In response to a recent report stating that Singapore is the 13th most expensive city for expats, Singaporeans are shedding a light on how much harder the financial situation is for locals.
A recently published study by ECA International revealed that Singapore has one of the highest costs of living for expatriates. The results of the survey are topped by Hong Kong, which is now in its second year of being the world’s most expensive city for expats.
In response to this, Singaporean netizens have highlighted the stark contrast between the experience of expats and actual locals. Many stressed that if expats find current costs of living to be high, then actual Singaporeans feel it more intensely. While some cited raised prices, others mentioned the nation’s goods and service tax (GST), which is set to increase.
“(It’s) also getting hard (for us) Singaporean citizens to stay,” wrote one netizen, while another zeroed in on the “long overdue” minimum wage. “It is obscene that (it) has not yet been implemented,” this online user said.
“If it’s already expensive for expats, then what about locals?” wrote another. “Why (the) concern over expats’ cost of living when they can move back to their own country? We locals are stuck here with high living costs.”
Still, a few others resorted to responding with sarcastic humour, with one even pleading “Please don’t fight for first place.”
