Singapore Expats

I am thinking about relocating to Singapore, more for adventure than anything. I have a decent amount of telecommute work I can do via my laptop (not exactly making me rich but I do ok). Question: How much does a single American guy (mid 30s) need to earn to do ok in Singapore?

BTW, this is a great forum. What a RESOURCE!

I found housing to be fairly expensive if you are buying, and you probably don't want to purchase a car, as they are expensive as well. They have great public transportation, and taxies are cheap, although hard to get at times. Don't know what your income is like, or what "comfortable" means for you, but if you were making 100 000+ singapore I think you would find yourself quite comfortable. Since you are doign telecom work you may be getting paid in foreign currency so 60 000 US would be 100 000 SG.

Rob

Like Rob said, it all depends what comfort means to you.

If public transportation and living in the suburbs (in a small condo appartment) is comfortable for you, as is eating in the local places or cook your meals at home (already more expensive than the hawkercentres), I reckon you could be ok with around 5K per month.

If you'd want to stay downtown, follow the action and do your clubbing, outings, eat in the restaurants and love alcohol, and you feel the need for driving a car around, you would have to triple that amount at least I guess. So around 15K per month.

All in Singapore dollars of course.

Eric

Thanks, YF.

I'd definitely NOT be buying and I don't care to own a car right off. BTW, I do "telecommute" work (meaning, I can do my job from anywhere I want), not telecommunications work. I have the work l lined up -- now I'm just looking for an affordable/exotic location to live.

So you're saying I'd need to make in the neighborhood of US $60,000 per year? Doesn't sound too affordable, I'm afraid, for a guy like me. Who knows .... Thailand? Vietnam?

Sian,

Singapore is the 2nd richest country in Asia after Japan, and competitive to Korea in that sense (although Korea living standard is far more expensive).

So don't expect this to be a cheap place as such, it is a competitive and highly developed marketplace here, not the kind of laid back mentality you'd find in rural areas of Thailand or Vietnam, no way...

I have friends in Bangkok, who just do it at Nike and make half of the money I'd make in Singapore probably, but they have a very comfortable life over there.

Eric

They are a lot cheaper, also the PI. But, you can live in Singapore with a reasonable standard of living for S$4,500-$6,000 a month.

If I could work anywhere I wanted, it’d be Thailand or the PI for me. I recon you can live on US$1,000 per month, US$2,000 is comfortable and US3,000+ is like a king. It does also depend on if you want to live in the city or the country. I know a few English teachers in Thailand living on about US$1,000.

Also note that you'd need to first try to get a PR status before you can try to do freelance work...

BTW, if you're not a party animal, then 30,000USD per year is enough for a comfy life.

I would agree with Bremen - you can't just waltz in here and decide to live, work and stay here.
You need to get a work or employment permit in the first instance and then see how things would go as this is not guaranteed without being able to prove a stable and sustained income.

Try the following and if you have questions, send them an e-mail, the MoM is very professional and responds quite quickly.

http://www.mom.gov.sg/

Also, you can live quite comorftable on SGD2k if you are single and don't need luxuries.

That is right. At every forum people ask how much is "comfortable", but it really is very subjective. As in YMMV.