Nestled in the heart of Southeast Asia is the tiny, cosmopolitan island nation of Singapore. Renowned the world over for its status as a bustling financial and technological hub, Singapore is a popular destination for expats to shore up and settle down. However, just like any other big move abroad, there are several things you should take note of as part of your relocation preparations. Housing factors, like service apartments in Singapore, are just one of many aspects of everyday life that should be anticipated beforehand. Here’s what you need to know.
Learn more: 7 reasons to go for a Serviced Apartment for your business or leisure trip to Singapore
Language
Singaporeans primarily speak English, but for the most part, it isn’t the English that you’d probably be accustomed to. Singapore’s unique brand of English, also endearingly known as Singlish, combines English with Cantonese expressions that concludes a sentence, as well as a medley of borrowed words from other languages and dialects that Singapore’s racial demographic comprises. While you’d probably be able to understand Singlish more often than not, there will be phrases that may seem alien to you at the start. Living in monthly serviced apartments in Singapore, where a majority of the tenants are fellow expats, you may not be exposed to Singlish regularly, but it’s important to familiarise yourself with the language by mingling with locals in the heartlands and the workplace.
Humid Weather
If you’re moving to Singapore from a temperate country, you should know that many Singaporeans joke about the country only having two kinds of weather — hot and hotter. Additionally, Singapore is a tropical country, which means that humidity is here to stay, all day every day. Apart from the short monsoon season towards the end of every year, expect warm and sweaty weather otherwise. The good news is that there are beautiful parks situated close to the water if you need to step away for fresh air and cool breezes. We are also a green city that boats flora aplenty, which helps keep the overall temperature at an acceptable level. If you’re looking for a service apartment for rent in Singapore monthly with providers like Expat Corporate Apartments, you’ll also have amenities like swimming pools to keep cool.
Shopping & Gastronomic Paradise
Singapore is also renowned for its abundance of shopping malls and restaurants, as well as the more local-centric shophouses and hawker centres — in other words, amazing shopping and food at every corner of the country. As a country that is constantly evolving, expect even more retail and food options to spring up even in the smallest neighbourhoods in the coming years, so wherever you may be, you won’t be short of things to buy and delicious food to indulge in. What’s more — staying at a service apartment in Singapore with Expat Corporate Apartments places you in close proximity to public transportation hubs with shopping malls affixed to them.
Cost of Living
While taxes in Singapore are generally lower than other developed countries around the world, its land scarcity means that the cost of cars and housing can be significantly steeper than other countries with abundant land. This is why Singapore has invested heavily in public transportation to make it as efficient and accessible as possible. Apart from cars and housing, everything else remains reasonable, including healthcare, with a substantial healthcare infrastructure already in place to keep medical expenses affordable. If you’re planning to raise a family here, you should find yourself in good hands for the most part. Speaking of affordability, Expat Corporate Apartments offers a flexible leasing plan that can be adjusted to best suit your budget — whether you’re staying in a studio apartment, a 2-bedroom apartment, or even a 3-bedroom serviced apartment in Singapore, you should be able to find something without breaking the bank.
For more information about our apartments and leasing plans, please visit our website.
