Why this American may leave Singapore after 17 years

👉 View the stream recording here: • How you can SAVE up to...
Meet Dennis, who moved from the US to Singapore 17 years ago. In part 2 of our conversation, we discuss soaring prices in Singapore, the importance of speaking Mandarin at local Hawker centers, and why some foreigners can't wait to leave the city-state. Enjoy!
Dennis on LinkedIn: / dennis-mccomb-6253ab14b
Filming location: / theothersidesg
TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 INTRO
00:25 The cost of renting in Singapore
03:14 Welcome to my lifestream!
04:12 Western media about Singapore
05:17 Rules in Singapore
06:14 How Dennis has changed living in Singapore
07:49 Dennis can speak Mandarin Chinese
08:59 Favorite food in Singapore
09:54 The weirdest drink
10:22 Underrated places in Singapore
11:37 Americans in Singapore
14:19 Moving advice
WATCH NEXT:
► The Reality Of Living in Singapore For 17 Years (as an American): • The Reality Of Living ...
► Why this American decided to live in Singapore: • Why this American deci...
► Pros & Cons of Living in Singapore as a Foreigner: • Pros & Cons of Living ...
LET'S BE FRIENDS:
► My Instagram (use the translate button to read the posts 😇): / chernov_networking
► Sponsorship-related requests: [e-mail]
Hey! This channel bridges the gap between locals and foreigners in Singapore. Join Max as he interviews expats, unraveling their unique stories and providing valuable insights into their lives in this vibrant city-state. Through engaging conversations, Max fosters understanding and appreciation between Singaporeans and the global community with a focus on cultural exchange.
If you're a company seeking sponsorship opportunities to engage our upscale audience, contact us at [e-mail]. With over 50% Singaporean viewers and a substantial number of foreign professionals (US, EU, Australia), our mature audience (35-54 years) boasts strong purchasing power and interests in an above-average lifestyle, travel, investment, and personal finance.
If you have a guest suggestion for an interview, please reach out to us at [e-mail].
#ExpatLife #MaxChernov #Singapore

[@livealittle1100]

As a Malaysian who been working and living in Singapore for more than dozen of years, i just moved back to KL. Singapore is a great country for sure. It's just the accommodation. The price rose up exponentially. I could rent a bungalow in KL with that amount. Hope Singapore will come to its glory days when things were actually affordable.

[@keangwooichoo6138]

I am lucky a bit, if I visit sg, I stay at my brother's duplex condo.

[@alese7531]

The question is, can you make the same money in KL? If so, congrats!

[@zoroalakazam]

What?.....These kiasu's to be back affordable?............what glory days has that little islanf got to offer

[@gammavelorum9551]

there aint no glory days in this country

[@livealittle1100]

@@zoroalakazam things were actually fine before 2011..before the socmed infiltration. I seen kiasu people at Malaysia as well but not as large as Singaporeans. Both country got their own pros and cons. Singapore's main downfall was the immigrants. Mainland Chinese already conquered most of the island. This is what would have happened if Forest City was launched. Lucky the project was banned.

[@SV-wu2my]

Lee Kuan once said that Singapore is going to be very different as space is big constraint and position of Singapore in global geography. He said New Zealand will remain same after 3 decades, but not Singapore. So true.

[@shoyushabu]

Literally my landlord just asked for 90% rent increase. Currently my building is 40% empty now, no one is living here anymore. We will be moving out also soon….

[@scottandrews947]

Good. Don't let those landleeches take advantage of you!

[@kenleebu6414]

Why you dont want to pay more

[@reginangsiewlan5394]

Crazy communist China is frightening many rich Chinese to leave their hometown S! Now Singapore is crowd ed with Mainland Chinese.....

[@kjkj-ms7xl]

​​​​@@kenleebu6414sometimes everything goes expensive and increasing,except our salary😅

[@kathydavies4589]

90%thats hell of alot of increase..im sure he wants u out thats his way of increased..rent

[@tayboonl]

Another awesome episode Max, its a real pity that rental prices have shot through the roof ... almost everyone i work with had struggles around finding new places to live in. Sigh, i hope things get better for everyone. In any case, looking forward to the next episode !

[@smoothride7841]

Lets see after 2025

[@StarrySunnie]

May Mr. Bruce find suitable rental soon despite the high inflation. Rare to find foreigner who appreciates Singapore as he does and really entertaining to watch his videos🙏🏽🙇🏻‍♀️ Thank you very much, Mr. Chernov 🌹

[@frediv8]

Excellent interview, loving this channel.

[@carefulconsumer8682]

My cousin just left working in Singapore and came back to USA because it got too expensive for him. In the USA you can still find lots of bargains if you are a careful consumer and frugal.

[@ericlie145]

"Careful consumer"

[@vister6757]

I think what is expensive in Singapore is mainly accomodation

[@carefulconsumer8682]

@@ericlie145 Upward mobility for an American is also a lot easier in USA then Singapore esp if you do not speak mandarin. RE in Singapore, HK, and even Japan is very very high.

[@NazriB]

Lies again? American Education Cheap Rent

[@Daniel-ld7xs]

truuue... but it's still the US

[@maxhonegger2363]

Even for us as S'porean it's too expensive. Food, medical, transport, water/electric bill etc...the list goes on we struggled to pay on our low income. Retiring is out of the question here. Too many foreigners living here now. The queue/waiting is getting longer everywhere, mrt too crowded, housing too pricy, medical bill going up, bikes/cars are so bloody expensive to own, food court too crowded and so on😢. At least you can leave and live in different countries. Us S'porean are stuck and have no choice but to work even after we reached retirement age.

[@stephenwang9567]

Live in Malaysia with retired income. Sg no value for money. Big rip off

[@stayseyliuu6293]

Hey thanks for sharing. Im a sg citizen living in new zealand for 30+ yrs and considering renouncing my sg citizenship. Just thinking if there's anything else from changing my mind except for the little things like cheaper transport and faster airport entry etc???

[@rifqahlivia935]

My friends he's taxi driver in Singapore he also said the same thing

[@rogergoh5067]

I kinda disagree if you live on the coast New York, Boston, DC, SF, Seattle the cost is higher. Rent is just as high, taxes city state and federal taxes are high. Medical fees are in the hundreds of dollars even with insurance. I can go to raffles medical if I want in Singapore and with company insurance I don’t pay anything. You can’t compare Singapore with middle America. Because it’s not an apples to apples comparison. You can complain about cars in Singapore but the wait in traffic is just as long as the wait in the mrt in major cities. So it’s the same.

[@CC-dx6bc]

Yes middle class in sg still than better the hollowed out USA middle class

[@vmoses1979]

People have bigger homes in the States - many have detached homes - even vacation homes. People have cars that don't cost an arm and a leg. Singapore does a lot better than the USA on many metrics. But if you work 40 years in the USA versus Singapore - you have more 'stuff' to show the fruits of your hard work. In a world of materialism - this matters to people.

[@hupguan]

He's not alone on this, we are one of the richest country in this world, but so many of us can barely afford to live here..

[@maxhonegger2363]

Agree as a Sporean 65yrs old i have to count every dollars n cents for my daily expenditures and it's getting harder each day.

[@lindc1070]

Its not hard to own our own homes for Singaporeans so this is a problem for renters. As for cost of living, well its high but we also have higher salaries and its easier to get jobs

[@shukriramlee]

With highest debt in the world too.

[@lindc1070]

@@shukriramlee it is good debt. Those of us who took on good debt to invest in properties are able to be debt free pretty fast if we are disciplined

[@shukriramlee]

@@lindc1070 Syok sendiri sohai. Debt is debt, nothing good about it.

[@elliotwood]

Loving the new series you're doing

[@lisashiyun]

Thank you for this wonderful interview 😃

[@sleepandrelaxation3395]

Oh no, I hope Bruce can find a suitable accommodation. So far, out of the interviews I have seen on this channel, he probably understands Singapore the most. Maybe more than many Singaporeans. Hope he stays on and accepts more interviews.

[@krisb-travel]

i love singapore, soooo much. its just such an amazing place.

[@efaizariff3145]

The curse of having a small piece of land = over priced apartment. You find the similarity of HK and SG. Both are super expensive to live. I am blessed to live in MY, having a landed house and 2 apartments that I rent them, owning 2 SUVs for me and my wife, and 2 cars for my kids to go to college. My living standard is much much higher than many singaporeans.

[@darthazua]

You should move to Kuala Lumpur (KL). Very similar to Singapore in term of diversity or multiethnic. KL is considered developed city as well but with less cost of living. Try to search houses in neighbourhood like Sunway city, Bukit Jalil, Cyberjaya, Bangsar, Mont Kiara, Damansara , TTDI etc. Or just dive into downtown area, most luxury apartments in KL, cheaper than most capital city in Southeast Asia. KL also the hub of Air Asia. You can travel everywhere in Asia plus cheaper.

[@alese7531]

Lets not put KL and SG in the same level of development

[@hafzahar]

@@alese7531 i agree. KL is much more developed

[@alese7531]

@@hafzahar haha good joke

[@panda63725]

You love your country but u hate your government. Foreigners relocate not because of the love you have for your country.

[@deltahunter2302]

There's no need to put your recommendation here. He knows better. 👎

[@joshau2346]

While its true that other developed countries have rising property prices, and maybe had it worse than Singapore. Those countries have many sub-urban/rural alternatives where properties are cheap. In the city state singapore, no such alternatives exists so even a small but significant rise in rent can drive foreign talent away.

[@SY-zx1og]

Rent a HDB room lol

[@petergorm]

True and honest talk!

[@lindc1070]

Landlords are facing higher mortgages too due to interest rate hikes. Moreover property prices are sky rocketing. But frankly as long as there are tenants who can afford to pay high rates , and there are, it will stay high. His rent of 2xxx SGD is quite low for a 4 or 5 room hdb. The fact is we have land scarcity so cant compare with other countries

[@torinobravo2859]

I really like the magnetism of that man.With plenty experience been everywhere, 17years...

[@WeAretheWorld89]

Build more bridges to smaller islands of Singapore. Put container houses on those islands. Wow you can rent thousands of house.

[@hKChen909]

You can consider Kuala Lumpur also. If you need to meet someone at Singapore, just a 45 mins away by flight.

[@LC-zi8jw]

@@EGO0808 A real city? you mean a boring, lifeless and unsafe cesspool?

[@keangwooichoo6138]

​@@LC-zi8jw cesspool ? Try kuta and boracay.

[@irfanaziz1854]

@@LC-zi8jw wait KL is boring, lifeless and unsafe....lmaooooo ok!

[@sonic1957]

but the taxi ride to the airport is another 45 minutes

[@lotuseletre8724]

@@keangwooichoo6138 tell us more about Boracay

[@The88LA]

thanks Max and Dennis for the insightful video! Whereabouts did you conduct the interview Max, it looks like a really cool rooftop bar!

[@Silkstuy]

Nice video, Max!

[@silverchairsg]

To Dennis, I'd recommend picking up a copy of FBI hostage negotiator Chris Voss's book on negotiation. There's a story in the book of a guy living in one of the major US cities (Boston I think), who used his techniques to negotiate a rent decrease from his current rent when his landlord tried to raise his rent. Hope it helps.

[@Grizzlyx9]

nah fool that shit dont work in the real world. there are 100 of tenants willing to pay the asking price

[@frankchong5585]

The problem is he wanna stay at prime area and pay cheap. He can easily get the same 3 bedrooms at the same price at other area.

[@qw0048002]

Not true. I filtered for 3-bedroom rentals for under $3000/month on propertyguru. Take a wild guess at how many search results there are.

[@isleofmann1088]

@ Frank chong True

[@hekidayo]

That’s actually inaccurate. The increase this guy mentions is accurate and equivalent places are only cheaper in super ulu places. Serangoon was never a “prime” or central, but the prices are absolutely mental. Same for Bedok for example. So it’s not a matter of choosing where to live. It’s an island wide problem, there’s no governance over landlords pricing their rent, and it’s only getting worse.

[@georgeanddaddecker7563]

Sate all day. Could never get enough of it at the Marco Polo every Sunday evening. Miss my old house on Sunset Drive in Clemente Park.

[@keangwooichoo6138]

If you do not commute a lot daily, just rent in jb. But long term visa is a bit tough for now with mm2h. Digital nomad visa is the next best thing. Just suggestion. Other places will be kl, or bali but further away. Jb is the nearest town to singapore. I am not sure about batam though.

[@vaderconstantine]

no need to apologize for liking SG laksa, it's nice. MY have several types of laksa and each state will say theirs the best. I like them all. Variety is good!

[@RayMak]

Malaysia, Thailand, affordable, food is amazing, people are friendly and warm.

[@smoothride7841]

Is it true for a meal one needs to spend 20/30€ at least?..

[@RayMak]

@@smoothride7841 Where? In Malaysia is it maybe 2-3 EU for a simple meal

[@norainnoordin737]

The reason why he didn’t mention Kuala Lumpur or even consider moving to Kuala Lumpur is because it’s a Muslim country. Same goes to not considering Jakarta as well.

[@haqihaqi1644]

Welcome to Singapore as a local i feel the same since i was a kid and till now

[@nick.from.singapore]

Very interesting story!

[@BRILIANT660]

Living in SINGAPORE 🇸🇬 EVERYTHING BUY SO EXSPENSIVE THIS MY EXSPERIENCE LIVING IN Singapore

[@davidtham7617]

Unfortunately, having convenience in Singapore, you have to pay premium. Come to HDB, lots of units just a few stations away from central.

[@otron805]

Even HDB rental is expensive.

[@limbehh8494]

​@Homer your Homie well still cheaper than uptown condos

[@georgeanddaddecker7563]

Buy an older 35-40 foot boat and live on it at a marina. It does not have to be in exceptional mechanical order, as you will be mostly staying at the dock. You could probably buy a decent boat for around $30-40,000 usd.

[@ellesee7387]

How do we sign up for the online workshop tho? I’m a Malaysian working here and I’m nervous about my rental contract expiring in Oct 😅

[@inflextion]

I've got Singaporean friends and overseas friends who now live as digital nomads. They just move around SEA on the go, literally.... Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar, etc are definitely cheaper than Thailand (based on what I am told). If you can work remotely and also via Zoom, skype, etc... you can just pay low rent (even BNB), move around SEA as you wish! plus add in a flight or two to your next destination... your salary is much higher in those countries and also, compared to paying so much for a month's rent in SG.

[@stephenwang9567]

Only stupid people pay such absurd rentals for low quality govt flats. Don't moan

[@jiayueyang2894]

That's my dream after graduating

[@anglo-saxonconnor817]

🙂 It's just age and fatigue finally catching up that's all. In Singapore if one is those type that have the spur and drive to work but doesn't know the importance of saving and expanding one earning power as age increases that spur and drive will one day be used up and then Singapore will lose all appeal for one to live and work in it. This applies to both foreigners and locals alike. Ultimately life is both finite and a journey for everyone. If a place isn't suitable for one anymore it's perfectly okay to consider other places to live.

[@nuanced8225]

I haven't seen a more diverse city than New York. I was recently there for the umpteenth time and still was amazed!

[@memetedikci92]

London is far more multi cultural :) try it!

[@TheBattousai2004]

Yeah but can you walk around NY at 2 am without getting assaulted... well try even 2 pm... NO THANKS.

[@mattongbp]

I left SG way back 2009. That is because I done a simple price trend estimation with my salary...

[@BigPlasticPlant]

Our 2 year lease is up in January, can’t say I’m not more than a little worried. Friends of hours actually moved to Panama just because their rent increase actually made it pointless to be here. The policing is something I also noticed straight away, a far cry from the uk where the constant presence is overbearing and at times intimidating.

[@BigPlasticPlant]

@downwiththeEUUS I think you’ve completely misunderstood my comment, try reading it again 😉

[@smoothride7841]

Mountain areas perhaps, been there in 2014

[@davidbalcon8726]

I’ve visited Singapore since the 1980s and appalled at the rise in prices for hotels. Back then it was among the most affordable places to visit but not today. Hotels then were like KL is today, or Bangkok. But same with my city (Toronto) which has become a similarly major global city. I’ve often thought that Singapore is to Hong Kong as Canada is to the USA…a more civil caring society.

[@clt2744]

Now that is a very interesting analogy

[@GUITARTIME2024]

Canada is so caring that comedians get sued, pronouns are mandated to be "correct" by law, trucker rallies are heavily targeted, and self defense in your home is severely restricted. So caring! I'll take America so Im not neutered by rich kid Trudeau, thx.

[@davidbalcon8726]

@@GUITARTIME2024 We host the largest comedy festival in the word and the top comedians seem to have no issues appearing (not to mention half the comedy in the US is written and often performed by Canadians); the so-called Truckers were a fringe minority of ultra-Right who tried to shut down a city for two weeks and their manifesto was to take over a government that was duly elected months before; I don't need to protect my house because crime is minimal as are random killings and school attacks with weapons of war, and in any case I do have a license hand gun and back when the NRA was a legitimate gun safety group, several sharp shooter medals. And our baseball team beats the pants off the Yankees and Red Sox in the toughest division in Major League Baseball.

[@chankhuilau6820]

Sorry to hear this. You should consider living further from The Central area, transport is definitely better than few years back and fringe housing estates are better facilitated than before. No trade off, you still get a lot of conveniences and WiFi coverage, and lower rent.

[@heythave]

When you say further from the Central Area, which neighborhood are you talking about?

[@superconnie5003]

Very good.He is good guy, assimilated well. Unlike others

[@Daniel-ld7xs]

Yah, he's the type of ang mor that I respect and that I could get along with. The ones that understand and assimilate to another culture and do their best. Not like the ones who go overseas and treat Asian countries like a theme park and act so entitled.

[@superconnie5003]

I am a NSF reservist in middle of my 13 year cycle.I will gladly protect fellow Singaporeans and this type.Others not so...

[@capy222b]

Rent in Melbourne also the same. We are on 1 year lease. Our last renewal went up 20%,and now landlord asking for another 20% increase. And the government here doesn't seem to give a shit.

[@Zelielz1]

This was caused by governments…

[@JG-ex9kx]

He may try Penang, Malaysia. Nice food, people and place to live.

[@norainnoordin737]

The reason why he didn’t mention Kuala Lumpur or Penang or even consider moving to Kuala Lumpur is because it’s a Muslim country. Same goes to not considering Jakarta as well.

[@Hippyjeepy]

Thanks for that, enjoyed Dennis’ candid and very astute observations about life in Singapore. But Max, you might want to stay away from interviewing next to longkangs, and direct sunlight on poor Dennis. He looks like he’s about to melt! Malaysian here and while I don’t care about the origins, I do think Malaysia has way better laksa simply coz of the variety. Pretty much every state has a version. If you like Singaporean ones, you’ll find that you’d probably enjoy all of them or at least have fun trying. Ps: don’t need to be in corporate language to enjoy abbreviations, Singapore loves them, it’s everywhere!

[@metallooily7606]

I lived & worked in S'Pore in 1980s' , still think the costs of rental & food those days were expensive but now adays rents & foods has triple 200% ,I can revisit S'Pore for not more than 10 days hotel rent & not leaving out the foods cost soaring high.

[@nutzhazel]

True. I'm from Johor, even in the 80s the price in Johor for everything is way above KL because of its close proximity to Singapore.

[@blockraven22]

Not sure where he lived in America, but his place in Singapore doesn't sound bad. It's $2700 for a one-bedroom apartment in San Jose, CA.

[@fredwhitby3445]

$2.7k is still cheaper than SG

[@UniVerse-to4mq]

I have many Singaporean friends living in France and they do not want to go back as the quality of life is so much better here. But most of them said one thing, that that their first choice would have been Malaysia since the culture and the food is exactly the same but the only thing that stopped them was it isn’t a secular country(back to why these 2 countries separated back in 1965)

[@GeorgeChuy]

you mean Malaysia isn't a secular country, rather than a circular one?

[@UniVerse-to4mq]

@@GeorgeChuy sorry and thank you: I corrected it.

[@harukrentz435]

@@UniVerse-to4mq neither is SG though.

[@UniVerse-to4mq]

@@harukrentz435 Oh I heard about that too

[@harukrentz435]

@@UniVerse-to4mq for example, the playboy magazine is banned in SG, so tell your friends to stop joking around 😂

[@faridhossin2983]

Thats a solid ideas... 😉😚👌 Great uploads & thanks for your info Cheers!!!!... 🍹🍰

[@lukejohneeles]

Having worked in recruitment for almost a decade in Singapore, I can't see any company paying for rent (for long term) for any of their employees unless its for a C-suite equivalent personnel. Again, short term engagements or initial relocation allowances are feasible, but rare. Having relocated Senior VP's to Singapore to work with some of the country's largest banks for example, rental allowance was hardly ever offered and candidates had to budget a proportion of their basic pay to accommodate for rental payments.

[@patrickdelrue546]

The rental increases have peaked... too many people are leaving because of it... look at the rate of change every month and you will see it's actually going down and not up now... I feel your pain if you have to renew now. Unfortunately the nature of rental contracts does not generally allow you to choose your timing of a renewal or switch... but within 6 months the price increases will have reverted back to a more sensible level...

[@tenga3tango]

What goes up it never comes down , this applies to real estate, inflation , cost of living , taxes, your age and number of wrinles and grey hair, and cognitive decline and sickness and old age. It does not apply to earnings, incomes, amd happiness.

[@patrickdelrue546]

@@tenga3tango Rates of change matter... rents noticeably went down during the covid years... and they could very easily come down again if too many expats choose other cities in the region to relocate to vs staying in Singapore. The worst time for rental increases is behind us already. When people woke up to their landlords demanding +60-80% rental increases. Now they still demand that but settle on +20-25% ... By the end of the year I'm not even sure if they will be able to command more than nominal +10% increases on previous rents.

[@TarTw45]

A 3BR condo in city center of Bangkok won't be cheap too, something like $3,000 - $10,000 depends on location

[@Johnne009]

BS. I can find one at Sukhumvit for 800$

[@otron805]

But food and transportation are cheap in Bangkok.

[@TarTw45]

Depends on which soi and which side of the road. Condo in soi with odd number tend to be more expensive than soi with even number, rent also it gets cheaper deeper in the soi or further away from Thong Lor. Anyway, my "city center" imply for area like Silom, Sathorn, Ratchaprasong and Plern Chit. Should have been more specific.

[@SoonHengTan-wt9gi]

The fact is that there is a long line of people waiting to come to Singapore despite the soaring prices.

[@browncony3897]

Hey Dennis, try Pattaya or Chiang Mai. Lots of Americans there. Cheap, affordable with nice food.

[@Photojouralist123]

You should go to KL at least. SIN is insane time to move bro

[@hokhoonsiew8259]

For your info,my friend just bought a 3 rm flat in Telok Blangah for $375,000.The 3rm flat in Clementi is now renting for $3k for a 2 years contract.

[@mokes01]

He could move to Batam, very close to Singapore with much cheaper living cost. He still could make daily journey to Singapore if needed.

[@harukrentz435]

Indonesian imigration law is draconian, ever wondered why foreigners prefer to live in SG or Malaysia or The Philippines instead? Thats why! Only young expats pick Indonesia because they know theyll be in the country for just short period.

[@yangtzeling7468]

When land is scarce , it makes sense why property is high. Im glad owning a car is crazy. If not , it may take hours just to get from one place to another.

[@nicholasyam1828]

The funny thing is that the rental hikes are a product of the FED raising their interest rates. Fed rates up, to sg rates up, to increased interest payments, to increased rental rates

[@ryerye9019]

Not really. A huge chunk of inflation is pure profiting. Capitalism is designed to enrich the ownership class. It is working as designed.

[@nicholasyam1828]

@@ryerye9019 that's the assumption that it is a monopolistic or oligopolistic market, where one or few controls the market and becomes the price maker. RE in Singapore is as "perfect" competition as it gets, it is hard to own 5% of all RE in singapore. Rental moves according to either increase in supply cost(interest repayments) or increased demand. In the current climate the former is the more obvious factor.

[@mauriebarnes8272]

On renting in Singapore. I would advise to have your own Agent to represent you. You can avoid a lot of issues by having a locally certified professional doing the negotiating and ensuring all formalities are completed. You will find dealing directly with a Landlord or their Agent far more challenging that you may realise. You can inadvertently 'sign up' for items that later on will impact you significantly.

[@davidj4626]

Not always true. We had a local agent recommended by a local colleague, taking us around etc. at one property she went out for a toilet break and we innocently asked the owner how much. Back in the car we asked “our” agent and she inflated the price by $400/month. We dropped her like a hot potato (she wasn’t happy but you make your bed). So glad we did as we found a place dealing direct with owner which we’ve been in for 14 years and never had to pay any trailing commission to an agent.

[@mauriebarnes8272]

@@davidj4626 Glad you didn't have to pay extra. Thanks for sharing your experience.

[@dl5066]

actually most people dont get an agent if they are renting. there is tons of resources online on renting and the contracts are pretty standard.

[@davesradiorepairs6344]

I was recently given 3 months notice to vacate my rental HDB, for which I was paying 2.3K for the last 10 years... I later found out that the new tenants accepted a rent of 3.5K for my old unit, no changes... This has only accelerated by exit strategy of moving to PH, where I have built a house in Tagaytay, and was going to move only in November this year, to now August, so the negative impact is minimal... Just staying in a long-term rental hotel until then.. I feel sorry for others who are stuck here paying higher rent in order to keep their lucrative jobs..

[@MaxChernov]

Tagaytay look beautiful!

[@stephenwang9567]

When worldwide economic collapse finally dawn it be bloody on the streets

[@TheDenbagus4usa]

Thanks for the video. Singapore is one of my favorite places for my retirement, but from this video, it seems that now is unaffordable for retirees. So, I am thinking of another location, like Munich Germany, or even Bali in Indonesia. GBU

[@inflextion]

Try requirements for Thailand's Retirement Visa! I've got a few local friends moving there already...

[@TheDenbagus4usa]

@@inflextion Thanks pal, yes Thailand is also in my mind. GBU

[@awzerzewtweber9170]

Hi, I am from Munich, why would you like to retire in Munich ?

[@TheDenbagus4usa]

@@awzerzewtweber9170 As far as I know, Marienplatz, or anyplace around the Bahnhof, I love Curry wurst and pomme frits and German biers. Thank you for respond, GBU.

[@TheDenbagus4usa]

@@awzerzewtweber9170 I was living in Germany for 10 years, so I loved the German's life style, like coffee klatz, and other German's food and drink. GBU

[@axianskin]

I can empathise as a tenant, a sudden rise in rental will be dramatic. But to put things in proper context, he was paying $2,550 in Chinatown ( downtown) for 3 room flat and that was a steal. If you compare to other world-class cities like SFO, NYC, Melbourne, Sydney, London, Paris, Dubai, $2,550 will get you a tiny shoebox apartment out of downtown area. I guess after 17 years in SG, he has become localised and start to complain, complain……

[@SKAOG21]

Very true, rent is still lower in SG if compared to rent in a comparable area in other global cities. I think the issue is that the large relative increase is not easy to stomach because people are used to budgeting for x amount of housing costs, and large increases are a shock to their current budget. And consistently large increases means that SG will narrow the gap with those global cities. There is also the issue where compensation in SG for tech is super low. At least food costs in SG are way lower.

[@ylein6508]

I thought he said the location is lousy.. didn't realise it's Chinatown.. $2500 is too cheap.. yeah anywhere in the world, living near the city is expensive

[@arvinmarkflores5725]

The problem is he wants to stay central which the prices are ridiculous. Given he is ang moh who works here for a long time, I doubt he is short on money. It's a lifestyle choice. You wanna live in a central location, you have to pay up.

[@tanchye1720]

My 4 Myanmar friends are very lucky. I am lucky to have them. They are like my children. They have young kids back home and I ask only for them to cover the utilities bills. Their salary are not much to pay for the hefty rent in typical Singapore flats. Renting a room in a HDB flats will cost between $700 to a $1000. Half their salary gone! A master bedroom will cost more than a thousand.

[@leowtaimeng811]

If u want to live in a higher standard in Singapore..surely is very high...either u move down from landed to condo or HDB... surely is manageable. There no increased in rental market for psdt 10 years.

[@MaximChernovRu]

Have place for Dennis in Chinatown? 🤔

[@itsmz827]

Bro this ur Russian account

[@MaxChernov]

@@itsmz827 oh shit, yes hahaha

[@JohnDoe-zb3nm]

As a Singaporean, Dennis is more "chinese" than me! haha!

[@fishrod]

Bless you all

[@remodulatorufficiale]

0:03 - From experience, Manila is expensive. Cebu (both the island and city) is cheaper for expats.

[@yusufbest4475]

The property in singapore comes with certified good quality, safety, stability and convenience. Of course, it comes with a price.

[@shukriramlee]

Liar, your stuff will get stolen and you will beat by gangster or mad men on the street.

[@ViolentCabbage-ym7ko]

Why not triple the price then?

[@khengyong7913]

my husband & me own only one property in the central where we stay. The new property tax policy imposed a serious impact on us, retirees too! The tax policy calculates based on the AV of the property,which in turns is affected by the escalating rent. But we are retirees, we stay at our own condo without any other rental units. The government is forcing us to move out from our own nest , because we are unproductive senior citizens now.😢

[@HauTran-sunfromsouth]

Can I ask buy buy 1bed apartment & now Gorvement want kick you out or what?? I don’t get it??

[@manusiagendut9745]

then it is your opportunity to rent your condo for sgd 5000/month, and then you move to johor bahru or batam and rent sgd200/month nice landed house.

[@joshau2346]

could u describe how the taxes work? 🙏

[@azureliteyahoo]

U can rent out your condo use that to fund a smaller/cheaper unit in the same estate since your kids move out. That's what I will do. Stop thinking as nest. change your mindset.

[@Coring55]

In the Philippines, you will live like a king. You may afford 2 house helpers, and great food. 👍

[@Utube1024]

Chinatown area don't expect to be cheap. Maybe Woodland or Marsiling regions. Grad it now before its too late.

[@yitsianglai3915]

it's a good interview, but I'm not sure how do we compare a tiny island to America continent in terms of the recreation expenses? and how can we complain if we insist to stay the golden area of a country? is it really affordable for normal person to stay in New York Time Squares?

[@shaunanyi1990]

LOL which is why i'm renting in JB side. i'd rather join the human jam every morning and evening but my rent there for a 3 bedroom condominium is like RM2800 which is around $850.

[@norainnoordin737]

No way angmoh want to commute

[@kokliangchew3609]

I'm puzzled as to why he didn't buy a property after a few years in Singapore? Just imagine the capital appreciation on his property now if he had bought one about a decade or more ago? Especially if he wanted to live in central Singapore.

[@jefflim7020]

The ABSD can be pretty hefty.... Also, there's no stability as he hasn't got pr?

[@azureliteyahoo]

​​@@jefflim7020 US citizens, ABSD is same as citizens

[@SKAOG21]

Because he might be using the savings from renting to invest in stocks, which are a much better investment. Or he just likes the ability to easily change where he lives. I would be surprised if hes computed the numbers and come to the decision that renting is better.

[@joycegoh8628]

Yeah, if he bot 17 years ago, he won’t be subjected to rental increase and when he leaves, he can rent out, or sell it with capital gain.

[@superlynnie]

@@SKAOG21 Then he made his decision.

[@loyckfiona]

Farrer Road, where the Farrer mrt is downstairs….rental for 3bedroom is $2200

[@cathhl2440]

Just found out my neighbour's 4 room HDB is about $3500/month. Highly accessible but not central. Think it's currently vacant. Not for long, I'm sure...

[@andreandree4384]

Beside the crazy prices in Singapore, the place is too crowded and too small, everyone will go the same "places" , malls etc. It's boring staying there after few months!

[@rifqahlivia935]

Yeah same, the first time I went there it felt fun but over time we only visited the same place and became very bored

[@andreandree4384]

​@@rifqahlivia935sometime i felt like a hamster in a golden cage 😅 running around the same place/wheel. Everything is clean, safe etc but everyone is in his/own bubble lol.. "dystopian" city with strict rules. 😊 that kinda of impression.

[@rifqahlivia935]

@@andreandree4384 yeah 😂 I previously lived in a housing complex, although I rarely say hi my neighbors, but I saw them every day. I sometimes think about my neighbors in the apartment are they okay, what if something happens to them? but Singapore is a good country for introvert

[@bk1571]

Crazy expensive...USD1900 for 3 rooms HDB flat???..with less than half u can stay in 1000ft2 condo with full facilities in an upscale location in KL.. Malaysia have cool highlands, islands, beaches, nature, hundreds years old jungles. SG is just too small.

[@norainnoordin737]

The reason why he didn’t mention Kuala Lumpur or even consider moving to Kuala Lumpur is because it’s a Muslim country. Same goes to not considering Jakarta as well.

[@kitsura]

Funny you mention it but I own a HDB and am considering moving to TW for the cost savings and lesser crowds.

[@gracechen513]

Welcome to TW

[@heythave]

No, things are brewing in TW.

[@mangocat7255]

This is so true.

[@cheenangng4050]

One of my foreigner colleague said it the best, why are foreigners, including herself, are staying in nice areas while local Singaporeans are staying so far from town?

[@cuclainne]

We used to stay in town too but that was 16/17 years ago. Then we started moving further and further away from the city centre.. now we live in an ulu place where even the taxis don't want to come to at times. 😅

[@superlynnie]

Because they want to hang out with other foreigners, but most importantly, they want a pool and live the high life. Also, why not live in the most expensive area when the companies are subsidising their rental?

[@cheenangng4050]

@@superlynnie I think her point was, why are foreigners living it up and locals do not have access to them…and mind u, she was French…kudos to her for saying it as it is.

[@JohnDoe-zb3nm]

@@cheenangng4050 Locals are the one renting those places out.

[@michaelfritzell9352]

Locals have money over after paying for their BTO flat in suburbs, cars are status symbols, kids go to local schools and often work outside CBD where there's parking. Conversely, foreigners live in condos which cost roughly as much as HDBs to rent, often work in CBD so rely on MRT to get anywhere, kids take buses to international schools paid for by their companies and they don't have cars.

[@LordBagdanoff]

Problem with foreigners complaining about high rental is they ALL want to live in central. Which obviously will be the most expensive. There are actually cheaper rentals elsewhere.

[@rinatan8515]

I just raised my east coast condo rental by 50%. Silly realtor wanted to lock in rental for 2 years last year.

[@eleventhnov]

In Singapore, everything that is important is expensive including life. Outside of Singapore, many things are cheap.... including life... YOUR LIFE. Do see things holistically

[@ThomasWiemer]

Gracias por evitarme la molestia de ir a ese lugar.

[@tanticitogal]

Vaya a Kuala Lumpur , mucho mejor

[@adamweah8037]

Everything that is important is expensive including life in Singapore , The rate of interest rate increase also forced me to increase the rental price. I hope the housing market does not crash . i would appreciate more of these videos ,by the way i came here to learn how to trade after listening to a guy on radio talk about the importance of investing and how he made $460,000 in 4 months from $160k. Somehow this video has helped shed light on some things, but I'm confused, I'm a newbie and I'm open to ideas.

[@julietrollings9474]

I'm sure the idea of a coach might sound generic or controversial to a few, but new study by investopedia found that demand for portfolio-coaches sky-rocketed by over 41.8% since the pandemic and based on firsthand encounter, I can say for certain their skillsets are topnotch, I've raised over $400k from an initially stagnant reserve of $150K all within 14month

[@marcmiller6367]

Interesting. I've a lump sum doing absolutely nothing at all in my bank account, i wanna gets something started with it. You seem to be doing excellent for yourself, how do you achieve this?

[@adamweah8037]

@@julietrollings9474 Economists and business leaders were voicing concerns at the start of 2023 that the year could be a difficult one. JPMorgan Chase & Co. Chief Executive Jamie Dimon said that the Federal Reserve may need to raise interest rates to 6% to fight inflation, higher than the peak level between 5% and 5.5% in 2023 that most Fed officials penciled in after their December meeting. Although I read an article of people that grossed profits up to $500k during this crash, what are the best stocks to buy/short now or put on a watchlist

[@floydchusset3143]

I am being guided by “LAURA GACE ABELS who I found on a CNBC interview where she was featured and reached out to her. She has since provided entry and exit points on the securities I focus on. You can look her up online if you care supervision.

[@michelleabraham1732]

I googled the lady you mentioned, and after going through her credentials, I can tell she’s a pro, I’ll be writing her a mail shorty

[@Lifeofmuf]

Go to Toa Payoh it’s the cheapest in Singapore and very convenient. A lot of Ang moh is staying there

[@christopherbong6639]

Coming from the US, you can synchronize your watch whenever you hear a police siren.

[@hokhoonsiew8259]

As a singaporean, I’m also planning to retire elsewhere when my turns come.We are all being squeezed out by the super rich .

[@flatearthsteve]

is it due to the mainland chinese super rich coming in and buying stuff up (whilst ecaping china with their money)?

[@hokhoonsiew8259]

@@flatearthsteve not only from mainland China,it is from all over the world.80%of our fellow countrymen only owes one property here.Chances of joining the super rich club is very slim as compared to 30years ago unless you are born with a silver spoon.

[@Johnne009]

Silver spoon also not enough. You'll need a gold one

[@KangTheDigitalNomad]

Well @Ho Khoon Slew I need to ask what does Singaporean countryside look like? Is it affordable there?

[@CC-dx6bc]

@@flatearthsteve indonesians. Even Americans and indians too

[@handledd56382]

There is no much thing as "curry", the term "curry" is broadly lumped and defined by British for all Indian dish, but in reality Indian style dish have vast varieties, and spices and tastes are vast between region in fact the taste of Indian food changes every 85 miles greatly and so are the language and culture.

[@harisadu8998]

Try telling the Chinese and Malay Singaporeans that. If you try to correct them about anything Indian, their attitude towards you becomes hostile. They think that you're disagreeable and no longer want to talk to you.

[@deltahunter2302]

It's still a curry.

[@awfully.average]

i asked my indian hawker i want some briyani , he asked me what meat you want ? chicken tandoori? fish curry? chicken curry ? mutton curry ?

[@harisadu8998]

@@awfully.average Yes Indians say it too because its the easy thing to say for others to understand.

[@awfully.average]

@@harisadu8998 exactly

[@nurlan6997]

Why do you use burnt subtitles, but not from KZbin?

[@Cdcd4444]

Live in BGC Manila and get yourself a car. You can buy a condo too with 100% ownership there. Use skyways if you wanan avoid traffic

[@syuwono]

The rate of interest rate increase also forced me to increase the rental price. It came to a point where the rental income doesn’t cover the mortgage + fees. Great channel 👍

[@brianh9358]

The price of real estate here in the US has also drastically increased - especially apartment rent. If you are willing to live outside a large city though it is still possible to find affordable housing. The problem then is you do have to have a car - public transportation is pretty much non-existent outside of mid to large sized cities.

[@moldenm5239]

Smaller town homes are also getting rented or bought and turned / subleased into airbnb. It is commercialization and maximizing profit of homes. Anything deemed under market is getting rented. Then subleased for arbitrage.

[@kaym7704]

Yeah cost is up everywhere but in the US lots of it boils down to corporate greed. And sucks that you need a car to get around in most place in the US.

[@wildjacks1]

Try living outside the city. Public transport is quite convenient.

[@headsink]

If that is expensive to live in 3 rooms in Singapore, go to center of KL. With the same rent you could live in luxury.