SINGAPORE: A Singaporean man recently turned to Reddit to express his frustration with the rising cost of living, saying that even with a nearly $200,000 annual income, upgrading his lifestyle still feels like a pipe dream.
In a post shared on Wednesday (May 29), the man recounted how six years ago, he and his wife bought a 5-room resale flat in preparation for starting a family. They also managed to afford a Korean car, which was well within their means back then.
But fast forward to today, and even with what many would consider a high income, he says the idea of buying a condo or replacing his ageing car feels completely out of reach.
“Am I the only one who feels that in Singapore, cars and condos are out of reach for most of us?” he asked other locals. “I don’t find myself able to afford a condo…and today I don’t find myself being able to afford to change a car either. Yet I am seeing so many families buying condos or driving Conti cars. Is an annual S$200k really so low income that we can only stay in HDB now?
He then proceeded to break down his monthly expenses, which total over S$12,000:
“My monthly fixed cash outflow is close to S$12,000. S$1,275 top-up to SRS, S$2,000 for my parents, S$1,500 into stocks, S$2,000 for the mortgage loan, S$800 for the helper, S$1,000 in income tax, S$800 on insurance, and S$3,000 on bills.”
At the end of his post, he asked others in the forum, “Am I the only one who feels this way? It’s quite depressing.”
“Your life is better when you stop comparing.”
In the comments, however, many found his post to be somewhat out of touch, pointing out that his struggles stemmed more from comparison and lifestyle expectations than actual hardship.
One wrote, “It’s because you compare too much and try to be the same as them. Once you stay in a condo, you find it much more similar to an HDB after a few years. In fact, some condos do not have refreshing/upgrading as some HDBs.”
Another commented, “Your life is better when you stop comparing and focus on what you really want instead of having what others have.”
A third pointed out, “What would be different if you lived in a condo? I agree that S$200k is somewhere in the ballpark of the bare minimum if you have multiple non-working dependents and wish to live in some comfort. But most people make do with a lot less. There is no use comparing your life to anyone else.”
In other news, a woman shared on social media that her former boss has been spreading false claims about her after she resigned from a company she believed she had left on good terms.
In a detailed post on the r/askSingapore subreddit, the woman explained that she left her job at the end of 2024 after serving the standard one-month notice period. At the time of her departure, there were no signs of conflict or tension, and she assumed everything had ended amicably.
However, weeks after her departure, troubling rumours began to reach her through former colleagues and people in her professional network.
Featured image by freepik (for illustration purposes only)