Singapore is nice, but if you drink, be rich
I have been to Singapore multiple times and have always had a great time. It’s a great city that is clean, safe, and easy to get around. I couldn’t live here because it is a bit too clean and orderly for my liking, and I love a bit of chaos. That’s why I live in Bangkok – disorder and mayhem.
Another significant factor is the price of everything. Things are both really expensive and surprisingly cheap at the same time. For example, yesterday I went to a cheap hawker market thing. I bought some spicy noodles with pork, wonton soup, and a side dish of crispy wonton (I like wontons). It was delicious and came to SGD$5.50 (about USD$3.85). Which is an absolute bargain nearly anywhere in the world.
I then went for a latte as I still had some work to do. That cost SGD$7.5 (USD$5.25). A tad on the pricey side and hot milk and coffee shouldn’t be more than a three course meal.
As a practicing semi-alcoholic, this was inevitably followed by a pint. It was happy hour thankfully, so I managed to score a beer for the discounted price of SGD$13 (USD$9). This wasn’t even somewhere swanky either, it was pretty standard. Alcohol here is ridiculous!
We have quite a friends here in sunny Singapore and they all work in finance. Out of the four we have hung out with the most – two of them don’t drink. The other two are so loaded they happily spent over SGD$200 on wine the night we went out (three bottles).
Humidity, transport, and other aspects of Singapore
I live in Bangkok and am very good with the heat, but Singapore can be humid. It is currently the rainy season, and actually pretty nice, but every visit has been more humid than I am used to. It reminds me of Hong Kong in the summer. Thailand is usually 28-34C but rarely all that humid. HK and Singapore can be sweat-fests from 28C up as the humidity can be ridiculous. I have showered in 99% humidity and it is literally impossible to towel dry.
Again like Hong Kong, getting around Singapore is superb. It is really cheap and incredibly easy. I have mostly been walking or using buses and I have been all over the place. Even taxis are pretty decent. There is also an extensive underground system. Like London, I have just been using Apple Pay on my phone for everything.
Accommodation is generally pricey and really tiny. Similar to Hong Kong. Rooms are really clean and well designed though, so it isn’t that big a deal unless you travel with ridiculous amounts of stuff.
So there you go. I no longer do much travel writing because I can’t be bothered with the details. But I am sure you get the gist and I hope some of the above proved a little helpful.
I do really like Singapore. But as someone who enjoys a beer in the evening, and a bit of chaos and disorder in their lives, it wouldn’t be a long-term solution for me. Thailand also has the advantage of incredible beaches, pints for USD$2.50, food for a dollar, cheap rent, and so on. There is a shitload more crime, scams, and things going south really fast in Bangkok, but that is part of the fun.
Thanks Singapore and possibly see you next year!
