Really a lot of people around me who migrated overseas come back to Singapore.

[peterlim95]

Money. SG good place to make money.
High salary. Low tax.
No capital gains tax.

Depends on which profession you are in. Some professions like nurses, plumbers and electricians you have a better life and career prospects in countries like Aussie and NZ

 

[cyke69sg]

Depends on which profession you are in. Some professions like nurses, plumbers and electricians you have a better life and career prospects in countries like Aussie and NZ

Salary not that high either. Tax also high.

I think if you consider the lower income class in SG they would be thinking grass is greener.
cos they have simple needs. House and car happy like dunno what already.

The high income people high net worth people they rather stay in SG (SG as base) and hop around all over the world traveling

Hence you can tell who are the different classes of people from what they say about this topic.

 

[peterlim95]

My cousin migrated to Australia a decade ago came back here. He say salary wise here more competitive and also want his children to grow up in the environment here.

My neighbor's son and his wife who migrated to Australia also now back and staying with his parent.

One of my fren migrated to NZ a couple of years ago and another one who migrated to UK all now back here.

Grass is always not greener on the other side?

What jobs were they working in other countries? Did they share why they moved back to SG ?

Is it due to loneliness/isolation? Or wanna be close to ageing parents?

 

[peterlim95]

Salary not that high either. Tax also high.

I think if you consider the lower income class in SG they would be thinking grass is greener.
cos they have simple needs. House and car happy like dunno what already.

The high income people high net worth people they rather stay in SG (SG as base) and hop around all over the world traveling

Hence you can tell who are the different classes of people from what they say about this topic.

Jus yesterday there was a ST article about Aussie looking to poach SG trained nurses ....

 

[ricohflex]

TS description shows that those who so-called "migrated" did not give up their SG citizenship.

Some people succeed. Some don't. Those who do not make it overseas, come back to SG.

They give up something and also gain something.

They gain cheap cars and cheap houses.

Whatever it is, if they go to an angmoh country, the normal SGrean who is not a billionaire, will always be a 3rd class person there. They have to give up their self-respect. They will be routinely ill-treated.

 

[peterlim95]

TS description shows that those who so-called "migrated" did not give up their SG citizenship.

Some people succeed. Some don't. Those who do not make it overseas, come back to SG.

They give up something and also gain something.

They gain cheap cars and cheap houses.

Whatever it is, if they go to an angmoh country, the normal SGrean who is not a billionaire, will always be a 3rd class person there. They have to give up their self-respect. They will be routinely ill-treated.

Really? On the contrary, i read many sinkie nurses who moved to aussie said that they were treated better there with respect and protected rest days... Remuneration is also much better than sg even after taxes...

 

[peterlim95]

I studied in Australia but moved back to Singapore after graduation.

90% of my friends who studied in Australia at the same time as me, and who obtained PR, moved back to Singapore.

I just moved to Australia on 01 January 2025.

I won't be earning as much as compared to when I was earning in Singapore.

Daily eating out is more expensive as compared to Singapore. I was at a Singapore restaurant this afternoon. A bowl of Yong Tau Foo with 4 ingredients and noodles, cost almost A$20.

I eat at home most of the time as my mother-in-law cooks for every meal. So eating out hasn't really affected me much. But would prefer to eat out at least a few times a week.

Can't go anywhere without own vehicle. Lost my independency. Hate this aspect.

Other than the eating out and losing my independency (temporary), and being bored, living in Australia has been pretty good so far. Helps that I'm not working so life is pretty stress free (for now).

Pretty homesick. Miss my mum a lot though.

Which city did u move to? Mind sharing?

Did ur friends who got Aussie PR share why they moved back to SG?

How is the housing and cost of living crisis in Aussie? Is it as bad as depicted in social media?

Do u cook on your own when you are in Aussie? From what i read, any services that human labour "touches" it will incur a high price, be it eating out, plumbing or electrical works.

In aussie such blue collar jobs are highly respected and well paid.

Isn't it an irony that with your own vehicle, you can go anywhere you want, that includes driving around whole of Australia?

 

[forests_gump]

I had lived almost 2 decades... elsewhere -- the decision not to come back is even stronger than ever before.

 

[silent_espy]

TS description shows that those who so-called "migrated" did not give up their SG citizenship.

Some people succeed. Some don't. Those who do not make it overseas, come back to SG.

They give up something and also gain something.

They gain cheap cars and cheap houses.

Whatever it is, if they go to an angmoh country, the normal SGrean who is not a billionaire, will always be a 3rd class person there. They have to give up their self-respect. They will be routinely ill-treated.

Really? My whole family (uncles, aunts and cousins) all not even millionaire leh. Go there without $100k in bank but now every single one doing better than their peers in Singapore.
On the contrary, my own experience based on my generation, all my friends who don’t come from rich family but grad from local unis in engineering and finance still hatakaki in sg, not married and staying with parents. My previous managers out of 6 only 2 doing well the rest got retrenched before and now doing contract for bank projects. The 2 managers doing well one grad from Ivy League uni while the other husband is rich one of the top person in sgx.
I joined a FB group for Singaporeans in North America and some times some sinkies will homesick and want to go back but when people ask them reason then they will think through and say it will be hard because both parents might struggle to find jobs and kids have to re adapt. Those who can afford to just move back usually have huge financial support from parents or they are doing so well in their host country they have the resources to move back and probably get a good job due to their position in the host country. I posted before my friend went back during covid because she said US covid very jialat and her husband who is amdk almost died of covid. Her parents are super rich stay holland V private. She went back with husband and kids. Till today all of them
Leeching from her parents, their job is just to send kids to school and pick them up everyday. Her parents gave them ultimatum once the kid grad from sec 4 they have to go back to US and support their own family.

 

[NightGhost]

Trump playing tariff game nao. Many countries impacted.

 

[cyke69sg]

I posted in another thread recently.

Another Sinkie guy that got featured in ST article last year who moved to aussie moved back to sg late last year after almost 7 years of being in Aussie (came back to sg briefly during covid and went back again).

https://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/...uding-singaporeans-moving-down-under.6999511/

I guess migrating overseas isn't for everyone. Besides getting better career prospects, money, safety, healthcare, one has to take into account the ability to assimilate to the host country's culture and lifestyle.

Wouldn't be posting his linkedin or instagram pages here as I don't wanna breach POHA laws.

Probably the salary is peanuts compared to what SGreans get in SG

 

[cyke69sg]

I heard @amransan did that?

I did that too.
Probably one of the dumbest decision I have ever made. I will regret it for life.

 

[cyke69sg]

Jus yesterday there was a ST article about Aussie looking to poach SG trained nurses ....

What's the salary?

Nurse salary is not high regardless which country you talking about. At most 100-200k a year.

 

[cyke69sg]

TS description shows that those who so-called "migrated" did not give up their SG citizenship.

Some people succeed. Some don't. Those who do not make it overseas, come back to SG.

They give up something and also gain something.

They gain cheap cars and cheap houses.

Whatever it is, if they go to an angmoh country, the normal SGrean who is not a billionaire, will always be a 3rd class person there. They have to give up their self-respect. They will be routinely ill-treated.

You say "cheap cars and cheap houses". That's relative to SG. But in SG the salary is easily 3-5X that in other countries.

And you are correct. We got to give up self respect. Take all the low paying jobs nobody wants. Pay high taxes.

 

[peterlim95]

What's the salary?

Nurse salary is not high regardless which country you talking about. At most 100-200k a year.

https://www.reddit.com/r/singapore/s/hXgQjJj37D

100k-200k in Aussie considered low ? What is a good salary then ?

meanwhile in sg , nurses work super long hrs + endure lots of **** from patients and workplace management , in the end they are drawing like 4K-5k monthly after shift allowances .

Do u know why so many nurses leave sg for other countries ?

 

[peterlim95]

You say "cheap cars and cheap houses". That's relative to SG. But in SG the salary is easily 3-5X that in other countries.

And you are correct. We got to give up self respect. Take all the low paying jobs nobody wants. Pay high taxes.

If one has no skills or relevant experience, gotta take any jobs that nobody wants , that includes cleaners or supermarket workers too …

 

[cyke69sg]

https://www.reddit.com/r/singapore/s/hXgQjJj37D

100k-200k in Aussie considered low ? What is a good salary then ?

meanwhile in sg , nurses work super long hrs + endure lots of **** from patients and workplace management , in the end they are drawing like 4K-5k monthly after shift allowances .

Do u know why so many nurses leave sg for other countries ?

That Reddit thread got this post

"No man. Even with the exchange rate and higher taxes in Australia, Singapore is really crap. RNs SGD3000 nett a month, OT is expected and unpaid. In Australia the amount of hours and penalties can put you over 100k easily, about AUD5-6K net

Edit: those who think I'm ********ting that a fresh grad RN can earn over 100k in Australia, here's the info from the horse's mouth

"

It is now 2025. 100k a year is nothing. 100k a year still hard to make ends meet.

A good salary is $500k a year.

In other countries, nurses STILL work super long hrs + endure lots of **** from patients and workplace management and also end up drawing 5-6k monthly only.

The only thing perhaps is that with the same low salary, the cost of housing and car is cheaper than if they stay in SG.

 

[cyke69sg]

If one has no skills or relevant experience, gotta take any jobs that nobody wants , that includes cleaners or supermarket workers too …

Western countries don't recognize foreign work experience.

There are many doctors and lawyers and engineers driving uber delivery service.

Even cleaner or supermarket worker also need experience they don't just anyhow hire.

I applied to McDonald's got interviewed and they said looking for someone with experience.

Very very hard to get job.

Don't even try to migrate. Most SGreans if they go through the humiliating process of finding job and be told how useless their qualifications and work experience is will go into depression.

Stick to SG. SG is the best place to work both for locals AND foreigners. Which is why it is so successful.

 

[peterlim95]

https://www.reddit.com/r/singapore/s/gCk5QPceUd

 

[cyke69sg]

https://www.reddit.com/r/singapore/s/gCk5QPceUd

You read the comments

nonametrans
•10h ago

Bruh...not a lot leh. Currently in Queensland for a fresh grad RN it's $41 minimum pay. 12.5% extra for afternoon shift, 20% for night shift, 150% for Sat and 200% for Sun. Their work laws is 38hr
Let's say 5 days work week (40hrs, 38+2OT), 8hrs per day of actual work (not counting break). 1 weekend (sat), 1 afternoon, 1 night, 2 day shifts. OT we'll put it under day shift.
Some mathing and it's 6.5k AUD after tax. This is take home, before salary sacrificing and company benefits like a car. Salary sacrifice, you can use your gross (before tax) salary to buy & operate a car, pay your rent/mortgage, buy new PC, and more. Then you take what's leftover, that's your assessable income for that year.
Then there's also the work culture to consider... Singapore has lots of unpaid OT, Asian working styles are more top down, etc.
Edit: by the way...when you progress up the skill tree, specialist nurses can command salaries in excess of 10k take home. I don't think Singapore has any pathway for nurses to get that high of a salary.

Some people say the salary is not that much. 6.5k only.

I guess it is all relative. To me 6k a month is really very low pay