Life in Singapore

Mercer Worldwide Annual Survey for 2007 ranked Singapore 14th for Cost of Living and 34th for Quality of Living.

Well, what does this really mean? It simply means that cost of living is lower when compared against major cities around the world above the 14th position (i.e. Moscow, Paris, Milan, London, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Oslo, etc.) and higher against cities like New York, Rome, Beijing, Dubai, Taipei, Sydney and Frankfurt. The same goes for quality of living in Singapore.

A lot of Singaporeans, when asked what it is really like living in Singapore, will be at a lost for words, as the environment in Singapore is very fast paced and there isn't really time to stop and wonder or make comparisons.

Here, we will touch on things that really matter when you are actually living here. No bells and whistles, just facts.

If one word can describe what living here is really like, it is convenience.

Low crime rate and personal safety are cited if you ask any expatriates living here but we will touch on that later.

Daily Amenities

Daily amenities are never more than 5 to 10 minutes drive away. Cold Storage, Giant or NTUC Fairprice supermarkets are located in almost every shopping centre/mall and there is one in every neighbourhood. Most of us do our groceries once a week during the weekends.

You will never ever need to stock up groceries in the deep freezer for winter as you will never see snow in Singapore. There are no four seasons here. Singapore is in the tropics and very close to the equator. In fact, all you need is an ordinary refrigerator.

For more on amenities, click here.

Worried about the type of food available in Singapore? This should be the least of your worries. All kinds of cuisine can be found here. Chinese, Japanese, Korean, American, Italian, French, Thai, Vietnamese, Indian, German, Mexican, African and Middle Eastern just to name a few.

Hey, and not to forget all the fast food chains - McDonalds, Burger King, Starbucks, Coffee Bean, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Subway and more.

And if you are one who take late suppers, there are many (eating) locations in Singapore that operate into the night - Geylang, Newton Circle, Jalan Kayu and many more others.

There is a trend in Singapore where young working couples prefer not to cook at home but instead have all their meals "outside".

Yes, in Singapore you can, because it is that convenient.

More on food in Singapore?