Singapore: Is it really the most expensive place to live?

[Ct3833]

12 minutes ago, Nolicense said:

thats because sgp is playing the same game as china cities.. or rather the other way round.

make sure there is a way for people to get loans to buy house. thats the only way to minimise homelessness. once almost everyone is in the game, housing price will be well supported. cannot drop.. only way is if population drop. supply demand unbalance.

also use cpf. 25% salary locked up, only way to use it is buy hdb.

CPF is a good way  to force people  saving up. Malaysia has EPF as well and US is using pension scheme. One will be surprised how some people are unable to manage their own financial. I am beyond 55 and in retrospect, i have to agree that CPF is a good scheme. I didnt use my CPF to buy house. The only complaint  i have is the 2.5% interest is too low since temasek and GIC are making so good returns.

[Tkseah]

4 hours ago, Thaiyotakamli said:

I would say partially

 

housing for bto still quite affordable

education free

healthcare hugely subsidised

makan got hawker

transport generally cheap

income tax pretty low

Education is free?

[Victor68]

4 minutes ago, Ct3833 said:

CPF is a good way  to force people  saving up. Malaysia has EPF as well and US is using pension scheme. One will be surprised how some people are unable to manage their own financial. I am beyond 55 and in retrospect, i have to agree that CPF is a good scheme. I didnt use my CPF to buy house. The only complaint  i have is the 2.5% interest is too low since temasek and GIC are making so good returns.

Many of our original schemes are good. CPF and HDB, 2 classic examples. I cannot say the same today. Singapore has breed a population of high class slaves. Yes we are better than our neighbors in term of materials, lifestyle it is for you to decide. Those in the upper 10% need not respond hor.

[Sdf4786k]

5 hours ago, Victor68 said:

It is not if you slave yourself till you drop dead to cover the basic needs. What they can do is to conduct a survey for an average household to understand their lifestyle for Monday to Sunday over a year. I bet 90% are doing the same not between family but throughout the year.

Then they look at the top 10% of the population and make a comparison. Where is the gaps and why. Would the bottom section every enjoy anything near that top? Just for housing, they are in debt for 30 years. 

Currently, it’s still not allowable for moon lighting. Because you typically work till 7 - 8 pm and the expectations is you are productive tomorrow morning when you arrive to work unless it’s football World Cup session. 
 

so if you arrive to work everyday  365 days like it’s a full year of World Cup session, you probably will be tired or fired depending on where you are working due to your irrational behaviour or Low productive nature.

once MOM allow workers to have 2 jobs because of the high cost of living is when we should start to worry for the future and the future generations.

gone are the Days where you have a reasonably good brain and work hard, you know your stuff well, you have a great future in front of you. And everyone is on a good equal footing and hence we did not think twice about hand outs because everyone else is able to irked out a decent living. Else drive taxi lor, 

in todays context, it’s very different. If prices of hdb 4 rooms is 600 to 700 thousand n ultra small, it will be quite difficult for many to own a 4 room flat .

then again , if it becomes a burden, there is always rental just like HK.

 

Edited December 29, 2021 by Sdf4786k

[Nolicense]

8 minutes ago, Sdf4786k said:

Currently, it’s still not allowable for moon lighting. Because you typically work till 7 - 8 pm and the expectations is you are productive tomorrow morning when you arrive to work unless it’s football World Cup session. 
 

so if you arrive to work everyday  365 days like it’s a full year of World Cup session, you probably will be tired or fired depending on where you are working due to your irrational behaviour or Low productive nature.

once MOM allow workers to have 2 jobs because of the high cost of living is when we should start to worry for the future and the future generations.

gone are the Days where you have a reasonably good brain and work hard, you know your stuff well, you have a great future in front of you. And everyone is on a good equal footing and hence we did not think twice about hand outs because everyone else is able to irked out a decent living. Else drive taxi lor, 

in todays context, it’s very different. If prices of hdb 4 rooms is 600 to 700 thousand n ultra small, it will be quite difficult for many to own a 4 room flat .

then again , if it becomes a burden, there is always rental just like HK.

 

you dont know how many people have moonlighting jobs... even fw also wash car on weekends..

there is a significant number of people who work in the underground economy also.. 

i recall got 1 thread on mcf about a guy who work fulltime and ride grabfood this year... then kenna accident i think he died... really poor thing his family... young wife and child

 

Edited December 29, 2021 by Nolicense

[Kopites]

https://www.buzzfeed.com/morgansloss1/disappointing-cities-reddit

 

Cost of living is one aspect. The standard of living is another aspect as how we define "expensive". 

My view. 😁

[Playtime]

2 hours ago, Ct3833 said:

CPF is a good way  to force people  saving up. Malaysia has EPF as well and US is using pension scheme. One will be surprised how some people are unable to manage their own financial. I am beyond 55 and in retrospect, i have to agree that CPF is a good scheme. I didnt use my CPF to buy house. The only complaint  i have is the 2.5% interest is too low since temasek and GIC are making so good returns.

wah.... all cash one ah? You a retired minister?? 😅 

or you the lucky bugger who got early reasonably priced 5 room flats?

actually CPF and housing also the main knife on our necks.

 

If CPF returns were weighted more to citizens instead of govt, retirement would not be such a problem to so many... but anyone questioning it gets shut down pretty fast.

If HDB land prices werent tagged to CBD land prices, again, people also wont have to worry about wages or starting their own businesses so much.

 

The 2 issues probably has a HUGE trickle down effect on our competitiveness cos it effectively locks people down in wage slaves. But I guess need macro economist to confirm.

[Ct3833]

1 hour ago, Playtime said:

wah.... all cash one ah? You a retired minister?? 😅 

or you the lucky bugger who got early reasonably priced 5 room flats?

actually CPF and housing also the main knife on our necks.

 

If CPF returns were weighted more to citizens instead of govt, retirement would not be such a problem to so many... but anyone questioning it gets shut down pretty fast.

If HDB land prices werent tagged to CBD land prices, again, people also wont have to worry about wages or starting their own businesses so much.

 

The 2 issues probably has a HUGE trickle down effect on our competitiveness cos it effectively locks people down in wage slaves. But I guess need macro economist to confirm.

I no minister,  i am just a mini-citizen. And no, not retired yet, still slogging day in day out in the paddy field happily. 

[Yoongf]

Singapore is affordable if u fit the narrow profile of the avg singaporean.

 

For example, govt always use BTO prices to highlight affordability. If u are single below 35, affordable BTO is not applicable.

[Thaiyotakamli]

6 hours ago, Tkseah said:

Education is free?

Not free, basic school fee very cheap

[Calinlin]

If you work in other developed cities outside of Singapore, where you live like a local and not a tourist, you will find singapore is generally very expensive in most things...except our taxi and handyman.

I used to think food in Singapore is cheaper, but I realized that it is because we compare eatery overseas vs. coffeeshop.

[Ginyu]

No matter how costly living here has become,  many are willingly to borrow as much as they can and slog all their life for face value 😂 

Edited December 30, 2021 by Ginyu

[Windwaver]

[Windwaver]

16 hours ago, Sdf4786k said:

Currently, it’s still not allowable for moon lighting. Because you typically work till 7 - 8 pm and the expectations is you are productive tomorrow morning when you arrive to work unless it’s football World Cup session. 
 

so if you arrive to work everyday  365 days like it’s a full year of World Cup session, you probably will be tired or fired depending on where you are working due to your irrational behaviour or Low productive nature.

once MOM allow workers to have 2 jobs because of the high cost of living is when we should start to worry for the future and the future generations.

gone are the Days where you have a reasonably good brain and work hard, you know your stuff well, you have a great future in front of you. And everyone is on a good equal footing and hence we did not think twice about hand outs because everyone else is able to irked out a decent living. Else drive taxi lor, 

in todays context, it’s very different. If prices of hdb 4 rooms is 600 to 700 thousand n ultra small, it will be quite difficult for many to own a 4 room flat .

then again , if it becomes a burden, there is always rental just like HK.

 

Singapore is 'affordable' because majority of Singaporeans are hardworking.

Cannot just compare prices.

 

[Sdf4786k]

9 minutes ago, Windwaver said:

Singapore is 'affordable' because majority of Singaporeans are hardworking.

Cannot just compare prices.

 

Oh .. there’s a new definition 

Cashless society 

literally , even if you have a good brain and hardworking, but not enough networking skills to get you into the job. You be

working hard but view as

hardly working 

Edited December 30, 2021 by Sdf4786k

[Mustank]

13 hours ago, Ct3833 said:

I no minister,  i am just a mini-citizen. And no, not retired yet, still slogging day in day out in the paddy field happily. 

Mai beh deh Ah

Then how come full cash house 

[inlinesix]

9 hours ago, Calinlin said:

If you work in other developed cities outside of Singapore, where you live like a local and not a tourist, you will find singapore is generally very expensive in most things...except our taxi and handyman.

I used to think food in Singapore is cheaper, but I realized that it is because we compare eatery overseas vs. coffeeshop.

In developed cities, unlikely can get lunch like Singapore Hawker Center.

To eat cheap, have to home cook

[Windwaver]

51 minutes ago, Sdf4786k said:

Oh .. there’s a new definition 

Cashless society 

literally , even if you have a good brain and hardworking, but not enough networking skills to get you into the job. You be

working hard but view as

hardly working 

Yeah exactly but look at what our schools are still teaching?