In a rather befuddling piece by The Straits Times, an expat couple earning a combined monthly income of $29,000 lament about struggling to get by in Singapore’s expensive environment — despite making 10 times more of what a degree holder might earn these days. But hey, what do we know, we’re not expats.
Netizens (mostly Singaporeans) shared the piece across social media, expressing a spectrum of flummoxed emotions about how such a high salary could still make life relatively difficult for the American family. Husband Cyril Letzelter is a corporate pilot while wife Jennifer Letzelter is an engineer — they live with their two young daughters and a domestic helper in an apartment in Thomson. And they’re thinking of moving back to the States because things are just too expensive here, even for folks of their income level.
The couple lament about making adjustments to their lifestyle, “crazy expensive” housing and the “shockingly expensive” grocery shopping. They don’t even bother buying a car in Singapore (although to be honest, it’s not worth it) and instead choose to travel by public transport.
The shocker however comes when the Letzelters list down their monthly household expenditure, which amounts up to $10,650. Most of us don’t even earn half that amount! Here’re their average expenses each month, according to the Straits Times feature:
RENT – $4,400
GROCERIES – $2,400
PUBLIC TRANSPORT AND TAXIS – $800
EATING OUT – $500
EDUCATION – $1,000
HELPER – $1,000
UTILITIES – $350
ENTERTAINMENT – $200
Welp, you know you’re wealthy when your grocery bill is equivalent to the amount that many young professionals bring home. Kudos to them for the relatively big allowance they give to their domestic helper — other conniving folks don’t even pay half of that amount.
Enraged, puzzled or amused; it’s an interesting look at expats’ perception of what constitutes a financial difficulty. After all, Singapore’s the most expensive city in the world for expats — if they live according to their previously-held standards. Living local by eating at foodcourts and Ananas Café, heading to wet markets for groceries, sending kids to public schools, as well as taking buses and trains will probably lower their expenditures a lot more.
