Singapore scores with expats on quality of life
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They're willing to bear the relatively higher cost of living
By ARTHUR SIM
(SINGAPORE) A cappuccino now costs 20 per cent more than it did last year, an increase that has helped make Singapore the fifth most expensive city in Asia-Pacific, but it may be a small price to pay for the quality of life here.
In a recent Cost of Living report by Mercer Human Resource Consulting (MHRC), Singapore moved up one position to rank as the fifth most expensive city in Asia - after Seoul, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Osaka.
However, in a separate study by Mercer on the quality of life, Singapore had the highest score in Asia, and ranked eighth in the Asia-Pacific region.
The findings of one study do not necessarily outweigh those of the other, but Ajit Nambiar, business leader (Singapore and regional) of information product solutions, MHRC, says: 'There does appear to be some corelation.'
He did, however, also point out that a low-cost-of-living city could have a relatively high quality of living.
"If we spent all our time eating in Holland Village, then yes, the cost of living would be quite high. But we don't.'
- Darcy Roehling,
an American
A correlation would be useful for foreign businesses which need to weigh the pros and cons of locating here.
Terry O'Connor, president of the British Chamber of Commerce (BCC), said the chamber has 'experienced the occasional case where the increase in the cost of living has expedited decisions to relocate, but not caused them'.
Mercer's Cost of Living study is based on nearly 200 products which represent spending patterns segmented into 10 broad categories, including household supplies, utilities and transport. Its quality of living report provides values for qualitative perceptions to establish an 'objective assessment of the quality of living throughout the world'. It looks at factors including political and social environment, economic environment, and schools and education.
So despite rising costs here, it is heartening to know that BCC members 'generally value Singapore's infrastructure, security and quality of schooling', according to Mr O'Connor.
'Most of the companies are globally or regionally active and the excellent connections to and from Singapore are compelling reasons for locating here,' he said.
Competition between global cities in attracting talent has become increasingly intense.
Monocle magazine, started by Tyler Brule, an International Herald Tribune columnist and founder of Wallpaper magazine, has just ranked Singapore 17th in its list of Top 20 most liveable cities in the world.
Mr Brule explained that 'this is not a survey about the world's most fun cities or centres where you can make the most cash - it's about a combination of all of the things that make life in the city better, and who's doing it best'.
The top five cities under his definition were Munich, Copenhagen, Zurich, Tokyo and Vienna.
Darcy Roehling is an American who has lived in Asia for 15 years, having moved from Hong Kong to Beijing to Singapore. Currently director at Ogilvy pHuel, she says that the increasing cost of living is a concern.
To mitigate housing costs, she has decided to buy a home here instead and settle down with her husband and two young children. 'The quality of life here is exceptional,' she says emphatically.
Ms Roehling does not live the life of a mem sahib. 'If we spent all our time eating in Holland Village, then yes, the cost of living would be quite high. But we don't,' she says.
Instead, Ms Roehling commutes between Yio Chu Kang (which is close to her two children's school) and the city by MRT or taxi. 'I think $25 for a taxi to town is OK,' she says. She also forgoes Starbucks for the neighbourhood kopi tiam. 'We have scaled back a lot,' she adds.
Ms Roehling believes that 'lights that work', and 'playgrounds in every neighbourhood', are enough to keep foreign talent like herself here.
Will it be enough to make up the projected population of 6.5 million? Perhaps.
New Zealander Owen Irving also seems happy enough here to be prepared to bear the rising cost of living in Singapore. Mr Irving, an executive with Cable and Wireless, relocated to Singapore four years ago after working in London for about six years. 'I really loved London at first but had enough after a while,' he said.
London is ranked by Mercer as the second most expensive city in the world in terms of cost of living, while Singapore ranks 14th. More telling perhaps is that Singapore scores higher than London in terms of quality of living, ranking 34th rather than 39th.
Having come to terms with the cost of owning a vehicle and high taxi fares, Mr Irving was understandably unhappy that the rent for his condo in the East Coast went up 40 per cent. But still, he resolved to stay. Like Ms Roehling, he too has decided to buy a property here. -
For someone who thinks that $25 from YCK to the city is "ok", must be of a certain affluence.
Expats come because they can afford it, not because they cannot. Let them come.
I can't say the same for the average Singaporean. -
some of the expats are paid in USD. Not SGD and they have accomodation and travel package. I got a scottish friend who used to work in Singapore and he is paid in USD - accomodation rental paid for , car is company's so he only pays petrol and best of all ....they give them living allowance.
Now take that and compare it to the average Singaporean. -
fymk, there is been quite alot of changes during the last 5 to 6 years that you have been away from singapore. I am curious when exactly was your scottish friend working in singapore? HR journal has stated very clearly that most expats are now paid in local terms and that is the reason why they have decided to BUY apartment instead of renting, and living in outskirt of the country instead of the city.Originally posted by fymk:some of the expats are paid in USD. Not SGD and they have accomodation and travel package. I got a scottish friend who used to work in Singapore and he is paid in USD - accomodation rental paid for , car is company's so he only pays petrol and best of all ....they give them living allowance.
Now take that and compare it to the average Singaporean.
Hence please dont simple jump into conclusion just because of your 1 scottish friend. -
You want to know why they say it is OK? Go ask fymk how much it will cost to take a taxi in australia over same distant during office hour.Originally posted by Rock^Star:For someone who thinks that $25 from YCK to the city is "ok", must be of a certain affluence.
Expats come because they can afford it, not because they cannot. Let them come.
I can't say the same for the average Singaporean. -
Yah, it's ok. You say it's ok and are you trying to dispute that it's ok?Originally posted by Gazelle:You want to know why they say it is OK? Go ask fymk how much it will cost to take a taxi in australia over same distant during office hour. -
HR Journal? If your article comes from there, it doesn't say anything about local terms. Yes most are paid in local terms but some are paid in USD still to make sure that they stay there.Originally posted by Gazelle:fymk, there is been quite alot of changes during the last 5 to 6 years that you have been away from singapore. I am curious when exactly was your scottish friend working in singapore? HR journal has stated very clearly that most expats are now paid in local terms and that is the reason why they have decided to BUY apartment instead of renting, and living in outskirt of the country instead of the city.
Hence please dont simple jump into conclusion just because of your 1 scottish friend.
Those who bought an HDB apartment - well don't they have to be PR ? If not , then people better start asking what a govt subsidised housing is doing in a foreigner's hand. To afford a condo in Singapore , your disposable income better be alot.
My scot friend went to Singapore to work 3 years ago . Paid in USD because he works for an american MNC. Which one, I don't know.
Another guy I know is thinking of going to Singapore to work and the package they offer is Housing and Travel plus they will match his salary.
Story is all sweet and nice but what are those expats earning? It doesn't say crap about their disposable income - some may earn 10k per month and that doesn't go on par with an average Singaporean's pay which is less than what a construction worker earns in Australia.
Yes taxi fares are expensive in Australia but I walk to work. If I have to take a taxi , it will be for the airport ,or work related (which I am entitled to claim), -
so your forcasts is now on the importance of what FTs think rather than what an average singaporean thinks? becuz thats what you are trying to imply from your cut and paste..Originally posted by Gazelle:They're willing to bear the relatively higher cost of living
By ARTHUR SIM
(SINGAPORE) A cappuccino now costs 20 per cent more than it did last year, an increase that has helped make Singapore the fifth most expensive city in Asia-Pacific, but it may be a small price to pay for the quality of life here.
In a recent Cost of Living report by Mercer Human Resource Consulting (MHRC), Singapore moved up one position to rank as the fifth most expensive city in Asia - after Seoul, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Osaka.
However, in a separate study by Mercer on the quality of life, Singapore had the highest score in Asia, and ranked eighth in the Asia-Pacific region.
The findings of one study do not necessarily outweigh those of the other, but Ajit Nambiar, business leader (Singapore and regional) of information product solutions, MHRC, says: 'There does appear to be some corelation.'
He did, however, also point out that a low-cost-of-living city could have a relatively high quality of living.
"If we spent all our time eating in Holland Village, then yes, the cost of living would be quite high. But we don't.'
- Darcy Roehling,
an American
A correlation would be useful for foreign businesses which need to weigh the pros and cons of locating here.
Terry O'Connor, president of the British Chamber of Commerce (BCC), said the chamber has 'experienced the occasional case where the increase in the cost of living has expedited decisions to relocate, but not caused them'.
Mercer's Cost of Living study is based on nearly 200 products which represent spending patterns segmented into 10 broad categories, including household supplies, utilities and transport. Its quality of living report provides values for qualitative perceptions to establish an 'objective assessment of the quality of living throughout the world'. It looks at factors including political and social environment, economic environment, and schools and education.
So despite rising costs here, it is heartening to know that BCC members 'generally value Singapore's infrastructure, security and quality of schooling', according to Mr O'Connor.
'Most of the companies are globally or regionally active and the excellent connections to and from Singapore are compelling reasons for locating here,' he said.
Competition between global cities in attracting talent has become increasingly intense.
Monocle magazine, started by Tyler Brule, an International Herald Tribune columnist and founder of Wallpaper magazine, has just ranked Singapore 17th in its list of Top 20 most liveable cities in the world.
Mr Brule explained that 'this is not a survey about the world's most fun cities or centres where you can make the most cash - it's about a combination of all of the things that make life in the city better, and who's doing it best'.
The top five cities under his definition were Munich, Copenhagen, Zurich, Tokyo and Vienna.
Darcy Roehling is an American who has lived in Asia for 15 years, having moved from Hong Kong to Beijing to Singapore. Currently director at Ogilvy pHuel, she says that the increasing cost of living is a concern.
To mitigate housing costs, she has decided to buy a home here instead and settle down with her husband and two young children. 'The quality of life here is exceptional,' she says emphatically.
Ms Roehling does not live the life of a mem sahib. 'If we spent all our time eating in Holland Village, then yes, the cost of living would be quite high. But we don't,' she says.
Instead, Ms Roehling commutes between Yio Chu Kang (which is close to her two children's school) and the city by MRT or taxi. 'I think $25 for a taxi to town is OK,' she says. She also forgoes Starbucks for the neighbourhood kopi tiam. 'We have scaled back a lot,' she adds.
Ms Roehling believes that 'lights that work', and 'playgrounds in every neighbourhood', are enough to keep foreign talent like herself here.
Will it be enough to make up the projected population of 6.5 million? Perhaps.
New Zealander Owen Irving also seems happy enough here to be prepared to bear the rising cost of living in Singapore. Mr Irving, an executive with Cable and Wireless, relocated to Singapore four years ago after working in London for about six years. 'I really loved London at first but had enough after a while,' he said.
London is ranked by Mercer as the second most expensive city in the world in terms of cost of living, while Singapore ranks 14th. More telling perhaps is that Singapore scores higher than London in terms of quality of living, ranking 34th rather than 39th.
Having come to terms with the cost of owning a vehicle and high taxi fares, Mr Irving was understandably unhappy that the rent for his condo in the East Coast went up 40 per cent. But still, he resolved to stay. Like Ms Roehling, he too has decided to buy a property here.
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If it doesnt say crap about their disposable income, then why isit that you are able to jump into the conclusion that they are paid in USD and all their housing are provide? If housing are all provided by company then can I ask you why are they buying them instead of renting?Originally posted by fymk:HR Journal? If your article comes from there, it doesn't say anything about local terms. Yes most are paid in local terms but some are paid in USD still to make sure that they stay there.
Those who bought an HDB apartment - well don't they have to be PR ? If not , then people better start asking what a govt subsidised housing is doing in a foreigner's hand. To afford a condo in Singapore , your disposable income better be alot.
My scot friend went to Singapore to work 3 years ago . Paid in USD because he works for an american MNC. Which one, I don't know.
Another guy I know is thinking of going to Singapore to work and the package they offer is Housing and Travel plus they will match his salary.
Story is all sweet and nice but what are those expats earning? It doesn't say crap about their disposable income - some may earn 10k per month and that doesn't go on par with an average Singaporean's pay which is less than what a construction worker earns in Australia.
Yes taxi fares are expensive in Australia but I walk to work. If I have to take a taxi , it will be for the airport ,or work related (which I am entitled to claim),
If you agree that taxi fare is expensive in australia, hence is there anything wrong for an expat who have shifted here from overseas to comment that S$25 taxi trip is OK. -
It really depends how you look at this article. If you choose to read it from a wannabe "fight for the poor" perspective, anything about singapore will be fcuk. However if you read it from a neutral Singaporeans point of view, you might sense that singapore is fast becoming a truely global city.Originally posted by 4getmenot:so your forcasts is now on the importance of what FTs think rather than what an average singaporean thinks? becuz thats what you are trying to imply from your cut and paste..
However please remember that in any country there will always be poor and lower income group, hence if you think singapore is fcuk, every country in this world is just as fcuk, -
HAHAH JUMP TO CONCLUSIONS EH?Originally posted by Gazelle:If it doesnt say crap about their disposable income, then why isit that you are able to jump into the conclusion that they are paid in USD and all their housing are provide? If housing are all provided by company then can I ask you why are they buying them instead of renting?
If you agree that taxi fare is expensive in australia, hence is there anything wrong for an expat who have shifted here from overseas to comment that S$25 taxi trip is OK.
Maybe the expats I know who went to Singapore are the talented ones and got the perks?
http://www.singaporeexpats.com/forum/sutra260565.html&sid=eec4fda431020d07606a56e0f08bbf3f
http://www.secinfo.com/dUY7p.z7.c.htm This one better .....even got contract. HAHAHHAHAHAHA
www.mpa.gov.sg/infocentre/pdfs/040311a.pdf where their personnel is 90% foreigners - and they get USD. HAHHAHa
Speaks for itself eh? -
And let me tell u how some American MNCs work, they pay their top american executives in overseas countries, USD not local money everywhere. Locals get paid local wages. USD as in pegged payments to local currency or they do transfers via their american banks.
The housing - either they get it provided or sometimes it comes as an extra allowance.
Oh and the ones I know - they get health insurance from CGI mostly. That means that their health insurance allows them first class treatment .
Anything else to say? -
.... and what is the typical monthly salary of a typical Ang Moh Expat??? -
Y don't TS inform us that the old NKF scores with TT Durai on quality of life in NKF?Originally posted by Rock^Star:For someone who thinks that $25 from YCK to the city is "ok", must be of a certain affluence.
Expats come because they can afford it, not because they cannot. Let them come.
I can't say the same for the average Singaporean.
You mean there are people that does not know that? You mean TS was enlightened by this article in the newspaper?
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Probably more (if not far more) than your average Singaporean.Originally posted by ShutterBug:.... and what is the typical monthly salary of a typical Ang Moh Expat??? -
i know that a number of expats (around 40+) whose monthly salary alone range in 5 digits
they still have housing allowance, transport allowance, OT n whatever things that their employer can afford to give them
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Most expats are paid based on what they are supposed to get back home. Say an expat gets US$3000, they will pay him in SGD yes, but based on current conversion rates.
That's what I used to get when working overseas.
Now I am in Bangkok, can I say that Thailand scores with me on quality of life just because I can easily afford most things that local Thais cannot afford due to their lower salary?
What Singapore needs to score with is the locals on the quality of life, not expats. If not, why are male Singaporeans serving the NS? It is our country not theirs. -
Yeap.Originally posted by bangkokboy:Most expats are paid based on what they are supposed to get back home. Say an expat gets US$3000, they will pay him in SGD yes, but based on current conversion rates.
That's what I used to get when working overseas.
Now I am in Bangkok, can I say that Thailand scores with me on quality of life just because I can easily afford most things that local Thais cannot afford due to their lower salary?
What Singapore needs to score with is the locals on the quality of life, not expats. If not, why are male Singaporeans serving the NS? It is our country not theirs.
If I am to come back to Singapore for work, I want to be paid the expat perks than to accept Singapore local wage style. -
hmm if they are buying HDB they have to be PRs or citizens, which no longer makes them expats. If they are buying private housing, isn't it highly unlikely that their salaries and benefits are far from those of lower or middle income earners? Its a moot point really. The article is probably an attempt by the press to misinform or mislead.
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Goes without saying that Sillypore scores with expats.....considering what the powers that be have been doing to woo them....but seriously.....its ok for them to come as they will be here for the money, the sunshine and the women....but don't count on them being citizens....at the most, I'd give only max 5% being citizens...I've done citizenship ceremonies and you don't want to know the types that are taking up citizenships....
Likewise, all those who can and are keen, should make preparations to emigrate without delay as its the only way out of this rut here....of course life ain't that rosy for the majority of Sillyporeans....unless you happen to be Richard Yong's or Durai's children.... -
I totally agree with you BKB....but seriously, you think that the powers will be will score with the locals, maybe the top tier 10% or 15% but the rest of the 85% will be told to work hard and accept their lot in life....so I have always said, get out of here if you can or if you want.....best solution is emigrate..like what many of us have doneOriginally posted by bangkokboy:Most expats are paid based on what they are supposed to get back home. Say an expat gets US$3000, they will pay him in SGD yes, but based on current conversion rates.
That's what I used to get when working overseas.
Now I am in Bangkok, can I say that Thailand scores with me on quality of life just because I can easily afford most things that local Thais cannot afford due to their lower salary?
What Singapore needs to score with is the locals on the quality of life, not expats. If not, why are male Singaporeans serving the NS? It is our country not theirs. -
Most people can find quality of life in little things. I don't need to drive flashy cars, live in luxurious apartments, dine in swanky restaurants. All I need is a Government who can touch their hearts and said that they've truely and sincerely put the interests of the less fortunate before their own interest...Originally posted by Coquitlam:I totally agree with you BKB....but seriously, you think that the powers will be will score with the locals, maybe the top tier 10% or 15% but the rest of the 85% will be told to work hard and accept their lot in life....so I have always said, get out of here if you can or if you want.....best solution is emigrate..like what many of us have done -
Agreed. Why should we care about what expats think, interview our average Singaporeans and put their opinions in print!Originally posted by bangkokboy:Most expats are paid based on what they are supposed to get back home. Say an expat gets US$3000, they will pay him in SGD yes, but based on current conversion rates.
That's what I used to get when working overseas.
Now I am in Bangkok, can I say that Thailand scores with me on quality of life just because I can easily afford most things that local Thais cannot afford due to their lower salary?
What Singapore needs to score with is the locals on the quality of life, not expats. If not, why are male Singaporeans serving the NS? It is our country not theirs. -
You think they dare? They have their rice bowl to protect... what it boils down to is dishonorable people at the top...Originally posted by bigmouthjoe:Agreed. Why should we care about what expats think, interview our average Singaporeans and put their opinions in print! -
'if u read it from a neutral singaporean point of view, singapore is fast becoming a trulely global city'Originally posted by Gazelle:It really depends how you look at this article. If you choose to read it from a wannabe "fight for the poor" perspective, anything about singapore will be fcuk. However if you read it from a neutral Singaporeans point of view, you might sense that singapore is fast becoming a truely global city.
However please remember that in any country there will always be poor and lower income group, hence if you think singapore is fcuk, every country in this world is just as fcuk,
was there a poll to conduct that a neutal singaporean point of view is as you said there are? Dun assume that a neutral singaporean point of view is likewise as you said..maybe you need to go out more and listen more to whats going on...So being a global city at the expanse of the local citizens is excusable?
'In any country , there will always be a poor and lower income..hence if u think singapore is f.ucked, then every country in the world is f.ucked"
Again u assume, from your statement, if whatever s'pore does is f.ucked, it won't work anyway else. The world doesn;t evolve around s'pore alone. i agree that a country will always have its rich and poor, tats a fact. but we aren't talking about some 3rd world.. we're talking bout s'pore where the gahmen constantly preaches its first world stand and its doing what it can to help the poor but yet all it does it raise the price of living even more with its monopolised market system. No, every other country in the other world is not f.ucked, becuz they have the right of choice to make changes, to air their view, their rights..wat do u have in s'pore?