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Considering move to Singapore

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  1. #11

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    Quote Originally Posted by merchantms:
    Can I ask how so many people seem to be getting work transfers to Singapore? I spoke to my HR and there’s a minimum salary and local quotas on maximum number of non-Singaporeans in a company. Yet seems every other person I meet says they’re headed there. Are some people going as tourists and hoping to get a visa down the line?
    The real hurdles aren't the ones getting the attention. Eg, minimum salary for mid-age people (40+) is 11k -ish SGD. If you don't earn that much, you won't like it to start with - there is a base cost floor that is higher for non-locals (rent, health, schools, ...). The real problem is that this applies to the trailing spouse too. In the past, those people were often working part-time on a 'Letter of Consent' / LOC which basically said work as whatever as long as there isn't a surplus of SG work seekers. This option is now closed, so, trailing spouses have to go through the normal EP process, and this can be very challenging if you took a career break to look after kids or are working in an industry that pays poorly.

    That being said, it's still a pretty nice place to be. I didn't feel that the pandemic restrictions were / are that hard (not like y'all have more than five friends to start with), and I'm writing this from my third overseas, quarantine free trip since last summer.
    shri, TheBrit, caipiroska and 2 others like this.

  2. #12

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    This option is now closed, so, trailing spouses have to go through the normal EP process, and this can be very challenging if you took a career break to look after kids or are working in an industry that pays poorly.
    Was not aware that this spousal restriction was in place. We had that in HK for a couple of years during some financial crisis or SARs or something...

  3. #13

    Join Date
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    Quote Originally Posted by er2:
    The real hurdles aren't the ones getting the attention. Eg, minimum salary for mid-age people (40+) is 11k -ish SGD. If you don't earn that much, you won't like it to start with - there is a base cost floor that is higher for non-locals (rent, health, schools, ...). The real problem is that this applies to the trailing spouse too. In the past, those people were often working part-time on a 'Letter of Consent' / LOC which basically said work as whatever as long as there isn't a surplus of SG work seekers. This option is now closed, so, trailing spouses have to go through the normal EP process, and this can be very challenging if you took a career break to look after kids or are working in an industry that pays poorly.

    That being said, it's still a pretty nice place to be. I didn't feel that the pandemic restrictions were / are that hard (not like y'all have more than five friends to start with), and I'm writing this from my third overseas, quarantine free trip since last summer.
    Good to know. If we need to consider it we both earn above that threshold - glad I didn’t quit working after kids.

  4. #14

    Another thing to consider is housing issue now in Singapore. The rent has gone up by at least 15% from last year, so it actually may cost more to rent a place in Singapore now than in HK (considering HK rent has gone down quite a bit). If you are thinking of large condos with 3 or more bedrooms, they get taken immediately and there's not much supply in the market at the moment (due to the huge wave of expats moving to Singapore and also local Singaporeans looking for larger condos).

    alexdown likes this.

  5. #15

    " it actually may cost more to rent a place in Singapore now than in HK": - definitely not

    Hkemail888 likes this.

  6. #16

    " large condos with 3 or more bedrooms" [no supply] .... are you actually in Singapore right now?


  7. #17
    Quote Originally Posted by er2:
    The real hurdles aren't the ones getting the attention. Eg, minimum salary for mid-age people (40+) is 11k -ish SGD. If you don't earn that much, you won't like it to start with - there is a base cost floor that is higher for non-locals (rent, health, schools, ...).
    A noob-ish question, what’s/how’s it different compared to HK ? I would be happy to read any links to learn more. Though not actively looking at, I am trying to learn inpact of such move.

  8. #18

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    Jun 2021
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    Quote Originally Posted by er2:
    ...
    there is a base cost floor that is higher for non-locals (rent, health, schools, ...).
    How different these costs are compared to private healthcare, established international school or import food in HK?
    I find costs are already steep here

  9. #19

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    Quote Originally Posted by fruitsalad:
    How different these costs are compared to private healthcare, established international school or import food in HK?
    I find costs are already steep here
    there is various comparison page if you google, one is https://www.expatistan.com/cost-of-l...ore/hong-kong? but i do not know how old their data is: says HKG is 14% more expensive overall
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    on https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-livin...ity2=Singapore
    different:
    Consumer Prices in Singapore are 4.25% higher than in Hong Kong (without rent)
    Consumer Prices Including Rent in Singapore are 2.57% lower than in Hong Kong
    Rent Prices in Singapore are 10.95% lower than in Hong Kong
    Restaurant Prices in Singapore are 6.14% higher than in Hong Kong
    Groceries Prices in Singapore are 10.97% lower than in Hong Kong
    Local Purchasing Power in Singapore is 42.85% higher than in Hong Kong

  10. #20

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    Yep. That's why I tried to understand why I'm reading otherwise.