Singapore

There is a forum called expat Singapore which might be useful. Yes it might be better if this thread were moved there.

I forgot to add that we have a dog...are dogs permitted in condos? Or that would restrict us to a villa? Can dogs go in taxis? edited by ChilliChai on 29/01/2015 It depends on the size of your dog, there are some dogs especially the big ones that are not allowed in apartments (or known as HDBs) and condominiums. You may want to check more infos about this.

There is a forum called expat Singapore which might be useful.

The government has made it harder over the last two years for expats to get into local schools. I have friends who were permanent residents and hoping to get their kids into local school but when it came down to it, they were offered a place in a school miles away from their house and the school was near the bottom of the rankings. Citizens get first choice, then PRs then expats so the likelihood of getting into a good school are slim. That said, a colleague of mine did manage to get her kids into one of the best local schools but it was complete chance and they are not quite sure how they got so lucky!

I also moved here a couple of months ago after being in Dubai for fours years and I'm still not used to the fact that everything is so freaking expensive, it's ridiculous. The Singapore forum for expatwoman is dead but there is a good fb group called Real Singapore Expat Wives that's as good as it gets in terms of info. Having a car is also very expensive so it's better if you live close to work/school or MRT stop. I'd suggest you to avoid buses if you can as drivers are a disaster and half of the time you'll be praying for your life :( I wouldn't know about kids schools prices as I don't have any and I certainly won't have them here, but from what I heard the best way to go is to enroll them in a local school. Happy to help with more info if needed! I grew up in Singapore and went to a local school. There were a few of us expat kids there. It was hard initially but eventually got the hang of the way school is there. We paid very minimal fees.

I also moved here a couple of months ago after being in Dubai for fours years and I'm still not used to the fact that everything is so freaking expensive, it's ridiculous. The Singapore forum for expatwoman is dead but there is a good fb group called Real Singapore Expat Wives that's as good as it gets in terms of info. Having a car is also very expensive so it's better if you live close to work/school or MRT stop. I'd suggest you to avoid buses if you can as drivers are a disaster and half of the time you'll be praying for your life :( I wouldn't know about kids schools prices as I don't have any and I certainly won't have them here, but from what I heard the best way to go is to enroll them in a local school. Happy to help with more info if needed!

Also, a maid costs between 500to 800 for a live in and about 1200 plus for a live out.

I recently moved from Singapore. School fees are about $25k per year. Nursery fees are around $10k. You will be looking at at least 5.5k per month to get a house. There are nice houses on the east coast, a bit further out but transport links are generally good. UWC has opened a campus out East too if you are looking for an international school. Condos are of a much higher standard than apartment blocks are here, especially newer ones. The majority have a lovely pool, gym and small playground. If you want space, you can get larger apartments in an older block. Eg. We lived in a 4 bed apartment which was 2700sqft next to Holland Village for 6k per month. The condo was built in 1986 so old but great space and pool. Most people I knew were paying between 5.5k per month (house on east coast) to 10k for a brand new apartment near the city. Groceries are about 25% higher. Alcohol is not unaffordable. A slab of 24 beers will cost around $60 , bottle of wine goes from $15 upwards In The supermarket. Personally I find eating out more expensive in dubai when you include alcohol. The hawkers markets are great for quick meals and there is a wide selection of restaurants. People tend to take out loans for their cars. The dealers actually charge more if you pay cash! We paid about $600 per month on the loan over 3 years and got a good price for the car when we sold it. The traffic is slower than here but there are still crazy drivers especially taxi drivers so people with young kids tend to get a car (in my experience). The added cost to the car is the ERP charge every time you go through a toll which adds up quickly. Utilities including Aircon were from 400-700 per month depending on how much we used the Aircon. Water bill was on top of that. The trains, buses and taxis are very cheap. As for salary, I think you could do it on the salary you mention but would not be saving much after rent and school fees unless you live far out. Hope that helps.

Thank you so much for your reply... So it sounds as though it's do-able. Like everyone, I don't want to go there and struggle, or really even feel like we have to watch our money. The following will sound like strange questions at this stage, but enable a quick decision re villa/apartment car/no car: If people with children don't have a car, is it normal to take a taxi and not use carseats? Is the traffic really slow? I forgot to add that we have a dog...are dogs permitted in condos? Or that would restrict us to a villa? Can dogs go in taxis? edited by ChilliChai on 29/01/2015 Yes dogs are permitted in some condos but you need to check with the developer / landlord first. You can also get an agent to help select suitable properties to view once you arrive.

I used to live and work in Singapore for 5 years. 225k SGD is sufficient enough, depending on where you live and which schools you enroll your kids. The closer you are in the city centre, the more expensive it is. You can still find good villas, but be prepared to live quite far from the centre. There are a lot of new condominiums there that are closer to city centre, you may want to consider that, because I find condominiums there to have better amenities than those here in Dubai, it's also very child-friendly. Singapore is very small anyway, so I don't think it will be a problem. Same goes to say that commuting is not a problem as well, it's very convenient and has a good system unlike here. Cars are considered luxury there, but having two kids, you may want one, which I think you can still afford. A helper will be around 1000-2000SGD (3000-6000AED), depending on the nationality. I find the food quite the same in Dubai if you do your groceries in supermarkets here. For me, eating out in Singapore is so much cheaper because food hawkers are almost everywhere, you cannot find that here in Dubai, even the food courts here are more expensive. Fast food like McDonalds are more expensive there because they discourage people from eating junk. However, if you dine out in a restaurant, the price will be the same as Dubai, but with little servings compared here. Same thing with alcohol, it's the same price as in Dubai but you get more here. A tall glass of vodka cranberry price here is just half-glass in Sg! People buy their booze stocks at DutyFree, there's no way you can buy a reasonable priced booze outside the airports there. I agree with Yorky, maybe you can try to post in Singapore forum too. Good luck ;)

I don't have any specific figures but from feed back from friends they said food shopping is much more expensive especially meat. Alcohol is also more expensive than Dubai. Very few people live in villas most stay in apartments and although some are in great communities they can look a bit tired compared to some of the new buildings in Dubai.It is also very expensive to own or rent a car so most people use public transport which is very good. Maybe try posting the same on the Singapore forum