Though the healthcare system is world class, I personally think that Singapore is a bit behind on mental health and wellness. For example it's really hard to get yourself referred to a psychiatrist or psychologist in a public clinic or hospital.
Agreed! And it shows in how many murder/suicide cases there are related to psychatric problems nowadays... We're even seeing in schoolkids. A lot more can be done on the mental health front
Even though SG healthcare is worldclass, SG mental health care is utter 💩! Don’t ever go to IMH! The psychiatrists and nurses there are all manipulative and abusive. Even you no mental problems also they can come up with some BS to get you warded for no reason. It is so easy to get warded at IMH, far too easy but impossible to get out! 🤦🏻♀️ and IMH is do super toxic and horrible.
Sometimes just calling for a regular taxi is cheaper than both Grab and Gojeck. Depending on the time it's about $2.5 or $3.5 extra. BUT yeah... it sucks that this expensive city is getting more expensive.
Hi Georgia, My friends from Taiwan just relocate to Singapore with his whole family. He told me he decided to move here because of his kids and also the safety environment. To him Taiwan is also getting more and more expensive also.
True. Singapore is a stressful place.. and cost of living is high It is very safe and clean. Public transport is cheap and efficient. A lot of nice food
I like visiting there, but I don't understand the living value. If you're making a decent Singaporean salary, maybe. However, if you're taking retirement money there, or doing a freelance job that you can do anywhere, where's the value?
Hello luv! Looking fab as always. I lived in Singapore when I was 11 years old. I’m an old man now! Lol! But I remember we lived in Clementi, Faber Hills area. There was a large playground behind our house where we would play after school. (SAS) Strange how I can remember that and not remember what I had for brekkie this morning! 😂 Keep up the great vlogs! ❤️
As a previous expat mom living in Singapore a couple of years ago, just a clarification, that public schooling is not an option as an expat. Extremely few expats get seats in local schools. Count onhaving to pay for private schooling. The latest years lower cost international schools get more and more common, still expensive though, starting form under 20k sgd per year and child.
Ohhh I didn't know that. I knew a lot of international students back in secondary school; I hadn't realised that it's actually really difficult to get in. Probably cause most locals won't go to international school and the gov doesn't want to create competition between the locals and expats over getting into the local schools. Waitlists for even primary schools are super long
@@latia876 True, and most locals are not either allowed to put their kids in the international schools. You have to apply for it as a local and I think that if one of the parents have another nationality than Sg the chances are bigger for approval. These were the rules a few years ago at least.
We’re an Aussie family living in India and about to move to Singapore. After years of home schooling my 3 teenaged boys wanted to go to mainstream school…..then I looked at the prices- $40k 46k…….we’ll stick to homeschooling 🤪🤪🤪
Rent really can be a killer ;( renting further from city centre might help, our public transport system is also really efficient so that won’t be a problem!
Hi , cost of rental and power supply bills still lower than in Uk and Germany ! Here ,u can enjoy fitness club , public pool and our fitness club here fees is still lower than in UK.. . Besides ,buying imported groceries.
Expat: Things here are so expensive. Also expat: I wanna live in a landed property or at least a condo. I want a country club membership. I want a car to drive. I want to dine in restaurants and cafes. Bottomline: you chose the lifestyle you want. Expensive is relative.
Part of that is that average life in most countries is owning a house, having a car. You don't need that here, but people see that as 'normal' if they're from Europe, Australia, America.
@@glenvallance8973 Expectations vs reality. Hence the need to do thorough research before moving. I would love to own a car & agree its super convenient. But it’s expensive & don’t forget the petrol, ERP, parking charges, insurance & road tax. Can i survive without a car? Sure. SG is not a massive country which takes you hours to drive from one end to the other. And the MRT is very convenient (though annoyingly packed but what do you expect?). I would love to own a house with a garden & pool but will living in a 4 room Hdb flat kill me? No. At least its better than 1 room flats in hong kong. So again, do your research & temper your expectations. Sure you have expats earning almost 6 figures a month, living in landed houses in sentosa cove, owning a ferrari & a yacht even. But not all expats are that well off.
@@XZ_B94 Depends on one’s definition of living. Not everyone needs to dine in posh cafes, live in big houses, drive branded cars & have country club memberships. Many Singaporeans don’t and are okay with it. Does that mean they are not living? Don’t assume everyone has the same definition of living as you. This is why some expats can survive here while others can’t.
@P53eud0nym05 My point is exactly what you have said. Not everyone has the same definition of living. I do think SG is expensive if you want to enjoy anything nice or even have a hobby. Hell, even fitness classes are expensive 🤷♀️ I do know many Singaporeans who don't indulge in branded stuff and but just want to enjoy the nice things in life and it unfortunately does cost quite a bit. I also sometimes wonder if some people have conditioned themselves into believing they do not need anything nice in life because everything is too expensive.
HI Georgia - Thanks for the update. I guess the increase in COE prices and housing costs plus inflation are rippling through the economy. ☹Housing costs will be the challenge for Singapore to attract and keep talent - for example, my rent got so high in 2005 that I moved from Paris (which I loved) to Germany. All the best for 2023! 👍👍😃
i have tada,ryde,gojek and grab to toggle from haha!! also, if ur looking for pr, my brother in law just got his PR last week after a million rejections, he has been living here 12 yrs.
how about the hot weather, why most Caucasians don't mind it? they even running outdoor frequently in SG, I'll feel miserable running under such temperature.
I'm an origin from Lake Toba. Of course, Singapore is too crowded, rush city, circumstances are not good at all. People needs the balance of life. The only indigenous keep staying there.
It depends on what you prioritize in your life. If you dont mind the tiny size, boring and lack of freedom, SG is great to work and live. But for me, not my kind of city, I much prefer KL, just as developed and better life. :)
Hey, I'm a Singaporean who moved to Belgium last year and I gotta say it was the right decision for me. My mental health was affected in SG due to the stress level, the hustle and bustle, the overcrowdedness. The pace of living here is slower, there's a better work-life balance, people are generally friendlier, and overall lower cost of living. With that said, I do agree with you on the pros - safety in Singapore is unbeatable, cost of food is so cheap + there's such a variety of food! miss those things ofc.
@@siegetemplar cost of living = food, petrol,metro, medical, insurance, toiletries, rental,mortgage , etc. also includes food but generally eating out is expensive compared to sg cos we have hawker culture here....there its more atas kind of places maybe?
It depends on what you prioritize in your life. If you dont mind the tiny size, boring and lack of freedom, SG is great to work and live. But for me, not my kind of city, I much prefer KL, just as developed and better life. :)
Yes, the rent is crazy this year. Overall, instead of you see your salary increase, actually with inflation and tax increase, your salary is naturally gets cut annually - in case employer doesn’t top up your salary (which is my case 😢).
It depends on what you prioritize in your life. If you dont mind the tiny size, boring and lack of freedom, SG is great to work and live. But for me, not my kind of city, I much prefer KL, just as developed, cheaper and better life/work. :)
Please do not leave your laptop, phones or wallet on the table outside unattended though. Sometimes they may not be stolen due to public cameras around, but there still can be thieves who get away with it. I got my phone stolen just minutes after i left it on a tabletennis table in my own condominium clubhouse before. Better be safe than sorry.
Similar to credit card, banks in Singapore offer great bonus interest deals. My bank in Japan only gives me a few cents per year in interest as a comparison. Here you can easily get at least SGD100 PER MONTH. It’s incredible. One of the few good things about inflation is seeing this interest rate increasing too. By the way I was a bit distracted by the door in the background in this video 😆👻
@@epotnwarlock non-residents can open bank accounts in Singapore too apparently but I’m not sure if the interest rates are as attractive. I had to show proof of residency to apply for my type of account.
Where did you get those prices? I'm living in River Valley too and paying just 3800 per month for 2 bedroom ~750sqft. I overall don't see such prices unless for overpriced premium condos
Being a bit biased here, bit disappointed that you only mention doctors, rather than nurses when it comes to the health care system. But maybe I don't know too much as I am an Aussie nurse myself. Either either way I'm sure you meant no harm. Love your videos
Looking great Georgia and thanks for the spectacular 8 years and more of content Btw, I TOTALLY AGREE on the Grab and cabs fee Pondering the option of buying a bike to travel to work. For now, no complaints on the MRT / train and buses.
We’re moving to Singapore next month…..and after living as expats in India for the past 7.5 years we cannot wait for the change in lifestyle. Yes it’s crazy expensive but all I can think about at the moment….is the opportunities it shall give my 3 boys.
We’ve been living in Singapore for more than 10 years, sadly we just leave Singapore a month ago what I do miss in Singapore is how easy to get the public transport in Singapore and the hawker food what I am not miss is our tiny apartment we have 1000sqf apartment in Bukit Timah area here in Charlotte (NC) we get 3500sqf.
Hi, any ideas taxi cost from airport to clarke quay areas? Coz I'll be on overnight transit in Singapore this coming march so thinking to stay somewhere clarke quay & walking around the iconic places.
It’ll be around S$ 35-40. Worst case scenario 45. But please, make sure you use Grab app or any other. So you have control over the cost (it is shown before you book the ride). If you opt for metered taxi, cost may vary.
@@ChrisPBacon-mo9ln Oh my😰 so basically I need to prepare atleast $90 for a turn around trip. I will check via Grab app first once I landed in Changi or might as well I just stay at the airport. Anyway Thank You so much for the insight I really appreciate it🙏
@@kim.mateen1762 well, it’s not that expensive if you consider the distance from the airport to Clarke Quay though. It’s basically 60€ for a round trip. It’s Singapore! The most expensive city on earth after all 😂
If he's talking about generally the rent there then I totally agree... been thinking of going there but the rent is discouraging me, its insanely too much
It depends on what you prioritize in your life. If you dont mind the tiny size, boring and lack of freedom, SG is great to work and live. But for me, not my kind of city, I much prefer KL, just as developed, very safe, cheaper and better life/work. :)
I don't find Singapore boring at all, there's plenty of things to do here and around here, especially if you're bringing up kids. But then again I'm not the kind of limited intellect who'll post the same thing a dozen or more times on the same comments page to make a point.
Though the healthcare system is world class, I personally think that Singapore is a bit behind on mental health and wellness. For example it's really hard to get yourself referred to a psychiatrist or psychologist in a public clinic or hospital.
Agreed! And it shows in how many murder/suicide cases there are related to psychatric problems nowadays... We're even seeing in schoolkids. A lot more can be done on the mental health front
Hard agree. Wish the quality of school counsellors can also be improved on. Cause tbh I don't really trust them unless I have super basic issues
Even though SG healthcare is worldclass, SG mental health care is utter 💩! Don’t ever go to IMH! The psychiatrists and nurses there are all manipulative and abusive. Even you no mental problems also they can come up with some BS to get you warded for no reason. It is so easy to get warded at IMH, far too easy but impossible to get out! 🤦🏻♀️ and IMH is do super toxic and horrible.
Agreed. Health care is not up to standard for some illness
my rent for a Master Bedrm at Hmlet increased from $2.4K to $3.5K 😭
Walao that's quite a steep increase.
You can easily get a whole 1-bedder unit in prime location at that price currently in Singapore.
@@Zendefone What's the best way for house hunting in Singapore?
oh noo, that's a real big jump :(
@@sumit6190p hdb flat. for that price u can literally get an entire 5 room flat.
Sometimes just calling for a regular taxi is cheaper than both Grab and Gojeck. Depending on the time it's about $2.5 or $3.5 extra. BUT yeah... it sucks that this expensive city is getting more expensive.
unfortunately so :(
Hi Georgia,
My friends from Taiwan just relocate to Singapore with his whole family. He told me he decided to move here because of his kids and also the safety environment. To him Taiwan is also getting more and more expensive also.
True. Singapore is a stressful place.. and cost of living is high
It is very safe and clean. Public transport is cheap and efficient. A lot of nice food
I like visiting there, but I don't understand the living value. If you're making a decent Singaporean salary, maybe. However, if you're taking retirement money there, or doing a freelance job that you can do anywhere, where's the value?
Hello luv! Looking fab as always. I lived in Singapore when I was 11 years old. I’m an old man now! Lol! But I remember we lived in Clementi, Faber Hills area. There was a large playground behind our house where we would play after school. (SAS) Strange how I can remember that and not remember what I had for brekkie this morning! 😂 Keep up the great vlogs! ❤️
As a previous expat mom living in Singapore a couple of years ago, just a clarification, that public schooling is not an option as an expat. Extremely few expats get seats in local schools. Count onhaving to pay for private schooling. The latest years lower cost international schools get more and more common, still expensive though, starting form under 20k sgd per year and child.
Ohhh I didn't know that. I knew a lot of international students back in secondary school; I hadn't realised that it's actually really difficult to get in. Probably cause most locals won't go to international school and the gov doesn't want to create competition between the locals and expats over getting into the local schools. Waitlists for even primary schools are super long
@@latia876 True, and most locals are not either allowed to put their kids in the international schools. You have to apply for it as a local and I think that if one of the parents have another nationality than Sg the chances are bigger for approval. These were the rules a few years ago at least.
We’re an Aussie family living in India and about to move to Singapore. After years of home schooling my 3 teenaged boys wanted to go to mainstream school…..then I looked at the prices- $40k 46k…….we’ll stick to homeschooling 🤪🤪🤪
Also they still cane students in public schools
I’m moving to Singapore in July and let’s just say…I don’t know how I am going to do it. The rental prices are insane
don’t move! 😂
eeekkk I'm sorry :(
Rent really can be a killer ;( renting further from city centre might help, our public transport system is also really efficient so that won’t be a problem!
@@lysapphire I’m looking at renting in the north side since my job is at SAS in woodlands
Hi , cost of rental and power supply bills still lower than in Uk and Germany !
Here ,u can enjoy fitness club , public pool and our fitness club here fees is still lower than in UK.. .
Besides ,buying imported groceries.
That’s not true at all. How can you even compare rental costs in Germany with Singapore? It doesn’t make any sense.
Expat: Things here are so expensive.
Also expat: I wanna live in a landed property or at least a condo. I want a country club membership. I want a car to drive. I want to dine in restaurants and cafes.
Bottomline: you chose the lifestyle you want. Expensive is relative.
Part of that is that average life in most countries is owning a house, having a car. You don't need that here, but people see that as 'normal' if they're from Europe, Australia, America.
@@glenvallance8973 Expectations vs reality. Hence the need to do thorough research before moving. I would love to own a car & agree its super convenient. But it’s expensive & don’t forget the petrol, ERP, parking charges, insurance & road tax.
Can i survive without a car? Sure. SG is not a massive country which takes you hours to drive from one end to the other. And the MRT is very convenient (though annoyingly packed but what do you expect?).
I would love to own a house with a garden & pool but will living in a 4 room Hdb flat kill me? No. At least its better than 1 room flats in hong kong.
So again, do your research & temper your expectations. Sure you have expats earning almost 6 figures a month, living in landed houses in sentosa cove, owning a ferrari & a yacht even. But not all expats are that well off.
Yeah sure, Singapore is inexpensive if you just exist. But is that really living?
@@XZ_B94 Depends on one’s definition of living. Not everyone needs to dine in posh cafes, live in big houses, drive branded cars & have country club memberships. Many Singaporeans don’t and are okay with it. Does that mean they are not living?
Don’t assume everyone has the same definition of living as you. This is why some expats can survive here while others can’t.
@P53eud0nym05 My point is exactly what you have said. Not everyone has the same definition of living. I do think SG is expensive if you want to enjoy anything nice or even have a hobby. Hell, even fitness classes are expensive 🤷♀️ I do know many Singaporeans who don't indulge in branded stuff and but just want to enjoy the nice things in life and it unfortunately does cost quite a bit. I also sometimes wonder if some people have conditioned themselves into believing they do not need anything nice in life because everything is too expensive.
HI Georgia - Thanks for the update. I guess the increase in COE prices and housing costs plus inflation are rippling through the economy. ☹Housing costs will be the challenge for Singapore to attract and keep talent - for example, my rent got so high in 2005 that I moved from Paris (which I loved) to Germany. All the best for 2023! 👍👍😃
as a singaporean our general advice is dont be poor :')
@@JeremyTanWY that's why Singapore is not the best place for every kind of society because all the people are not rich.
i have tada,ryde,gojek and grab to toggle from haha!!
also, if ur looking for pr, my brother in law just got his PR last week after a million rejections, he has been living here 12 yrs.
it's crazy, SG PR policy is so opaque to a point that has become ridiculous
how about the hot weather, why most Caucasians don't mind it? they even running outdoor frequently in SG, I'll feel miserable running under such temperature.
So using grab or gojek. As of late, both have been killer fares. Been using ryde and tada, significantly cheaper.
I left Singapore after 7 years mainly due to Covid restrictions and the country being too small. Quality of life is much better here in New Zealand.
sayonara!
I'm an origin from Lake Toba.
Of course, Singapore is too crowded, rush city, circumstances are not good at all. People needs the balance of life. The only indigenous keep staying there.
It depends on what you prioritize in your life. If you dont mind the tiny size, boring and lack of freedom, SG is great to work and live. But for me, not my kind of city, I much prefer KL, just as developed and better life. :)
Hey, I'm a Singaporean who moved to Belgium last year and I gotta say it was the right decision for me. My mental health was affected in SG due to the stress level, the hustle and bustle, the overcrowdedness. The pace of living here is slower, there's a better work-life balance, people are generally friendlier, and overall lower cost of living. With that said, I do agree with you on the pros - safety in Singapore is unbeatable, cost of food is so cheap + there's such a variety of food! miss those things ofc.
belgium cost of living is lower but sg food is cheaper ? strange
@@siegetemplar its generally the case in europe. Groceries are cheaper than eating out so ppl tend to cook their meals at home
@@siegetemplar Eating out or take away food is much cheaper in Singapore. Supermarket is cheaper in Belgium.
@@siegetemplar cost of living = food, petrol,metro, medical, insurance, toiletries, rental,mortgage , etc.
also includes food but generally eating out is expensive compared to sg cos we have hawker culture here....there its more atas kind of places maybe?
It depends on what you prioritize in your life. If you dont mind the tiny size, boring and lack of freedom, SG is great to work and live. But for me, not my kind of city, I much prefer KL, just as developed and better life. :)
I just moved to Singapore for study purpose. I really like this country. Thank You so much for creating this video. :)
My pleasure 😊
Guess everywhere is facing the same issue as us in Singapore. But I trust Sg because of safety & their health service.
seems to be a very global thing right now!
Hi Georgia thanks for sharing thatnks for the advice lovely vidoe Happy new year hope we can be friends . Keep the videos coming Hun 😊😊😊
happy new year ☺
@@GeorgiaCaney hope we can be friends
Yes, the rent is crazy this year. Overall, instead of you see your salary increase, actually with inflation and tax increase, your salary is naturally gets cut annually - in case employer doesn’t top up your salary (which is my case 😢).
Hi Georgia,
Ever considered moving to Kuala Lumpur or Bangkok since the prices there are lower?
Or even Johor Bahru. It has changed a lot since we were there 10 years ago.
It depends on what you prioritize in your life. If you dont mind the tiny size, boring and lack of freedom, SG is great to work and live. But for me, not my kind of city, I much prefer KL, just as developed, cheaper and better life/work. :)
So how are regular folks paying almost $4k in rent?
Please do not leave your laptop, phones or wallet on the table outside unattended though. Sometimes they may not be stolen due to public cameras around, but there still can be thieves who get away with it. I got my phone stolen just minutes after i left it on a tabletennis table in my own condominium clubhouse before. Better be safe than sorry.
Similar to credit card, banks in Singapore offer great bonus interest deals. My bank in Japan only gives me a few cents per year in interest as a comparison. Here you can easily get at least SGD100 PER MONTH. It’s incredible. One of the few good things about inflation is seeing this interest rate increasing too. By the way I was a bit distracted by the door in the background in this video 😆👻
Do you have to be a resident to get a savings account like that?
@@epotnwarlock non-residents can open bank accounts in Singapore too apparently but I’m not sure if the interest rates are as attractive. I had to show proof of residency to apply for my type of account.
Which bank is this
Where are your glasses from?
Congrats for making it for 8 years!
Taxis in Wellington are at least $50-60 NZD for a 20 mins ride
Have u got your pr yet
I live in River Valley, in a nice condo. 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom, open space kitchen-living room. New contract. S$4.9K per month. Yikes
oh man that's steep!
@@GeorgiaCaney it’s river valley but yes a little steep for a one bedder ! 😅
OMG!
Where did you get those prices? I'm living in River Valley too and paying just 3800 per month for 2 bedroom ~750sqft. I overall don't see such prices unless for overpriced premium condos
@@Yulaw wait till you landlord renew your contract, it will come.
I will usually compare these three apps for taxis which are Gojek, Grab and Ryde for the pricing!
00:05 Well to be frank England is also becoming expensive.
everywhere is 😢
Thanks!
Tada is the cheapest so far
Being a bit biased here, bit disappointed that you only mention doctors, rather than nurses when it comes to the health care system. But maybe I don't know too much as I am an Aussie nurse myself. Either either way I'm sure you meant no harm. Love your videos
Taxi prices here are truly ridiculous
Average price for a ride in a car is $1 per kilometre, FYI only😁
Looking great Georgia and thanks for the spectacular 8 years and more of content Btw, I TOTALLY AGREE on the Grab and cabs fee Pondering the option of buying a bike to travel to work. For now, no complaints on the MRT / train and buses.
Georgia is so pretty. :)
5:48 - ghost?
Great video Georgia, thanks for making all the content for us we really appreciate you.
just got a $5,600 (plus GST) for a 1 bedroom in CBD....which wont be ready till May ha! More couch surfer for 4 months!
Thats an incredible amt!
@@serirayna2789 funny part is because it's 4 months out its cheaper and would be 6k if available right now
Rent.... from 2.1k to 3k, now market value already 3.5
jeez!!
We’re moving to Singapore next month…..and after living as expats in India for the past 7.5 years we cannot wait for the change in lifestyle. Yes it’s crazy expensive but all I can think about at the moment….is the opportunities it shall give my 3 boys.
It's such a bad idea if you are going to be a foreigner
Update your life in Singapore.
We’ve been living in Singapore for more than 10 years, sadly we just leave Singapore a month ago what I do miss in Singapore is how easy to get the public transport in Singapore and the hawker food what I am not miss is our tiny apartment we have 1000sqf apartment in Bukit Timah area here in Charlotte (NC) we get 3500sqf.
there’s nothing in charlotte
Hi, any ideas taxi cost from airport to clarke quay areas? Coz I'll be on overnight transit in Singapore this coming march so thinking to stay somewhere clarke quay & walking around the iconic places.
It’ll be around S$ 35-40. Worst case scenario 45. But please, make sure you use Grab app or any other. So you have control over the cost (it is shown before you book the ride). If you opt for metered taxi, cost may vary.
@@ChrisPBacon-mo9ln Oh my😰 so basically I need to prepare atleast $90 for a turn around trip. I will check via Grab app first once I landed in Changi or might as well I just stay at the airport. Anyway Thank You so much for the insight I really appreciate it🙏
@@kim.mateen1762 well, it’s not that expensive if you consider the distance from the airport to Clarke Quay though. It’s basically 60€ for a round trip. It’s Singapore! The most expensive city on earth after all 😂
@@ChrisPBacon-mo9lnyou're right 😅😅
Take the mrt directly from changi Airport to go straight to Clarke quay.
Oh wow, your rent is higher than most citizens basic salaries.
I didn't say what my rent is? haha
If he's talking about generally the rent there then I totally agree... been thinking of going there but the rent is discouraging me, its insanely too much
The whole world is suffering seriously high inflation rates. I personally think this Is the sign of doom and gloom for the world ahead.
It depends on what you prioritize in your life. If you dont mind the tiny size, boring and lack of freedom, SG is great to work and live. But for me, not my kind of city, I much prefer KL, just as developed, very safe, cheaper and better life/work. :)
I don't find Singapore boring at all, there's plenty of things to do here and around here, especially if you're bringing up kids. But then again I'm not the kind of limited intellect who'll post the same thing a dozen or more times on the same comments page to make a point.