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A Chinese expat’s candid take about her life in Singapore is making the rounds online.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In the viral post, the woman described how two years here left her feeling like she had taken a step down in life, despite what many assume about working in Singapore. “In what outsiders see as a land of wealth, I\u2019ve been experiencing what a cliff-like drop in social class really feels like,” she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It is unclear what her age is or what her occupation is.<\/p>\n
Her tipping point? A late-night moment in the CBD.<\/p>\n
\u201cI instinctively opened the Grab app. Seeing the surge pricing that felt almost like daylight robbery, I hesitated by the roadside for three seconds, then quietly turned and walked toward the MRT,\u201d she wrote.<\/p>\n
She then went on to say how she misses her life in Shanghai.<\/p>\n
\u201cBack then, I\u2019d just call a private car whenever I went out. I\u2019d come home to a freshly cooked four-dish meal. On weekends, I\u2019d drive around Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai for short road trips and fresh air. Friends and family all thought moving to Singapore meant I\u2019d ‘made it’. But only I know the truth. I came here to struggle and tough it out,\u201d she lamented.<\/p>\n
She also said that in China, owning a BMW, Audi, or Mercedes was normal for the middle class.<\/p>\n
\u201cHere? The cost of a COE alone could cover a down payment for a home in my hometown in Shanghai. Seeing an ordinary Japanese car priced at S$100K\u2013200K was a slap in the face. In Singapore, owning a car isn\u2019t a middle-class symbol, it\u2019s an entry ticket to the truly wealthy. For regular working people like us, public transport is the only realistic option,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
The woman also felt that housing here was pricey, saying the rent she collects for her Shanghai apartment was not enough to rent a master bedroom in Singapore.<\/p>\n
I used to live in a spacious apartment. Now, I\u2019m squeezed into a tiny condo unit. Every month when I pay rent, it genuinely hurts. That suffocating feeling of cramped living, no amount of shiny CBD office badges can offset it,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
As for food, she says her daily meals are mostly carb-heavy hawker food that is oily and salty.<\/p>\n
If I want a proper meal from home cuisine on weekends, the final bill with GST and service charge feels like I just swallowed gold. Even buying durian now requires serious budgeting. Is this really the ‘high salary, high life’ people talk about?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cI worked so hard, thinking moving here meant levelling up. Instead, it feels like I\u2019ve gone back to square one overnight. On paper, the salary in Singapore dollars looks great, but in reality, I\u2019m living like a ‘refined poor person’,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n
She also admitted that social media doesn\u2019t help, and seeing friends back home going on weekend getaways, such as camping, taking road trips makes her unhappy with her life in Singapore.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis so-called \u2018overseas elite\u2019 identity I have feels like a thin cover that\u2019s about to fall apart under Singapore\u2019s sky-high cost of living.<\/p>\n
Still, she acknowledged Singapore\u2019s upsides, including safety and stability.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can leave your bag at a hawker centre seat. But when that \u201csense of security\u201d comes at the cost of a significant downgrade in quality of life, I can\u2019t help but ask myself: is it really worth it?\u201d she wrote.<\/p>\n
She ended her post asking if anyone is like her, quietly struggling in \u201cinvisible poverty\u201d.<\/p>\n
If she was expecting sympathy, she didn\u2019t quite get it.<\/p>\n
Many netizens were quick to push back, with some saying her expectations were simply mismatched.<\/p>\n
\u201cDoes it feel like wearing a brand name but empty pockets?\u201d one commenter quipped.<\/p>\n
Others were more direct, with one writing: \u201cIf the lifestyle doesn\u2019t suit you, leave\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt’s not too late, you can go back now, maybe this is not for you, because people in Singapore don’t care about this kind of thing,\u201d another netizen wrote.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you keep this mindset for much longer, you may get depression. Why not just quit and go back to Shanghai?\u201d asked a netizen.<\/p>\n
On the flipside, Anna, a Singaporean in her 30s who has been working in Shanghai for about two years, who spoke to 8days, has a different take: The expat isn\u2019t entirely wrong, but she\u2019s not seeing the full picture either.<\/p>\n
Anna agreed that, although Shanghai is one of China\u2019s most expensive cities, the cost of living is still generally lower than in Singapore, and convenience is hard to beat.<\/p>\n
\u201cFood delivery can arrive in 30 minutes or less,\u201d she tells us.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But that convenience comes with its own price.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt can be really competitive in China. The pace of work can be more intense than in Singapore, and there\u2019s very little work-life balance,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n
Anna also pointed out that Singapore isn\u2019t exactly unlivable, and it just depends on how you approach it.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can still get affordable meals at hawker centres. And travelling to nearby countries is a plus with the strong currency,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn general, if she is not happy, then just change it,\u201d Anna added.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n