What expats like and are peeved about in Singapore

London

EXPATRIATES rate Singapore highly as a relocation centre, but fret about its high property, rental and living costs.

International money transfer provider WorldFirst polled 550 expats who rated Singapore 8.2 out of 10 as a city.

They ranked Singapore well over nine for being a very safe place to live, and were also positive (almost nine) about its public transport system, compared to that in countries such as Australia.

These expats also welcomed the relatively low tax rates for non-residents (15 to 22 per cent) and ranked this at over eight out of 10. Other aspects rated seven or higher were food and restaurants, work conditions, night life and the health system.

On the downside were high property prices, which came in at only 3.5 out of 10, rentals and locally produced TV, radio and movies (four), cost of living (4.8) and local fashion (5.5). Nature and scenery, culture and political environment were rated just above average, at more than six.

The expats surveyed originated from 51 countries, among them the UK, Australia, the US, India, Malaysia, France, the Philippines, New Zealand, Germany and the Netherlands. They had been living in Singapore for at least three months.

The survey found that the vast majority of expats were in Singapore for their careers, but did not say how many intended to stay permanently. The top five industries attracting international professionals were finance (that is, insurance, banking, investment and fintech), followed by education, training or child-care, media, advertising or marketing, law and accounting and finally healthcare.

Half the expat respondents said they worked the same hours as they did back home, and 35 per cent said they worked longer hours. The average work week was stated at 46 hours; 55 per cent said they earn more in Singapore. Only 12 per cent had come for family reasons, 8 per cent for "adventure and new experience" and 4 per cent, to study.

The challenges of moving to Singapore were in the following order: finding a place to live, making friends, the emotional challenge of the move, understanding and adapting to a new culture and lifestyle, initial moving costs, adjusting to the climate, finding a job, setting up bank accounts and obtaining an Employment Pass or other necessary documents.

Respondents said that for recreation, they enjoyed jogging, cycling, football, swimming and yoga; dragon boat racing and badminton were also popular.