SINGAPORE: Mr Jonathan Lim, a 27-year-old Civil Engineer from Malaysia, showed in a recent TikTok how he survives on S$10 a day for meals and transportation in Singapore.
If you follow his account, @jonlzx, you’ll see that Jonathan’s life is an unusual one. In his latest and most-watched video, he answers the question, “Is spending 10dollars enough for a day working in SINGAPORE?”
@jonlzx Part 6: Is spending 10dollars enough for a day working in SINGAPORE? #sgvlog #worklife #minivlog #fypシ #simplelife
In his latest video, which has racked up nearly 64,000 views, he showed his breakfast of a peanut butter sandwich eaten on the go is technically free so the rest of the S$10 can go toward his lunch and dinner.
Lunch is cai fan at a nearby hawker centre, which sets him back S$3.60 for a sizable portion of rice, broccoli and chicken. After ending work, he grabs a quick bite before going for a run, getting a cranberry cream cheese bun for S$1.50
He then goes to a FairPrice Xtra to buy dinner—two “giant-sized” roast chicken drumsticks, which he said were “juicy and quite flavorful.”
Jonathan also showed that whole roasted chickens are available at FairPrice Xtra for just S$5, which he tried once but couldn’t finish.
“In general, 10++ dollars is more than enough to spend in a normal day,” he wrote at the end. “Hope this video helps those who (are) planning to work in SG to have a rough idea on SG living cost.”
Additionally, Jonathan works three days a week in Singapore, and the rest is spent working from home in Kluang, Johor, where he lives with his wife. When Jonathan is in Singapore, usually from Mondays to Wednesdays, he stays at capsule hotels or budget hostels because renting in Singapore has gotten so expensive.
He said in an earlier TikTok that he looks for places that cost less than S$35 per night, and to stretch his dollars (and ringgit!) even further, he keeps a lookout online for when his favourite hostels are giving discount rates.
In one of his videos, he showed that he was staying at one of the 7 Wonders Hostels, which has the added bonus of a free breakfast—usually toast, spreads, cereal, and coffee or tea.
@jonlzx Replying to @kumuhaimin7 One of the CHEAPEST stay in Singapore! Follow to know more about my worklife in Singapore! #singapore #sgvlog #budgethostel #travellife #worklife #workvlog #fyp #travelvlogs
/TISG
https://theindependent.sg/with-rental-prices-reaching-all-time-high-in-singapore-this-year-heres-how-you-can-make-the-most-of-your-budget/