What you need to know to live in Singapore!

1. Understanding of life in Singapore needs to be understood.

Factors affecting the quality of life: The following factors play a key role in determining the quality of life in a specific country/region:

Political and social environment;

Economic environment;

Social and cultural environment;

Health and sanitation;

School and education;

Public services and transportation;

Entertainment;

Natural environment;

Consumer goods;

Housing;

Political and social environment.

Singapore is famous for its stable political atmosphere. Although political culture is considered to be centralized and specialized, it is pragmatic, rational and based on the rule of law. The government's goal is the survival and prosperity of this small country. This usually means that unpopular but difficult and wise decisions must be made to safeguard national interests. The government believes that it should be proactive and consider the future.

According to Lee Kuan Yew, the founding father of Singapore, Singapore has attracted about 9,000 multinational companies because it provides first-world conditions in the third world. Good governance has a good system, which can ensure the survival of the country and enable citizens to enjoy a safe life.

economic circumstances

Singapore has a competitive, clean and open business environment. Singapore Port is one of the busiest ports in the world because it is committed to exporting electronic and chemical products to rich industrialized countries. However, over the years, Singapore has achieved economic diversification, and now it has become a research and development (R&D) center, a biomedical center, a banking and financial center, and recently it has become a health care destination in Asia. Today, Singapore is a knowledge-based economy, attracting transnational investment. Its open trade policy, social stability, world-class infrastructure and international exchanges are the reasons for the influx of foreign investors.

The World Economic Forum has positioned Singapore's economy as one of the most open economies in the world. The country is also famous for its low tax rate system. In Singapore, the personal income tax rate of residents starts from 0% and does not exceed 22%, while the tax rate of non-residents is between 15%-22%. For enterprises whose profits do not exceed S $300,000, the corporate income tax rate in Singapore is about 8.5%, and the corporate income tax rate above S $300,000 is 17%. The consumption tax or VAT rate is 7%. In addition, there is no dividend tax, inheritance tax and capital gains tax.

According to the report of Ernst & Young and Japan Foreign Trade Organization, Singapore is considered as one of the most suitable destinations for foreign companies to invest in Asia. These companies have brought capital, technology, management knowledge and access to the international export market, and benefited from it. Singapore is also aware of the need to increase manpower and encourage top foreigners to come here. Therefore, the workforce is well educated, capable and skilled.

Social and cultural environment

Singapore's social and ethnic structure is a unique mixture of culture and people-Malays, China, Indians and immigrants from different countries. Singapore's way of life is multicultural, and each ethnic community maintains its own unique way of life while living in harmony. Due to the influx of foreigners, Singapore's society is cosmopolitan. People are friendly. Attach great importance to community and racial harmony. The Singapore government has stipulated five basic "enjoyment valleys" to develop a unique Singapore identity-a country that surpasses itself before the community and society; Family is the basic unit of society; Community support and respect for individuals; * * * Knowledge does not conflict; Racial and religious harmony.

In Mercer's personal safety ranking, Singapore ranks first in Asia and eighth in the world. In order to ensure the safety and personal safety of foreigners and their families, Singapore has become a popular destination for international immigrants. Foreigners still think that safety is one of the most attractive features of life in Singapore.

health

Singapore's population enjoys Asian-level health and nutrition. The country is also famous for its world-class medical infrastructure, technological progress in the health care industry, and expert doctors and experts. The health care environment is clean, efficient and safe. Singapore has adopted a public-private partnership in health care financing. The core of the system is "medical savings", and every working resident must make compulsory contributions to the medical savings part of his central provident fund account every month. Then it can be used to pay for medical expenses. On the other hand, the government provides high-quality and affordable medical services and subsidized medical services to those in need in public hospitals and clinics. In addition to registered pharmacies, medicines, shopping centers and department stores are also easily available in supermarkets. The medicine is safe to eat and of high quality. All doctors have registered with relevant institutions.

Singapore advocates a clean and green environment. It encourages a healthy lifestyle, and diet and cleanliness are all integrated into the system. The State Environmental Protection Agency regularly conducts mosquito breeding inspections on the whole island and imposes high fines on breeding sites. These measures have played a vital role in curbing the spread of chikungunya fever and dengue fever. According to the World Health Organization's ranking of the world's top 100 health systems in 20 10/00, Singapore ranks sixth among 100 countries.

School and education

Singapore attaches great importance to education. The education system provides individuals with the skills and knowledge they need to survive in a global competitive environment. The teaching level of public schools in Singapore is very high, and many students have won prizes in international competitions. In addition to the three internationally renowned local universities-National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University and Singapore Management University, there are also several internationally renowned world-class institutions in Singapore, such as INSEAD, Booth School of Business of the University of Chicago and United World College. The country is aware of more and more expatriate communities and has established many international schools and foreign system schools (FSS). These schools have been registered with the Ministry of Education and use the same curriculum as their home countries. The annual fee ranges from 12000 SGD to 48,000 SGD.

According to the Financial Times' 20 18 global 100 MBA ranking, the National University of Singapore (NUS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and Singapore Management University (SMU) all rank among the top 50 business schools in the world.

Public services and transportation

Singapore is keenly aware of the need for clean water, clean energy, clean air, traffic congestion management, water conservation, reliable energy supply and good urban planning. In the past few years, the government has been committed to building Singapore into a "garden city" (increasing the effect of greening and building gardens), and taking good urban planning and pollution control as the main considerations. Today, the city is clean and green with relatively few traffic jams. Residents can use carefully planned parks and nature reserves. The clean water bodies in the United States provide reliable water sources and opportunities for sports and leisure.

According to the data of National Environment Agency, Singapore's air quality is better than that of many Asian cities, and its pollutant standard index (PSI) has been kept in the range of "good" and "medium" for most of 20 17. Singapore has made achievements in integrated water resources management, and the Public Utilities Committee of the State Water Affairs Bureau won the prestigious Stockholm Industrial Water Prize in 2007. Singapore also bans smoking in public places.

Singapore has an efficient and reasonably priced public transport system, including taxis, buses and the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) railway system. These vehicles are air-conditioned and run from 5:30 am to 12 pm, connecting the whole city. They are safe, clean and efficient. Bus and rail fares are affordable, and the cost per trip ranges from S $0.70 to S $2.50. Compared with the western world, taxis are abundant and relatively cheap. Taxis are very reliable, and drivers will not let customers stay, and will not pay a penny more than the marked fare.

In order to curb traffic congestion, the government introduced the Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) system. This means that when you use some crowded roads and highways in CBD, you must pay the lowest fee. Owning a car in Singapore can be very expensive, ranging from S $65,438+000,000 to S $200,000, excluding registration, insurance and taxes. Renting a car is a cheaper option.

amusement

Catering and shopping are two popular activities in Singapore. Most foreigners feel that they lack enough entertainment options on weekends and have to explore places near Malaysia (Langkawi, unruly, Genting and so on). ) and Indonesia (Medan, Batam, Bali, etc. The nightlife in Singapore is really lively, and there are many bars and nightclubs frequented by customers. Cinema is another choice to gain high popularity. There are art festivals, plays, concerts and cultural performances, but these choices are seasonal and may be expensive.

natural environment

Because of its geographical location, Singapore is usually not threatened by natural disasters. However, it may be wet all year round and in the last months of the calendar year.

Procurement of consumer goods

Singapore's retail industry has experienced active terms of trade almost all year round. With the increase of disposable income, housing prosperity and active retail promotion, people spend a lot on luxury goods, cars and household goods (such as furniture) and other durable consumer goods. Therefore, every retailer has a store in Singapore. Fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) and luxury brands such as packaged food, cosmetics, toiletries and household items are easy to obtain. Many durable consumer goods have become basic necessities in Singapore.

Large supermarkets and supermarkets have many outlets all over the island. Most of these supermarkets offer promotions and discounts, as well as basic Mexican, Australian and Indian products. In addition, there are convenient shops near the residential area, such as 7- 1 1, and local small grocery stores. You will also find professional supermarkets, such as Medi-ya (Japanese supermarket), TanglinMarketPlace (American product), Tierney's (Scandinavian, Swiss and German product) and Mustafa (Indian product). Ready-to-eat, semi-finished products, frozen foods and western-style convenience foods are becoming more and more popular. Low-fat foods, diet drinks, yogurt, fruits and other healthy foods have also become popular. Since Singapore imports all possible commodities from all over the world, it has a wide range of choices and competitive prices.

house

There are two types of housing in Singapore: public housing units (built by the Housing Development Committee) and private apartments/self-owned properties. The choice of housing depends purely on budget, location, facilities/conveniences, transportation and personal preference.

Many immigrants prefer to live in apartments and often choose to live near their work units or their children's schools. The apartment is a high-rise building with fashionable appearance and interior, 24-hour security, swimming pool, gym, tennis court, barbecue oven and covered parking lot. The cost of renting a three-bedroom apartment near the CBD ranges from S $7,000 to S $65,438+S $05,000, while the rent for units outside the CBD ranges from S $3,300 to S $5,000. For 90% of Singaporeans, HDB is a cheaper option. However, they are not equipped with luxury facilities, such as swimming pools or gyms. However, they are usually located near shopping centers, food courts/restaurants/hawker centers, libraries, supermarkets, clinics and sports/entertainment facilities. Immigrants from India,

in short

positive factors

Easy to adapt to the cultural and living environment;

Modern westernized environment;

High security and low crime rate;

English is widely used in Singapore as the first language;

Convenient transportation, quality infrastructure and medical facilities;

Accessible and affordable family services;

A clean, green and healthy environment;

negative factor

Limited sports/entertainment options;

Rule constraints, sometimes suffocating;

Expensive car ownership;

It's hot and humid most of the time.