Essentials
- City
- Singapore, Republic of Singapore
- Population
- Approximately 5.9 million
- Internet Speed
- Average fixed broadband speed of 250+ Mbps; 5G coverage 95%+
- Currency & Banking
- Singapore Dollar (SGD). 1 USD ≈ 1.34 SGD, 1 SGD ≈ 0.75 USD
- Tap Water
- Drinkable and meets WHO standards directly from the tap
- Power
- 230V, 50Hz, 🔌 Type G (British style three-pin)
- SIM Card
- Singtel, StarHub, M1. Prepaid Hi! SIM from Singtel (100GB for $15 SGD)
- Banking for Expats
- DBS, OCBC, UOB; digital banks like Trust Bank and Revolut are highly popular
- Accommodation
- Service apartments like Lyf Funan or Figment (Heritage Shophouse coliving); long-term HDB/Condo rentals via PropertyGuru
- Cashless Friendly
- Yes, extremely high adoption (PayNow, GrabPay, Visa/Mastercard, Apple Pay)
- Short Term Rentals
- Lyf Funan ($2,800+/mo), Heritage Collection ($2,200+/mo). Note: Airbnb has a 3-month legal minimum for private homes
- Budget Accommodation
- Wink @ Upper Cross Street (Hostel, ~$50 SGD/night), Beary Best! Chinatown
- Best Area to Stay for Tourists
- Marina Bay for luxury, Orchard Road for shopping, or Civic District for culture
- Best Area to Stay for Digital Nomads
- Tiong Bahru (cafes/heritage), River Valley (central/residential), or Katong (East Coast vibes)
Working and Networking
- Best Coworking Space
- The Working Capitol (Keong Saik Road) - ~$450 SGD/month hot desk; WeWork (multiple locations)
- Best Cafe for Work
- Five Oars Coffee Roasters (Upper East Coast Road), Genius Central (Amoy St) - explicitly work-friendly with plugs
- Networking Events
- Launchpad (Startup events), Singapore Fintech Festival, Meetup.com groups like 'Singapore Digital Nomads'
- Social Events for Expats
- Internations Singapore, Expat Living Singapore events, and Singapore Cricket Club social memberships
Transportation
- Best Taxi/Ride App
- Grab, Gojek, Tada, and Zig (ComfortDelGro)
- Bike/Scooter Rental
- Anywheel and HelloRide (app-based bicycles). Shared e-scooters are banned on footpaths
- Best Beach Nearby
- Tanjong Beach (Sentosa) for vibes; Lazarus Island for seclusion (accessible via ferry from Marina South Pier)
- Top Regional Airline
- Jetstar Asia, Scoot (Budget)
- Top International Airline
- Singapore Airlines (SIA)
- Highway Access
- Extensive network: PIE (Pan Island Expressway), ECP (East Coast Parkway), AYE (Ayer Rajah Expressway)
- Main Train/Transit Hub
- Dhoby Ghaut MRT (Interchange for 3 lines), City Hall, and Raffles Place
- Public Transport Passes
- Ez-Link card or SimplyGo (use your own credit card). Monthly Travel Pass (~$128 SGD)
- Regional Travel
- Bus/Train to Johor Bahru (Malaysia), Ferry to Batam/Bintan (Indonesia) from Tanah Merah
Health and Wellness
- Best Hospital
- Mount Elizabeth Hospital (Private) or Singapore General Hospital (Public)
- Yoga & Wellness Centers
- Yoga Movement (various locations, ~$30/class), Pure Yoga (Ngee Ann City)
- Gyms & Fitness Centers
- Fitness First, Anytime Fitness (widest coverage), GymmBoxx (affordable public option)
- Laundry Services
- Laundrymart (Self-service kiosks), Piing! (On-demand app delivery)
Food and Drink
- Best Food Delivery App
- GrabFood, Foodpanda, Deliveroo
- Best Local Dish to Try
- Hainanese Chicken Rice at Tian Tian (Maxwell Food Centre), Laksa at 328 Katong Laksa
- Vegan/Vegetarian Options
- The Whole Kitchen (CBD), Afterglow (Keong Saik), WellSmoocht
- Best Dessert Spots
- Birds of Paradise (Botanical gelato), 2am:dessertbar (Janice Wong)
- Affordable Shopping Spots
- Mustafa Centre (24/7 Little India), Don Don Donki (Japanese discount chain)
- E-commerce/Online Store
- Shopee, Lazada, Amazon.sg
- Grocery Delivery
- RedMart (via Lazada), FairPrice Online
- Bar/Nightlife Area
- Clarke Quay, Telok Ayer, and Keong Saik Road
- Local Brewery
- Brewerkz (Riverside Point), Level33 (World's highest urban microbrewery)
- Wine Bars
- Wine Connection (Widely available/affordable), RVLT (Natural wines, Carpenter St)
- Street Food Stalls
- Old Airport Road Food Centre, Newton Food Centre, Lau Pa Sat
- Popular International Cuisine
- Din Tai Fung (Taiwanese), Pizzeria Mozza (Italian), Burnt Ends (Australian BBQ)
Culture and Attractions
- Must-See Landmarks
- Gardens by the Bay, Marina Bay Sands, Merlion Park
- Museums & Art Venues
- National Gallery Singapore, ArtScience Museum, SAM at Tanjong Pagar Distripark
- Historical Sites
- Fort Canning Park, Battlebox, Changi Chapel and Museum
- Religious Sites
- Buddha Tooth Relic Temple, Sri Mariamman Temple, Sultan Mosque
- Annual Events
- F1 Singapore Grand Prix (September), Thaipusam, Chinese New Year Light-up
- Cultural Districts
- Kampong Glam (Malay), Little India, Chinatown
- Theater Venues
- Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay, Victoria Theatre
- Local Markets
- Tiong Bahru Market (Wet market), Geylang Serai Market
- Music Scene
- The Projector (Indie), Marquee (Mainstream/EDM), Blu Jaz Cafe (Jazz)
- Street Art
- Haji Lane, Everton Park murals by Yip Yew Chong
- Cooking Classes
- Food Playground (Cultural cooking classes), Palate Sensations
- Art Galleries
- Gillman Barracks (Cluster of contemporary galleries)
- Historic Buildings
- The Fullerton Hotel, CHIJMES, National Museum of Singapore
- Local Heritage
- Peranakan culture (Intan Museum), Hawker culture (UNESCO Heritage)
Nature and Outdoor Activities
- Nearby Nature Escapes
- MacRitchie Reservoir (TreeTop Walk), Pulau Ubin (Rustic island)
- National Parks Nearby
- Singapore Botanic Gardens (UNESCO Site), Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve
- Cycling/Walking Paths
- Park Connector Network (PCN), Southern Ridges (10km trail)
- Scenic Viewpoints
- Mount Faber Peak, Henderson Waves bridge, SkyVille@Dawson (Public roof garden)
- Birdwatching Locations
- Jurong Lake Gardens, Pasir Ris Park
- Bonfire-Friendly Spots
- Strictly prohibited in public parks/beaches; only allowed at designated BBQ pits with permits
Other Services and Amenities
- Parcel Delivery Service
- SingPost, NinjaVan, J&T Express
- Tech Repair Services
- Sim Lim Square (Central hub for all electronics/repairs)
- Table Tennis Spots
- Community Clubs (CC) islandwide via OnePA portal
- Language Classes
- Alliance Française, Goethe-Institut, skillsfuture-funded Mandarin courses
- Libraries & Study Spots
- National Library (Victoria St), library@orchard (Design focused)
- Community Centers
- Tampines Hub (Integrated sports/community/library)
- Gaming Lounges
- Bountie Arena (Esports), Play Nation (Console/Board games)
- Casino & Gaming Halls
- Marina Bay Sands Casino, Resorts World Sentosa Casino
Business
- Studio Purchase Price (City Center)
- Approx. $28,000 per m² (e.g., 40 m² = $1,120,000 SGD)
- Studio Purchase Price (Outside City)
- Approx. $16,000 per m² (e.g., 40 m² = $640,000 SGD)
- 1-Bedroom Purchase Price (City Center)
- Approx. $26,000 per m² (e.g., 60 m² = $1,560,000 SGD)
- 1-Bedroom Purchase Price (Outside City)
- Approx. $14,500 per m² (e.g., 60 m² = $870,000 SGD)
- 2-Bedroom Purchase Price (City Center)
- Approx. $24,000 per m² (e.g., 80 m² = $1,920,000 SGD)
- 2-Bedroom Purchase Price (Outside City)
- Approx. $13,500 per m² (e.g., 80 m² = $1,080,000 SGD)
- Corporate Tax
- Flat 17% (with partial exemptions for startups)
- Dividend Withholding Tax
- 0% (Singapore follows a one-tier corporate tax system)
- Tax System
- Territorial tax system (Generally no tax on foreign-sourced income)
- Highest Income Tax Bracket
- 24% (for income above $1,000,000 SGD)
- VAT
- 9% GST (Goods and Services Tax)
- Controlled Foreign Company (CFC) Rules
- No CFC rules currently in place
- Property Tax
- Yes, progressive rates based on Annual Value (AV) of the property
- Property Transaction Tax
- Buyer's Stamp Duty (up to 6%) + Additional Buyer's Stamp Duty (ABSD) for foreigners (60%)
- Attractive Tax System for Digital Nomads
- No capital gains tax; ONE Pass for high earners; territorial tax benefits