Answering My Most Asked Question: “How’s Living in Singapore?”
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Introduction
I am a 25-year-old Indonesian, currently working as a software engineer in Singapore. Despite having lived here for over a year now, I’ve come to realize that I much prefer living in Indonesia. I’d like to make it clear from the start: Singapore has many great aspects, especially the high living standard and high salary. But, I’m writing this not to discuss them, but to share why, despite all its positives, I find that life here doesn’t quite suit me. Furthermore, I actually aim to encourage my Indonesian friends to be more grateful for our home country.
The Appeal of Developed Countries
Many Indonesians dream of living in a developed country, drawn by the allure of higher salaries and a more advanced living standard. I was no different and these factors initially attracted me to Singapore. However, living here made me realize that reality was different from what I envisioned, and I found greater comfort back home in Indonesia. Moreover, due to my experience talking with my foreign friends here, I believe some or most of my points below are also applicable to other developed countries, especially in Asia (China, Taiwan, Japan). Not all people in Singapore fully shares the points I’ve listed below, but in general this is the condition I’ve observed.
The Reality of Life in Singapore
- High Cost of Living and Limited Personal Space: Life in Singapore is expensive (even with a high salary), with everything from housing (1 small apartment in Singapore costs around Rp 5–10 Billion, 1 house costs Rp 25 Billion++), everyday necessities (Rp 200k for a meal in restaurant), and personal vehicles (Gojek/Grab costs Rp 150k++ per trip). The necessity of using public transportation and the lack of personal space even at home (because we live in an apartment), is very tiring, compared to Indonesia where we can have private vehicles & houses.
- The people are not as friendly as Indonesians: They tend to think about themselves much more compared to Indonesians. Their mindset is always prioritizing themselves first. Even if this also applies in Indonesia, here is worse. The impact is, by default a lot of people here become not friendly & not trying to do good/kind things (because there’re not a lot of benefits to do so). They also like to complain a lot, even with a very high standard of living already (especially compared to Indonesia).
- Turns out I prefer living in a religious society: Despite being a minority in Indonesia, most people with religions are in general still trying to do kind things in their life. Even though oftentimes they cause trouble, I still like it more in general compared to living a life without a goal besides becoming a successful person.
Lack of Gratitude & Pressures of Success
Living in Singapore, I’ve observed that despite the high standard of living and wealth, many people here, including my friends from Singapore, China, Taiwan, and other developed countries, seem unsatisfied and are constantly under stress. Even young children, like my manager’s daughter who’s just 5 years old, are already having 5 private classes and extracurricular activities outside school (with almost no free time even on Weekends). My other manager’s baby has also been attending school since 5 months old. It’s become so normalized that not participating can result in being left behind, adding even more pressure on the children (and typical Chinese parents).
In contrast, back in Indonesia, despite a much lower standard of living and numerous unfortunate things, I know many people (especially older people) who still radiate gratitude and still trying to do kind things for others. This has led me to my current main goal in life: to ultimately prioritize doing good and kind things, like serving and sacrificing personal time for others. I’ve observed that constantly chasing what we don’t have (always wanting for more) leads to a never-ending cycle of dissatisfaction. Instead, we should appreciate and be grateful for what we do have.
Recognizing My Privilege
I’m deeply aware of my privilege and luck in being able to live and work in Singapore. This wouldn’t have been possible without the kindness and help of numerous people in my life, to whom I’m deeply grateful. But acknowledging this privilege isn’t enough. I want to use this unique perspective to help others. The least I can do now is by sharing my insights and experiences with the intention to help my fellow Indonesian friends. Please, anyone (even the ones that I almost never communicate with), always feel free to reach out to me if you think I could assist you by listening and providing advice in any aspect, based on my very fortunate experiences.
Conclusion
In summary, I’ve realized that I prefer living in Indonesia. I consider myself very blessed & fortunate for this experience and it’s made me see Indonesia’s virtues more clearly. My hope is that we all can reflect on this and cultivate deeper gratitude in our daily lives as Indonesians.
Bonus Meme
