need information about living in Singapore


O

oxford2003

Guest
Salam ALL,

I recently have been granted a scholarship for 2 years study in Singapore. The scholarship will cover me only, will cover everything, but as I will be bringing my wife and 2 kids (one of them is newly born), I will need to pay for them. I do not know anything about Singapore, could anyone please help me by providing me with some information about the living in Singapore. I would need to know how much money I need to have with me in order to have my family come with me. I need to know about the house rents, daily expenses, transportation, food,...etc. Also, is there a good public health sector (I presume it is a lot cheaper than the private). Any other information would be highly appreciated



Thanks

:):):heart::thumbsup:
 

Hi... from your greeting, I'm assuming that you are from one of Singapore's neighbouring Muslim Countries.... Malaysia or Indonesia... Brunei :think:

Your biggest issue about living in S'pore will be housing... for yourself and worst, with your young family. Any decent Rooms or housing units could cost anything from $500-$800 SGD for Rooms and $1300 SGD (3 Room HDB Flats) onwards for the whole unit.

Food shouldn't be too big a problem due to the many stores/shop around S'pore.... prices arn't fix, so you could hunt for the best deal. But compare with the rest of SE Asia.... we are $$$$.

Public Transportation is easy and covers the whole nation.... I feel that the fares are reasonable.... but many here might disagree.

And yes... Health Care is alot cheaper on the public side. But the quality of Health Care is very Good.... provided you could afford it.


My suggestion.... Due to the high cost of living here, maybe you should come here 1st without your family.... settle in before bringing them over. Goodluck Bro :thumbsup:
 

food - from S$2.50 onwards
public transport - from S$1.00 onwards

Singapore is generally more expansive than other countries in SE Asia

i 2nd diver-hloc's suggestion of coming over alone first
btw 2 years is not very long you know
 

second that... usually accomodation will cost a lot. Most of my friends (Malaysia PR) spend $400-$800 per month on room rental. At my area (Commonwealth), a 2-bedrooms flat set you back $2,000 per month... crazily expensive when you consider the fact that 30-50% of your salary was spent on rent alone!
 

Just curious, which country are you coming from ?

yo buddy, u should join SG Expats Forum ...... quite sure you'll get more realistic and relevant answers to your questions there

join us for photography outings !
 

Singapore is a very welcoming place where its easy to find everything you can ever think of...
But you need to have the money to do that. Not all of us do.

I suggest you come here without your family first. Unless you have the means to. Living here is more expensive then you might think, especially if you are alone working.
 

Salam ALL,

Thanks a lot for your contributions.
Diver-hloc, yes indeed I am from a Muslim country but not the ones you mentioned, I am actually from Libya-North Africa
So, from your replies, I could conclude that housing is my main concern, as it is the most expensive item in the list. My accommodation will be covered by the scholarship, but surely will be university campus

I am an IT-Geophysicist, in other words, I am a Data Management and application support geophysicist, and looking forward to studying in Singapore. Does any of you know a university in Singapore that offers Master in Geophysics, as I searched a lot but did not succeed in finding anything. Also, when does the academic year normally start?

Once again, thanks a lot for your effort
 

Salam ALL,

Thanks a lot for your contributions.
Diver-hloc, yes indeed I am from a Muslim country but not the ones you mentioned, I am actually from Libya-North Africa
So, from your replies, I could conclude that housing is my main concern, as it is the most expensive item in the list. My accommodation will be covered by the scholarship, but surely will be university campus

I am an IT-Geophysicist, in other words, I am a Data Management and application support geophysicist, and looking forward to studying in Singapore. Does any of you know a university in Singapore that offers Master in Geophysics, as I searched a lot but did not succeed in finding anything. Also, when does the academic year normally start?

Once again, thanks a lot for your effort

You may check this out

Earth Observatory of Singapore at Nanyang Technological University
 

Salam ALL,

I am actually from Libya-North Africa


Wow.... thats a first for me :bsmilie:

Btw.... Singapore has a sizable Muslim population and you should have not problem finding Halal Food or products.... Mosques are doted all over the island as well. And unlike certain people in Western Countries nowadays.... in Singapore, your Race or Religion is seldom a problem with the citizen here.
 

Salam diver-hloc

I am your first Libyan friend..!!!!this is an honor....
....I appreciate all ur help, but could u direct me to good Singaporean Universities..!!
Also, do u know a good housing agency
 

You will have no problem fitting in.
Residence wise - no issue. Just get hold of the reputable private agencies.

Most of the time, we don't rip people off here.

THIS is one of our defining characteristics.
And that is why rich foreigners love to buy property here.

Don't try that in some other places where they may cheat you all the way. And there are many crooks, even the police that you complain to, want to rip you off, yes it is that bad in some other places. (better not name those countries)
 

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Salam diver-hloc

I am your first Libyan friend..!!!!this is an honor....
....I appreciate all ur help, but could u direct me to good Singaporean Universities..!!
Also, do u know a good housing agency


Hahaha.... sadly, I'm just an average student during my schooling days, never had the chance of going beyond my Secondary Education. Had to sign six years of my life to the Singapore Navy just ot get my NTC papers :bsmilie: So.... sorry, I can't direct you to any of S'pore's fine Universities.

As of Housing Agency.... others here would be better suited to inform you. I own my own unit and don't use their service. :sweat:
 

Salam diver-hloc

I am your first Libyan friend..!!!!this is an honor....
....I appreciate all ur help, but could u direct me to good Singaporean Universities..!!
Also, do u know a good housing agency

Singapore currently only have 3 universities offering local degrees; National University of Singapore (NUS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and Singapore Management University (SMU). Chances are SMU would not have the course of study you are looking for as they do not have a science faculty. You can look up the websites of the other 2 universities:)
 

Scholarship at 2 years? Which program and where abouts?
 

* off topic comment *

This is a true definition of "Foreign talent". I hope to see more of your calibre here in SG. :)

Welcome to SG.
 

'Alaikum Assalam

the two universities with relevant programmes would probably be NUS and NTU

as Teufelhunden pointed out above, the closest programme to what you are looking for is probably something from the Earth Observatory of Singapore, part of NTU, which is quite a new programme I believe...

for NUS, the closest thing would probably be a research programme in Geography...

housing-wise, both campuses should have graduate quarters for overseas grad students, including some for grad student with families and kids (at least NUS should have it; I'm more familiar with NUS...), and they should also be able to advise you on off-campus accommodation possibilities... contact the respective graduate studies offices for more info (NTU, NUS)
 

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Salam Alaykum,

You can find more info on Singapore as a non resident here
http://www.ecitizen.gov.sg/nonresidents/

These are good websites to support expatriates community in Singapore
http://www.entersingapore.info/sginfo/immigration.php
http://www.expatsingapore.com/

This is a forum from the Expat Singapore site
http://forum.singaporeexpats.com/

As with any country, accomodation is the big expense item. Due to the scarcity of land, accomodation in Singapore is on the high side. Housing is in the form of high rise apartments. We will need to have a feel of what your budget for accomodation is before we can advise further. You can also get an idea from the urls above. Proud to say that public transport is affordable, comfortable and brings you to most places in Singapore. However, car ownership is among the most expensive in the world. Food is varied and affordable in food courts. There are hala food at most places. Do note that pork is consumed by the locals. Fine dining at restaurants can be an expensive affair. There are the affordable and also the exquisite options of living. The weather is summer throughout the year with intermitent monsoon rain. It is warm and humid with temperature around 30C and humidity around 80%. There is no autumn nor winter season, so clothings are less of a hassle. Healthcare is very accessible and with excellent facilities. You may probably get some form of subsidy as a student pass holder. However, I am unsure if your family can benefit from it. I would suggest for you to check if your scholarship can extend healthcare/insurance coverage for your family. Banking and financial instruments are also easily accessible. Western Union is available as are other financial instruments for money transfer. Telecommunication infrastructure is excellent and affordable. Skype is not barred by the telco. Since your scholarship only covers yourself, I agree with the others that it is better you come over on your own first. You can arrange for your family to join you once you are settled.

[edit] forgot to mention Libyan dinar is not traded in Singapore. It is better to bring USD. if accomodation with utilities are provided, I would think an average monthly expense of USD600-1000 should be sufficient to get by (food, milk powder, pampers, transport, etc). If you want to enjoy life a bit more, USD1.5k should be comfortable. Do bring more $ since you asked this question in a photography forum. Consumer electronics such as camera and lenses are relatively cheaper in Singapore.

BTW, I like the Libya national flag. :)
libya.jpg


Welcome to Singapore and hope you will enjoy your education.
 

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THanks to you all, I appreciate all the help....