Singapore Expats

Sup good people. Recently, I got a job offer in Singapore (at NUS) and I am a foreigner from a country nearby Singapore.
I'd like to ask if you guys have any tips to save some money while living there. It would be better if you can specify it in several categories, such as accommodation, transportation, consumption, phone bill / SIM Card, etc.
I welcome all of your kind responses and tips. Thank you for your help

Have you done a search of the threads in this forum category yet? Usually all answer to these types of questions have already been answered. That should be your first stop for answers as we are all volunteers and love to help people who are willing to try to help themselves. There is a handy search engine in the upper right side of this page.

Heh. Locals are asking themselves this too.

You can try to keep costs reasonable, by:
Food - eat hawker fare or cook at home.
Transport - take bus, MRT, or own feet.
Phone - shop around and find a good deal (depends on your usage too).

There's been plenty said on accommodation - browse around the forum as suggested.

Honestly, housing is usually the largest unavoidable expense here… while it’s not easy, you should apply maximum effort (and sacrifice) to achieve cost savings on housing — that is where savings can be really substantial. I would look for a flat sharing arrangement or HDB room rental.

The remaining cost saving opportunities are pretty obvious, and are not going to add up to much, TBH.

I agree with Mal. Figure out accommodation. Other than that, food might get a bit costly. All depends on your tastes. If you are good with local fare (hawkers or kopitiams) or cooking your own food then food cost should be quite manageable.

smoulder wrote: ↑

Fri, 17 Mar 2023 7:41 pm

I agree with Mal. Figure out accommodation. Other than that, food might get a bit costly. All depends on your tastes. If you are good with local fare (hawkers or kopitiams) or cooking your own food then food cost should be quite manageable.

Transport as well, getting a place close to your work, or taking public transport instead of grabbing or driving can save a ton of money.

whitemonster17 wrote: ↑

Fri, 17 Mar 2023 1:36 pm

Sup good people. Recently, I got a job offer in Singapore (at NUS) and I am a foreigner from a country nearby Singapore.
I'd like to ask if you guys have any tips to save some money while living there. It would be better if you can specify it in several categories, such as accommodation, transportation, consumption, phone bill / SIM Card, etc.
I welcome all of your kind responses and tips. Thank you for your help

1. Accommodation
Rent a room near your workplace or a studio, if you can afford it.
2. Transport
Take public transport and opt for a concession card, which will save you money if you travel very frequently.
3. Phone bill
Get a Sim only plan if you have a phone, prices, for these are real cheap (under $20-30).
4. Food
Opt for local food where possible.
5. Groceries
Go for supermarkets like giant or fair price as opposed to cold storage, or the more boutique supermarkets as the price points can vary dramatically.

malcontent wrote: ↑

Fri, 17 Mar 2023 5:41 pm

Honestly, housing is usually the largest unavoidable expense here… while it’s not easy, you should apply maximum effort (and sacrifice) to achieve cost savings on housing — that is where savings can be really substantial. I would look for a flat sharing arrangement or HDB room rental.

The remaining cost saving opportunities are pretty obvious, and are not going to add up to much, TBH.

I was on Facebook the other day and noticed that a lot of people are listing rooms for rent at really reasonable prices. I'm assuming they go without an agent so they save a lot.

Lisafuller wrote: ↑

Sun, 19 Mar 2023 10:24 pm

smoulder wrote: ↑

Fri, 17 Mar 2023 7:41 pm

I agree with Mal. Figure out accommodation. Other than that, food might get a bit costly. All depends on your tastes. If you are good with local fare (hawkers or kopitiams) or cooking your own food then food cost should be quite manageable.

Transport as well, getting a place close to your work, or taking public transport instead of grabbing or driving can save a ton of money.

I'm guessing that someone asking how to live on a minimal budget is already mentally tuned to taking the train to get around.

Lisafuller wrote: ↑

Sun, 19 Mar 2023 10:28 pm

malcontent wrote: ↑

Fri, 17 Mar 2023 5:41 pm

Honestly, housing is usually the largest unavoidable expense here… while it’s not easy, you should apply maximum effort (and sacrifice) to achieve cost savings on housing — that is where savings can be really substantial. I would look for a flat sharing arrangement or HDB room rental.

The remaining cost saving opportunities are pretty obvious, and are not going to add up to much, TBH.

I was on Facebook the other day and noticed that a lot of people are listing rooms for rent at really reasonable prices. I'm assuming they go without an agent so they save a lot.

Watch out for scammers.
https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/r ... rs-2129101

Alcohol is prohibitively expensive in general, avoid smoking and drinking!

Shop in wet markets near the close of trading times for potential deals on meat and fruit - if you aren’t picky about the best produce. Depends on the market


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

BBCDoc wrote: ↑

Mon, 20 Mar 2023 10:06 pm

Alcohol is prohibitively expensive in general, avoid smoking and drinking!

Shop in wet markets near the close of trading times for potential deals on meat and fruit - if you aren’t picky about the best produce. Depends on the market


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

APB’s marketing flop “Raffles Beer” is actually better than Tiger, and sells for less than S$10 a 6 pack when on sale at NTUC. At S$1.66 a can it seems reasonable. Try drinking it British style (warmer) - - tastes even better.

Leo beer (from Thailand) is another good one under S$2/can and it tastes better than the more popular Singha brand IMO.

I don’t drink much tho, might have one can at the end of the week while watching MMA.

malcontent wrote: ↑

Tue, 21 Mar 2023 12:03 am

BBCDoc wrote: ↑

Mon, 20 Mar 2023 10:06 pm

Alcohol is prohibitively expensive in general, avoid smoking and drinking!

Shop in wet markets near the close of trading times for potential deals on meat and fruit - if you aren’t picky about the best produce. Depends on the market


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

APB’s marketing flop “Raffles Beer” is actually better than Tiger, and sells for less than S$10 a 6 pack when on sale at NTUC. At S$1.66 a can it seems reasonable. Try drinking it British style (warmer) - - tastes even better.

Leo beer (from Thailand) is another good one under S$2/can and it tastes better than the more popular Singha brand IMO.

I don’t drink much tho, might have one can at the end of the week while watching MMA.

Tiger goes on sale often as well, though I'm not sure if I'd call it beer.

BBCDoc wrote: ↑

Mon, 20 Mar 2023 10:06 pm

Alcohol is prohibitively expensive in general, avoid smoking and drinking!

Shop in wet markets near the close of trading times for potential deals on meat and fruit - if you aren’t picky about the best produce. Depends on the market


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

If you aren't particular about the look, but want produce that hasn't been touched by a million grubby hands, you can also consider buying from ugly foods. They do delivery if you order over a certain amount, my condo often does group buys.

Lisafuller wrote: ↑

Tue, 21 Mar 2023 12:26 am

Tiger goes on sale often as well, though I'm not sure if I'd call it beer.

If you ever go on the APB factory tour (great team building idea), there is a bar at the end with unlimited free flow, but your first drink must be a Tiger. Normally I don’t like Tiger at all, but they served it super icy cold and that actually made it better — the coldness seemed to drown out the bad taste and it wasn’t half bad!