Is Cost of living really that high in Singapore?

last SG · 2004-08-11T10:51:12+00:00

No problem... effect of traveling - you lost gauge of price. Go Europe, you feel so poor. Go Indonesia, feel like a bloody rich man, spend by the 10,000, hee...

Qitai SG

Well.... a motivation from the other thread about poverty.

Questions here are

(1) Is it true that the cost of living is very high in Singapore?

(2) If it is, then what are the exact items where the cost is very high? Examples of items and actual cost will be much appreciated when making claims of high cost.

(3) Are the high cost justified, necessary and inevitable?

I would appreciate actual figures to be given to justify claims of high cost as indicated in question (2).

Qitai SG

Personally, I find that the cost of living in Singapore is quite reasonable given the standard of living here except for a few items.

Things that I find reasonably priced in Singapore

(1) Food - $2-4 dollars a meal is reasonable I think
(2) General Education - Never remember paying much for school until University.
(3) Clothing - Can be as cheap as $3 a piece if you really don't mind brand/quality.

Things I find unreasonable
(1) Housing - I am fine with Condo price subjected to market forces. But it seems ridiculous for me to have direct HDB flat purchase to be subjected to market forces. It should be based on cost.

Things which I am unsure
(1) Healthcare - expensive I think, but am not too sure since I try not to see doctors in general
(2) Transport - Taxi is cheap, Car is expensive, Train/Bus is slightly towards the expensive side I think.
(3) University education is expensive. Am unsure if I agree with government arguement that they can charge more since graduates gets to earn it back eventually.

Above is just my personal perception.

linxd SG

These three things are very expensive and affect everybody:
1: Housing, 2: Car and petrol, 3: Labor intensive services. (Except Taxi)

Water is expensive but the cost potion is not too much for families.

For normal merchandises and services, like food, clothing, Taxi, education,
the prices are reasonable

Augustin SG

As compared to the countries ive been to recently, I shall say Singapore’s Housing, Transport, petrol are expensive…. not sure about water and electricity

GwenSilvz SG

Just comparing with sydney...

eating out wise, Singapore's definitely cheaper focusing just on hawker/food court. Average $4 a meal compared to $10 over there. Prices in restaurants are about the same. $25 for main dish?

As for transportation, Singapore has it's reason for the sky high taxes; to curb congestions. In conjunction to that, public transports are actually cheap relative to australia where it can cost up to $10 for a 45 minutes subway ride and $3 for a 5-10 minutes bus ride. Travelling from one place to another is also an ease here via public transport. Singaporeans don't really need cars.

tspg SG

My main grouse is with public transportation – buses and mrt. Even a slight increase has a multiplier effect. Eg no. of trips each day x no of days in a month. I dun understand why PTC allow a fare increase when there is a recession when the operators are still making million dollar profits.

Joshua1975 SG

For transportation, it a service and ppl pay for the service if not you drive yourself, car there are cheap and can drive for a long long time without COE.

As for food, it is oso kind of service if not you cook yourself.

Too many things to link if to go on as why this and not that. Like GST blah blah... I just feel that ppl in Singapore be it you are the operators or consumer, you pay to the garment more than you pay for the services

ditzy SG

The Goods and Services Tax in Australia is currently at 10%. Exempted items are fresh foods such as bread and vegetables.

Qitai SG

Can you substantiate that?

I know this is true for Cars (130% tax (was 171% tax) + COE). But others.........I do not think so.

Joshua1975 SG

Dun know can this call substantiate or not why I feel that ppl in Singapore be it you are the operators or consumer, you pay to the garment more than you pay for the services

Look at the night food stall or what you call it the DA PAI DANG. It kick off at $7,500 per/mth on the rantal and after the good respond from the public, out of good will 'they' extent the period to 02/2005 and the rent oso get an extention goes up to $11,500. So can I say that consumer or operators, we are paying more to the garment?

See the Ah Pei cook like mad but end up pay who? Might as well the garment employ all the ppl there, they just get salary can liao. Why become 'boss' when you make like any another salary man. Maybe the Ah Pei just want to kill time.

SIEN JIN BIN Shocked

Qitai SG

I try to be objective here, okay.

Where you get the $7,500 per/mth from? If you are refering to the pasar malam popping up all over the island in recent years. Then the figures goes like this.

SLA charge event organizer $0.65-$1.80 psm per day. Then event organizer charge rental to stall holder. Example, if the pasar malam goes on for 1 month in sub-urban area with an area of 5000 square metres, SLA charge the organizer $0.90*5000*30=$135,000. The organizer then sets everything up and charge the stall holder rentals. If the event organizer charge $7,500 per stall and assuming he can accomodate 100 stalls (average 50 square metres - i.e. half your HDB size), then he will get $750,000!!!! So, the event organizer Dua Tan!!!

If you are refering to something else, then please be more precise, can?

You can get the SLA figures from here
http://www.sla.gov.sg/what_we_do/fees_and_charges_land_management.html

tspg SG

The $7,500 is given by the stall operators when reporters interview them. The average cost of renting a stall in other areas such as kopithiam and markets is not cheap also. Rentals are the main cost in these business and the cost is past on to the consumers. Govt collect most of the money and consumers end up absorbing the cost while the businessman is just earning enough to get by. I think Jos is looking at it from that angle.

Joshua1975 SG

I am refering to Orchard Road Carpark Gluttons Square Extension
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/98711/1/.html
extract from the above link the rent hike from S$7,500 to S$10,000 per stall. Why add another 3k to 4k now? Ya ya you can say they going to add some canopy, more helper etc etc Rolling Eyes

Sure the organizer Dua Tan. It happen all the time, 'they' just cannot see someone making $$$ and that why I say 'we' pay more to our garment than to the service.

Qitai SG

Orr.... I understand now you refering to the example in orchard road. But to me, that is still limited example since it does not represent the situation in whole of Singapore. Some of those Kopi thiam is own by private people one. I had one neighbour who owns one (and he and his wife damn sing nang, no need to work one).

Agree that rental is one of the main cost of business with an outlet and sometimes, the property is own by the government.

But for me, I just look at how much things cost me. The cost of business is for the business people to worry about. What matters to me is that the lunch box cost me $2-4. The cloths I buy cost me $3 if I really want to buy cheap cheap. The barber cost me $8 if I go for the Indian/Malay barber.

Joshua1975 SG

is it? i think so oso la ie me businness man cost go up i just add on to you. so to say your lunch box will cost you $3-6, cloths $5 and barber $12?

Qitai SG

I will grumble when that happens and start to check why those cost goes up Mad

Joshua1975 SG

Laughing you agreed with this and now you Mad rental will forever be a big part of the cost

Originally posted by Qitai:
Agree that rental is one of the main cost of business with an outlet and sometimes, the property is own by the government.

Qitai SG

Okay, you win Embarassed

Now... back to topic......

gerrykoh SG

Food prices at hawker centres goes up esp. after upgrading. Now very rare to get $2 meal. Most meals at aircon foodcourts cost at least $6 (incl. 1 drink).

Pri- JC edn. may be cheap but if u consider tuition + extra CCA it is not. I know some families spend more than $1000 monthly just on tuition!

Pre-school & childcare edn. also not cheap. One friend says she spend $1300 p/mth to send her kid to Julia Gabriel.

Don't forget maid's levy, HDB maintenance, carpark/ECP/transport charges, PUB, GST, petrol/cigarette duty, car/housing loan (these 2 most expensive) etc. All these adds up to quite a lot. U don't take home much of yr salary after CPF cut

ratinacage SG

locally brewed beer in Bali- SGD1.50
seafood meal in a nice cozy restuarant in Bali - SGD12 for 2 person(includes crabs and prawns + local beer)
common food for the local in Bali- SGD0.40 per person
taxi ride fro app. 45km - SGD6.00
a handmade beaded braclet- SGD0.60

u go do the math..