It's not called Singabore for no reason.
It's not called Singabore for no reason.
Having also worked in both SG & HK, I think there are pros and cons to both locations. I think it's a matter of personal fit, preference, and what stage you are in life.
For me, even having a family now, I still prefer HK. I'm not sure what it is with SG (and I read through all the Pro-SG comments on this thread, which I agree to most of them), I just always feel so bored and lonely there. In HK, even if I don't talk to anyone, I never feel lonely, never feel bored. I'm sure I'm just doing the same thing every day in HK, but for some odd reason, I just never feel bored. Maybe it's because there is so much happening around me that it distracts me/tricks me in thinking I am not bored?
In SG, I always felt bored and felt I was just doing the same thing (even if I am visiting new locations, new places to eat, etc.).
Also someone said in the thread that SG is very efficient in commuting, which I agree. But I personally feel the distances are too far from one another. Where as in HK, I can travel from point A to point B via many modes of transport quite quickly and effectively. The commute feels much quicker to me.
Just my 2 cents.
Final nail, or just a journalist trying to justify their own choice to move to themselves? Personally I find this a pretty weak article. Certainly agree you'd much rather be a Singaporean kid than a Hong Konger kid right now, but hasn't that always been the case?
https://www.economist.com/asia/2023/...-and-hong-kong
Hong Kong. Better for single people. Singapore is better for families. Married couples. Although married couples with no kids can enjoy HK too.
I've seen plenty of articles suggesting an exodus of expats in SG due to skyrocketing housing costs, people being hit with 40-80% rent hikes . . .
https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-p...ts-2023-05-08/"We are weighing our options...whether the inflated price tag now is really worth the edge Singapore has over its neighbours," said Lee Soo Min, a business development executive at a digital advertising firm who saw a 70% jump in her monthly rentals and is examining relocating to another Asian city.
I can attest to that, the outrageous rental hikes are becoming an ever worsening problem. Plenty of friends, colleagues and acquaintances are packing up to leave this summer. Quite a few have seen rent hikes of more than 100% even. Added to that, as a mere “tax paying tourist” in this city state which is SO full of itself, we get ZERO perks or tax breaks. Schools are not accessible for foreigners…and if they were to get a spot you pay through your nose. HALF day school will take you to HKD 316,000 yearly and that’s for primary. We pay HKD 21,000 yearly to the government for the levy on our helper and we have to take out expensive health insurance for her as well as there is no such thing as free or even subsidized medical care. We even have to pay HKD 300 a year for a bloody library card! The list goes on. So it’s not only the insane rental hikes, most foreigners who can go back home or a decent country where they are not treated like unwelcome trash, will. We are looking at Oz.
I find the way people brush over the mass indentured migrant labor force and executions for non-violent crimes in Singapore quite sad.
Singapore takes much better care of its own people than HK no question.
Heard many stories from friends and colleagues in SGP, if you’re not a citizen or PR you get absolutely nothing from the government. Barely disguised discrimination against South Asians is also common.
I’m doing well in my HK expat bubble, and probably in many ways could do better in a SGP expat bubble, but in either case I’d be willfully ignoring the social problems that exist for large swathes of the population.