Is earning S$6.8K at 23 in Singapore impressive or just average? Young foreigner asks
With a Reddit post, he put his inquiries to the international online community: Is this a decent compensation for someone just starting? Can I afford rent at S$2,500/month? And significantly, how relaxed and sustainable will my lifestyle be?
The response from experienced locals and fellow expatriates was instantaneous and perceptive, offering clarification on both the financial truths and prospects that come with living in the Lion City. Impressive for his age
Redditors agreed that S$6,800 is a good beginning salary, specifically for a 23-year-old. 'Many people at that age can only dream of having this type of pay,' one user wrote. 'Heck, you might even be making more than someone with 10 years more experience.'
While background, like education, industry, and work experience, is missing, their shared opinion is that he's doing well based on local standards. Singapore's median monthly salary (as of 2024) floats around S$5,000, so this income already puts him securely elevated. See also Zhang Ziyi's daughter has a crush on Wang Leehom Rent: How far will S$2,500 go?
One of the poster's major worries was housing, whether a S$2,500/month house rental is realistic. The short answer: it depends on what he's looking for and where. For that amount, choices include a one-bedroom condo unit in an outlying city location or a more expansive flat in a residential area. However, leasing an entire apartment in central areas such as Orchard, Tanjong Pagar, or Marina Bay will be stretching the budget.
Redditors provided some viewpoint here, too: 'If you choose to rent a room (and not a whole flat) a bit further from the centre, cook at home or eat at hawker centres, and take mostly public transport, you can save up at least S$3,000 a month.'
So, even though S$2,500 could get a desirable flat on a respectable site, it might come at the cost of savings, except if lifestyle choices are consequently fine-tuned. Comfort vs. savings
A major theme that can be gleaned from the Reddit conversation is balance. Yes, one can likely live very contentedly on a S$6.8K pay, but living huge could mean saving little.
Singapore offers a variety of lifestyle choices like Michelin-starred hawker kiosks and expensive bistros, glossy MRT trains and always-available ride-hailing apps, luxurious fitness centres in the CBD and ActiveSG public sports services in the heartlands. The trick, as one Redditor put it, is making concessions and striking a balance: 'Don't stay at Orchard, don't spend $15 for every meal, and don't take Grab everywhere—but also don't feel bad for treating yourself to a nice croissant if you feel like it.'
Eventually, it comes down to one's priorities. Do you want to take trips often, live alone, or eat out? One can, comfortably even. But then, savings will have to be relegated to the background. Or are you the type who prefers to store up a substantial chunk of money every month? Sharing a condo flat, using public transportation, and eating at hawker centres can go a long way. Other costs to consider
The young expat also inquired regarding monthly expenditures outside of rent. Healthcare, for instance, is costly, specifically if you're depending exclusively on private care. 'S$800 for medical expenses isn't great,' one Redditor cautioned. 'One ultrasound at a private clinic can already cost more than S$100; an MRI, a few hundred.' This cautioned him that even in an extremely technologically advanced system, quality care has a steep price, particularly when there's no all-inclusive insurance. A promising start with room to grow
For a young adult starting on a global exploration, S$6,800/month in Singapore is a solid foothold. It offers comfort, a decent lifestyle, and—if managed well—an excellent savings rate too.
But like in any other place, lifestyle choices are the real game changers. As the Reddit crowd astutely emphasised, 'The question is, do you prefer to save money or live as comfortably as possible?'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Independent Singapore
2 hours ago
- Independent Singapore
Poly student asks if regularly giving S$50 to each parent from intern pay is ‘not normal' in SG
SINGAPORE: A polytechnic student has sparked a discussion online after asking if it's 'not normal' in Singapore for students to give part of their internship pay to their parents. In a post published on the r/SGexams forum, the student shared that she was surprised by her friends' reactions after revealing she regularly gives $50 each to her mother and father from her monthly internship allowance of around $800. According to her, she places half of her earnings into savings and uses the remainder for daily expenses such as food, transport, and personal items. The student explained that she has been following this routine since she began taking on part-time and temporary jobs at the age of 16. While she never viewed the gesture as out of the ordinary, her friends' surprise made her question whether her practice was seen as unusual, especially given that she is still studying and not yet working full-time. 'I talked to a few of my other friends, and they all think of it as not normal in my situation. So now I'm wondering, is it not a normal thing for a person like me?' she asked other locals. She added that for her, the decision to give back makes sense. 'Personally, I like to pay them back as I can't repay them for everything they provided me till now. The least I can do is pay them back some of my salary. Also help them with the housework.' 'My parents expect me to do this, but I refused.' The post received a range of responses from Singaporean Reddit users. Some commended the student for being responsible and showing appreciation to her parents, while others questioned whether such expectations are still reasonable for younger generations. One commenter shared that giving money to parents was more common among 'Boomers and Gen X,' mainly because the economic conditions back then made it more feasible. In comparison, they pointed out that Millennials and Gen Z are dealing with a much more challenging financial environment. With the cost of living continuing to rise, wages not keeping up, and overall financial uncertainty growing, many young people today find it much harder to reach the same level of financial independence their parents once had. See also POSB Everyday Card reduces cash rebates from 3% to 0.3% at Watsons In light of these challenges, they felt that giving money to parents should be a personal choice rather than an 'expectation,' and that such support should come from willingness and ability, not pressure or guilt. Another shared, 'My parents expect me to do this, but I refused. What do you mean I have to give you money when you are already earning 10x my salary? When I'm working full-time or if my parents are in actual financial need (which they are not), that's a different story. ' 'But at this age, I think it's more important for us to learn how to manage and build our finances, learn how to save and invest to build your future.' A third, however, disagreed with this take and said, 'It's normal. Most cultures pay back parents in appreciation, support parents when they are old, or give parents a break from struggling their whole life. You are a good child; God will bless you in abundance.' See also 4 Factors to Consider When Choosing a Crowdfunding Platform In other news, a 17-year-old student from Myanmar has opened up on social media about his growing frustration and anxiety over being repeatedly rejected for permanent residency (PR) in Singapore. In a post on the r/sgexams subreddit, he shared that he's lived in Singapore since he was three and has pretty much grown up like any other local teen. He speaks fluent Singlish, actively volunteers, takes part in school competitions, and feels deeply connected to the country and its culture. Read more: 17-year-old foreigner in Singapore opens up about repeated PR rejections: 'This is my only home' Featured image by freepik (for illustration purposes only)
Independent Singapore
7 hours ago
- Independent Singapore
‘We make S$5000/month!' — Singaporean couple turns their S$1M condo into a passive income machine with 10 side hustle recommendations, working from home
SINGAPORE: What if your condo could make you money while you bake sourdough, play with dogs, or teach a workshop — all without stepping out of your front door? Meet Darien, a former tech sales professional from Singapore who quit the 9-to-5 life to travel full-time, live on his own terms, and help others do the same. Alongside his partner Joanna, Darien has transformed their home into a multi-stream income engine, generating over S$3,000 to S$5,000 a month through practical, proven side hustles that are perfect for 2025. In a video that has been making waves among aspiring entrepreneurs, Darien breaks down 10 legitimate side hustles that Singaporeans can start right now. Some require skills, others need hustle, but all are achievable. Here's the breakdown, ranked by the time you need to put in and how tough it is to earn your first S$100. Home-based hustles: No office, no dress code, no problem 1. Home Café — Your oven could be a goldmine Before he was jetting off on full-time adventures, Darien and his partner Joanna were stirring up profits right at home. Their first taste of profit came from the smell of freshly baked goods. 'We started baking from home and expanded into two physical retail outlets, doing baking workshops even while we were still students,' Darien recalls. Photo: YT screengrab/@darienandjoanna Thanks to platforms like Acuppa , anyone can start a home-based food business with zero licensing hassles. TikTok and GoBusiness tools help build your brand fast, without the high overhead of a retail space. Home-based cafés are booming in Singapore. Acuppa even lists neighbourhood food entrepreneurs, and the good news is that you don't even need a licence to get started. Photo: YT screengrab/@darienandjoanna Time investment: 3/5 Difficulty to make first S$100: 3/5 Get your first few customers, prove your product works, and you might just rise like your best sourdough loaf. 2. Workshops — Teach what you love (and multiply your income) Why bake for people when you can bake with them — and get paid more for it? It takes you four hours to bake a cake. But if you host a workshop and get four participants to bake with you, each paying S$80, you just quadrupled your earnings, Darien explains. That's S$320 for the same four hours. 'This is also why we pivoted our business from selling cakes to doing workshops,' says Darien. Photo: Freepik (for illustration purposes only) Baking, pottery, floral arranging — whatever your craft, workshops let you earn more while sharing what you love. Workshops are one-time efforts that become repeatable events. Once you've built the curriculum, it's wash, rinse, repeat — just like those dishes after class. Time investment: 3/5 Difficulty to make first S$100: 2/5 You can also conduct other workshops, from pottery to flower arrangements, to make your weekend hobby earn you enough to pay your rent. 3. Carousell — The marketplace that keeps surprising! Darien's dive into sourdough baking led to an unexpected epiphany: there's real demand for sourdough starters. He listed an extra sourdough starter one night and got his first sale within hours. 'You can't buy it from the store. So I managed to get it from a friend, multiplied it, and listed it on Carousell . That night, someone bought it.' Photo: YT screengrab/@darienandjoanna You can list anything valuable — vintage clothes, books, old tech… even your workshops. And add four items lying around worth S$30 on the list, that's your first S$100! So you see, you don't need a warehouse full of products — just a few things people want. Even your fermented flour can work. Carousell is still king! Time investment: 1/5 Difficulty to make first S$100: 2/5 Four listings at S$30 each, and you're already there. Skill-based hustles: Hands-on, heart-in, high reward 4. Pet-sitting — Paws, play, and paydays! If you love dogs or any animals, for that matter, you might already qualify. Your spare room could turn into a pet daycare. Darien knows someone who became one of the top pet sitters on Pawshake , hosting up to 10 dogs a day at S$40 each. That's S$400 a day! — No barking mad math there. Photo: Freepik (for illustration purposes only). 'It hardly feels like work,' Darien says, 'especially if you love animals.' Time investment: 3/5 Difficulty to make first S$100: 1/5 One weekend of furry fun and wagging tails could already hit your target. 5. Tuition — Because Singaporeans will pay for A's Singaporeans don't mess around with education. That's why tuition — especially in core subjects — remains another goldmine. If you're strong academically, tuition's a no-brainer. Even better, you don't have to go solo either because home-based centres let you franchise their curriculum. 'There are home-based tuition centres that let you franchise their materials, so you don't have to start from scratch,' says Darien. Photo: Freepik (for illustration purposes only). Time investment: 2/5 Difficulty to make first S$100: 1/5 One or two quick sessions, and you're already in the green for triple digits. 6. Commission-based tech sales — No salary, just straight hustle If you're not into kids or calculus, but you've got the gift of persuasion, then commission-based tech sales might be your playground. Early-stage tech startups are always looking for people who can sell and close deals. You're not paid for your time, though — you're paid for your results, Darien notes. But the upside is massive! Master cold outreach on LinkedIn , learn the tools, and your S$100 becomes a foot in the door for bigger deals. Photo: YT screengrab/@darienandjoanna This one isn't easy, but it pays dividends in income and network. Time investment: 4/5 Difficulty to make first S$100: 4/5 Again, master cold calls and outreach, and it might just become your full-time gig. 7. Community sales rep: Sell what you believe in through WhatsApp, not stores If you prefer something more human and less hustle culture, community-based sales are perfect for introverts with a cause. No cold calls, just warm referrals. Many niche brands prefer reps to retail. Think wellness, skincare, or household products sold via personal networks and weekend pop-ups. 'Pick brands you truly believe in — most are always recruiting,' Darien advises. Photo: Freepik Some brands really don't want retail space — they want people who can sell through WhatsApp, social media direct messaging, or word of mouth. From essential oils to ergonomic chairs, just pick what you love and start talking. Time investment: 3/5 Difficulty to make first S$100: 3/5 Your inner circle could become your first customer base. 8. Coaching — Share the knowledge; your story could become someone else's solution Whether it's life coaching, career coaching, content coaching, or mindset mentoring, if you've done something impressive, chances are, someone wants to learn from you. When Darien left his job, he became a career coach in Bali. 'In the first two months of leaving my job, I went to Bali, and because I had a proven track record in tech sales, I became a coach for people who wanted to switch into (tech sales),' Darien shares. 'Each cohort lasted eight weeks with weekly Zoom sessions.' Photo: pikisuperstar Start with one-on-one sessions and scale to groups. If you've done something others want to achieve, this is your lane. And then go on to live your Bali dream. Time investment: 3/5 Difficulty to make first S$100: 2/5 The transformation you've made could be someone else's breakthrough. 9. Start a micro-agency: Sell solutions, not hours If you know how to run ads, have skills in design, create social content, marketing, or build websites, consider packaging those skills into a service business. Skip freelancing — start an agency. Darien launched livestream services during the COVID-19 pandemic, helping small businesses stay visible. 'During COVID… I reached out to top livestreamers in Singapore, partnered with them, and started offering livestreaming services to small businesses. We (even) sold durian… during National Day,' he shared. Photo: YT screengrab/@darienandjoanna Focus on results, not the hours. Clients care more about conversions or outcomes than your calendar or time sheets. Done-for-you packages are key. Time investment: 5/5 Difficulty to make first S$100: 3/5 Takes time, but once it clicks, it scales—serious payoff if you really stick with it. Creative and content-based hustles: Create. Publish. Repeat. 10. Content Creation — From TikTok to passive profits; build once, earn forever (hopefully) Just like any other hustler we've heard from before, Darien also doesn't sugarcoat it. Content creation is slow, hard, and often thankless — at first. 'This one takes a lot of time, but it has an insane upside,' he says. So, whether you're on YouTube, TikTok, or doing UGC (User Generated Content) for brands, content is also king, and getting crowned does take time. But the goal is simple: create content people care about. If you're shy, then just go faceless. If you're outgoing, then build a personal brand. 'It takes a long, long time to build your audience… The first S$100 could take months. But the next S$1,000 could be passive.' Photo: YT screengrab/@darienandjoanna Time investment: 5/5 Difficulty to make first S$100: 5/5 Go faceless with storytelling, or build a personal brand. It's not quick, but it's powerful. Darien's parting advice 'The best side hustle is the one that you can stick with for at least 6 to 12 months to really see it pay off.' Whether you're making muffins, managing mutts, or mentoring future tech bros, consistency is the real money-maker. Darien and Joanna didn't get rich overnight — but their decision to design life on their own terms is paying off in spades (and sourdough). And when it comes to surviving the Lion City, where hustle often meets burnout, Darien's message is a refreshing shift: design life around what matters. Earning more and working less isn't just a dream — it's a strategy. So then, which one will you start with first? To learn more about Darien's full breakdown and personal journey, watch his inspiring video below. You'll get even in-depth details, real-life examples, and tips to kick off your 2025 with a smarter hustle. Read related: 5 genius ways Singaporean Gen Zs can turn side hustles into six-figure careers with just $5 or less and a smartphone
Independent Singapore
7 hours ago
- Independent Singapore
‘Barely anyone left to do the work': Employee says company is using 'restructuring' as a cover to cut staff without replacements
SINGAPORE: A Singaporean employee recently shared on social media that her company has been letting staff go without hiring proper replacements, all under the excuse of 'restructuring.' She said this has left the remaining staff struggling to cope with the workload. 'All they like to talk about is money, money, money, bring in more money, but when the money comes in, there is barely anyone that has the capacity to do the work,' she wrote on r/askSingapore on Friday (July 4). 'Team morale is very low and I can foresee people leaving. Even I want to leave.' Despite wanting to resign, she explained that she is holding back because the industry she works in is very small, and there are not many job openings that match her skills. She ended her post by asking others about their own experiences. 'I don't really have an objective for this post,' she wrote. 'But I'm just curious how things are going in your company. Lots of news of layoffs and businesses shutting down. Is there this anxiety or fear that you would be the next one? Any talks of downsizing?' See also A fascinating interview with SingularityNET CEO Ben Goertzel 'Honestly, I think a lot of companies aren't doing that well.' The post quickly gained traction, with many users sharing that they were experiencing similar challenges at their own workplaces. One commenter said their situation was almost identical to the original poster's. 'Are we working at the same company?' they asked. 'Everything I'm facing matches what you said. I feel like I'm just tahan-ing for the paycheck. But also too burnt out to try looking for new jobs in the meantime.' Another individual recounted having already been laid off earlier this year. During a one-on-one meeting, their supervisor informed them that the company could no longer afford their position and encouraged them to resign. They added, 'I'm jobless right now and looking for new opportunities while managing a new flat mortgage. Honestly, I think a lot of companies aren't doing that well. You don't see the panicking beneath the surface, but most so-called 'leaders' are awful.' A third shared, 'Same here. The company has reduced the headcount in Singapore. Compass rule and global slowdown have dropped our headcounts from 120 to just 70 in a year!!! Resulting in more revenue drop and started talk of complete shutdown of SG branch.' Amid these shared experiences, some commenters offered practical advice. One urged others to keep their résumés and LinkedIn profiles updated, even if they are not actively job hunting. 'I find that worry and uncertainty feels less if you know you're ready to start job hunting at any moment,' they said. 'And if you really feel like there's no point in staying and things are starting to go south quickly, then start sending out those resumes. Don't wait for the axe to fall.' What's driving the layoffs? In a 2024 report by The Straits Times , UOB senior economist Alvin Liew explained that earlier rounds of layoffs were largely due to economic uncertainty, rising interest rates, and overhiring during the pandemic. Many companies, especially in tech, expanded too quickly in response to temporary demand. However, Liew noted that the reasons behind job cuts have since shifted. A major new factor is the growing use of artificial intelligence (AI), which is changing how companies operate and reducing the need for certain roles. Liew added that these layoffs have not been limited to Singapore, but have also been happening in major global tech hubs since 2022. Read also: 'I was really uncomfortable': Singapore commuter says 'weird guy' kept leaning into her space on MRT Featured image by freepik (for illustration purposes only)
