8 Things to Know About Singapore Before Moving Here

Welcome to beautiful, modern Singapore—where the sun feels brighter, the air feels warmer, and everything is in vivid colour.

And no, you’re not imagining it: we do walk faster here. A study conducted in 2007 by Professor Richard Wiseman and the British Council revealed that Singaporeans are indeed the world’s fastest walkers.

Perhaps you’ve also heard that Singapore is a heady blend of East and West, upholding Asian values and cultures while being forward-looking in our economy. And it’s true, a quick look around the country will also show our architecture reflecting this unique intersection; with heritage buildings and futuristic skyscrapers co-existing side-by-side.

As a young nation, Singapore is still finding her identity even as Singaporeans are already leaving their indelible marks in the world, trailblazing in the areas of technology, biomedical science, and finance.

Before moving here, you’ll want to know these eight undeniable things about Singapore that make Singapore so unique in the world–if only to ready yourself for living your best life in our fast-paced, multicultural, efficient, and tropical city-state.

1. It’s really hot and humid most of the time

First on our list is the weather, it’s something that is completely inescapable and in our opinion, one of the worst things about living here. Some people liken it to a perpetual hot yoga session, others say it’s like getting cooked in a steam oven.

Located merely one degree north of the Equator, Singapore has a tropical climate comprising high temperatures year round, with day-time maximum temperatures between 31 to 33 degrees on most days, and night-time minimum temperatures of 23 to 25 degrees on most nights.

What makes everything extra miserable is the humidity, which makes everything stuffier and more stifling than the actual temperatures suggest. Singapore’s high humidity will get the better of you if you don’t take appropriate measures to keep cool–like wearing clothes made of thin and breathable materials, taking frequent showers, and using electric ceiling fans to keep the air in the room moving.

The upside to this is that most people report that they quickly get used to the heat and humidity here. Some even say it’s like living in perpetual summer!

2. It can be expensive to live here

Yes, Singapore is known to be the world’s most expensive city –and it’s unfortunately true, especially if you want to live a luxurious life. After all, cars in Singapore are notoriously expensive thanks to the country’s Certificate of Entitlement system, which requires car owners to purchase a certificate at a hefty cost before they can even buy a car.

Throw in housing rental, education (especially if you’re looking at international schools), and the cost of eating out, and that’s basically most of your month’s salary gone to all these needs.

How you choose to live your life will make a big difference in how expensive living in Singapore can be. Opt for government-built HDB flats slightly further away from the city centre and local government-run schools for best value for money.

Pssst: you can actually live pretty well on a salary of S$7,000! Here’s how.

3. Everywhere feels crowded

There are currently approximately six million people who live in Singapore this year, which only measures 734.3 square kilometres. Our population density is among the highest in the world, with 8,207 people living on every square kilometre of land.

So you’re absolutely right in feeling that everywhere in Singapore is crowded.

As a city-state, there aren’t really any truly rural areas you can live in, away from the crowds. Every part of our country is part of the city too. Suburban neighbourhoods are also crowded, comprising government-built housing flats that typically house thousands of households in an estate.

Pro tip: Avoid the crowds on the trains and buses by travelling during off-peak timings where possible (after 10am and before 5pm). And skip the lunch and dinner crowds at hawker centres or food courts by having your lunch before 12pm and dinner before 5pm–trust us, it really makes a big difference in being able to find a seat more easily and queuing for a much shorter time for your favourite minced meat or fishball noodles.

4. The majority of our homes are tiny

Which brings us to our next point: most of the homes here in Singapore are tiny. How small are we talking about? Well, more than 77% of Singapore residents live in government-built HDB flats, and the largest flats are only between 110 to 130 square metres in size.

That’s because Singapore is a tiny country, and every bit of land is precious here.

You could say we trade our tiny homes for awesome community facilities and infrastructure–well-maintained public pools, sporting facilities and activities, community libraries, hawker centres, and children’s play areas are but some of the public amenities you get to enjoy at town hubs!

5. Multiculturalism is a big thing

Living in harmony with people from different cultures is an everyday thing for people in Singapore. It’s literally enshrined in our hearts and minds, as little children memorise and recite the words of the National Pledge and remember to live as “one united people, regardless of race, language, or religion”.

It’s also not uncommon to see people in ethnic clothes out and about in public: Indian women in their bright and beautiful saris; or Malay men donning their songkoks (hats). On top of all that, major ethnic festivals are celebrated as public holidays.

It’s no secret that Singaporeans love eating food from all cultures, and the hawker centre and coffee shops are the best place to live this out. Chinese Tze Char is even available at Malay-run halal stalls, which cook these dishes for their Malay customers sans pork and lard, using halal certified ingredients.

Singlish too is a wonderful reminder of how we live alongside other races and culture in Singapore. As a language amalgamated from the different vernaculars of Singapore’s main races, Singlish is universally understood and embraced by Singaporeans no matter their race.

So coming to Singapore, you will need to remember that multiculturalism is a big thing and that racial discrimination is a flat no for Singaporeans. Laws to end discrimination for good are also in the pipeline, so you know how seriously the country takes racism.

6. We live life on the fast lane

Maybe it’s the incessant heat, or maybe it’s just Singaporeans being “kiasu” – which means “to be fearful of losing out” in the Hokkien dialect. Singaporeans live life on the fastest lane possible: walking at top speed, driving almost recklessly, and expecting things to be done five seconds ago.

And you’re not imagining things when you sense that people waiting in line seem unable to comprehend the concept of personal space–squeezing you in with an air of impatience as though standing closer together will move the queue along more quickly.

It definitely helps that things in Singapore are so efficient in all aspects, from our business environment to our government services to the economy as a whole. Everything runs smoothly and quickly; replies to queries are expected within three working days, and technology is widely employed to automate tasks and increase efficiency further.

Be fully prepared to crank up your gears in Singapore, and buckle up for the ride because it’s going to be a really zippy one!

7. Everything feels almost too perfect

Beautiful tree-lined roads and streets, that prevailing sense of safety that lulls you into leaving your possessions unattended in public spaces without worrying that someone will merrily swipe them away, extreme cleanliness, wonderful air-conditioned malls, and perfectly paved parks–this is the Singapore that greets you when you first arrive.

Living in pristine, spotless Singapore may feel like a dream, but for Singapore residents, this is an everyday reality.

Even the smallest, most random things, have a solution.

Found a monitor lizard that has wandered into your home ? Call the folks at the National Parks Board, who are in charge of wildlife management in Singapore. Have an issue with the cleanliness level in your HDB estate ? Inform your local Town Council via the LifeSG mobile app. Have an unfortunate neighbour who won’t stop belting out songs in the middle of the night at the top of his lungs? Take your complaint to the Community Mediation Centre run by Singapore’s Ministry of Law, who will send officers to both your homes to mediate the dispute.

8. Stress levels can rise quickly

With things being so efficient and productivity being so important in Singapore, it’s really little wonder that Singaporeans are majorly stressed out. A study by Cigna Healthcare which surveyed 1000 Singaporeans in 2023 revealed that 86% of respondents felt stressed out, with 16% of them feeling that their stress was unmanageable.

Findings from the Asian Mental Health report 2023 by Aon and Telus Health also support this as a fact, showing that 52% of Singaporeans are more sensitive to stress now, while 43% say that their mental health is negatively affecting their productivity at work.

School children aren’t spared the stress either. While Singapore students consistently score highly in global Programme for International Assessment (PISA) surveys conducted by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation Development (OECD) – more Singapore students also worry about their performance in school, with 86% of students reporting that they felt stressed out about their grades in the same OECD studies done in 2017.

As an expat moving here, knowing the kind of high pressure environment you’re coming into can help you take steps to manage your own stress levels, by drawing the necessary boundaries, setting your own expectations, and reminding yourself that you’re going to be ok no matter what the results.

After all’s been said and done, does knowing these things about Singapore change your mind about moving here? There’s only one way to know for sure–you’ll have to come here and find out for yourself.