by Wing Lee Cheong
In his 1996 National Day speech, Prime Minister Goh said, “People often want the government to assume the full burden of the cost of medical care and provide treatment free to Singaporeans. Because of the painful lessons learned in other countries we have not done this. All the countries which have done this—Britain, France, Germany, Canada, and Communist China—have failed. Their systems break down as people overuse so-called ‘free’ health care, which they actually pay for indirectly through higher taxes. Their health services deteriorate. Waste and inefficiency become endemic. Now these countries are forced to cut back on services, introduce cost controls, and reform the system.”
Cartoon by Wing Lee Cheong
Singapore leaders have repeatedly spun the notion that Singaporeans pay one of the lowest tax in the world. It is a myth for in reality Singaporeans pay much higher taxes than other developed countries like Canada.
Consider a person making $6,000 a month in Singapore and a person making a similar amount in Canada. Let us say the person in Singapore pays zero tax and the person in Canada pays his maximum without any deduction of 29.7% tax. Assuming both have a working life of 40 years and a life span of 85 years.
The person in Singapore pays nothing since we assumed his tax to be zero.
The person in Canada would have to pay based on annual salary of $72,000 at 29.7% = $21,384. Based on a working period of 40 years the Canadian would have to pay a total of $855,360. It should be less if deductions are taken into consideration but we give the advantage to Singapore to minimize arguments. The Canadian tax does seem high to Singaporeans. However when all the cleverly hidden taxes are taken in consideration, Singaporeans are paying more in taxes but not getting the social benefits enjoy by Canadians:
List of Singapore hidden taxes that Canadians do not pay:
- COE – $60,000 every ten years assuming that a Singaporean changes his car every 10 years. In 40 years he needs to buy 4 COE = $240 ,000.
- Cost of car like Honda Civic – $75,000 in Singapore vs $25,000 in Canada. 4 cars in forty years at the difference of $50,000 = $200,000
- Road tax – $1,300 per year for 40 years = $52,000
- Higher petrol price – $100 extra a month for 40 years = $48,000.
- ERP – $100 extra a month for 40 years = $48,000.
- Maid levy – $300 per month for 20 years (assuming a family only has the maid for 20 years instead of 40 years or more) = $72,000.
- General medical bills for 85 years at $1,000 a year = $85,000. (less than $100 a month)
- Cost of housing, the difference between a similar house in Singapore vs Canada is $300,000 to as high as $1 million and more. We shall take the lower end of the difference = $300,000.
- The water/gas/electricity bills are only one-third of Singapore’s making a savings of at least $102,000 based on a saving of $100 per month x 85 years.
The total savings for a Canadian is at least $1,147,000 or more depending on how many cars, maids and children he has. This amount is more than adequate to offset the Canadian tax of $855,360 at 29.7%.
In addition the following is a list of social benefits that Singaporeans do not enjoy:
- “Milk money” of $250 each child receive a month from the government from the day the child was born until age of 18 years – $250 x12 x 18 years = $54,000 for one kid. Two kids = $108,000.
- Old age pension plus assisted income for retirees without any income, a retiree gets $1,250 or more a month until death. Assuming the retiree lives for 20 years = $300,000. A couple could get a combined retirement income of $2,500 a month even though they may not have been working. The total receivable for 20 years would be $600,000.
- Retirees travel for free on all public transportation with limited black out time on weekends, i.e. trains, buses, ferries. Some of the ferry rides cost more than $100 per trip. Assuming a retiree saves $150 a month for transportation – 20 years of retirement = $150 x 12 x 20 = $36,000.
- Retirees can study in universities for a token fee of less than $100 per year.
- Unemployment insurance which a citizen can claim when he/she is out of a job. It is common for a person to be out of job for 6 months in his 40 years of working life – $36,000.
- Free treatment of severe illness like cancel, liver or kidney failures – $200,000 or more.
Depending on the choice of lifestyles and individual health conditions, the Canadian tax system has an advantage of between $500,000 to over $1 million when compared with the Singapore tax system even though Singapore official tax rate is very low.
To illustrate the difference, let me provide the following analogy:
Two shops selling char kuay teow :
The Sinkee shop selling a plate for $2.00
The Candee shop selling a plate for $10.00
At a glance, shop Sinkee is a bargain at only $2.00 a plate. However when you order a plate, you get only a plate of char kuay teow and nothing else. If you want “hum” it is an extra $2. If you want chilly, it is another $1. If you want chop sticks, it is another $1, etc. Soon your plate of $2 char kuay teow with all the extras will cost you $15 or more.
On the other hand, at Shop Candee, the $10 a plate has all the extras included in the price and taste much better. The service and environment is also much better than the cocky service of Shop Sinkee.
In Canada, the service providers will try their best to guide and give you as much as possible. In Singapore, it is the opposite, the service providers will try their best to give you as little as possible. It is typical “kaisu” Singapore culture.
The moral of the story is that we should not be fooled by statistics and world rankings. Singapore is ranked third place by IMF in their 2010 report with a per capita of $57,238 vs Canada at eleventh place with a per capita of $39,033. Do Singaporeans really feel richer than Canadians when most Singaporeans have constant anxiety over inadequate savings for retirement, medical bills, being homeless, etc.
Most Canadians enjoy their retirement with a peace of mind whereas most Singaporeans dread retirement with doubts whether their CPF is sufficient to see them through or even if they live long enough to touch any of the CPF money.
The writer is currently living in Vancouver. He has given up his Singapore citizenship and is now a happy Candian retiree.
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Very good analysis!
Personally, there is another hefty tax of 20% upfront deducted from our monthly salary. The 20% “tax” gone into our CPF but not subjected to our control. The govt can manipulate the CPF policies at their whims and fancy and the people will not live to enjoy the fruits of such CPF savings eventually. Besides, the interest earned on CPF suckS!!!!
What a rubbish article. Please don’t insult your readers.
Stupid analysis. Who needs a car in Singapore. Canada you don’t have maids.
We should have also told the the pappies that no other countries ministers is earning as much as them and should have guide them for a drastic pay cuts so that other countries will also learn form us that paying millions to ministers will only lead to dud and not original
This article is full of intentional errors and deceit. What is the writer up to?
Nobody in Canada can afford to have a MAID!!! There is no such thing.
Housing in Vancouver have escalated so much. It is now the 2nd most expensive city in the world.
Property tax, which encompasses transport (translink), education, municipal taxes, is now one of the highest in the western world and rising every year.
Cheap petrol? Not anymore. Has the writer heard of GVRD (now Metro Vancouver) surcharges? How about the 12% HST that was rammed down out throats?
Basic price of a car is low but every option is chargeable. You want aircon? sunroof? Pay. On top of that you pay all kind of ridiculous taxes like environment fee for car batteries, air con, household paint etc. Ever heard of freight charges for bringing that brand new car from the factory to your home?
They are now charging toll fees for road and bridge usage as well.
I too live in Vancouver and it is NOT a bed of roses.Not unless you have cashed in your CPF and living on your substantial savings from Singapore. Anybody thinking of coming here had better bring out that calculator.Don’t forget that the BIGGEST problem is getting a job.Unlike in Singapore, foreigners and new immigrants get the least priority for jobs because you do not have CANADIAN experience.
Truth is many people migrate here, plant their families here and then return home to earn a living. We have a lot of astronaut families here.
If I am not mistaken, the Harmonised Sales Tax (combined VAT + provincial sales tax) ranges from 12% to 15% in Canada, let’s say an average of 13%.
To arrive at a fair comparison, one would have to take into account the difference between Singapore GST and the Canadian tax, 6%, over a lifetime. How much would a family of four spend on goods and services over the estimated lifespan of 85 years and how much is 6% of it? (Bearing in mind the children will grow up and produce their own families in due course).
It would be interesting to know from the writer, based on his own family’s annual expenditure.
Vehicle-related and maid cost should not be taken into consideration. Most people do not have maids and many opt for cheaper public transport(its problems aside).
And… if you were to add up the listed cost of the plate of char kuay teow, it only cost up to $6, not $10 as suggested. I have not yet seen a $6 char kuay teow at common food courts or hawker centers. It may be possible in high-end eateries or those targeted at tourists, but for the average Singaporeans, food still remain affordable.
The Singapore government methodologies may not be right all the while, but this is a poor article to refute it.
I live in Canada too and prices here are definitely much higher than in Singapore. Take food for example – a simple Chinese meal of rice with three dishes will cost about S$3.50 in Singapore, but close to S$10 in Canada. The GST is also higher, at 12%.
On the other hand, Canada offers many intangibles than Singapore lacks – for example beautiful scenery, wide open spaces, and a more egalitarian and liberal society. For many people who have emigrated here, these are things that we value more highly and that money cannot buy.
The article is an insult to the readers. It sounds like the guy is just trying to make himself feel good about giving his S’pore citizenship up. The examples given are all vastly exaggerated. While there are benefits in Canada, Singapore isn’t as bad as he makes it seem.
Bearing in mind he’s talking about taxes only, its unfair for him to put in examples such as owning a car, having a maid as many Singaporeans don’t have this. Is he saying that Canada provides all these luxuries? And a plate of Char Kuay Teow for $15, paying for chopsticks and chilli?!? AFAIK my hawker centre charges $3.80, with as much chilli as i want + 20 cents for takeaway packaging. how long has he been away from Singapore?
Please, don’t make it sound as if Singaporeans are so stupid to not recognize the cost of living accurately, and to be living in the country they call home.
Simple test of whether the writer is accurate or not:
How many Singaporeans have taken up Canadian citizenship in the last five years versus how many Canadians have taken up Singaporean Citizenship.
The answer should be obvious
This is a very misleading comparison which somehow assumes that Canadians only pay personal income tax and nothing more (the sales tax in Ontario – to both the federal and provincial governments alone – is much higher than Singapore’s GST).. It further mixes up the concept of “tax” with that of “cost of living”?
As a Singaporean living in Vancouver, I find that this article took bits and pieces of information at prima facie and made sweeping assumptions that are deliberately misleading.
First of all, not all Singaporeans/Vancouverites own or need a car. Canadians probably need it more than Singaporeans based on geographical land mass. Both cities have a good public transit system but Singapore is far superior in terms of accessibility, frequency and affordability.
Medical expenses. In Singapore you can choose to wait in line for cheap/free medical consultation at polyclinics or you can see a GP at a private clinic from $35 and up. In Vancouver, you have to pay about $60/month/person for MSP i.e. medical insurance regardless of whether you fall sick or not. Contrary to popular belief, health care is NOT free and not covered by taxes. Employer-covered health care can be excellent in Canada but the same goes for Singapore.
Unemployment insurance is very difficult to qualify for: you need to prove that you’re actively looking for (any) job and still cannot get one. You must have contributed to EI for a period of time in the first time. It pays out very minimally. In the first place, Singaporeans hardly have to worry about unemployment like Canadians do (~2% vs ~8%).
The concept of Old Age Pension in Canada is very similar to CPF in Singapore. Canada uses a hybrid of social security and personal contribution while Singapore has wholly converted to paying into one’s own retirement. In many ways, as long as you choose to work hard and save early, your retirement is secured with both systems. Note that CPF pays 4% interest and 1% more if your ordinary savings is higher than certain amounts. Most financial investments do not guarantee interests nor can they match that rate in this bearish economy.
Property in Metro Vancouver has recently been listed as one of the most expensive in the world (re: Vancouver Sun); Singapore isn’t cheap either but subsidized housing is widely available i.e. HDB flats; and homelessness isn’t a glaring problem like it is here in Metro Vancouver (re: East Hastings St and teen homelessness/drug abuse). It is actually easier to be a young homeowner in Singapore unless you come from money (then it is either ways).
In Vancouver, we pay federal and provincial taxes. The prices you see on food and services DO NOT include 12% Harmonized Sales Tax you have to pay. In Singapore you can easily buy a plate of Char Kway Teow for $4. In Vancouver, it starts at $6.
Each country has its merits and demerits, and both are considered one of the most livable cities in the world (re: Newsweek). It’s misleading to argue a case as such based on personal perceptions rather than plausible conclusions.
Great article.
Shows once again how tricky the pigs are.
That is assuming you make 6K a month.
Go figure how many make that amount every month?
When the pigs say waste… as if paying them millions of dollars in salary is not waste.
What can they do/solve?
nothing.
yeah right, as if our mrt is so fast? so good? so spacious, that everyone wants to use it…
Singapore’s GST makes Singapore that highest tax in the world because it’s tax across the board ( includes all necessities ). That means you are taxed even if you lose your job or retire. It’s what you call daylight robbery. If you add up all the other indirect taxes, Singapore’s tax rate is about 80%….. go do you math. CPF by employer and employee is already 35%(it’s an indirect tax), GST 7%.
Dear Mr. Wing,
Having lived in Toronto for the past 5 years, I would say that you employ facts and figures very selectively indeed. In this respect, I echo earlier comments to your piece.
But I would like to say something else. You may be a Canadian citizen, but in essence you remain a very ugly Singaporean. This comes through in your shallow, narrow, and all-pervading materialism.
Is cost-of-living or money matters the sole reason why you chose Canada? If so, I am so sorry for Canada and Canadians. I had hoped, rather, to read something more substantial. For instance, what you make of life in Canada and of Canadian values, such as its embrace of diversity, its respect for democratic norms and values, and so on.
This is not the first article of yours I have read. I remember some others in which you boasted how you enjoyed milking the Canadian health care system. In other words, you seem to revel in having others pay for you. Some kind of model citizen you are.
SN
Whatever Mr. Wing writes, he has missed my part of the story, completely.
In 1991 before I immigrated to Canada, we lived in a 3-room flat in Singapore.
Few months after we immigrated to Edmonton, Alberta, for the price of that 3-room flat we were able to buy a 1,000 square feet (with another 1,000 feet basement) free-hold bangulow with 3-cars garage and a drive-way enough to park another 4 or even 6 cars and two 1,200 sq. ft. lawn (gardens).
We can afford to buy a mini van and a sedan car at new (first hand).
We have a special needs daughter and she had/has heart, speech, hearing and learning problems. In Singapore we paid for all those specialists and operation. In Canada she got free medical. Her special needs class was less than 17 students and there was always a teaching aid to help along with the teacher.
Now she is given Can $1,2000 per month as allowance and she earns another $300 working in the Dollar shop 1 day a week.
The special needs school has trained her to be independent…taking bua, shops, do banking, cook and personal hygine.
Canada is a gracious society than no amont of Income Tax can buy.
At the mall, when I hold the for people, they gaciously thank me and vice versa.
When there is a wrong phone call, we can end up talking to the stranger for 1 min and share a joke.
We can strike a conversation with someone in the que in the bank, supermaket cashier ….
Drivers give way to each other and we help one another to push the cars out of the snow.
We share our BBQ with our white and black or brown neighbours and they do likewise.
More important thing is we are allowed to be HUMAN.
I remember about 8 years ago, when I took my Canada-born son, Edmund (he is named Edmund bec. he was born in Edmonton) to the Canada Place to pay my income tax as a self-employed and as I wrote remaining balance of Can$35,000 I told him: “Son it is an HONOUR to pay Income Tax to Canada”.
The cashier, who was a white blonde young lady, look at me, smiled and said: “Welcome to Canada.”
I told her in return: “Thank you to your fore fathers and mothers who had built such a wonderful country to welcome us.”
Can I sincerely say the same if I am in Singapore? Can you?
Yes, this article is screwed up, yes the 12% VAT is hard to stomach, Yes no maids and more expensive dining out.
Not trying to say the grass on the other side is greener, but in Singapore I’d rather pay high income taxes, and pay a small token sum for health care services.
And of course you can’t beat breathtaking scenery and a slower pace of life to boot, so have time to smell the roses. Unfortunately, Singapore can’t offer.
Did’nt know there are Canadians taking up citizenship in Singapore, this news is a joke, isn’t it?
i can vouch several of the people who posted comments to say they live in canada are lying. what the author has written is true. come on pappy lackeys, how lame can you be…
This morning at breakfast, I asked my children if they preferred living in Vancouver or in Singapore, my eight-year-old profoundly quipped, “both are OK… every country is liveable.”
There will always be pros and cons in every system, we choose knowing that we will win some and lose some.
Whilst the writer is free to argue for his point of view (albeit, a slanted one), he needs to recognize the inherent weaknesses of the Canadian system as well.
The biggest bugbear of newcomers to Canada is finding a job. There are numerous barriers to entry for anyone with international (but non-Canadian) degrees. We need our credentials evaluated (at a high fee) and are subject to hearing the constant ‘lack of Canadian experience’ excuse from employers. Ironically, many of us come here with better qualifications and much wider experience than our Canadian colleagues.
Singapore, on the other hand, welcomes foreigners with open arms and this policy has caused many Singaporeans, ironically, to feel dislocated in their very own home.
The cost of living, on the whole, in Canada is higher (except for cars and fine dining). In Singapore, you can still enjoy subsidized housing, opt to eat at a modestly-priced hawker centre and use public transport if you do not want to drive.
Public education in Canada may be free, but at the same time due to budget constraints, schools are constantly being closed and teachers laid off – much to the dismay of parents and of course, students. In fact, Vancouver Sun on 29 Aug 2010 reported that Canada’s education system is failing. Richard Worzel, a futurist, surmised “The education system that Canada has is going to lead us to produce more and more people who are chronically unemployable.” This is a damning fact, unless the system is quickly overhauled.
Contrast this to Singapore, the education ministry takes a big chunk of the national budget and is constantly pushing out new programmes and initiatives. The flip side is the constant pressure the children, their parents or caregivers face due to a highly-competitive environment. Singapore teachers, too, are often exhausted and work through their school vacations on one thing or another.
My family and I loved our time in Singapore because of the efficiency and progressiveness. We love the availability of good, cheap food and the frequency of the public transport system. We appreciated the way our children were stretched academically but wished there was more space for them to play and be kids.
On the other hand, we are enthralled by the beauty of wide open spaces and the four seasons in Vancouver, and that people have time to have simple conversations over a cup of coffee. We appreciate that our breaks and weekends are respected – away from the constant texting or answering of emails from bosses and the office. That our kids have space to learn and grow holistically. That there is a common time out when kids go on school vacation and parents can take their leave too. That there is greater personal freedom to make choices, to speak up.
On balance, there is really no perfect system. But for us now, we’re rooting for Canada.
The only human beings who’re truly happy living in Singapore are the PAP Ministers and it’s cronies, the rich and the foreigners. The average Singaporean are living on this Island with so much of hassles and meseries- public places and transportations that is ever crowded, congested roads, expensive cost of living and of all having to compete with the foreigners for jobs. Sic.
i have to agree to a certain extent with the author. the most important intangible benefit that was missed out about living is canada is freedom. this cannot be quantified and is priceless. in sg, buying a basic housing like hdb is faced with loads of rubbish rules. if getting a roof above your head is so difficult, you cannot count on the people that set it to make any right policies.
hdb is not cheap and only 99 years. driving a car in singapore is like a sin. need to pay a huge penalty (COE). more difficult than going to a whore or casino. education is overemphasized here. foreign sub standard degrees are more recognised instead. people here took 2 hours to travel 25km using public transport. you called that world class/ efficient transport? do you want to bring your children out in strollers using forever crowded mrt? do you want your child to grow up in this society that encourage gambling and prostitutes?
The entire tax system by our papies garment are nothing but a scam where billions of taxpayers monies disappeared every year to who we all already know. I don’t have to elaborate further.
Wow, for a SG website got sooo many ex-singaporean Canadians reading & commenting on this article mainly on the negative. What r u doing in Canada if it is not as good? Come back to SG lah. The government will welcome ex-sgreans back. Or maybe not as yr minds ‘spoilt’ by the freedom u tasted. Pls lah, IB, u can do a better job. No bonuses for u!
The writer is reminding sgreans that we actually pay higher indirect taxes but don’t get the benefits these countries get. Most of our monies go to Temasek & GLCs. We have been conned. Sigh…..
Getreal 29 January 2011
What a rubbish article. Please don’t insult your readers.
Gimmeabreak 29 January 2011
Stupid analysis. Who needs a car in Singapore. Canada you don’t have maids
……………..
is it? which readers is insulted? the pap rc perhaps?
which country don’t need a car within the family? why? singapooriums can afford a texi mey?(as though the mrt is cheap?)
maids? in canada they called them either nanny or househelpers?
i will not even go further..try malaysia.com is good enough…
malaysian highways is good or not? more traffic jams than singapore cte?
yes malaysian government do charged a toll as well..yet they give a helfty 50% discounts for texis..(p.s. malaysian texis are rented out @ 55 ringgits/day
ow much is our ntuc inc texis rental/day?
and malaysians texis drivers do not need a relief driver@ all..1 day takins of around just $200 will cover ALL his needs
in singapore..2 drivers(incl relief..ow much is 1 day takin for both of THEM to see thru their daily needs?)
last but not least ow come malaysians motorsikalist travel FREE on the highways(why malaysians hav less motorsikalists than us perhaps?)
now regardin petrol/litre..do i needs to public their pump prize against our?
p.s. malaysian GST is also 7%…
do any1 1st to know ow on eath can a x-salesman workin in singapoor buyin a cornor terrace 2 storey houses for just aroun 300,000 ringgits in jalan ampang district? (jalan ampang district is just liked katong area the equalvalent)
ow much is our 4room single storey hdb pigeonholed flat based in katong if you can even find 1 built?( i wouldn’t even 1st to compare his 2 storey against our same 2 storey private terrace house in katong)
The health care policy in Canada varies depending on where you leaves.In BC,you have to pay a health premium every month in order to receive health care service.Whereas in other provinces,your income taxes cover the health care services of all kinds.In Alberta,you can jump the queue if you are willing to pay out of your own pocket to see a private doctor.The rest of the country do not have free bus-ride for seniors.
The milk money,not every family with a child/children get this.This is not universal,it is only for those whose income is not considered middle income group.And also,every working Canadian pays into the old age pension fund which is quite the same as CPF.Had Canada not been a resource-base economy,you would have the same type of problems as the EU are facing.I believe a Singaporean who do not own a car,a maid and less eating out is pretty well of when comes to retirement.
This is like comparing my prick with a chimney isnt it
This link may help. It compares the prices of daily goods & services between Canada & Singapore. You can also compare with other countries like France and Singapore or even Australia and Singapore.
Take a look at this & please, fellow Singaporeans – don’t become shocked.
http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/compare_countries_result.jsp?country1=Canada&country2=Singapore&displayCurrency=SGD
Haha, it is surprising seeing so many fellow Singaporeans living in Vancouver here on TOC! Are you guys mostly out in Couquitlam, I know a great many Singaporeans live out there.
But yes, I do agree that the premise forwarded by the article in question is flawed. Things are not as rosy in Canada as portrayed, speak to any Vancouverite and you will hear complains ranging from the cost of rising tuition, the Harmonized Sales Tax, the cost of housing, unsustainable infrastructure, long waits for health services, and last but not least the horrible weather!
But regardless, it is still a lovely place, as is Singapore.. I believe each has it’s flaws, yet there is always so much I miss off home, and I know I will come to miss of Vancouver when I return to Singapore eventually.
The calculation on the taxes (both direct and indirect) contain double counting. Even with these errors, the government take (both direct and indirect taxes) in Singapore is not as low as what it makes out to be. Most people only look at income tax. In Singapore, the heaviest form of taxes are the indirect tax.
I lived in a small city (about an hour drive from Toronto). Cost of living is lower here than Vancouver. Don’t use Toronto or Vancouver for comparing property price. If you want to compare, then use property price in orchard road or marina bay etc.
If you live in other part of canada, property is definetly much cheaper (I recently bought a landed home for about S$300k with a nice backyard).
Long story short….living expenses is slighty more expensive than SG….at least in my city…. I am a ah beng and working in a factory…. Most canadian do not look down on me even I speak broken english..Only ah nen look down on me… I migrated so that when I am old, garman will make sure I can survive with dignity… for people earning low income, tax is low also..
for a ah beng, it’s like a dream come true – big house and average car. i think canada will be good for all ah beng only. i’ve heard some singaporean with degree has come and go back to SG. they only want to work in their previous position and it is very difficult as canadian employers prefer people with canadian experience EVEN if you are from USA. they protect their own people – this I like. I have china colleague (also factory worker) with degree and ask them why they can want to work as a factory worker… they say even if they work in their profession back in china, they also cannot afford big house and car…. we chinese are a bit materialistic… those singaporean with degree who had left i think is because of pride…
by the way, i also learn to voluteer myself – local canadian will not hesitate to volunteer… only immigrants from china, india especially only know how to take and not give – always find ways to deduct income tax to a much lower percentage. anyhow open a dummy company and can say use home as a office so that expenses like electricity, water,etc can be deducted from tax.
this people really kana sai only take… by the way, I voluteer to clear snow for elderly for free… damn proud of myself but also feel pai seh because in SG never thought of doing this kind of work…
@desperate_for_anything
Are you sure that website is correct? I did a comparison between Singapore and Tokyo and Singapore is more expensive than Tokyo.
That cannot be right.
Singapore IS expensive. The only thing which is cheap in Singapore is probably the food which is getting more expensive everything.
Take for example a HDB flat. With 500,000 Singapore dollars, one can get probably a nice 5 room flat in Singapore. With that same amount, one can buy what is equal to a bungalow in Australia or even in Europe.
What about retirement in Singapore? Why are our senior citizens still working?? While it is true that Canadians, Germans, and citizens from many western countries have to pay monthly their insurances & taxes to a higher amount that Singaporeans, when it comes to a real emergency, like a medical emergency, it is comforting to know that everything will be taken care of by the insurance company. It is better than to receive a medical & then families scrape for $$ because healthcare is expensive & the families have not enough savings because the money which was supposed to be saved was exhausted by other neccessities of life.
So i do trust these stastics based in the website that i have provided. You can compare it with many other countries, not only with Canada & you will see that Singapore is, indeed, a very very expensive place to live in.
I think the writer is trying to compare apples with apples i.e. a Canadian earning C$6,000 and a Singaporean earning S$6,000 spending on house, car, medical, education, retirement etc.
It is a fair comparison.
As for maids, I have seen advertisements in Lucky Plaza recruiting maids for Canada. Their pay maybe higher, C$1,200pm – C$1,500pm but they do not live- in and have to pay for their own accommodation, transportation and some meals (breakfast and dinner).
Wasted 5 mins of my life reading this. The writer does not know the difference between Income Tax and Consumption tax. One is compulsory, the other is not.
Dont forget to add Property Tax, GST, TV license Tax, Seller Stamp duties, Buyer Stamp Duties, and Water Tax for pub bills. Singapore really is very expensive than Canada.
Sure or not 30 January 2011
Wasted 5 mins of my life reading this. The writer does not know the difference between Income Tax and Consumption tax. One is compulsory, the other is not.
……………..
are you stupid or just plain as shole?
you meant consumption tax is not compulsory? you think our royale highness cancerlee can waived your GST?
who you think you are?
hoching the mpress dowarger?
wah lau you don’t shopped @ all?
yu must be leekingyou himself..never seen him goto 7/11 or even kopitiam to buy a packet of meesiam
be smart butt do not ATTEMPT to be oversmart
kapish?
when i was payin annual income tax..my amount payable never XCEED singapoor $200/annum…
today? my average spendin is $12,000/annum( thats dirt cheap lowest figure) now multiply 12,000 X 7%=???
you don’t know..the answer is $840
so which is cheaper? $200 or $840?
Singapore’s GST makes Singapore that highest tax in the world because it’s tax across the board ( includes all necessities ). That means you are taxed even if you lose your job or retire. It’s what you call daylight robbery. If you add up all the other indirect taxes, Singapore’s tax rate is about 80%….. go do you math. CPF by employer and employee is already 35%(it’s an indirect tax), GST 7%.
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as always, locals are TAKEN for a RIDE, like in the book, “JOLLY HANGMAN”, locals, WILL BE HANGED, not soon, but, ONE BY ONE, by who,
THE GOV !!!
Singapore’s GST makes Singapore that highest tax in the world because it’s tax across the board ( includes all necessities ). That means you are taxed even if you lose your job or retire. It’s what you call daylight robbery. If you add up all the other indirect taxes, Singapore’s tax rate is about 80%….. go do you math. CPF by employer and employee is already 35%(it’s an indirect tax), GST 7%.
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locals are daft, and like the book, “JOLLY HANGMAN”, locals will be HANGED, not soon, ONE BY ONE,
BY WHO,
THE GOV !!!
This letter is crap, and I didn’t even need to finish the letter to know that. As soon as he wrote ‘COE’, it was crap. I had thought what brilliant insights he could come up with… but it was utter crap.
COE was borne of the need to control car population in Singapore due to land scarcity. If it was COE, it will be something else, in the end, cars WILL cost more. Unless he can tell me Canada has land issues as well, and need to control car population, he might as well me telling pigs flew across the Singapore river yesterday.
To make it worse, another 3 of his ‘points’ continued to focus on cars, and another one on housing. For housing, PAP might be milking us, but if it isn’t more expensive for a ‘similar’ house regardless, I would believe in a religion.
I hope that future letters would be better vetting for quality before being posted.
You Rae 29 January 2011
Vehicle-related and maid cost should not be taken into consideration. I have not yet seen a $6 char kuay teow at common food courts or hawker centers.
……………….
yeah right indeed…
vehicle and maid shouldn’t be taken into consideration @ all
YET..singapoor government insist on a helfty maid levies..for doin what? helpin undernourished maids or runaway maids? vehicles no consideration mah..just buy your COE(as though many countries practised that law?) paid your parf(as thought you need a paper to buy a car) and in return a COE was issued(now even refundable COEs in ca$h is not ALLOWED..you must used the refunable unused COEs to buy another car? does it makes cents or dollar$)
last but not least… you rae..are you from kallang river under the bridge boogyman? yes/no? when was the last time you visited the revamp orchard road ura carpark hawker centres for a plate of charkwayteows..you wanna know ow much you are payin for 1 plate? try $7.50..and you wanna know ow much rentals is charged by ura inc per stall per month? try $9000 onwards…
YOU DON’T KNOW..yet you came ere proclaiminin no such prize..cancerlee never asked you to buy charkwayteow from orchard road carpark mey? and in case you are really really a SILLY as shole..
charkwayteow do come complete with HUMS & hiam..no EXTRA charges..just $7.50 nia!
lobo76
COE was borne of the need to control car population in Singapore due to land scarcity. If it was COE, it will be something else, in the end, cars WILL cost more.
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you another daft istana perm sec as shole
coe was meant to curb/control cars right?
yes or no? if that is so ow come COEs was release so many so easy as well to the extend of just $1000 deposit..you practically can drive a brand new car out of the psa warehouse..
do you know why i am called
iamWORLDBESTtraveller? simply because i goes round the world…from orchard road ura carpark to changi tail ahquah haunts just to have a blowjob while watchin cargo planes take off…
preston loon
you would have the same type of problems as the EU are facing.I believe a Singaporean who do not own a car,a maid and less eating out is pretty well of when comes to retirement.
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preston ole boi..are you tired of livin?
1st you tell fello singapoorium to boycot hawkers fares for overchargin..
you attempt to teach fello singapooriums to make their owned meals..
now you onced again tryin to be silly all over again even though you CLAIMED you graduated from the university of vancouver..you jolly well know that if you hav a savin of just singapoor/canadian $2000 you can buy a decent car of aroun 4 ears ole..(a 2nd hand 4 ear ole merz only cost $7000 dollar$ nia…people in EU buy cars not for owlian purposes..ITS a NECCESITY..without a doubt..leekingyou must be providin you a diplomatic car for your tesco supermarkets shoppin…
or you wanna tell us you also camped out @ tesco carpark 24/7…
Do not forget that the HST and the GST in Alberta ( we do not have provincial slaes tax)do NOT apply on BASIC essentials like milk, bread, fresh fruits, raw meat and most food items.
They are also NOT applied to the prescription drugs which is not covered in the Health Care system.
In Singapore the 7% GST is applied to everything.
The hospital bill is a scary thing. I know of a approaching middle aged young single lady (age 32) in Singapore. He dad is self-employed truck driver, age 59. If he sustain an accident injury while doing some delivery in his truck, even if he stay in class C ward, his hospital bill can easily come out to be $150,000 and if he is in intensive care for a 6 months, his whole family can go bankrupt….needs to sell their 4-room HDB flat, mother needs to sell all her gold investments, and she might have to end up working full time as a whore in Geylang, or Desker Road or the bar (needs to compete witht hePRC younger girls in their early and mid 20s) to earn and pay the hospital bill…..as work related illness and injuries are NOT subsidized!
This happended to a man, Mr. Tan Guan Seng, who wrote into the ST to complain. Check it out.
Not to mention, if her mother falls ill because of the dad’s hospital bill then it will be worse. Then what about herself and her younger brother!?
I also tell Singaporeans, it takes lots of guts to immigrate; but it takes more guts to to liv in Singapore!
iamWORLDBESTtraveller
U daft fool. I said COE was meant to control car population, but where in my post did I say it worked perfectly? Use your brain please.
p.s If I were perm sec, I would be rich, and go to France to learn cook instant noodles. Where got time to do verbal joust with you?
I would add that a car is a must in Canada (unless you live in the city centre) while a not-must-have in Singapore, hence the comparisons are disparate in the first place.