‘Is Singapore just an illusion?’ Foreigner nurse-to-be questions reality of life in SG

A nurse who is planning to move to Singapore shared an ideal post-work routine on Reddit after moving to the country: hopping on the MRT, eating street food, people-watching, hitting the gym or climbing, and drinking coffee all day. 

With this image in mind, the netizen painted a picture that Singapore is a place where the lifestyle after working hours seems kind of chill, and claimed that all the food is everywhere and everyone knows everyone. 

However, the netizen also admitted that this kind of lifestyle might turn out to be boring once the money runs dry, and asked if this is all kind of an illusion. 

Several netizens then shared their thoughts and opinions on the said post. A comment immediately shut off the ideal lifestyle after working hours and admitted: “You won’t have the energy to do all those after work,” which was supported by another response stating: “Especially for a nurse.” 

Another netizen declared that the cost of living in the country is very high, and that even though the food is ‘relatively affordable’, rent can be expensive. The netizen also added that climbing, the hobby that was listed, is an expensive one as well, and in the healthcare industry, working hours are too long. 

“This does not sound like real life in Singapore at all,” one more netizen remarked.

Moreover, a netizen was kind enough to comment on the experiences of working as a nurse in Singapore, and said: “Nursing in SG is extremely underpaid and overworked. You said that your current nursing job is boring and too easy… it’s the complete opposite for nursing in Singapore. Lots of burnout for locals.”

And to answer the poster’s question whether all is just an illusion, a netizen commented: “It’s an illusion. You can have the same lifestyle in your home country too, you don’t need to move to Singapore just to have it. The only reason why you’re having this romanticised version of what you perceive to be your potential daily life in Singapore is because of escapism fueled by unrealistic posts on social media.” 

Working as a nurse in Singapore is a high-demand field, and it offers competitive pay compared to other Asian countries. However, experiences vary widely from one individual to another, especially depending on one’s personal circumstances and expectations.