Singapore’s Clean & Safe Reputation Comes at a Cost

Quality of life is attractive for foreign workers but once in Singapore, expats find that working abroad and finances are challenging.

Expect Great Digitization
Singapore Leads in Personal Safety
An Average Social Life
A Strong Economy Requires Long Hours
It’s Expensive to Live
Further Reading
External References

Singapore ranks 27th out of 53 cities in the 2024 Expat City Ranking. This result is nowhere near its 10th place in 2022, as the Working Abroad (40th) and Personal Finance (47th) languish in the bottom of the ranking. Expat Essentials (11), Quality of Life (13th), and Ease of Settling In (26th) are at least doing well. This mix sees expats ranking this city-state 29th when it comes to their happiness with life abroad.

Expect Great Digitization

A third of Singapore’s population is made up of foreign workers.¹ Thus, the city makes sure aspects related to the Expat Essentials Index (11th) are simple. In fact, three of the index’s four subcategories are in the top 10. What brings down the index ranking is Housing (34th): a staggering 80% of respondents rate its affordability negatively (vs. 47% globally).

Beyond accommodation woes, Digital Life (5th), Admin Topics (6th), and Language (7th) are a breeze. Expats can get high-speed internet access at home (3rd), and government services are readily available online (3rd). It’s also easy to deal with the local bureaucracy or authorities (2nd).

Singapore Leads in Personal Safety

After covering their essentials, expats can enjoy a good Quality of Life (13th) in Singapore. The standout subcategory is Travel & Transit (5th). Public transportation is available (7th) and affordable (11th), and it’s both easy and safe to get around on foot or bicycle (10th). The infrastructure for cars is also decent (15th).

Singapore is the city where expats feel the most secure in terms of personal safety (1st): not one respondent gave this factor a negative rating (vs. 8% globally). Political stability is also high (8th). However, expats aren’t as confident when it comes to the ability to openly express themselves and their opinions (46th): only 42% positively rate this factor, 20 percentage points lower than the global average (62%). This places the Safety & Security Subcategory in 11th place.

“I like the clean food, clean air, and clean water; the access to public transport; how safe it is for kids and adults, there are no guns and no crime. It’s amazing here, despite freedom of speech being limited. Never going back to US if I can help it!” – US American expat

A little lower in the ranking, but still above average, are the Environment & Climate (22nd) and Healthcare (24th) Subcategories. Expats have praise for the quality of medical care (13th), the urban environment (10th), and the government’s policies to protect the environment (8th). The natural environment (46th) and affordability of healthcare (48th) don’t delight, however.

And below average is Leisure Options (31st). While there appears to be a vibrant food scene (only 4% of respondents rate this factor negatively vs. 13% globally), there are few opportunities for recreational sports (42nd). The culture & nightlife is on par with the global average (69% positive ratings vs. 66% globally).

Singapore doesn’t perform as strongly in the Ease of Settling In Index, but it’s still average in 26th place. In terms of Local Friendliness (26th), around three in five expats find that locals are friendly in general (61%) and towards foreign residents (59%), which is slightly below the global average of 63% and 61%, respectively.

For Culture & Welcome (27th), more than half feel at home (51%) and welcome (57%), but this is also below the global average of 58% and 63%, respectively.

And despite 42% of respondents agreeing that making local friends is easy (vs. 38% globally), not fully half (46%) are happy with their social life in Singapore (vs. 52%). Overall, this places Finding Friends 19th.

A Strong Economy Requires Long Hours

The majority of expats (60%) relocated to Singapore for job-related reasons (vs. 35% globally). However, the Working Abroad Index doesn’t impress in 40th place, due to the mixed performance of its subcategories.

Salary & Job Security (20th) is bolstered by the strong state of the economy: more than eight in ten expats (85%) rate this factor positively (vs. 59% globally). But compared to the global average, expats are less likely to believe they’re paid fairly for their work (54% vs. 58% globally) and be satisfied with their job security (46% vs. 56%).

In 26th place is Career Prospects. Nearly seven in ten expats in Singapore (69%) say moving improved their career prospects (vs. 56% globally). However, they’re not as pleased when it comes to the local job market (28% positive responses vs. 41%).

Work & Leisure is in the bottom 5 (51st), as expats are neither satisfied with their working hours (29% negative responses vs. 17% globally) nor work–life balance (29% vs. 19%). Expats in Singapore work almost three hours more than their global counterparts per week (45.3 h full time vs. 42.5 h).

“The extremely high workload in foreign companies means a bad work–life balance for expats.” – German expat

Overall, job satisfaction and whether the local business culture supports flexibility rank 40th and 45th, respectively, putting Singapore in 42nd place for the Work Culture & Satisfaction Subcategory.

It’s Expensive to Live

In addition to job woes, the Personal Finance Index is in the bottom 10 (47th). Expats are unhappy with the general cost of living in Singapore: 75% rate this factor negatively, compared to 39% globally. Over a quarter (27%) even give it the worst possible rating (vs. 9%). This explains why two-thirds of respondents (66%) cited high living costs as one of their biggest concerns prior to their relocation to Singapore.

Nevertheless, the same share as the global average finds that their disposable household income is about or more than enough to lead a comfortable life (70% each). And half of expats in Singapore (50%) are satisfied with their financial situation, which isn’t too far off the global average of 54%.

“I really like the quality of life, despite the exponentially high cost of living. It’s fine living here till my bank balance diminishes.” – Indian expat