Planning a move to Singapore can be overwhelming. So here’s a quick guide to help you out!
Living in a new city is one thing, but a new country? That’s a challenge on a whole other level. We bet you have tons of questions whizzing through your head. Where are the best neighbourhoods to rent a house in? If you have kids, which schools should you send them to? And what are the top attractions to visit? This handy guide will cover what you need to know about living in our sunny garden city. Psst: download our free Moving to Singapore 2022 e-guide for all the best tips.
Everything you need to know about living in Singapore
1. Where to stay
Singapore may be tiny, but we’ve got plenty of accommodation options to choose from. Stay in a Housing Development Board (HDB) flat for the heartland community. There are 3- to 5-room flats to choose from, and you may even be able to score a mansionette with two floors in mature estates.
For access to quality amenities and facilities, you can also consider renting a place in a condominium, co-living space or serviced apartment. If you’d like more room and can afford it, rent a black and white heritage house or move into a landed property in some of Singapore’s coolest neighbourhoods.
2. Moving in and setting up
If you’re planning on living in Singapore for a long time, you’ve probably got a ton of things to bring over. But don’t worry, that’s no headache. Schedule a chat with one of the experts from The Family Movers for a professional consultation to plan your move. The team will help you decide on the best mode of transport, pack and label your items and send them off.
Once your belongings arrive in Singapore, they’ll even help with the packing and assembly so that’s one more thing you can tick off your list. Before they leave, the team will assist with clearing packaging materials for recycling, too!
Prepared to go all out with creating the perfect home? We have plenty of all-star shops that sell top-notch decor and home accessories, one of our favourites being WTP Furniture, which carries exquisite bespoke furniture and home decor that are handcrafted by master artisans. Want to have the flexibility of sprucing up your home every once in a while? WTP provides both long and short-term furniture rental options. Prefer to leave the decor to the professionals? The store offers interior designing services as well!
Time to get your finances sorted: the main local banks to look out for are DBS (Development Bank of Singapore), OCBC (Overseas Chinese Banking Corporation) and UOB (United Overseas Bank). Make sure you’ve got an IC or passport and an address on hand before heading over. Don’t forget to cover all your bases with essential insurance plans – this means everything from health to critical illness to life insurance policies.
There’s also no way we can survive without good Wi-Fi or broadband plans to keep us entertained. Singapore has plenty of stellar service providers to help you stay connected. SingTel and StarHub are the most well-known, but you can also check out MyRepublic for no-contract plans if you’re a bit of a commitment-phobe.
3. Get the family settled
If you’re moving to Singapore with children in tow, we know you’ll want to send them to the best schools available. You can consider sending the kids to a local school to fully experience what it’s like growing up and living in Singapore. If you prefer your child to follow an international curriculum or that of your home country, lucky for you because Singapore has plenty of amazing international schools (from pre-school and up) to explore!
One school worth checking out is Nexus International School (Singapore), the winner of Best Innovative Learning Environment in our sister site HoneyKids Asia‘s Education Awards 2021. You can book a school tour and see this for yourself at its campus in Aljunied, which is fitted with all the latest technology that encourages innovation and creativity in students. Plus, it’s one of the only three Apple Distinguished Schools in the country!
Need more help? HoneyKids Asia has its own School Selector tool to help you narrow down your options. You can even search for schools closest to your new home.
Kids can fall sick easily, but thankfully we’ve got plenty of 24-hour clinics and after-hours family doctors who can take care of your young ones when they’re ill. Make sure you take note of which ones are close to home, so you don’t get flustered when it’s time to make a trip over.
To help you and your family smoothly integrate into the expat community, join a private club. It’s pretty much like getting a fast pass to Singapore’s social scene. Plus, it’ll give you access to an array of activities, events, facilities, and shopping and dining perks.
4. Shop for groceries and essentials
We’re home to countless local and international supermarkets that sell everything from everyday items to gourmet groceries from around the world. Whether you’re looking to stock up the pantry or going for Korean snacks, Japanese produce or Australian meats, there’s a retailer for you.
Le Petit Depot is a one-stop platform perfect for picking up daily groceries and essentials, ranging from gourmet favourites to home and personal care products. Did we mention it has a 4.9 star rating on Google reviews? That’s how you know it has stellar customer service.
Too tired to think about groceries? Browse through its range of essential products with goods like butter, maple syrup and delish meats and frozen foods. It’s all top quality and priced affordably! Don’t forget to check out the huge collection of French wines – it has over 500 references. Got everything you need? Cart out and enjoy reliable, free next-day delivery. Grocery shopping has never been easier.
5. Take care of your health
It’s never too early to take charge of your family’s health. If you’re not sure where to start, why not check out the health screenings at Healthway Medical? Better safe than sorry, as the saying goes. Regular health checkups are key to catching potential health issues early, to expedite the process of recovery.
These include specific screenings like mammograms for women and prostate cancer screening for men. There are also childhood developmental screening options for your little one, to identify children at risk of developmental delays to facilitate early intervention.
6. Explore the island’s best
All settled in? Now comes the best part of living in Singapore: exploring our beautiful island city! Singapore has one of the finest public transport systems in the world. So even if you don’t have a car, you’ll find it super easy to get around. You can get an EZ-Link card for use on buses and trains at Transitlink ticket offices or convenience stores. Download a good public transport app (we recommend Citymapper) that’ll show you the most efficient ways to get around.
For the ultimate bucket list, we’ve put together a massive list of fun things to do in Singapore (some of ’em are free!). You’ll also have to visit all of the city’s best attractions. We’ve got everything from family-friendly activities and shopping malls to nightclubs and amazing museum exhibitions. If you’re more of an outdoors person, make sure you slot in time to explore our lush hiking trails and kayaking hotspots on the weekends.
7. Fuel up on good food
Want to treat yourself? Reserve a seat at our stellar fine dining restaurants, award-winning bars, and gorgeous cafes. It’s a food paradise here in the little red dot. Or, if you want to save a few dollars and chow down on amazing local dishes, visit your closest hawker centre and order some delish chicken rice and Hokkien mee.
Chatterbox is a dining hotspot you need on your bucket list. Since 1971, this iconic restaurant has served well-executed Asian and local cuisine made with time-honoured recipes. After undergoing a recent refresh, it now sports a new space, menu and dining experience.
There are plenty of local dishes featuring authentic, robust flavours on its menu, but you’ve gotta order the Mandarin chicken rice – it’s the highlight. The dish is prepared with a unique ‘steam-cook’ method that ensures the chicken is served extra juicy and succulent. Delish! For after-dinner drinks, head to Chatterbox bar to enjoy exciting concoctions like the signature Chatterbox punch or alcohol-free libations like kombucha and freshly-squeezed juice.
Hearty, flavourful and deliciously local, Rempapa’s menu of heritage local cuisine is a must-try for foodies. At chef Damian D’Silva’s latest restaurant, this menu shows us why he’s known as ‘the grandfather of heritage cuisine’.
What’s good here? Well, there’s plenty. To whet your appetite, grandad’s pineapple starter will get the meal going with pineapples and cucumbers tossed with sambal belachan and laksa leaves. Next, the satiating mains like buah keluak rice with a delicious sambal paste of rempah titek, lemongrass, minced pork and coconut milk. Reserve your table for more incredible eats!
Perched atop OUE Bayfront, Vue is a fine-dining restaurant with spectacular views and amazing eats. Signature binchotan grills include the kokou wagyu beef that’s slow-roasted for over 20 hours. Served with rice salt flakes, savour this must-try dish that’ll melt in your mouth. For a taste of spring, try the four-course prix fixe menu. Expect the likes of Australian venison loin tartare, uni risotto with sea urchin foam, grilled New Zealand lamb rack and other moreish eats. Don’t miss the sweets! From Shizuoka musk melon to French acacia honey cake, this course is packed with stellar creations that’ll satisfy.
Singapore’s loved for its diverse culinary scene so there’s no doubt you’re in for a foodie adventure. Local dishes aside, there are many cuisines and styles of cooking to try including unique cuisines from around the world. Ever heard of kamameshi cooking? Hanare by Takayama brings us this slow-cooked mixed rice dish that’s prepared in a “kama”; a traditional iron pot typically used in Japanese cuisine.
Chef Taro Takayama uses koshihikari rice from Niigata, a specially brewed dashi stock to create a flavour-packed and slight umami base. Tuck into dishes like unagi kamameshi with freshwater eel from Kagoshima for lunch. And for dinner, try the indulgent uni ikura kamameshi with bold briny uni paired with the fragrant rice and an aromatic dashi soup.
We hope this guide makes living in Singapore less intimidating for you. We can’t wait to have you here!
