Money Talks: The 26-year-old graphic designer whose salary doubled after she moved to Singapore

Ever wondered what your salary and spending habits are like in comparison to your peers? Money Talks is a column by Her World that takes an honest look at how women spend their money. If you would like to submit a money diary anonymously, please email us at magherworld@sph.com.sg with the subject “Money Talks” in your email header, and one of our editors will get back to you.

In today’s column, we speak to a 26-year-old graphic designer who moved to Singapore for better work and career prospects. Here, she shares her reasons for moving, and what the cost of living is like in Singapore as compared to Malaysia.

About The Diarist

Occupation: Graphic Designer
Industry: Communications
Age: 26
Education level: Bachelor’s Degree
Salary: $3,500 to $4,000

Average Monthly Expenses

Rent/Mortgage: $1,100
Utilities and Internet: Inclusive in rent
Insurance: $1,900 per year ($1,000 for basic health and accident insurance, another $900+ for mortgage insurance)
Investments: None
Phone Bill: $28
Subscriptions: $40 (For a Spotify family plan, YouTube premium and Netflix)
Transport: $50-$200
Food: $500 - $800
Groceries: $200
Shopping: $20 - $100
Entertainment: $0 - $100 (As a super homebody, I’m more than happy to stay at home and do things that cost nothing and allow me to avoid socialising.)
Anything else: Housing loan for my house in Malaysia (I won’t disclose how much, but it’s less than $100 per month)
Savings: $1,000

On the upsides of moving to Singapore for better work prospects: 

I’m Malaysian, so after I graduated from university in Kuala Lumpur (KL), I tried looking for a job there. While I did get some offers, after careful consideration, I decided to try Singapore instead. Looking for a job wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be, though I do feel being Malaysian does offer some advantages as compared to other nationalities.

One of the reasons I decided to work in Singapore is that there are better career opportunities and financial compensation as compared to Malaysia. As a fresh graduate, I was offered RM 3,000 (around SGD 900) for a prospective job, which, all things considered for Malaysia, is not too low for my major. But compared to a job offer from a company in Singapore that would be willing to pay me SGD 2,200 - SGD 2,600 — that’s more than double what I would get! Even if you factor in the high living costs, working in Singapore would still allow me to save up a lot more than working in KL. I honestly don't think I would have any savings if I worked in Malaysia. In fact, at my current level, I would probably get around RM 4,000 - RM 6,000 (SGD 1,600 - 1,800) only.

Another thing that swayed my decision was the location. As my home and family are based in Johor Bahru (JB), it is more convenient to visit my family as it would only take me an hour to cross the border as opposed to a five-hour drive between KL and JB.

On the high cost of living in Singapore:

The cost of living in Malaysia is half (sometimes, even more) of what it costs to live in Singapore. I’m pretty sure my expenditure wouldn’t go above RM 2,000 (SGD 600) as I would stay in the house I own (I bought a really cheap second-hand apartment where my family is living in now) and I would regularly eat at home.

Where I felt the biggest difference was in the cost of accommodation. Rental prices for housing here are insane, and with the amount you pay to rent a common room in Singapore, you can easily rent an entire condominium unit in Malaysia. Daily costs like groceries and food are still fine as you can still find a lot of affordable choices around.

While it definitely costs a lot to live here, I also feel it depends on the lifestyle you want to lead. When I first moved to Singapore, I decided to live at my lowest cost. I stayed with my cousin’s family and the rent was really low. I also didn’t have to cough up a deposit and the first month’s rent in advance. The location was really good and I could find affordable meals in the food courts and coffee shops around. I’m really grateful for that start as it allowed me to build some savings.

I’ve since moved out and I'm paying $1,100 for a common room in a 3-bedroom condominium. The rental hike has been quite a burden to me, but after living with my cousin’s family, I felt I needed a lot more privacy, especially when so much of my time is spent working from home.

On living in Singapore for the long term:

When I first moved, all I focused on was getting a job and starting my new life. Though I did have some fears, mainly cultural differences, and the language barrier as English is not my first language. I used to think working in Singapore was very tough and that people would be mean or look down on you if you weren't fluent in English. So far the working culture and environments I've been exposed to have been somewhat healthy compared to what I heard from my friends who are working in Malaysia.

I don't know how long I plan to stay in Singapore as I’m not ready to settle down just yet, but I definitely won’t be moving back to Malaysia anytime soon. At some point, I hope I would be able to attain Permanent Residency status. I still strive to earn more in my current stage of life and would love to concentrate on building my career here.

I can’t give the best advice to anyone planning to move here as there are so factors to consider: What kind of job you’re looking for, what sort of lifestyle expectations you have etc. But for someone with a similar background to mine (I come from a single-parent family and we are not affluent), I’d say just give it a try!

On her changing views towards money:

My feelings towards money have slowly changed in recent years. I never really had the desire to earn a lot of money — as long as I can live happily without much concern for my daily expenses. As I grow older, I definitely feel more responsible for my own future. Now I’m trying to balance wanting to earn more and the pressure that comes with that, but also being content with what I make now. Making more money is nice, but I still want to be able to breathe and enjoy my own time. It sounds so simple, but it is one of the hardest things to balance.

I was never educated about finances — my parents were not good at it and I come from a one-parent household. My mum worked so hard to find money to raise me and my sister. While I never learnt how to manage money or invest from her, she always advised me to not to live a life of luxury I can't afford and never force myself into doing something I was uncomfortable with.

At the end of the day, I just want to be happy — and I am currently! While my current situation is great, at the same time I want to keep improving. These thoughts motivate me to work harder and give me excitement towards the future.

Here are her expenses for the week:

Day 1

Credit: Films At The Fort

1/7

3:00pm: I went to an Italian restaurant in Orchard for a late lunch. Had pizza, truffle fries, and risotto (which was so good!), ensuring I was full before my Saturday night plans. After that, I spent some time window shopping around the Orchard area. My boyfriend paid for lunch so technically I didn’t spend any money. - $0

6:00pm: I went to an outdoor open-air cinema at Fort Canning which I had booked two weeks in advance. The tickets are a bit overpriced in my opinion (but I still got them as it was my first time at an open-air cinema) and on top of the tickets, they charge an extra $15 for the chairs! I thought you could opt not to buy them, so I brought tiny camping chairs. Unfortunately, the staff did not allow us to bring that in and said it was stated on the website and tickets T&Cs (which, to this day, I still can’t find), so we ended up paying for the chairs eventually. - $73.60 for two tickets

7:30pm: To get ready before the movie, I bought some snacks to munch on though I was happy that they offered free-flow wine too. It was a rainy day and it continued raining until the movie started. I was drenched throughout the whole screening while trying to balance eating hotdogs and drinking wine under a tiny umbrella. It sounds tragic but honestly, I had a great time and truly enjoyed the experience, the movie (Forest Gump) was excellent! - $15

11:30pm: As it was already quite late and there was no public transport available, I took a Grab back home. - $15.80

Daily Total: $104.40

Day 2

Credit: Starbucks

2/7

3:30pm: Woke up late this morning because why not? It's Sunday! I went to Starbucks and worked for a few hours. I saw they had a 1-for-1 beverage offer, so I got two coffees and tried out their new mooncakes too. - $14.30

7:30pm: Was starving and went to a food court nearby to get Pepper Lunch! I have to say, it’s one of my top affordable food choices of all time. I also had a small bowl of yong tau fu as I was craving hot soup. - $150

9:00pm: I always crave dessert after food. Was looking around in the same mall, and got a frozen yoghurt from Yole. I feel complete. - $5

Daily Total: $34.30

Day 3

Credit: Mcdonald's

3/7

9:00am: Grabbed a Mcdonald's breakfast sausage wrap when I was on the way to the office. I felt it would keep me full until noon. - $5

3:00pm: I didn’t have time to get any lunch because I was rushing to a company work event but I managed to get some free bites and drinks there so, yay free lunch. - $0

7:00pm: I was late for my dinner plans and could only take Grab to the place. I went to a Thai restaurant in Zhongshan Mall and it was SO GOOD! It was the most delicious and satisfying Thai food I’ve had in a long time. Took a Grab back home again because I felt exhausted today. - $35.40

Daily Total: $40.40

Day 4

Credit: Unsplash

4/7

12:30pm: It was a work-from-office day. Had sundubu soup from a Korean restaurant nearby for lunch. - $11

7:00pm: Had dinner with friends in a Japanese Izakaya around the Somerset area. I ordered a sake set with truffle cold noodles, teppanyaki and vinegared unagi. Took the MRT back home so I could save on transport. - $64

Daily Total: $75

Day 5

Credit: Grab

5/7

1:30pm: I ordered Grabfood for lunch due to my busy workload (usually I would order takeaway when WFH). Had Taiwanese popcorn, fried chicken, and chilli dumplings with a discount on the delivery fee. Also ordered Thai food again (as I was craving it after that amazing dinner) and kept it for dinner. - $32.40

Daily Total: $32.40

Day 6

Credit: Unsplash

6/7

8:45am: This morning, on the way to the office, I was stopped by an uncle asking me to give him a dollar. I searched my bag for a really long time, but I couldn’t find anything as I rarely carry cash. I felt really sorry for him and actually apologised, but then he retorted “Nevermind lah, nevermind lah!” in a really unhappy voice. I’m sorry, am I paying a fine? Suddenly I didn’t feel guilty anymore, in fact, I think I saved a dollar today. - $0

2:30pm: Had lunch with colleagues in a cafe nearby that I’ve always wanted to try. The menu was quite limited so there weren’t many choices, so we ended up sharing a mushroom pasta and a brunch platter. The portion was fine and the taste is ok. I would only consider coming back if I was going to spend more time here to chill, or work and eat at the same time. - $22.50

8:00pm: I went to a popular Korean BBQ restaurant in Telok Ayer for dinner. It was my first time trying this restaurant, and as an avid Korean BBQ lover, I feel they have the best Korean pork so far! They also offered some free drinks for some issues with our queue number which was nice. My boyfriend paid for everything today so I didn’t spend anything today. - $0

Daily Total: $22.50

Day 7

Credit: Unsplash

7/7

6:00pm: The whole morning I was busy working at home and only managed to cook instant noodles for lunch. Finally, when it hit 6 pm and I finished my work, I went out and bought sweet potato fries as a snack while on my way to my dinner place - $7.80

7:00pm: I was craving chicken rice and finally had it this Friday night. The chicken meat was SO LITTLE (does it still do with the chicken export ban from Malaysia?). After that, I had mango sago at Ah Chew Dessert. - $25

Daily Total: $32.80