An Indian man in Singapore shared four cultural and lifestyle “shocks” he experienced after relocating from India, triggering discussion online about the stark contrasts between the two countries.
The video was shared on Instagram by Aman, a senior software engineer currently working in Singapore. In the caption of his post, he wrote, “4 Shocks I faced moving from India to Singapore. Hi, I’m a Senior Software Engineer in Singapore. Moving here wasn’t just a location change, it was a logic change.” He then broke down the differences that stood out to him the most.
According to Aman, the first major surprise was what he called the “wealth paradox.” He explained that cars in Singapore are nearly five times more expensive due to the Certificate of Entitlement (COE) system. As a result, using public transport is not seen as a sign of lower status.
“Seeing a guy in a tailored suit on the MRT is normal,” he pointed out, adding that public transport acts as a great equaliser across social classes.
The second shock revolved around food economics. Aman pointed out that in India, eating out was often considered a luxury, while in Singapore it was a practical choice. He explained that hawker centres – community food courts – were a daily necessity because the combined cost of groceries and time spent cooking often exceeded the price of eating out.
This shift in food culture, he said, takes time for Indians to mentally adjust to.
