure about the earlier policy, but currently contribution is required only if one is a PR: http://www.contactsingapore.org.sg/faqs/?subcatid=9
Whatever happened to that American guy that was wanting to bash people's skulls in was it Singapore or another Asian country?
