Singapore can feel like a paradise for expats but is exhausting for locals, says foreigner

SINGAPORE: A foreigner who’s been in Singapore for some time now pointed out that the lived experience in the city-state can be very different for expatriates and locals.

Zita (@littleexpats_sg), a mother of two, wrote in a May 30 Instagram post that she has heard people say, “Singapore is a paradise for foreigners, but not for locals.” Having been in the city-state for the past two years, she has begun to understand just what it means.

“To many experts, Singapore can feel almost perfect. Taxes are low. The streets are clean. Public transport is amazing. It’s safe. Everything just works efficiently,” she wrote in the text overlay of her post.

However, she pointed out that this particular experience of Singapore is not the same for everyone. While expats benefit from attractive salary packages and a mindset of staying in the city only temporarily, Singaporeans, by contrast, have a less carefree lifestyle.

“Locals are dealing with realities we often don’t see,” she wrote, going on to enumerate these as “the rising cost of living, long working hours, relentless competition, and the competitive education system.”

She concluded her post by acknowledging that “Singapore can be a dream for foreigners while being exhausting for locals. Many expats dream of staying longer, while many Singaporeans dream of leaving their own country for a slower life.”

Her post has since gotten hundreds of comments.

A Singaporean Instagram user agreed with her premise and opined, “On top of it, I don’t see a possible future for starting a family and raising kids here. Life is too fast-paced; I want my future children to enjoy nature and the countryside more than computers and iPads. A country rich in culture, history, and traditions, such as Korea and Japan, [is] better than the city-state Singapore.”

Another replied to this, saying, “Exactly. If Singapore wants to pull its birth rate up, it had better do something very good about this and stop its meritocracy (talk). Honestly, SG deserves its falling birth rate fully.”

“The only way I could have 4 children was to leave Singapore! I wanted to raise children with no early pressure from exams. More nature. More cooperation and understanding. Now my half-Singaporean kids admire Singapore but could never imagine living there,” a commenter chimed in.

Others, however, pushed back, saying they would not live anywhere else but Singapore. 

“I am Singaporean and widely travelled. While we are not perfect, it is still the best place for me to be. There is no place without challenges, and we should take these as opportunities for us to forge something new and grow. Those who need help are certainly not left behind. The difficulties you listed can be even more severe in other countries,” one wrote.

“I beg to differ. Sure, there are those who long to live elsewhere, and they are entitled to their opinion, but for me as a Singaporean, I would never imagine living anywhere else other than Singapore. While Singapore may not be perfect (but which country is), it is safe, clean, efficient, and things work. There are many paths as far as the education system goes, so it doesn’t have to be stressful,” added another. /TISG

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