M
ost expats enjoy Singapore. It’s clean, safe, well-connected, culturally interesting and has good schools. With a population of 5.9 million, of which almost 2 million
are expats, it’s a truly cosmopolitan city with inhabitants from Asia, Europe, the UK and the US. The city was voted the most liveable in Asia in the
latest annual location ratings report from global mobility expert ECA International, which assesses a range of factors from health services, housing and leisure facilities to infrastructure, climate and the socio-political situation. “I love how safe it is to travel at any time of day and in
any area,” says Mangla Sachdev of Expat Business In A Bag, who has lived there since 2010. “Having everything a maximum of 30 minutes away means we can go anywhere, anytime and get so much done each day. The accessibility to places like Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and Australia is a major advantage.” Singapore is particularly popular with families.
“Safeguarding is very important here and that helps children to have the freedom to cultivate independence,” says one mother of a teenage daughter. Singapore has seen an increase in the number of
Asian expats in recent years, who now account for around a third of expats alongside a mix of British, American, European and Indian populations. The growth comes largely from China, where new education policies discourage international school education. This has resulted in some Chinese parents sending their children to study in Singapore, often accompanied by one parent.
WHAT ABOUT THE COST OF LIVING? According to 2024 figures from global consulting firm Mercer, Singapore is the second most expensive city in the world for expats to live. Rents rose by 30% in 2022, the fastest pace in 15 years, according to Singapore’s Urban Redevelopment Authority. This was partly due to a shortage of housing caused by pandemic construction delays and partly due to extra demands from expats leaving Hong Kong and China. Although rental prices have now levelled in the
mid-market, rents for luxury four-bed housing have continued to rise and demand is strong. Finding a family- sized apartment in popular areas like Orchard Road and Holland Village can be tricky.
“The cost of living has increased hugely,” says Mangla
Sachdev. “There’s more job insecurity and higher rents and some people are choosing to save more by moving elsewhere. After Covid-19 my friends left in droves.”
ARE LOCAL SCHOOLS AN OPTION FOR EXPATS? Not really. Singaporeans and permanent residents get priority and it’s difficult to secure a place. Singaporeans are required to send their children to government, not international, schools. Locals can only apply for international schools with special clearance from the Ministry of Education. Public schools are run by the Ministry of Education of Singapore and tend to be high academic performers, with Singapore consistently scoring highly in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) rankings.
HOW DOES THE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL LANDSCAPE LOOK? In short, buoyant. In an intensely competitive market around 60,000 students attend the 50 international schools in Singapore, which offer a choice of well-equipped campuses. “Singapore is one of the oldest and largest private international markets in the world,” says Ashwin Goel, a member of L.E.K Consulting’s global education practice. Singapore’s international schools are mainly for
expats and their international status allows them to offer any curriculum and operate independently. They are largely co-ed, through-train and they tend to be big – many have between 2,000–4,000 students. Most have a truly diverse international student body and exemplary facilities are the norm. The international schools market here has historically
seen steady growth and that shows no sign of slowing. According to ISC Research, over the last five years international school numbers grew by 19%, above the global average of 10% in this time period. Capacity is regulated by the Economic Development Board (EDB), which launches request for interest (RFI) from new schools to add capacity to the market at its discretion. The market is split into three distinct price points,
according to L.E.K’s Goel: the super-premium schools, which charge over SGD$35,000 per annum; premium schools, with fees of between SGD$20,000–$35,000; and budget schools, with SGD$10,000–$20,000 fees.
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