Cost of Living in Singapore-2014

The most sought after question before coming or before even planning to come to Singapore for many would be, "can we survive there?"(especially to all those newly married couples from India or maybe more for people with kids)
I've been there in that situation and have searched the internet like crazy for real life opinions of expats settling down in Singapore. I sought after people's opinion from all over the world and to my vain couldn't find many answers, so well now that I know what it is, I'm just hoping my post might help atleast a few to make that dreary decision.

So well what's the cost of living in Singapore? Hmm, that question might have varied answers as to the style of living differs from individual to individual. So I'll be listing out the cost of living for a modestly spending couple who are trying to save for their future(but may be not too much).

Rent :  SGD 2200 (give or take another 100) (SGD=Singapore Dollar=INR 48 approx)
(you can cut this cost by sharing the house with another couple or bachelors. You would save almost 1000 like that, but I donno, personal preference. Don't worry there are many people, frankly most of the expats doing this stuff of room sharing or house sharing, seriously!!)
(This is the estimate based on living in a 2 or 3 bedroom HDB, which is basically a government provided housing for the citizens which they usually sublet or rent out. If considering a Condominium, with all the facilities like pool, gym and security then be ready to shell out another 500-600SGD more)
Utilities : SGD 200 (it includes electricity, gas, water & waste disposal)
(with moderate use of A/C, heater)
Internet, Landline& TV : SGD 100 
(Usually these services are bundled together, and if a mobile line is bundled along more 30-40SGD)
Mobile: SGD 40 per person
(limited internet and outgoing calls. Full usage 20-30 SGD more)
Groceries : SGD 250
(if you cook all 3 meals at home n all, approx 50-60 SGD per week, obvio its flexible depending on veg or non-veg)
Public Transport : SGD 100 per person
(considering your workplace is not very far and you pretty much use public transport)
Cabs/Taxi : SGD 100
(well we deserve this when going out on weekends, atleast twice a month)
(yes you cannot buy a car unless you are getting SGD 20K per month. I'll get back to that later on. Sigh!!this is not India or USA where in every second person has a Car)
Eating Out: SGD 150
(1-2 fine dining and maybe 3-4 times eating in a fast food restaurant for a couple)
Movies & Going Out : SGD 150
(2 movies per month and weekends leisure outdoor activities. If you like Sentosa and frequent such places then maybe SGD 100 more. Going out in Singapore literally means visiting the malls, going to the beach or to the movies. Once in a while visiting Sentosa which is the sole adventure land in Singapore. Save all the other tourist attractions when your family visits cos you'll get pretty bored after visiting them once)

Maid Services/Domestic Cleaning: SGD 250 (optional) 
(If you are both working and have a busy lifestyle and hate to do household chores then you can opt for domestic cleaning services. They come around 3-4 times a month and clean for 3-4 hours each visit. Pretty much clean everything including bathrooms, floor mopping, kitchen cleaning, windows & furniture dusting. Worth the money when you do not have the time)
Gym/Swimming/other sports: SGD 100 (optional per person)
(This is only for those fitness freaks. If not then its pretty much avoidable as there are a lot of public gym equipments available in every park and near every HDB. For swimming you can use the community pools located near every train station for a measly $1 for an hour and for kids there are water sport activities in every other mall for around 2-3$ for 2 hours or so. And mind you they are as good as any private stuff. The maintenance is fantastic.)
Medical Insurance/Life Insurance: SGD 200 (optional per person)
(Most of the companies do provide medical Insurance for their employees but they might not cover maternity or other pre-existing conditions)

As per Couple with kids I've no clue but I guess 800SGD per month for play school and maybe 500SGD more per kid per month additional for other stuff or maybe even more.

International travel around SGD 1000-1500 for a couple if within Asia. Most frequented from Singapore are India, Malaysia, Indonesia& Thailand.

So if you are getting SGD 6-7K per month per couple, you can pretty much lead a satisfactory life with moderate savings.

Kayaking @ Kallang

I always thought Kayaking is only for swimmers but when I noticed that there was a Kayak/Canoe Orientation program going on as a promotional activity at the new Sports Hub @ Kallang, I jumped in and the first question I asked that if knowing swimming was a must. When they said it wasn't required, I was exhilarated and signed up for the program(free of cost...hurray!!!)

It was a 3hour orientation program where in they taught how to carry the kayak and how to get into it, the basic moves to pull the kayak forward and the methods of kayaking. All in all it was a fun session where we kayaked for around 2hours around the kallang basin on our own.

Though it was a lot tiring but the exhilaration of trying something new overtook every other emotion and tiresomeness.
There was a group of around 30 people and it was a lot of fun interacting with them.

 

With our trainer, a funny guy with a funny accent. When I told him that I am not a swimmer, he insisted I learnt swimming and then I can go ahead with the other star courses of Kayaking.

Well, swimming is now on the top of my list of new things to learn.

 

We got to these amazing views of the gardens by the bay and it was such a crazy session where each of our kayaks were hitting with each other, we got wet(there were 2 holes in the kayak to facilitate the buoyancy of the kayak and that made sure we got wet so much as to embarrass ourselves, and the worst part I didn't even take additional clothes...phew!!!).

I am not aware if these programs are still ongoing, but you can always rent a kayak and go about the kallang basin and have fun.
Check out the kallang wave mall website for the updates, boat rental and the courses.

Batu Caves- Kuala Lumpur

Batu Caves was always at the top of my list of the places I wanted to see in KL. The Lord Murugan's golden statue standing royally at 140-150ft (tallest in the world) has been attracting tourists from all over the world ever since it was erected.

Last time I was in KL, it was Thaipusam and I did not dare go there as I knew there would be hordes of devotees visiting the temple and it would be a nightmare for me to tolerate the crowd. So I skipped the tour but this time there was nothing stopping me!!

We were staying at Quality hotel and it was near to the train station Bandaraya, so we walked up to Bank Negara which was an interconnecting station to Bandaraya and then took the KTM Komuter train to Batu Caves which took approx 30mins. Check this for the train map in KL.

Once we got down and before entering the place, there were few shops on the pedestrian selling food, hats, Malaysia souvenirs and also mini statues and clay moldings of Hindu Gods and Goddesses.
I cant say they sell for cheap but there were vendors selling Indian Sweets, so if anyone up for a sweet tooth can really buy one and taste the different varieties of sweets available.

As soon as we enter(no entry fee thankfully but to Ramayana caves and museum i guess you need to pay), there are 2 temples and a huge Lord Hanuman statue leading to the Ramayana Caves.

 

 

And then after visiting and worshiping the Gods in the temple we move ahead to be amazed...

 There it was, the worlds tallest Murugan's statue. I guess its just golden paint and obviously not made out of gold. Standing there and observing the workmanship just took away all the time. No wonder people come from all over the world, not matter what religion or what race to come and admire the beauty of man's creation. Well, nature too has a huge role to play in this tourist attraction...the caves.
Coming from India, seeing Ajanta and Ellora caves so many times, I obviously didn't get super exhilarated to see the limestone caves but each place has its own beauty and so did Batu Caves.

The beauty of these caves, dated some millions of years old, were that they were situated atleast 100m above sea level and to get there one has to climb 300 steep steps.
As it is a Hindu religious place and there was a temple situated inside the caves, there was a board requesting people to dress appropriately.
(I wonder why people were not asked to remove shoes)
Anyways it was an easy climb up, but there were a lot of monkeys up in the caves and people stopped by to snap some pictures of even the monkeys:)

 The view from above...just loved the detailing of the garland adorned over the statue. Kudos to all the craftsmen who worked to create the marvel(heard they took 3 years to create it).

 Finally after climbing the steps, we reached the entrance of the caves and the work of nature did not fail to awe us. The Caves were beautiful and the few places where sunlight gave way into the dark caves was splendid.

 There was a small temple situated inside the caves, which was apparently the main temple.

There was another passage into some other caves just beside the main caves and there were some programs going one, some guided trip into the dark caves and some educational programs apparently telling the history of the place and the engineering of the statue and maybe the composition of the caves. Didnt go for it but did hear from few of the tourists that it was worth the money and time. Will plan next time.

There were apparently two more caves and a museum and gallery at the base of the hill. Didn't have the time to check those out but all in all it was a trip worth the time.

Rent a House in Singapore

The most stressful task for a person when he/she migrates to a new place temporarily or permanently is to find a place to stay. A place we can call home.
Finding a house is not easy, not anywhere in the world. But there are few things if followed and if understood, will make this task a pleasant experience.

First of all determine your budget as it the single most important criteria and then determine the place. Frankly with such efficient transport system I would not worry about the place but the locality is also important.
Housing is the major expenditure in Singapore. Many expats in Singapore find it so much costly that they share the house. 2 or more couples share a house and if bachelors even a single room is shared as a cost cutting measure.
First of all the there are 3 major type of housing structure in Singapore. It is better to understand the types so as to determine which would fit your taste and budget.

A HDB (Housing Development Board) is the most common type of accommodation facility. It is an apartment built by the government authorities for the citizens of Singapore. It is the most affordable type of housing in Singapore.
Types of HDB flats:
1. 2-Bedroom Flat: basically it doesn't mean 2 bedrooms but it means 1-bedroom and 1 living room and a kitchen (don't ask me why but yes its weird that they consider the living room as a bedroom too)
There are again Improved (I) version and a Standard (S) types differences usually 20-30sqm and maybe interiors vary.
2. 3-Bedroom Flat: 2-bedrooms, a kitchen and 1-living room. There are many variations to it as NG-New generation, Modified, Improved, Standard and so on. Not major differences but things as attached bathroom with a bedroom in NG, store room facility in Improved and no such things in standard.
3. 4-Bedroom Flat: 3bedrooms, kitchen and living room. The same variations apply here too.
4. 5-Bedroom Flat: 3bedrooms(not 4), kitchen, living room and store room. Similar to 4 bedroom flat but with a store room and a larger area of course.
5. Jumbo Flats: These are basically 2 flats combined, usually a 3bedroom and 4 bedroom flat combined. Combined as such there is a common entrance or gate and then again individual doors to each house. It is in my opinion built keeping in mind the joint families where 2 or 3 generations stay together.
The rates vary again not only depending on the type but also on the location. Any flat in CBD (Central business district) is usually 200-300$ more.
The rental rates usually start from 1500$ to 4000$ or even more.
And so if a couple rents a 3/4 bedroom flat somewhere near woodlands it would cost them around 1800-2500$. So the best thing they do is to share the house with another couple which would bring down the cost to 900-1200$. (Sharing again is each one's preference, choosing between cost cutting or privacy)

Condominiums:
These apartments are usually a gated community types. Private housing which are gated and few apartments share a common swimming pool, gym, club, tennis courts and basketball courts and so on.
The rental rates are obviously higher compared to HDB atleast by 400-500$ for each type.

Landed Houses:
Yes there are landed houses in Singapore. And consider them a luxury here thanks to the space constraint. Rental minimum starts from 3500$ and they are usually located in remote areas.

There are also Serviced Apartments which are for the elite group of people who earn atleast 15k per month or for the fortunate few whose company pays it for them. They are in literal sense a 5star hotel (housekeeping and all that stuff) leased for a longer duration. And there might be other types too which I'm not aware of but these are the major types of housing.

So coming to the renting part, it is usually through an agent. There are few rental agencies/property sites which help us in this process, of course for a huge fee, but we are helpless as its the rule.
You can either hire an agent who will exclusively search according to your interests keeping in mind your budget or you can search their websites and search for an appropriate house and contact the agent listed for the sale of that particular house.
The advantage for searching the house on the internet by yourself is that few times you are lucky enough when the owner of the house has hired an agent to search for suitable tenants. Yes, even the owner hires an agent to make the process easier. So when such a thing happens, the agent fee is handled by the owner and you are saved from that burden.

The agent fee is usually half the rent of a month for an years contract(usually 1 months rent for 2years contract and so on). For example you have agreed to rent a house for 2000$, then you have to pay the agent 1000$ plus taxes for 1 year contract and 2000$ for 2year contract.The agent fee is applicable every time you change your house unless you are lucky. Obviously there are exceptions where there is no agent fee and you directly handle it with the owner and fill some forms online and submit to the hdb authorities but im not sure of the process and neither would recommend.
Ok so once you finalize the house, then the agent will make you sign the tenancy agreement which states everything including rent, agent fees, advance and the tenancy duration. Double check it and be sure to safe-keep it till the end of the contract.

There is a 1month or 2 month advance you pay to the owner which is thankfully refunded. Sometimes the owner might insist on a rental advance too which can be negotiated. The rental is also paid every month in advance. That means you pay for the month first and then you get to stay.

So if you are taking a house for 2000$ rent then your approximate cost while signing the tenancy agreement for 1 year would be:
Agent Fee                                               : 1000$
Rent                                                        : 2000$
Advance(refunded after lease period)    : 2000$
Total                                                       : 5000 $

The few sites which may be of use for your house hunt are: Property Guru, Stproperty, I property.
Happy Hunting

(This article is based on my personal experience and facts and figures are for explanatory purpose)

Visa Interview- US Embassy, Singapore

Few tips to ensure a stress free day:

Now that the DS160 form is submitted, visa fees paid and the interview date and slot booked, nothing is going to change even if we freak out. So the best policy is keep the preparations only till 9PM the previous day. Have a hearty sleep, get up early in the morning with a positive attitude, have breakfast and get set go!!!

Book the earliest possible slot, not to ensure a visa but to ensure to keep the stress to a minimal level.
The earliest slot is 7.45AM and you are allowed near the gate just 15min prior.

First and foremost, DO NOT BE LATE.
Dress appropriately. Wearing Suits is not going overboard and neither mandatory. Whatever you wear, be presentable.
Do not forget any single document. Mandatory documents are
1. Passports (Current and Old)
2. DS160 Confirmation page
3. Appointment Letter
4. Visa Fee receipt
5. Passport Photo-1
Make sure to keep additional documents such as bank statements, employment records, payslips, sanctioned leave letter, property documents, IRAS/tax receipts, if being sponsored-sponsor documents including invitation letter and other supporting documents and all the other documents which would show your ties to the country. As an Expat, it is difficult to show major ties, so keep it simple and go with the employment records and rental agreement.

Coming to the US Embassy in Singapore, it is situated in 27 Napier Road. Stones throw away from the British Council and shares a common path with Australian Council. There is an Australian Embassy board visible from the main road, so once you take the left into that small path, on the left side you can see the American Embassy.

As soon as you reach there, you would be requested to be seated in line outside the gates. There is a small shelter with 3 rows of chairs. Once your appointment time reaches, you would be requested to go through the main gate in order. Outside the gate they will just check the appointment letter. So keep it handy.

Once inside the main gate you would go through security screening in a small guard room. You should leave all your belongings same as in an airport and then step to get scanned. Through the conveyer belt your items including files will be scanned and only the documents, file/holder, watches, wallets will be returned. Mobile phones and large bags are kept in the guards room and you would be provided with a token to claim them back while leaving.

Once the security check is done, you have to come out of the room and walk a few meters to reach a small entrance. There your identity and passport will be checked and you would be asked to take a token number from the machine (same as that in the banks).
You would then be directed into a small room with rows of chairs facing the cubicles are present.

This is where you interview would take place.
There are screens visible from every corner of the room which displays the token number called. Overall there are 7 or 8 cubicles. So on the screen, the token number along with cubicle number would be displayed. So whenever your no. is displayed, go to the respective cubicle.

After you are seated, the first time they call you for checking the documents. DS160 confirmation page, passport photo, visa fee receipt, current passport and appointment letter are the only documents requested at this stage. They take the documents, ask you the visa type you are applying for and ask the visa status in Singapore ( EP/DP/PR/Citizen/S Pass and so on..)
You would again be sent back to sit and wait.
After maybe 15 min they call you again. This time for ten-printing. First of all the finger printing machines are dirty and they are not wiped after every individual, so its difficult to get accurate prints so they repeatedly ask you to press harder.(I wish they provide any paper tissues or sanitizer). Ok, so they ask you first to give prints of the left hand 4 fingers and then the right hands and finally both the thumbs. After it is done they give you the documents they took from you in the first cubicle in a file and an instructions page (as to what next after visa is issued or not).

Keep the file which they gave separately and do not add any other documents nor remove any. Read the instructions page they provided and keep it safe inside wallet or anywhere but do not mix in the documents.
You are again waiting for another 15 min or even longer and finally the interview calls begin. Again your token number would be displayed.(do not fret, they do not necessarily call in order, they pick random numbers). Once you would be called, first and foremost GREET HIM/HER.
Hand over the file which they gave you which contains your passport and other documents.
Answer accordingly and to the point. Hand over additional documents only if requested. Do not be hyperactive or do not underplay. Do not exaggerate your answers, neither be taciturn. Be cool and answer truthfully.
Usually the interview lasts from 5-15mins according to your luck. Finally either he'll say, 'Congratulations, your visa has been approved' or 'Sorry, we are unable to issue a visa this time due to so and so reasons'. If visa is approved, he will keep the passport and you would get it after 2-3 days(read the instructions page they provided). If visa is not approved, they would give a sheet of paper with the reasons as to why you were denied.
Either ways, be happy. Its just a Visa just for a country and not your life, thank him for his time and get out.
On the way out, do not forget to take your belongings at the guard house.

Check these too: DS-160 Checklist & DS-160 Step by Step Instructions

Pulau Ubin Islands Getaway

Pulau Ubin, a tiny island, the last kampung(village) situated north east to Singapore and is one of the places where you might get to see traces of what Singapore might have looked decades before.
It is one of the best & cheapest weekend getaways from the nerve wrecking city life and hustle bustle of traffic. So anyone who enjoys to catch a glimpse of the laid back life lest the amenities, this is a must place to visit.
A day would be sufficient to enjoy the island but there are facilities to stay overnight too. Though there are no specific luxurious hotels but few tents are set up and even one can setup their own campsite and enjoy a nice campfire with a bunch of friends.

How to get there:

Take a ferry from Changi ferry terminal or the Changi village. Make sure to go to the Pulau Ubin departure gate as ferry's to Johor, Malaysia also departs from the same ferry terminal. The ferry, a tiny bum-boat taking aboard 12-15 people.

Changi Point ferry terminal

Bumboat

The fare is around 2.50$ per person for one way and it takes less than 20 mins to reach Ubin Islands.
Don't worry its very safe and no need to carry passports. Just some ID would suffice, though no one really checks as it is a part of Singapore.
Bum-boats start from 7am to around 7.30 pm. Weekends are best to travel as there are lot of people traveling. Bum-boats don't start until they are full so expect to wait for a long time on weekdays or to shell out 30$ for a bum-boat for all by yourself.

Where to go and What to do:

The one thing most heard about Ubin Islands is the Chek Jawa. A small area or land which harbors multitude of ecosystems. The best ones being the Mangroves, Sea Grass Lagoon and Costal Hill Forest. Apart from nature once can also appreciate a cottage also called as the !st House in Pulau Ubin.

A board walk along the shore gives you a sight which is not to be missed.

There are many ways to explore the Island. The best way which I found is cycling. The best part is that there are numerous shops near the terminal which rent out bicycles for as low as 5$ and put in more money, you will be pampered to choices. For the aged and ones not so adventurous there a re guided trams and tours. You can even walk considering the weather is pleasant.

The best thing to do in Pulau Ubin is to be yourself and explore places all by yourself. Do not need to follow someone's tracks, make your own path. No traffic, not many houses. As of now there are just 3 families staying in the Island and except for them its just us the tourists and weekenders.

Do not be surprised when you do not find posh and convenient amenities as in Singapore. Remember to enjoy nature in its unaltered form.

Few things not to miss:
1. Do take a mosquito repellant or an insect repellant without fail.
2. An extra set of clothes if you intend to take a plunge into water.
3. Biscuits and Chips. Though eateries and pop up kiosks are available, but the locations aren't that convenient.
4. Get as many bottles of water as you can. If not be ready to shell out dollars every few min as you will be lot thirsty due to climate and also due to cycling.
5. Check this map before heading out.
 If you are not comfortable going all by yourself, search out for the guided tours on weekends.

Cheap Way to take Passport Photographs in Singapore

Each time we apply for a new program or especially for new jobs or Visa interviews, the thing we  observe is that they need a latest photograph. A photograph which is not older than 6 moths and each University or each Consulate has its own specifications.
So paying 10-15 dollars every time on such photographs is not only time consuming but also is very expensive in my opinion.

So I found out a way, to get not 1 but around 6 passport photos for 25 cents :))
Isn't that wonderful to get it done for so less and the quality is unmatched for. So I thought why not share it with everyone so that you would have the same smile that I have after looking at that photos.

First of all, I am sure everyone is opting for taking the photo themselves on a white background. So few tips to take pics at home on a white background are:
1. If possible take the pictures in natural light. Stand in-front of the wall where the light is shining bright.
2. If not, then obviously shoot in flash mode.
3. Do not lean on the wall, stand at-least a feet distance from the wall.
4. Check the shadows.
5. Take at-least 5 test photos, it just takes few min and its free of cost with your own digital cam or even a phone..(I took almost 20, but 5 good ones are sufficient to compare)
6. Load the pics and check for the best ones. Crop according to the dimensions mentioned. For US visa, check here. They even have a photo tool, so once you have selected the photo, try using the photo tool.
7. Once you have saved the photo, open a new Microsoft Word Document.
8. Insert a 3x3 table with an overall size of 4x6 and each cube size of 2x2.(This way for a US visa you get 6 passport pics, you can always adjust accordingly).

If the picture looks something like this,
 


And the Word Document like this,

9. Now as easy as it is, Copy paste the photo in each of the cube.

10. Save the document and convert it into a .jpj/jpeg format, save in any portable device, a pen drive or even in the phone.

11. Go to Harvey Norman store with a photo booth and simply take a print. 4R glossy print would be perfect for the dimensions I mentioned. 4R glossy each print is 25cents, so according to sizes the cost varies, but nothing is more than 50 or 60 cents.

12. Take a sharp pen knife and a scale and cut them neatly into 6 separate photos.

And your passport photos are ready just for 25cents.