Would you leave your RM10+k job in KL for a $5.5k job in SG?

[shilop]

@tctruongson actually 4.5K SGD is RM15.4k, but nonetheless agreed on the rest ! also, 7 days is incorrect. NY, CNY, CNY2, Eid fitri, Eid Adha, Good Friday, Labour day, National Day, Vesak, Deepavali, Xmas. not accounting those PH that is observed over the weekends pushed to Mon/Tue.

i forget time to time, but do you still pay tax for earning outside MY? because i'm sure you're already paying income tax in SG

 

[tctruongson]

@shilop That’s interesting. I remember I used to think that it was 7 days only lmao. But thanks for the correction!

No you don’t pay Malaysia Tax. You pay Singaporean tax.

 

[nei181]

@antiteck it depends on what boat you’re in — i live a very comfortable life here because of my parents, so i only need to work in a job that pays decently (not well) and my aim is work-life balance so i can do all the things i want to do, not to out-earn the rest of my peers while working myself to death.

had the option to move to AU due to my fiance’s PR, but it just didn’t make sense to me starting from zero just for a higher currency exchange when i basically have everything here.

if you’re comfy here, really and truly think it through because it’s not just about pay but your work culture, peers, and potential death of work-life balance. going out of your comfort zone is overrated and only applicable to certain people.

 

[antiteck]

@nei181 Oh? And how is that working for you now? Is your fiancé in AU and yourself in KL currently? I’m curious because I have to also think of my partner here too. She’s got a pretty good job in KL currently and if I do move to SG, I want to bring her over too. I don’t at all mind not saving and supporting both of us while she finds a job but at least for the short term, I’d need to be a sole breadwinner for both of us. And since I still can’t get over the SG rent prices, I’ll add that she most likely will not be happy moving to a different country to live in a bedroom.

Concerning parents, I don’t live with them but they’re nearby and thankfully they don’t need financial help from me.

 

[nei181]

@antiteck i will never move lol; i’m too much of a homebody. fiancé is here but got the visa by luck because it’s very, very hard to get. we both studied in AU so moving over isn’t something completely foreign, but i’m not interested in starting from scratch with no car, no home, no jobs.

i don’t think you can bring your partner over if she doesn’t have a job herself, unless you are a PR. i talked to a friend who moved over recently to join her husband in sg (he’s a PR) and she says the shift has been difficult to stomach. their apartment (they rent a whole place) is small, so she only has one tiny area to store all her clothes as her husband has been living and working there for much longer— she had to sell most of her wardrobe before moving over. i know it sounds like a tiny thing, but it’s something i never thought about and the reality of a shift in lifestyle in terms of space is REAL and i wouldn’t want to do it. i could, but i wouldn’t want to.

 

[myawesomehusband]

@antiteck Someone working in Sg but commuting here. 5.5k SGD quality of life in Singapore will be worse than 10k in KL.. Rule of thumb, you need to earn the same number to get a comparable quality of life in SGD due to high cost of living, unless to choose to travel daily. With 5.5k you might end up spending more monthly than current lifestyle..

 

[mahrie]

@antiteck Congrats on your offer while it seems a lot after conversion…it’s not. I wouldn’t take it. As a Malaysian working in Singapore, I’m about to move back to Malaysia (getting a big pay cut) from Singapore. Just thought to share a few of my thoughts.

Priorities have changed. I want to start a family of my own and be with family and loved ones.
Mental and physical health suffered the most when I was here in SG. My first time living alone abroad and it will be my last. Earning SGD is great, but at what cost?

If you do want to go down, I would not only consider a higher salary and in a good company so can save more money and have better career path, but also think of long term ambitions and mental health.
Also, I’m sure you built a good life in Malaysia to get where you are at today - ask yourself are you ready to uproot this life (friends, family, lifestyle)? Do you have people you trust in SG? How long do you plan to stay in SG?

Hope you don’t sell yourself short - 10k MYR I believe you can get at least around 6-7k SGD job esp if in MNC. All the best!

 

[antiteck]

@mahrie Thank you for sharing your insights. Yeah I guess I was looking forward to the money but after listening to everyone, turns out that even the money isn't worth it. Im not worried. Im sure something better will come my way.

Also, welcome back to Malaysia!

 

[mahrie]

@antiteck For sure something better will come your way and thank you.

 

[souljaofgod]

@antiteck Starting pay for grads can be like 6k+ SGD depending on industry dude dont take it. Got a mate who gradded in engineering but started work in HR 5.5k

 

[7iceman7]

@antiteck If you add your employer epf contribution to your salary (around 16% highest), it makes the SGD offer seem even more less appealing.

 

[antiteck]

@7iceman7 Oof. Forgot about epf. Thanks for the reminder.

 

[antiteck]

@7iceman7 Jap. I didn’t know you can opt for 16%???

 

[lynq]

@antiteck It's not opt. I think what he means is the employer EPF contribution.

Some people do get higher than minimum. But paling minimum also 12%.

Not sure about your employer giving you minimum or above minimum.

 

[antiteck]

@lynq Oh. Currently my employer’s contribution is 14%

 

[ardee]

@antiteck You only get CPF if you get PR. Otherwise you’re treated as a foreigner and is not entitled to statutory contributions. You also do not contribute on your end.

 

[lisawatson40]

@antiteck Basically if you are not PR/citizen, if your contract says 5.5k sgd, you get exactly the amount every month to your bank account

 

[7iceman7]

@antiteck I work for a bank that's one of their benefits. Some companies can offer 16% contribution like Toyota but I don't think it's as common as banks.

 

[taylorjr94]

@antiteck RM10k to 5.5? Sorry no thanks.

 

[drbee]

@antiteck From a purely financial perspective, also consider the differences in career trajectory that a SG stint affords vs Msia.

Case in point: my friend who made ~100k in the US could save more money each month by working in SG, but when he changed jobs and started making almost 200k, that was quickly irrelevant