What are your thoughts on living in Singapore? How does it compare to other countries in terms of quality of life, food, cost of living, etc.?
I've only lived in three country's (cities) in my life so I guess my answer may not be as broad but I think it still merits something.
I was born and raised in the Philippines and mostly lived in Manila (Metro Manila) until I was 32 years old when I moved to Kuala Lumpur (actually Petaling Jaya but it's basically just Greater KL anyway), Malaysia. Then just four years living and working there, I moved and still am now in Singapore.
My thoughts on living in Singapore, I've written quite a few answers and to sum it up is convenience, comfort and safety (you can check out my other answers). Among the three countries I lived in I could certainly say that Singapore stands out in these aspects.
Since it's a small country and technologically advanced comparing to it's neighbors, it uses this to its advantage to make the lives of their constituents and guests much easier and safer. In essence and in effect, quality of life is also much better. A good example is Internet speed and stability. With this, doing payments, shopping, and even traveling is easier. Imagine using your phone to tap in and out of buses and trains and you don't even need to reload a card or RF devices. Communication and entertainment on mobile digital devices seem very ubiquitous because of very good Internet as well. I guess having a small area to maintain and invest in is really an advantage infrastructure wise.
Food quality and variety is always contentious here in Singapore especially since they basically came from Malaysia and most of their culture overlaps. Food is one that they usually (and pettily) argue over. Personally, I think Malaysia still has the edge in terms of 'authenticity' but I admire Singapore's diversity and boldness to explore more. Food is also easier to access here in SG as again, it's smaller area. Food delivery is often good since their road infrastructure and connectivity is better too. Again one of those, convenience points.
Cost of living. Well, it doesn't need to be argued that Singapore is the worst if you're going to compare it to the other countries I lived in. But it's really not that simple to be honest. If you factor in 'bang for your buck' and quality, I will always say Singapore is on top. For example, we go again with Internet service. Here in Singapore you can avail a home broadband for as low as $50 a month (around 2,000 pesos) and it would probably at least have 300Mbps and very reliable stability. In the Philippines, you pay P2,000 for probably the same bandwidth but the reliability and true to speed is often disappointing. Even grocery items in the Philippines vs Singapore almost also suffers from this disparity of quality over price. I'm definitely happier shelling out a few more extra money since I get better quality products in the grocery here. I do miss a lot of items back from the Philippines though (sucks to be an OFW sometimes).
Overall, I would say Singapore is a nice very place to live and work in as long as you are mindful of your finances. Retiring here is not too good though as you probably would want to live in a cheaper place with more travel options.
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