We all know that having children is not cheap but in Singapore, it is very true, especially for foreigners. As part of its plan to put citizens on another level, the Singapore government has reserved a good portion of its childcare subsidies for citizens, allowing some for permanent residents (PR) but none for Singaporeans. In fact, some people may conclude that foreigners are often penalized for having children as one foreign child in the childcare system means that a Singaporean citizen or PR is excluded.

The childcare system here works in such a way that in most HDB hubs, there are infant and childcare centres whereby working mothers can send their children in for affordable and quality care whose operation and set-up is monitored by the government through strict regulations and such. Singaporean working mothers enjoy a subsidy of $700 whereas PRs pay the full price of around $1000 to $1200 depending on the childcare center. Foreigners on the other hand pay double of the full amount, which is a whooping $2000 or more. Most end up hiring foreign maids or finding babysitters who charge around $650 to $700 for their services (with pros and cons, naturally).

At first glance, it seems quite unfair if you’re a foreign worker as you are not entitled for any CPF contribution yet find yourself paying the same amount of income tax as a citizen or PR (a foreign worker’s tax, it would appear, goes to benefiting locals more).

Not only that but medical bills are different as well. Singaporeans and PRs pay a whole lot less than foreigners who most of the time end up paying double the amount paid by PRs. When it comes to buying property, foreigners can forget about purchasing HDB apartments which are very affordable. They are off-limits and only reserved for those with citizenship or PR. Instead, foreigners find themselves renting (which benefits locals) (be prepared to fork out at least $1.4K to $1.8K for a whole HDB 2 or 3 room apartment) or paying crazy amounts for private properties – and by crazy, I mean amounts starting from $600K to over $1 million and we’re not talking about landed properties but merely condos. And I haven’t even gotten started on things like finances, term life insurance quotes and so forth.

Clearly, having children, getting sick, becoming a homeowner and so forth are luxuries few foreign workers can afford in this so-called land of opportunity. Why I say so-called is that having said all those things, the average pay of a non-expat here is hardly anything to shout about. It is what it is – average. In many instances, accounts from friends who have been here are mostly the same; companies here want the best but they not necessarily will pay for your talents…even multinationals. It was almost as if I was being reminded that Singapore is no better than Malaysia.

Yet, in a way, I can understand why the system is such – after all, if there weren’t any benefits, who would want to be a citizen or PR? If the tables were turned and it was Malaysia who gave its citizens such benefits, would we sing a different tune?

I would say that if you’re a singleton with few commitments, then Singapore is a good place for you to establish a career, bulk up your finances and so forth. If you’re married with children, think twice before coming down here especially the pay. Factor in all the costs, possibilities and so forth – even the environment, culture and common communal perceptions. Don’t settle for anything less, even if it means “having a job is better than none” – we made that mistake and find ourselves now paying a pretty hefty price for it – something which I’m now constantly reminded of as I’m job-hunting.

Really, the grass is not always greener on the other side – or at least that’s the case for a foreigner in Singapore like myself (do exclude yourself if you’re on an expat pay or earning a nice cushy salary because you’re in a different league altogether).