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Expatriate LivingIntroductionWhen moving to Singapore for the first time, an Expatriate would normally rent an apartment or a landed house. Expatriates are generally concentrated in certain areas that have a wide variety of condominiums to choose from. Typically you would consider the following factors when looking for a property for the first time in Singapore:
Let's have a look at the regions in Singapore first and then tackle the main factors in detail. Regions in SingaporeSingapore is approximately 50km wide and 30km long, and the city centre is located in the central southern part of the island. The main office area that is in the city centre is also referred as Central Business District (CBD), and the main shopping area is around Orchard road, as well in the city centre. As most of the entertainment options are also concentrated in the central area, it is not surprising that the most popular areas for expatriates to live in are in and around the city centre - but there are other attractive options as well. Singapore is divided into 27 districts starting at '1' in the central area as shown below Map of Singapore Island
|
| Location | Property Type | Rental Range |
|---|---|---|
| Central (Newton, Holland Village, River Valley, Orchard, Tanglin) | 1-bedroom apartment 2-bedroom apartment 3-bedroom apartment Penthouse / 4+ bedrooms Terraced House Bungalow |
S$3,000 – S$7,000 S$3,500 – S$8,000 S$4,500 – S$10,000 S$6,000 – S$20,000 S$6,000 – S$25,000 S$15,000 – S$60,000 |
| East Coast & Bukit Timah | 1-bedroom apartment 2-bedroom apartment 3-bedroom apartment Penthouse / 4+ bedrooms Terraced House Bungalow |
S$2,500 – S$4,000 S$3,000 - S$5,000 S$3,500 - S$7,000 S$5,000 - S$15,000 S$7,000 – S$10,000 S$12,000 – S$40,000 |
| Other Areas | 1-bedroom apartment 2-bedroom apartment 3-bedroom apartment Penthouse / 4+ bedrooms Terraced House Bungalow |
S$2,000 – S$3,000 S$2,500 – S$4,000 S$2,800 – S$5,000 S$3,200 – S$8,000 S$5,000 – S$10,000 S$8,000 – S$20,000 |
Property Type – House vs. Apartment
Expats typically live in either an apartment/condominium or a landed house. This is a matter of preference and budget. Typical condominiums in Singapore have multitude of facilities - e.g. swimming pool, gym, tennis courts, children playground, and BBQ pits. And they are usually within a walled compound with security guards around, although Singapore is not a dangerous place at all. Because the plot sizes are relatively small in Singapore, only the very luxurious landed properties have pools and other facilities. For somebody moving from a colder climate, you have to also remember that Singapore is in the tropics and there are more small animals (insects, geckos) around than you may be used to. These tend to cause more problems in landed properties, especially close to green areas. But if you have the budget, there are some very nice bungalows to live in that will give you the luxury and privacy that a condominium would not be able to do.
Transportation
Singapore has one of the most modern and best functioning transportation systems in the world, and travelling from any point in the island to another does not take very long in normal conditions. Car ownership can be expensive in Singapore, but on the other hand the roads are good and less congested than in many other cities of similar population density. Public transportation is also very good, but tends to be more concentrated in areas where the Singaporeans live (close to HDB estates). In any case, unless you really live at the edge of Singapore, your commuting time would rarely exceed one hour.
Your main options for moving around are described below
Mass Rapid Transport (MRT)
MRT, Singapore’s metro/underground system, currently has 3 lines (4th being built currently). Our map search shows the location of MRT stations in Singapore. We will also give you details of the distance to the closest MRT station for each listing.
Map of Singapore’s MRT links
Bus
Singapore also has extensive bus network that covers much larger area than MRT. You can find bus routes here. It's not possible to show the entire bus map on a single map however you can find details at http://sbs.streetdirectory.com.sg/sbs/sbsindexsn.jsp?map=1
Taxis
Taxis are generally plentiful and cheap compared to many other countries. This would probably be the transport of choice for most single professionals living close to the city centre. Sometimes it can be difficult to get one during peak hours, and extra charges apply for calling one and during peak hours.
Private Cars
Owning a private car is expensive relative to many other countries and is not really necessary in Singapore. Most people would save money by using taxi rather than owning a car. However, owning a car gives you freedom to move around - and popping to Malaysia every now and then to have a round of golf might be a big enough reason to get one.
Traffic conditions are generally good in Singapore. But be aware of all the charges that you have to pay when owning a car:
- Purchase price – Cars are probably one of the most expensive in the world to buy in Singapore due to import duties and Certificate of Entitlement (COE – a permission to own a car for 10 years, after which it has to be renewed).
- Road tax – depending on the size of the engine, you need to pay road tax every year. This can vary from a few hundred for a small car to thousands for an SUV.
- Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) – during peak hours you have to pay fees (S$0.50 to a few dollars) to enter through certain roads and areas (mostly in central area). ERP locations can be found at www.lta.gov.sg/motoring_matters/motoring_erp_location_cbd.htm
- Parking – parking may or may not be offered for free at your office. Especially, in CBD it can be quite expensive. Also, typically you would have to pay for parking in most locations when out in town. Condominiums usually have parking included in the maintenance fee (which is paid by the landlord).
- Petrol – it may come as a surprise, but petrol is probably the smallest component of you car ownership costs. It is currently around S$1.80 / litre.
You will also need to convert your driver's license into Singaporean once within a year. This is relatively straightforward process, but will require you to sit the basic theory test. The road traffic in Singapore is on the left side of the road (as in UK and Malaysia).
International Schools in Singapore
There are many international schools in Singapore to cater for the needs of expatriates. For most large groups of expatriates, you have a choice of sending your children to a school which follow your national curriculum and teaching is in your native language. These are the main international schools in Singapore – please check their websites for more information.
Australian International School
1 Lorong Chuan, Singapore 556818
http://www.ais.com.sg/
Bhavan's Indian International School
11 Mt Sophia Blk E, Singapore 228461
http://www.biissingapore.org/
Canadian International School
5 Toh Tuck Road, Singapore 596679
http://www.cis.edu.sg/
Chatsworth International School
37 Emerald Hill Road, Singapore 229313
http://www.chatsworth-international.com/
Dover Court Preparatory School
301 Dover Road, Singapore 139644
http://www.dovercourt.edu.sg/
DPS International School
36 Aroozoo Avenue, Singapore 539842
http://www.dps.com.sg/
EtonHouse International School
51 Broadrick Road, Singapore 439501
http://www.etonhouse.com.sg/
German School
72 Bukit Tinggi Road, Singapore 289760
http://www.gess.sg/
Hollandse School
65 Bukit Tinggi Road, Singapore 289757
http://www.hollandseschool.org/
International Community School
514 Kampong Bahru, Singapore 099450
http://www.ics.edu.sg/
ISS International School
21 Preston Road, Singapore 109355
http://www.iss.edu.sg/
Japanese Kindergarten
251 West Coast Road, Singapore 127390
Japanese School (Primary)
95 Clementi Road, Singapore 129782 (Clementi Campus)
11 Upper Changi Road North, Singapore 507657 (Changi Campus)
http://www.sjs.edu.sg/
Japanese School (Secondary)
201 West Coast Road, Singapore 127383
http://www.sjs.edu.sg/
KGS International Pre-School (Japanese)
16 Ramsgate Road, Singapore 437462
http://pachome1.pacific.net.sg/~yoko/kinder/kgs.html
Lock Road Kindergarten
10 Lock Road, Singapore 108938
Lycee Francais De Singapour
3000 Ang Mo Kio Ave 3, Singapore 569928
http://www.lyceefrancais.edu.sg/
Norwegian Supplementary School
c/o Royal Norwegian Embassy, 16 Raffles Quay #44-01 Hong Leong Bldg, S048581
Overseas Family School
25F Paterson Road, Singapore 238515
http://www.ofs.edu.sg/
Rosemount Kindergarten
25 Ettrick Terrace, Singapore 458588
http://www.rosemount.com.sg/
Rosemount International School
461 Telok Blangah Road, Singapore 109022
http://www.rosemount.com.sg/
Sekolah Indonesia
20A Siglap Road, Singapore 455859
Singapore American School
40 Woodlands Street 41, Singapore 738547
http://www.sas.edu.sg/
Singapore Korean School
74 Lim Ah Woo Road, Singapore 438134
http://www.koreansingapore.org/
Swedish Supplementary Education School
c/o Swedish Embassy, 111 Somerset Road #05-01 Singapore Power Building,
Singapore 238164
Swiss School
38 Swiss Club Road, Singapore 288140
http://www.swiss-school.edu.sg/
Tanglin Trust School
95 Portsdown Road, Singapore 139299
http://www.tts.edu.sg/
United World College of South East Asia
1207 Dover Road, Singapore 139654
http://www.uwcsea.edu.sg/
Waseda Shibuya Senior High School
57 West Coast Road, Singapore 127366
http://www.waseda-shibuya.edu.sg/
We have provided some other useful websites for schooling matters:
- Directory of Local Schools - www1.moe.edu.sg/schdiv/
- Studying in Public Schools - www.croxxing.com/english/info_overview.html
- Fee Structure Public Schools - www.croxxing.com/english/info_fees.html
- Ministry of Education - www.moe.edu.sg/
- Foreign Student Information - www.moe.gov.sg/esp/foreign/ and www.moe.gov.sg/csc/csc_admission.htm#Foreign
- Foreign Student Admission Application Form - www.moe.gov.sg/esp/foreign/FSApplForm.pdf
- CQT Application Form - www.moe.gov.sg/esp/foreign/CQTForm.pdf
- Advice for Expatriates to Place Children in Local Schools - www.moe.gov.sg/esp/eduinfo/
- School Terms and Holidays - www.moe.edu.sg/schapp/frames3.htm
