Living in Singapore: an expat guide
What to expect when moving to Singapore
Singapore is often unfavourably compared to Hong Kong as Asia-lite, a seemingly boring and sterile environment with clean and orderly streets. But scratch beneath the surface and you'll find pockets of chaos and culture that remind you that this is still Asia none-the-less.
For every shiny modern building and piece of iconic architecture, you’ll find a makeshift Chinese temple at the top of a car park. For every fancy restaurant and bar, there is a delicious and cheap hawker (read, food) market serving Singapore’s famous chicken rice for less than the cost of a drink in one of said fancy bars.
Singapore is a city brimming with confidence, sure of its place on the world stage despite its small size, with a population happy to be compliant with the renowned political control and order. Those arriving for the first time in Singapore will quickly find initial misgivings are replaced by the seduction of living in a city where everything works efficiently. First-world citizenship is a tough club to leave.
Combine this easy living with access to a rich and varied community of international friends, a low tax rate, globally competitive schools, and a safe and secure environment and you start to understand why Singapore can never be described as a hardship posting. As the Singaporeans themselves would say, if you are moving to Singapore you are very lucky, lah.
Is Singapore suitable for family living?
Singapore is well suited to family life and many families leave Hong Kong, Japan, or another city with the express intention of landing in Singapore. One of the city’s big draws is the space and greenery. Singapore is also known as the 'Garden City' with its plethora of green spaces and integration of nature into built-up areas. In any given day, your children can swim off the beach, hike in the jungle, cycle in the park, or simply splash in a water play area.
What is the weather like in Singapore?
One of your first impressions of Singapore will undoubtedly revolve around the weather. Heat, rain, and humidity; Singapore is right on the equator and you cannot fail to notice it. The temperature dial rarely deviates from 24°C (75°F) to 32°C (90°F) with 90 per cent humidity in the air. The lowest temperature ever recorded was 19°C (66.2°F) back in 1989 when Singaporeans gleefully dressed in scarves and jumpers for a mere 24 hours.
Rain falls like you have never seen before; tropical rain and thunder land somewhere on the island every day. You’ll learn to follow the WBR rule — 'wind before rain' — when the wind picks up you can be sure the rain will quickly follow. But the sun will just as quickly follow too. Even the wettest of mornings give way to the sunniest of afternoons with no hint of the deluge that recently occurred.
You will miss the seasons as you know them but will instead learn to identify the rainy seasons; the very wet Northeast monsoon from December to February and the slightly milder Southwest monsoon from June to September.
Speaking 'Singlish'
Singapore has four official and equal languages, English, Chinese (Mandarin), Malay, and Tamil. You will most commonly note this on health and safety signs at construction sites and will become proficient at understanding ‘Danger — Keep Out’ in all four languages. Day to day, you will most commonly converse in English but will frequently overhear locals engaging with one another in one of the other three languages.
However, don’t be surprised if you often find yourself hearing but not understanding what you think is English. Chances are you are being spoken to in Singlish — a locally blended form of English. Everyday words and phrases are abbreviated or given a slightly different slant. ‘Can’ is the affirmative answer for most things. No prizes for guessing when ‘cannot’ is used. Other common phrases include ‘ang moh’ for foreigner, ‘siao’ for crazy, and ‘shiok’ for cool. It sounds confusing but you'll quickly attune your ear.
Where to live in Singapore
The drive from Changi airport to the centre of town is the perfect 20-minute introduction to the city. Singapore is only 42 km at its widest point. As you drive along the expressway (you can take the PIE or the AYE, Singapore loves its acronyms, and pronounces them as individual letters not as a whole, it is P, I, E, not PIE as in 'apple pie'), the pretty flower-lined roads give way to the glass buildings of the CBD and the iconic skyline of Marina Bay Sands and the Singapore Flyer.
East coast, west coast, central, or Seletar?
Singapore has very distinct areas in which to live. Many families base their decision on where to live by which school they are sending their children to. The East Coast is best for UWCSEA East campus, while the West Coast and Clementi are better for Tanglin Trust School, UWCSEA Dover campus, and Dulwich College (Singapore). You'll want to be central for the Australian International School or Stamford American International School and head to Seletar if you are looking at Singapore American School or the Overseas Family School.
Choosing a house or condo
Having decided which part of town to live in, you'll want to choose between a house (known as ‘landed property) or an apartment (‘condo’ short for condominium). The decision does not simply rest on price as a modern condo will likely cost more to rent than an old house. The choice is essentially made on whether you want the private space that a house offers (even if it comes with a postage-stamp-sized outdoor space) or to enjoy the shared facilities (think pool, gym, tennis courts etc) and community of condo life.
Singapore is well suited to family life; one of the city’s big draws is the space and greenery.
A house might mean a ‘black and white’ (old Colonial style houses, spacious but generally more run-down), a shophouse (a compact but iconically pretty, terraced house painted in pastel colours), a terraced house or a ‘cluster house’ (a small group of houses that share a pool). While a condo could range from a trendy apartment in an old Art Deco block to an ultra-modern sky-high building. All have their pros and cons and everyone will tell you why their choice is the one you should also make — horses for courses springs to mind.
Getting started in Singapore
What to bring with you
Don’t be fooled into thinking the constant heat means you can leave your warm clothes behind. Air conditioning abounds in offices, shops, and homes, and a trip to the cinema or theatre will leave you shivering.
All this heat, rain, and humidity combine to create the perfect environment for mould to thrive so don’t be surprised to find that the pages of your favourite books start to curl, your photos stick to their glass frames, and your soft furnishings quickly rot. Best to leave it all behind.
Embrace the tropical living and you will do just fine, and that includes your new frizzy hair (although hairdressers do a roaring trade in straightening treatments if you can’t take it any more).
Bringing pets to Singapore
Dogs, cats, guinea pigs, bring them all. There are many open spaces and dog-walking areas where new friendships are formed, both four and two-legged. Other than the eye-watering expense of shipping animals there are few downsides to letting your furry friend enjoy your new home with you.
Finding home help
Homes in Singapore always come with a maid’s room (though you would be forgiven if you mistook it for a broom cupboard) as having a 'helper' is the norm within the local community. Most helpers are from the Philippines, Indonesia, or Sri Lanka and nearly all speak English to some level. Their role is negotiable but will generally involve cleaning and some degree of looking after children and pets.
Though many families feel uncomfortable at the thought of having a stranger living in their home, those who take the plunge enjoy the benefits of a live-in babysitter, cleaner, and cook. Plenty decide against it, however, and manage perfectly well.
Should you decide to look into employing a helper, contact an agency or ask around. Families leaving the country will advertise the availability of their helper to help her find a new job and word-of-mouth is often the best recommendation.
Day-to-day living in Singapore
Getting around
Public transport is cheap, clean, and efficient and taxis are plentiful, except on a rainy Monday morning when they are scarce on the ground. The Mass Rapid Transit system (the MRT, Singapore’s subway) covers the most heavily populated parts of the island. There is also a fantastic network of bus routes.
Driving
If you would rather drive yourself, you'll need deep pockets. The number of cars on the road is restricted by the government and car prices are high. After buying the car, you must then purchase a Certificate of Entitlement (COE) — the price of which varies month-to-month — to be allowed to drive it on Singapore's roads. The second-hand car market, however, is strong and there are some real bargains to be had if you do your homework. Older vehicles are not popular with locals and are often the more affordable option chosen by expats. Leasing is also an option but is not necessarily cheaper than buying.
Whether you rent or buy, you will need to convert your home licence to a Singaporean one within 12 months of your arrival. All you will need to do is pass a Basic Theory Test — not so basic when you realise it is more a test of your Singlish than driving theory! Whatever car you end up with, it might take you a while to get used to local driving idiosyncrasies: traffic moves slowly and drivers tend to veer between lanes at will, few local drivers will give you space to change lanes and signalling is erratic at best.
Shopping
Weekends reveal a local obsession: shopping. Orchard Road (the main shopping street) is lined with high-end shopping centres and global brands' flagship stores. This is not the place to try and strike a bargain as there are fixed prices in most of the stores.
Slightly further away from the modern shopping centres, you'll find Dempsey Road, a former army barracks which houses a mix of antique and furniture shops as well as many good wine bars and restaurants (should you start wilting in the heat).
In Chinatown, you can buy cheap and cheerful jewellery and clothes, as well as good quality Chinese furniture and antiques. Or you could bargain for silks and saris alongside tourists and locals in Arab Street and Little India.
Grocery shopping
Western foods, including organic food, gluten-free and other specialist ranges, are readily available at most supermarkets and the quality of food is high, as are the prices. Most of it is imported.
For more local food head to the wet markets, so-called because of the water that sloshes around on the floors when they are cleaned each day. Shopping here will be different from anything you are likely to have experienced back home: the smell of fish, poultry, herbs and spices is strong; the heat and noise can be overwhelming. A trip here is an assault on the senses but if you are feeling adventurous and fancy trying some chickens’ feet or making a fish head curry, then this is where you might find what you’re looking for.
Eating out
If you would rather eat out, then you won’t have to go far from home; there are eating places on virtually every street. For an authentic Singaporean experience, try one of the hawker centres or food courts, collections of food stalls that provide good, local food. Hawker centres are covered outdoor areas while food courts are inside, often located in the basements of shopping centres. Places that are popular with locals and expats include Newton Circus and Lau Pa Sat in the CBD.
Restaurants are too numerous and varied to list, but head to the river (Boat Quay, Clarke Quay, or Robertson Quay) or Holland Village for plenty of options. Less touristy places include Club Street and the surrounding areas (between Chinatown and the CBD) or Dempsey. New places spring up all the time.
Prices at restaurants vary enormously but, wherever you are, your bill will soar if you order anything alcoholic. To drink at leisure without breaking the bank, try one of the fabulous set-price Sunday brunches at the big hotels.
Meeting new people
Singapore is a friendly, welcoming city with existing families swiftly reaching out to connect with new families on arrival. After all, we’ve all been the newbie at least once ourselves. Rest assured that in no time at all you and your children will all find it easy to meet and make new friends.
Where to go and what to see
New residents and tourists alike will want to sip an obligatory Singapore Sling at the Long Bar in the legendary Raffles Hotel, see the orchids at the botanical gardens, visit the fantastic Singapore zoo and night safari, have a couple of beers on the man-made beach on Sentosa Island or enjoy the sun setting with a cocktail at the rooftop terrace bar at Marina Bay Sands. Less touristy time-fillers include a visit to the old colonial (est 1886) but surprisingly unpretentious Singapore Polo Club, where you can have tea on the terrace whilst watching a match, or head over to the East Coast Park to cycle, roller blade, and have lunch.
There are plenty of green spaces to let the kids run around in, many of which have playgrounds and picnic areas.
And once you have exhausted all that Singapore has to offer, jump on a plane. With budget airlines making trips abroad highly affordable, it is common to take a weekend trip to Bali, Thailand, or Malaysia, all of which are just a few hours away. Singapore is enjoyed as much for its proximity to other destinations as a city in its own right.
The last word
It’s easy to get used to this spotlessly clean, efficient city-state, where there’s virtually no crime or obvious poverty. And once you are living here, it’s hard to imagine giving up the swimming pools, balmy weather, Tiger Beer, cheap taxis, and chicken rice. The quality of life is good – it’s always summertime in Singapore, and the living is easy.
