monthly salary in Singapore

Hi David Jackson,

SGD 2000 a month no worries man (Single or Married to a nice lady who is employed)...

As long as you don't drink and smoke too much, Don't gamble, Don't ride on taxis everyday.

The following indications are approximate and are meant for a Single Person to lead a good life in Singapore.

Food and Drinks per Month - SGD 400.00 (approx)
Transport by MRT and Bus per month - SGD 150.00 (approx)

Lounging (really depends where you put up) - SGD 450.00 to SGD 1000.00 (approx)

Clubbing per month - SGD 200.00 to SGD 300.00 (approx)

Handphone Bill (depends which service you use) - SGD 28.00 to SGD 150.00 (approx)
Use Skype - (Skype to Skype is Free Worldwide and Skype to Lan Line is the Cheapest).

Internet Bill per month - SGD 50.00 to SGD 150.00 (approx)
(Depends on which plan you really need).

Car and Motorbike (forget it) due to high coe prices, petrol prices, ERP, Parking Coupons,  Gantries and fines once in awhile.


Well you can still enjoy (4 times per month) by treating yourself to nice and cosy spas, restaurants, bars and other places of interests.

Whatever happens, please do not break the LAW in any Country because if we do so, We will have to face the music ourselves.

Life is short, life well & wisely.

Warms Regards,
Salmaan
Singapore

DavidJackson29 wrote:

Hi all,
An anyone advice on this one, can we able to survive in Singapore if your monthly salary is SD2000?

Just to give you an idea of some of our costs. My husband works and I stay at home.

We pay approx $150 per month for our MRT (train/bus) tickets. For the both of us.

Our rental for 3 bedrooms in a private condo is $3750.00 per month.

Our power/water/gas account is approx $200.00 per month

We use cabs sometimes...but never spend any more than $350.00 per month.

Our internet is $50.00 per month.

Hard to say about our food bill ..... sometimes less sometimes more. But it is cheaper to eat at the hawker centre's rather than cooking at home. A large bottle of beer at the hawker centre is $5.50 .... but you would pay double that in the tourist area's of Singapore.

survive on $2000.00 PM ??? ...  your partner would need to work and you would have to live in a one roomed apartment. If that!

I would reconsider very carefully.

and it also depends on where you are living now and your expectations.

DavidJackson29 wrote:

Hi all,
An anyone advice on this one, can we able to survive in Singapore if your monthly salary is SD2000?

u can survived as long as ur lifestyle will go along with ur salary.

bedspacer: 250-300
pub/tel/mobile phone: 50-100
travelling expenses/food: 300 (eating outside)

you can save as much as 1200. if u have two GF ohh no. no savings at all.

this budget is consider as no night life. no gimmicks.

ok to answer the salary questions: ive lived in sg for a year on 2400 sgd, during the recession. Dont expect to save much on this salary, but you can get by. Minimum costs to survive will come to about 1000 - 1300 per month. And if you live without any other entertainment, splurges and SPGs, you can save the rest. But if you want to live well in sg and save a bit, you need a salary of 3K+.

For 2400 below, you will get an S Pass which would mean that it will most likely take you roughly 2 years to get a PR. Whereas with 3K+ (with a Q or P pass) your waiting time for a successful PR should be about 1 year. Also you need to be above 30,000/year to apply for a credit card.

So imho, its ok to come on 2K+ if you think that you can later find a better (3K+) job.

surviving on 2k is not going to be nice.
an extra grand would allow you to get by frugally and another one on top of that would have you grinnin like the Joker.
It also depends if you are coming here with a partner because you can then offset some of the costs i.e accomodation, utilities.
The price breakdown of the above posts are pretty accurate
conclusion: if you are coming alone with 2K a month i wouldnt advise it.

I can't imagine anyone, even someone renting an HDB flat being able to survive in Singapore for 24,000SD a year.  I guess if you are living with family and pay no rent or you have some secret way of not spending money on anything but tofu and greens.

Have you checked rental prices in Singapore?

Best luck and post back if you find a way. We would love to know how to reduce expenses.

2k is a low figure

I don't think it's enough, you don't really have a life. But at least, survival shouldn't be a problem.

Hi,

You are looking at shared accommodation out of town. Eating out at hawker centers can be a cheap option. But you won't save much.

Regards

DavidJackson29 wrote:

Hi all,
An anyone advice on this one, can we able to survive in Singapore if your monthly salary is SD2000?

Dear Fren,

For your info:
internet Mobile broadband= sgd 19.90 /mth
transport:                min sgd 50 depends where is your work location
room share for two person: 250sgd/mth
meal: the cheapest 1 time meal  3 vegetables + rice = Sgd 2.00
meal: monthly : min 180sgd 3 times a day.

hope it can help u.

Hi David,

If you are alone in Singapore. You absolutely survive with 2000/ month.
As many people said:
Food: 300/ month
Transportation: 100-150/ month
Internet: around 50/ month
Rental room HDB: 600-1000 depend on where you stay and if you can find a shared room: it is only 250-400sgd
If you dont smoke, gamble, dont drink so much, dont go bar, club just work stay in a shared room, you just spend around 1000sgd/ month.

Good luck and best wishes

Vinh
A Vietnamese Architect working in Singapore

The wide range of answers (and underlying living standards) is quite interesting. Let me add another one:
There are many foreign workers in Singapore earning S$600/month or less and sending most of that to their families back home. They stay in communal dormitories, where a bunk bed costs S$100/month, cook vegetables and rice themselves and take a bus only once a week to Little India or Lucky Plaza and back.

It's getting harder and harder each day, everything is going up but wages is never going up.

I agree with most people, 2 grand for a single man, good enough provided you have no drinking, smoking, gambling habits.

P/S: A pack of 20s cigarettes is SGD $11.60, thats the most common Marbloro I am talking about.

Hello David,

May I know whether 2k is your take home pay? If so, it depends on why you're in S'pore for. I mean, if you're into backpacking, being based in S'pore does allow you to backpack to nearby countries relatively cheaply so you'll probably have to factor that in.

Otherwise, as some has pointed out, it might be a tad low.