When we talk about Singapore, the prefix “Garden City” naturally comes to mind. While there are many major international metropolises around the globe, only Singapore has earned the title of “Garden City.”
After living in modern cities for a long time, people inevitably want to return to nature and lead a relaxing life close to it. But as early as the 1960s, Singapore’s founding Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew, proposed the vision of building a “Garden City.” Half a century later, we can truly appreciate the foresight of this concept.
Many people choose to immigrate to Singapore because they have fallen in love with the beauty, cleanliness, nature, and elegance of this garden city. So, can ordinary people immigrate to Singapore? Is the cost of living in Singapore high? What are the conditions for immigrating to Singapore? Is it difficult to obtain Singaporean status? Today, as a native Singaporean, I will provide detailed answers to these common questions about immigration to Singapore.
Table of Contents
Can Ordinary People Immigrate to Singapore?
First, the conclusion: Yes. Immigrating to Singapore is not a privilege reserved for the wealthy or famous.
1. Singapore’s Immigration Policy
Singapore is a very open and inclusive country. Since its founding, Singapore has implemented a liberal immigration policy, attracting a large number of new immigrants, with a significant proportion being from China. Therefore, even ordinary people can immigrate to Singapore; it doesn’t necessarily require extreme wealth or highly specialized skills.
Furthermore, the Singapore government has established corresponding policies to protect the legal rights and interests of new immigrants and provides assistance for their development and integration into local society through government agencies and community organizations.
With its open policies, inclusive culture, comprehensive legal system, and government support, it’s no wonder Singapore is hailed as an immigration paradise. It’s fair to say that for ordinary people, immigrating to Singapore is more suitable than immigrating to European or American countries.
2. Singapore’s Geographical Location
Besides immigration policy and cultural inclusivity, Singapore’s geographical location is also a major advantage. Even after immigrating, our ties to our homeland cannot be completely severed. Especially in the early stages of immigration, we may need to visit our parents (even if they immigrate with us, there are other elders), take our children back to our hometown, or attend important family events like weddings and funerals.
In such situations, if we immigrate to the United States or New Zealand, a trip back would be costly and exhausting, with plane tickets costing tens of thousands and travel times of ten to twenty hours or more. As ordinary people, we can’t just fly whenever we want like the wealthy can. This is where the geographical location of the immigration destination becomes very important.
3. Singapore’s Official Languages
Besides geographical location, language is another important factor for many people choosing to immigrate to Singapore. Those who have studied abroad or lived in a foreign country can deeply understand that language plays a crucial role in our quality of life, career success, and happiness in our new home.
Whether your elderly parents can get around on their own after immigrating to Singapore, whether your non-English-speaking spouse can integrate smoothly into the community, and whether you can communicate effectively with colleagues at work all depend on proficiency in the local language. Children can learn a foreign language relatively easily after immigrating, but for adults and the elderly, learning a new language is time-consuming and laborious. Therefore, choosing an immigration destination where both Chinese and English are official languages is very important.
Among Singapore’s local residents, ethnic Chinese account for over 70%. The anxiety and conflict arising from cultural differences are almost negligible, and there is no shortage of people from one’s own ethnic group, so there’s less need to worry about the loneliness of being alone in a foreign country. For daily activities like travel, dining, and shopping, you can use Chinese entirely. Due to the large Chinese population, there is an abundance of Chinese restaurants and food ingredients, and the atmosphere of traditional Chinese festivals is strong. It’s also easier to find like-minded friends here than in other countries. For ordinary people, living here is much more convenient.
Is the Cost of Living in Singapore High?
This is one of the most pressing questions for most people considering immigration to Singapore. After all, immigration is not an end, but the beginning of a new life. After successfully immigrating to Singapore, can we live a good life in the new country? Is the cost of living high? Is the pressure to survive intense?
According to the “Global Wealth and Lifestyle Report 2022” by Julius Baer, which measures the prices of a basket of goods and services to reflect the consumption patterns of high-net-worth individuals worldwide, Singapore rose from 9th to 5th place on the list of the world’s most expensive cities for a luxury lifestyle. The top four cities are Shanghai, London, Taipei, and Hong Kong. Asia remains the most expensive region in the world, with four of the top five cities located here. This shows that although Singapore ranks high on the list, its cost of living is still relatively lower than other high-end Asian cities.
1. Singapore Salary Levels (Compared to Shanghai)
For a long time, Singapore has been recognized as one of the cities with the highest cost of living in the world. However, discussing the cost of living without considering income is meaningless. With the same income, the standard of living and the pressure of life can be completely different in Shanghai and Singapore. Today, I will discuss the real cost of living in Singapore from an income perspective, using Shanghai as an example.
According to the data on per capita disposable income of residents in 31 provinces for 2021, released by the official statistics bureau in January 2022, the annual per capita disposable income of all residents in Shanghai in 2021 was 78,027 yuan.
According to the “Labour Force in Singapore 2021” report released by the Singapore Ministry of Manpower, the median income of the local workforce in Singapore increased by 1.1% in 2021 compared to the previous year, with the average monthly income rising from S$4,534 in June 2020 to S$4,680 in June 2021.
The exchange rate between RMB and Singapore Dollar is approximately 4.6 to 5.
2. Singapore Property Prices (Compared to Shanghai)
Housing is a major expense for any family. Taking the median, let’s assume a family has two working adults. In Singapore, the monthly household income would be around S$9,360. In Shanghai, the monthly household income would be around 13,004 RMB. Let’s discuss this based on renting and buying scenarios.
Rental Prices
When renting in Singapore, there are generally three types of housing to choose from: government HDB flats, student dormitories, and terrace houses or detached houses.
Generally, the rent for government HDB flats is the cheapest, with living costs comparable to “low-rent housing” in other countries, but with better overall living amenities and environment. Downstairs, you’ll find hawker centers, convenience stores, hardware shops, and various other stores, making life quite convenient. The monthly rent for a three-bedroom HDB flat (4-room HDB) in a good location is about S$2,200 to S$3,000, which accounts for about 20% to 30% of the household income, making it very suitable for a family.
Condominiums in Singapore are more expensive, equivalent to “private housing,” available in sizes from 1 to 6 bedrooms, and even penthouse duplexes, with comprehensive public facilities. The monthly rent for a three-bedroom condominium near a university is about S$3,500 to S$5,000, accounting for 35% to 50% of the household income, though most families don’t choose to rent condos near universities, as they are mostly occupied by international students.
Singapore has a total area of 728.6 square kilometers, while the area within Shanghai’s Outer Ring Road is 680 square kilometers. Moreover, Singapore’s transportation is very convenient, so we will compare rental prices within Shanghai’s Outer Ring Road.
To rent a three-bedroom apartment within Shanghai’s Outer Ring Road, even taking the median and living in the Pudong area, it would cost around 7,500 RMB, which is over 50% of the household income. Compared to Singapore’s rent-to-income ratio of 20% to 30%, the housing pressure in Shanghai is very high. Not to mention terrace houses or detached houses.
In short, in terms of renting, with a comparable income (considering salary levels and exchange rates), the financial pressure on a family would be much less when renting in Singapore.
Home Purchase Prices
Now let’s talk about buying a house. In Singapore, the price of buying a home varies greatly depending on one’s status, mainly divided into three categories: foreigners, permanent residents (PR), and citizens. New HDB flats are only available to Singapore citizens, while resale HDB flats are limited to Permanent Residents (PRs). Foreigners can buy condominiums.
Among these, citizens have the most affordable options for buying a home, enjoying various government subsidies and support, making it easy even for young people just starting their careers to own a home. PRs face more restrictions when buying a home, and of course, foreigners face the highest prices for property. The topic of Singapore real estate is vast, and detailed guides can be found in other articles on this site. Today, we will simply compare based on average prices.
In Singapore, a 100-square-meter HDB flat costs about S$532,768. Based on the median income, this is 57 times the monthly household salary.
In Shanghai, for a property within the Outer Ring Road, taking the median price of 67,800 RMB per square meter, the average total price is 7.36 million RMB per unit. This is 566 times the monthly household salary. It is almost impossible to purchase a home within the Outer Ring Road purely on household income.
3. Retirement in Singapore
Many people considering immigration to Singapore have heard that its retirement system is very comprehensive. I will briefly introduce the retirement situation in Singapore.
A Sound Pension System
According to the Mercer CFA Institute Global Pension Index 2021, jointly published by the health, wealth, and career consulting firm Mercer, Monash Business School, and the CFA Institute, Singapore achieved an overall score of 70.7, ranking 10th globally and 1st in Asia. This is the thirteenth consecutive year that Singapore has topped the Asian rankings.
Singapore implements the Central Provident Fund (CPF) system, which is a social security system introduced by the Singapore government in 1955 for Singapore citizens and permanent residents. Both the individual participant and their employer must contribute a certain percentage of their salary monthly, which is centrally managed and invested by the government, paying an annual interest rate.
It’s important to note that the CPF is not exclusively a pension system but is divided into 4 parts:
- Ordinary Account (OA): Used for daily needs such as housing, insurance, and investment (annual interest up to 3.5%)
- Special Account (SA): Mainly for old age and retirement-related financial products (annual interest up to 5%)
- Medisave Account (MA): Primarily for medical expenses, such as hospitalization costs and health insurance (annual interest up to 5%)
- Retirement Account (RA): After reaching age 55, savings from the Ordinary and Special Accounts will be transferred to the Retirement Account (annual interest up to 6%)
The amount in the individual’s account is contributed jointly by the individual and the employer, with the following rates:
Accumulating CPF savings is not something you bear alone; your employer helps as well. For example, if you are under 55, for every $1 you contribute to your Special Account, your employer will contribute an additional $0.85, so your total contribution is $1.85.
|
Employee’s Age |
Contribution Rates from 1 January 2022 (Monthly wage > S$750) |
||
|
Employer’s Contribution (%) |
Employee’s Contribution (%) |
Total |
|
|
55 and below |
17 |
20 |
37 |
|
Above 55 to 60 |
14 |
14 |
28 |
|
Above 60 to 65 |
10 |
8.5 |
18.5 |
|
Above 65 to 70 |
8 |
6 |
14 |
|
Above 70 |
7.5 |
5 |
12.5 |
When Singaporeans turn 55, a Retirement Account (RA) is automatically created in their CPF. Savings from the Ordinary Account (OA) and Special Account (SA) are automatically transferred to the RA, up to the Full Retirement Sum, to form the retirement savings. Under the CPF LIFE scheme or the Retirement Sum Scheme (RSS), your retirement savings will provide you with a monthly payout when you reach the payout eligibility age (currently 65).
The CPF Board previously announced the “Retirement Sums for Members Turning 55 between 2020 and 2022”:
In addition, the Singapore government provides pension subsidies for low-income individuals:
It can be said that as long as they have worked normally, Singaporeans do not need to worry about their retirement.
Comprehensive Community and Public Services
Besides income, the home environment, health, safety, care, and mental well-being of the elderly are also very important for retirement. Singapore does an excellent job in this regard.
Singapore is one of the fastest-aging countries in the world, with advanced elderly care facilities and concepts. The government has invested in a series of one-stop HDB retirement projects aimed at creating integrated, livable spaces for the elderly.
Take Kampung Admiralty, Singapore’s first residential community specifically built for seniors, as an example. The project adopts a “layered cake” design model, with a plaza and shops on the ground floor, community gardens and small apartments on the top floor, and a childcare center, retail shops, a hawker center, and a medical center in the middle layers.
This design not only provides elderly residents with the convenience of a “one-stop” lifestyle but also helps foster intergenerational communication and neighborly relations, significantly reducing feelings of loneliness among the elderly.
In such one-stop communities, housing, commercial, medical, and recreational spaces are usually combined:
- The first floor has a plaza, shops, and cafes, as well as a dedicated activity center for residents to engage in various cultural and recreational activities.
- The second floor is a food center (hawker center), offering a variety of affordable and delicious food that also meets the healthy eating standards set by Singapore’s Health Promotion Board.
- The third and fourth floors are typically medical services and clinics, providing outpatient treatment, day surgery, rehabilitation, and other medical services. This is a dedicated medical center that accepts referrals from family doctors or polyclinics.
- The top floor, in addition to community gardens, will have an elderly care center providing services such as physiotherapy and day care for seniors. If you are unable to leave your home, you can also book home visit services.
- The community is not just for the elderly; childcare centers are also usually included. The government encourages seniors to leave their homes, participate in community activities, and share the community garden space with children.
In addition to community development, Singapore’s Health Promotion Board runs health promotion programs specifically for the elderly, such as teaching families how to optimize their living spaces to make them safer for seniors and prevent falls, and providing free professional exercise classes to help them improve muscle strength and delay osteoporosis.
Singapore’s public facilities also fully consider the needs of the elderly: most public transport is wheelchair-accessible, and during off-peak hours, the time MRT doors stay open is extended from 2 to 6 seconds to allow seniors more time to get in and out. In addition, bus stops and taxi stands provide seats with armrests to help the elderly stand up.
Every HDB block has designated activity areas for the elderly and children downstairs, as well as hawker centers and bus stops. Covered walkways are provided from the block to the bus stop, making it convenient for the elderly to travel on rainy days.
In summary, the Singapore government is incredibly attentive when it comes to caring for the elderly.
Healthy Retirement Philosophy
Many people fear retirement because, without work, it’s easy to feel idle. Without a sense of purpose, one can feel empty, age faster, and even become ill. That’s why we see many people around us finding things to do after they retire.
Singapore is a country that fully respects individual value and therefore encourages active aging. You will see many older people still working in Singapore, which often leads to the misunderstanding that the elderly in Singapore have a difficult life. In fact, many of them choose to continue working voluntarily to contribute to society.
In retirement communities, the government encourages businesses to offer jobs to seniors and sets up community gardens where the elderly can grow vegetables, fruits, and common fruit trees. This enriches their lives and gives them opportunities to exercise and connect with nature.
Conclusion
Today I’ve discussed many common questions about immigrating to Singapore with you. You must now have a better understanding of what life is really like in Singapore. Do you like this version of Singapore? Do you want to immigrate to Singapore? Do you have any other questions about immigration to Singapore? Please feel free to contact me directly.
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