# Moving to SG



## tankje (Aug 1, 2011)

Have received my employed contract, told my current boss that Im leaving... this is to new horizons... Im moving to Singapore!

And yes, it's just me.... !

Have loads of questions and hope you can help with your experiences.

> My new employer will pay for the first month of accommodation but will be on my own thereafter. How long does it take to find suitable housing? 

> What % does housing typically take out of your total income? 

> On the rent is utilities etc included or does this come on top and how much is this typically?

> There is so much choice with regards to apartments... where do I start? I wont be driving, so would have to rely on public transport. Work is near Chinatown MRT station on the NE line... am I limiting myself too much by looking for places near the NE line? 

> What bank do you suggest to open an account. I'll be travelling a fair amount around APAC so would need one that gives me ATM coverage throughout

> Have you transferred money/savings from your home countries to SG. What are the things to consider (including choice of banks)

> What hidden costs am I missing when thinking about costs of living right now?

> Where do you meet other expats... are there districts where expats (with or without families) are more prevalent?


Thanks for your help! Much appreciated!


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## wesmant (Feb 10, 2012)

Let me try to help u a little. See below in between ur qs



tankje said:


> Have received my employed contract, told my current boss that Im leaving... this is to new horizons... Im moving to Singapore!
> 
> And yes, it's just me.... !
> 
> ...


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## BBCWatcher (Dec 28, 2012)

DBS has both the largest and the most crowded (longest lines) ATM network in Singapore. Seriously, they have the only ATMs which consistently have lines of people waiting to use them.

Citibank Singapore's "Tap and Save" account is my favorite in Singapore right now provided you can maintain the minimum balance before their deadline to avoid their monthly fee. That account comes with a Visa debit card with a 1% rebate on every purchase automatically credited back to your account. (It cannot be used for Internet and phone purchases, though, which is I think a good safety feature for a debit card.) The card also doubles as an EZ-Link card for trains and buses. I have never had a problem finding either a Citibank or an "ATM5" labeled machine nearby. I guess if you insist on carrying only $10 at a time and need to stop by the ATM before every purchase (and don't mind waiting in line) then DBS is better, but who does that?


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## allseasons (May 28, 2013)

tankje said:


> Have received my employed contract, told my current boss that Im leaving... this is to new horizons... Im moving to Singapore!
> 
> And yes, it's just me.... !
> 
> ...


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## jason.mantle1 (Jun 4, 2013)

Hi Tankje,

I can understand your anxiety as well as excitement... been through it before myself!

I moved to Singapore about 3 years ago and have never regretted the decision. As far as accommodation is concerned, it's not that difficult to find in Singapore, but you should keep a buffer. Since you have a month, you should be okay. Even if you find something a little farther than Chinatown, it doesn't matter;; Singapore is small, after all, and the public transport system is great, too. So ideally, if you're in any area within 30 mins of your work place you should be fine. Chinatown is also close to the city centre where the nightlife aand party places are, so you're good!

With regards banking, I'd suggest DBS or POSB. OCBC isn't bad but DBS has better options.

A lot of the expats also live out in the East, but that being said, they are all over the place.

Do let me know in case you need any more info; would be happy to help. Have a good journey to Sg!


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## Stratum (Apr 12, 2013)

Hi, finding rental accommodation in Singapore is relatively easy but tricky
Why do u think most people engage real estate services
Even though they could deal with themselves saving on the fees?
It boils down to at the end of day whose interests are protected
Do u think that landlord will protect ur interests or hers as priority?
How would u know with the same rental or less u couldn't get a better unit?
How do u verify that landlord is not phantom or if the terms are favorable to you?
Who can u find to resolve should there are conflicts arising?
The list could go on ...
It could be saving cents and losing dollars at the end of day
Feel free to email me at [email protected] if u require assistance

On further note, don't have to look at only one area
Though walking distance is good
Singapore is relatively easily accessible

As for most ATM coverage, posb/DBS will be ur first choice
Almost every shopping centre or mrt stations will have a posb/DBS ATM machines


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## BBCWatcher (Dec 28, 2012)

Stratum said:


> As for most ATM coverage, posb/DBS will be ur first choice
> Almost every shopping centre or mrt stations will have a posb/DBS ATM machines


Frequently with long queues.

I'm really amazed with this continuing advice in this forum which basically amounts to "I've always used DBS, so you should use DBS...and stand in queues with the rest of us." DBS is popular, certainly. It's also a reasonably competent bank. And it's also Singapore's most crowded bank. They also tend to charge higher fees, including S$5 plus a foreign exchange spread plus the local bank's ATM charge (if any) if you use your ATM card overseas, which is just obscene.

My household has accounts with three major banks in Singapore, so we can compare them: DBS, OCBC, and Citibank. The best of the bunch for us is Citibank, very specifically their "Tap and Save" account. And I hate to say that because Citibank is also my least favorite bank in certain other countries, but in Singapore they do a good job. And "almost every shopping centre" and MRT station will have a Citibank or "ATM5" machine, rarely with long queues. The one criticism I'd have is that Citibank cards are neither NETS nor NETS Flashpay cards, and there are some merchants that only accept NETS or cash. (Citibank cards are Visa or MasterCard with EPINS and also often EZ-Link.) If that problem really bothers you then there's a trivial solution: go to a TransitLink office at an MRT station, or to a major brand convenience store, or to an iNETS kiosk, and buy a fare card with the NETS Flashpay function.


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## wesmant (Feb 10, 2012)

BBCWatcher said:


> Frequently with long queues.
> 
> I'm really amazed with this continuing advice in this forum which basically amounts to "I've always used DBS, so you should use DBS...and stand in queues with the rest of us." DBS is popular, certainly. It's also a reasonably competent bank. And it's also Singapore's most crowded bank. They also tend to charge higher fees, including S$5 plus a foreign exchange spread plus the local bank's ATM charge (if any) if you use your ATM card overseas, which is just obscene.
> 
> My household has accounts with three major banks in Singapore, so we can compare them: DBS, OCBC, and Citibank. The best of the bunch for us is Citibank, very specifically their "Tap and Save" account. And I hate to say that because Citibank is also my least favorite bank in certain other countries, but in Singapore they do a good job. And "almost every shopping centre" and MRT station will have a Citibank or "ATM5" machine, rarely with long queues. The one criticism I'd have is that Citibank cards are neither NETS nor NETS Flashpay cards, and there are some merchants that only accept NETS or cash. (Citibank cards are Visa or MasterCard with EPINS and also often EZ-Link.) If that problem really bothers you then there's a trivial solution: go to a TransitLink office at an MRT station, or to a major brand convenience store, or to an iNETS kiosk, and buy a fare card with the NETS Flashpay function.


I do agree with you that Citibank in SG is particularly better than the same bank of other countries, specifically south east asia. As for me, i am a coibank user for the past 9 yrs too. However, for normal banking (like saving, salary paying account, giro for local bills) i do prefer DbS/pOSB, since This is the easiest to find its atm, which was why i like it. Q-ing at ATM is never a big issue to me, since in SG most shops accept cashless payment, i'll normally need some spare cash when I go to coffeeshops or wet market only. Keeping a hundred or two in my pocket at all times is normally sufficient to servr payment purpose. 

That's my reason


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## Stratum (Apr 12, 2013)

BBCWatcher said:


> Frequently with long queues.
> 
> I'm really amazed with this continuing advice in this forum which basically amounts to "I've always used DBS, so you should use DBS...and stand in queues with the rest of us." DBS is popular, certainly. It's also a reasonably competent bank. And it's also Singapore's most crowded bank. They also tend to charge higher fees, including S$5 plus a foreign exchange spread plus the local bank's ATM charge (if any) if you use your ATM card overseas, which is just obscene.
> 
> My household has accounts with three major banks in Singapore, so we can compare them: DBS, OCBC, and Citibank. The best of the bunch for us is Citibank, very specifically their "Tap and Save" account. And I hate to say that because Citibank is also my least favorite bank in certain other countries, but in Singapore they do a good job. And "almost every shopping centre" and MRT station will have a Citibank or "ATM5" machine, rarely with long queues. The one criticism I'd have is that Citibank cards are neither NETS nor NETS Flashpay cards, and there are some merchants that only accept NETS or cash. (Citibank cards are Visa or MasterCard with EPINS and also often EZ-Link.) If that problem really bothers you then there's a trivial solution: go to a TransitLink office at an MRT station, or to a major brand convenience store, or to an iNETS kiosk, and buy a fare card with the NETS Flashpay function.


While they may have higher fees and longer queues, no doubt, there's a reason why almost everyone in Singapore uses posb/DBS 

Convenience is one thing. U can find ATMs not only in shopping centers and mrt stations but also in places like wet markets or housing estates
Where u can find a Citibank or overseas ATM, u r most likely to find a posb/DBS ATM nearby. Vice versa? I doubt so.
I'm not even touching on the nets services but u had alrdy covered that

So for withdrawal convenience and ATM coverage, I will still use posb/DBS 
But for others, such as dining, Uob and citibanks have better discounts with credit cards

In short, posb/DBS should be the first bank u should go to. Others u may consider as ur secondary accts, but u wouldn't wan to go without a posb/Dbs card


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## BBCWatcher (Dec 28, 2012)

OK, let's stipulate for sake of argument that DBS/POSB have ATMs at more locations than Citibank plus the ATM5 network.

So what? It's Singapore. It's not the Australian outback or the Russian Far East where civilization is separated by tens or hundreds of kilometers. My closest Citibank/ATM5 machine in one direction is the same distance as the (crowded) DBS/POSB machine. (Actually, slightly closer.) In the other direction the Citibank/ATM5 machine is literally 15 steps farther than the DBS/POSB machine. (In that direction the OCBC and UOB machines are closer.) This is typical.

The fact of the matter is that in Singapore you'll be walking by a Citibank/ATM5 machine inevitably during the course of your day. Then you get a couple hundred dollars in cash if you need it, and you're set. Whether you bank with DBS/POSB or Citibank/ATM5 you don't go to the machine every 5 minutes. You go once or twice a week (maybe), and during the course of that week you'll be passing by a Citibank/ATM5 machine many, many times, just as you will be passing by DBS/POSB machines many, many times.

And actually, if you still want the best ATM coverage (in terms of locations), it probably isn't DBS/POSB. It's probably OCBC/UOB. OCBC cardholders can use UOB machines and vice versa, so between those two banks there's probably more coverage. But any network with a reasonable number of machines -- Citibank/ATM5 has a reasonable number of machines -- can provide convenient banking services in Singapore, a very small country which is not Siberia.

As I mentioned before, I _hate_ to admit it. I have not been happy with Citibank in other countries. But Citibank does a good job in Singapore. In my dual-bank household, interactions with DBS are delay-prone, and Citibank provides quicker service for routine transactions. DBS/POSB may have lots of machines, but the fact is _they need to install even more_ -- they are not satisfying their customer demand as much as they should.


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## Stratum (Apr 12, 2013)

U have ur point of view, I have mine, and so do others to have theirs

I didn't mention citi or other banks are bad, don't get them etc

In fact, u r right too, DBS do have long queues especially during peak hrs
Ocbc and Uob however aren't as many as posb/DBS , at most on par
albeit u r right too, u can draw from either ATM with either card, 
but there are charges if u cross withdraw past the free few times


But I wouldn't wan to be caught in a situation whereby when I need to withdraw cash and the only nearby ATM is posb/DBS and I dont have the card
So having a posb/DBS card, I'm 99% safe
I do have Uob and citibank cards too, 
but only use them occasionally at those times u mentioned with long queues
Which is very rare for me


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## BBCWatcher (Dec 28, 2012)

Ikea Tampines has UOB and OCBC ATMs but not DBS/POSB. It's the end of the world!!!

....Please, this is ridiculous. DBS/POSB cardholders have to walk 200 meters, and Citibank has a machine near the free Ikea shuttle pickup. Does this mean DBS/POSB and Citibank are worse if you're an Ikea shopper? No! First of all, Ikea takes credit and debit cards! (Who uses cash? ) Also, during the course of the day if you walk anywhere you will walk by DBS/POSB, UOB/OCBC, and Citibank/ATM5 machines. Plastic forms of money are accepted everywhere, including in most taxis. Just maintain a minimum wallet balance and refill when you pass by a machine if you've dipped below the minimum. That strategy works perfectly well with any/all of these three ATM networks, although you'll be much more likely to stand in line at DBS/POSB.

Then, with Citibank, you'll get a 1% rebate on every Visa transaction with your free "Tap and Save" ATM/debit card, you'll get about 1.3% back for EZ-Link (net), you won't pay $S5 when using an overseas ATM, and you won't pay DBS's higher foreign exchange fees for Visa overseas (2.8% v. 2.5%, and that's not counting Citibank's higher rebate). Oh, and they pay better interest rates on deposits (though nobody is great these days). In other words, *every* transaction will be less expensive -- every single one.


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