Could really do with some help!!
 

Im sure these questions have all been asked before, and having been a forum member for 8 years i know I should trawl through old posts, but I have been offered a role in Singapore and they want a response within a day so im trying to get an idea of if I should make the move or not.

Basically... been offered a good job in sg.
basic salary is 13,600SD per month after tax plus various bonus based on personal/company performance.

total package based on attaining 50% of bonus works out at 220,000sd per annum.

I have never lived or worked in singapore, and to be honest my only experience of sing is Harrys bar at Changi airport when im on a transfer.

is this a decent salary?

where is a good place to live?.. small furnished apartment is fine for me

is it worth getting a car?

is it worth shipping my boat out there or buy one there?




any other info would be awesome!.... thanks in advance

also... I know absolutely no-one there, where is the best place to go and meet new friends??



thanks in advance

Re: Could really do with some help!!
 

Re: Could really do with some help!!
 

Consultancy for a very big IT company..

fair bit of travel (expensed)

the most important thing is i can have a decent quality of life with the option of saving some.

Re: Could really do with some help!!
 

As I said I think it's light.
If accommodation, medical, annual flights car expenses etc etc were separate to the figure you've provided then I'd say you had a chance.
But IMO the people you are likely to be involved with might be on double what you get with the stuff you are missing also paid/

You could still enjoy yourself on 220 k but saving as well? Nah.

Someone else may be more positive, bakedbean????????

If you look through expatsingapore then there are similar threads to this with differing views to mine.

Re: Could really do with some help!!
 

Kinda shocked to be honest but you know more than me on these matters so ill have to take it into consideration.

13,600 works out to be around 6,600GBP a month... i thought that would be a decent living for sing...guess i was wrong :(

Re: Could really do with some help!!
 

I'm completely out of loop. Never was employed in singapore but ran a small business and that was finished end 2007. I can only speak from a kinda emotional viewpoint. I mean, do you really want to leave Dubai. If you are out of work and desperate to leave then yeh why not? It's a great experience living there. Not much I can contribute to this thread I'm afraid though

Re: Could really do with some help!!
 

I left Dubai quite a while ago, and am currently contracting in Saudi.

Crappy environment but 11k gbp a month tax free.

My contract is only going to run until december but just got offered this permie job. Although its quite a drop in salary, i had thought id have a very good quality of life in sing and be able to save...


any other opinions are greatfully received

Re: Could really do with some help!!
 

I don't know. I think ex reg has his finger on the pulse in Singapore . Having fun AND saving I suspect may be difficult. Difficult decision to make.

Re: Could really do with some help!!
 

Thanks for your comments, not really a difficult decision... if i cant afford to have a decent place, a car... and go out on the razzle a few nights of the week.... and save a bit then ill give it a miss and stay put! :unsure:

Re: Could really do with some help!!
 

One bit more.
My wife's friend's husband is a local and works as an IT Manager here.
I don't know the particulars but quite a high position.
He's worked in France as well and as it was in Clermont it probably was with Michelin ????. He's worked for banks here and other large companies.

Anyway he was redundant for the last 12 months or so and has just got himself back to work.
So with your offer in the same field maybe things are looking up.
You might accept the offer and then while you're here do some networking, look around, test the water see how your salary compares and try for a job with a higher salary if one is available.
I say 'if' because I would have thought that locals were able to compete and their T&C would be locally based. Which yours may be seeing as there is no seperate accommodation allowance etc. etc.

I'm trying to be a bit more positive, on bakedneans instructions.:thumbsup:

Re: Could really do with some help!!
 

Haha... actually feeling a bit negative myself today for reasons I won't go into, though something to do with a country north of where I am :frown:

Coincidentally..... just checking my newfeed on facebook and Britishexpats.com put a link to an article entitled "More Expats in Singapore Offered Local Pay Packages"

The facebook link to britishexpats is here https://www.facebook.com/pages/Briti...m/394879368823

Re: Could really do with some help!!
 

JD - been a long time.
on that sort of money yes you can afford to live a reasonable life and save money. Probably not with a nice car though

you can get a nice 2 bed apartment in a modern condo for 3-4k. you certainly don't need to spend 6k

cars are the ridiculous expense here but to be honest you don't really need one.
the Bus/MRT system works very wel and taxis are cheap (except peak hours) and reliable (unlike Dubai)

Re: Could really do with some help!!
 

Hey Inselaffen!! It has been a long time indeed my friend!!! i didnt realise you had moved!!

Ill be working at Changi business park... so am looking for a place close by or at least close to the transit lines.

I have seen some condo's at "the bayshore" for around 3k for a 2bed unit....any idea what they are like or if its an easy commute??

I probably wont bother with a car to be honest, and i have found out that i cant ship my boat over there, as in order to get a boat licence you have to do a sight test, now although I have perfect vision...im slightly colour-blind..so that will fail me based on what i have read.. :(

Forgot to mention that the company also pay me a one off $30,000 signing on bonus and give me a hotel for a month...
I have an offer, but they are just completing checks before issueing a binding written offer..... I suppose i was curious if there were any other benefits or "norms" that i should push for, or indeed try to push my luck for accom allowance.

any advice is always greatfully received.... either way, its looks like ill be there in about 2-3 weeks time :S

Re: Could really do with some help!!
 

Yeh we moved out here 2.5 years ago. miss some aspects of Dubai but not some others

if you are out there then you'll def get a 2-3 bed for 3-4k
Costa Del Sol is a very nice condo out there. Bayshore / Bayshore Park are older so it really depends on whether the unit has been renovated or not. there is plenty of choice out here

transport links with those condos are not the best but they have private buses from there to the MRT which would take you to work

best thing to do would be to take a serviced apartment for a month then have a look around. you might want to be somewhere between the centre and changi otherwise getting into town would be a long treck.

not many people get accom allowances out here any more

Re: Could really do with some help!!
 

Thanks alot!
Also...I discovered that i cant get a boat licence (PPCDL) as im slightly colour blind, although not too bad (i have managed to get 5 driving licences from 5 countries no problem) I dont suppose you know if there is anyway around this???? a major pain in the arse!!