Key Considerations for Expats in Singapore

Singapore, while a small island, is a place that requires a good understanding of what to expect to make sure you are living there in harmony with the people, the culture and the people.

Here are a few key considerations for Singapore expats:

• Clean city - Keep it clean. 
• Rules and fines - People aren't joking when they call Singapore a "fine" city. The people of the city at times need some financial motivation for certain behaviours to be prevented. Think of people spitting anyway in your home country, it's rude and not nice. So Singapore has rules like this to stop people from being rude and instead live in a more polite manner with each other.
• Getting around by car - Cars are expensive, though it can be affordable if your budget allows for it. Cars range from 80-100k SGD depending on the car make, model and age. Cars are generally only on the roads for 10 years. The biggest cost associated with cars is the COE, which is the Certificate of Entitlement that you may hear locals talk and sometimes even complain about.
• Getting around by public transport - This is the easiest and cheapest way around. Singapore has one of the best and most efficient public transport systems in the world. I normally only wait 3-5 minutes for a train to arrive and it rarely breaks down. 
• Getting around by cabs - Cheap and easy when you compare cabs with Western country cabs.
• The cost of living in the city of Singapore - Not the cheapest when compared to other Southeast Asian countries, but it's because Singapore has a very strong economy, hence higher costs for goods and services. It's generally more the former than the latter, but has will changing in recent years.