Reviews of cities, countries, employers and services abroad

Destination

Singapore· Singapore

Safe, efficient and delicious, but not cheap

Singapore works. Transport, government services, banking and healthcare are all efficient, and it is the safest place I have lived. Hawker food is cheap and excellent, and Changi Airport makes weekend trips around Asia easy. Taxes are low, so savings grow quickly on a professional salary. The costs are rent, alcohol, cars and international schools. A room in a condo is around 2,000 dollars and a family can spend a fortune on school fees. The heat and humidity never stop. Social life takes effort because many expats leave after a few years, but clubs and running groups help a lot.

Extremely safe

Efficient public services

High rent

Constant humidity

Thabo Mokoena29 days ago5

Bank

Wise

Transparent and cheap for sending money to South Africa

I use Wise every month to send money from Singapore to South Africa. The exchange rate is the mid-market rate with a clear fee, so I know exactly what my family will receive. Most transfers arrive the same day. Compared with my bank's international transfer, I save about 2 to 3 percent each time. The multi-currency card is also useful when I travel around Asia, as I can hold baht, yen and ringgit. Verification when I first signed up took two days. It is not a replacement for a local bank account for salary and bills, but for international money it is my first choice.

Mid-market exchange rate