How much money do you actually need to survive in Singapore?
One TikTok creator thinks S$1,900 a month could be enough, at least if you are only looking at the basics.
In the video, the creator breaks down the monthly cost of food, transport, rent, insurance, and a mobile data plan.
Still, the estimate had viewers questioning whether S$1.9K really covers all the basics for a month.
Food and Transport Come to S$662
According to the creator, food would cost around S$540 a month.
That estimate is based on spending around S$6 per meal at a hawker center. With three meals a day, that works out to S$18 daily, or around S$540 a month.
For transport, the creator recommends a monthly public transport pass costing S$122. But some viewers were not fully sold on that either. For anyone who does not travel much, paying for individual rides could work out cheaper.
Rent Takes Up Nearly Half the Budget
Housing is where the budget starts getting tight.
The creator estimates that a bedroom without an ensuite would cost around S$900 a month, including utilities. The video focuses on renting rather than buying, since the whole point is to work out the cost of simply getting by, not saving up for a home.
Once S$900 rent is added to food and transport, a pretty big chunk of the S$1.9K budget is already gone. The creator then factors in around S$10 for a mobile data plan and up to S$300 for insurance.
That brings the total to S$1,872 a month, which gets rounded up to S$1.9K.
Viewers Think the Math Is Missing A Few Things
One commenter pointed out that everyday essentials like toiletries, clothes, medical bills, and unexpected expenses are not included.
Another commenter questioned how S$1.9K could be enough for survival when plenty of people already feel that even a S$3K salary does not go very far.They suggested that someone could need closer to S$2,500 a month once these additional costs are included.
Others took the opposite view and said the estimate could actually be reduced further.
One commenter suggested that people could spend around S$400 to S$500 on food, keep transport costs to about S$100, and find a shared room for around S$500 to S$700. Some viewers also pointed out that living with parents could save a ton on rent, while sharing a room could bring the monthly cost down even further.
At the end of the day, the comments show a big gap between just getting by in Singapore and actually living comfortably.
See the video here:
@jeff_wang_jun ♬ original sound – Jeff (THE PRINCE) Wang 👑 – Jeff (THE PRINCE) Wang 👑
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