Beyond the Central Region: Best Places For Expats to Live in Singapore

Welcome to Singapore. Known for its political stability, multicultural and multiethnic demographic, Singapore grew from a tiny fishing town into a bustling financial hub that is a magnet for talents regional and international. A growing pool of expatriates flocking into the lion city only means one thing: real estate is heating up and getting more competitive. For those that have just recently received job offers to Singapore, fret not. Here’s a rundown of the best areas for expats to reside in Singapore.

Kanebridge spoke with a rising real estate agent in Singapore, Denyse Chong for her insights on these trends in Singapore.

District 9: Orchard, Cairnhill, River Valley

Not only are the properties in these areas near to the Central Business District (Raffles Place, City Hall etc), it also boasts Singapore’s famous Orchard Road Shopping Belt! Cafes, restaurants, eateries, and groceries are easily accessible when you need them, and work is only a short 20-minute commute away! Within District 9, River Valley would be my personal favourite. The Riverfront Lifestyle promises a very chill, relaxing environment that you’ll be excited to come home to after a day of work.

District 10: Bukit Timah, Holland

Expats with children will most likely bookmark this district as this is the place you’d want to be when considering education options for your adolescents. It is surrounded by elite junior institutions such as Anglo Chinese School, Raffles Girls, Nanyang Primary, to name a few. It is also home to the Singapore Botanical Gardens where you can bond with your family over picnics. It is slightly farther out than Orchard, but even then, reaching the CBD will take you no longer than 30-mins.

District 3: Queenstown, Tiong Bahru

Tiong Bahru is known for its “quaint little vibes” with walk-up apartments, shophouses and local coffee shops. You’re also inbetween either CBD, or the Telok Blangah offices. For some weekend fun, you can easily pop by Sentosa’s beach clubs for drinks.

What is the community vibe like in those areas you have recommended?

Depending on where and which part of those areas, it can be pretty fast-paced, especially during rush hours. More so for the dwellings along the Orchard stretch. Foot and vehicular traffic can get quite heavy at the end of the day.

Rivey Valley is a nice quiet neighbourhood. You would meet fellow expats at the cafés in the area having brunch on weekends after walking their dogs, or fellow neighbours going for a run or cycle along the Singapore River.

Queenstown and Tiong Bahru presents more of a local vibe with more public housing located in the area, compared to D09 and D10. If you’re looking to immerse yourself into local culture, this area can be very interesting too!

What is the ideal age of a property to purchase in those regions?

Depending on your budget. If it’s within your financial means, purchasing a BUC (building under construction) property/brand-new property directly from the developer will be better as there are lower risks incurred from progressive payment. You are also at lower risks amidst a hike in interest rates as your loan would be disbursed progressively and not in entirety. Alternatively, you can also consider projects that have just obtained completion, so the wait is less, and you can move in immediately.

If you’re in need of larger living spaces, I would recommend going for slightly older developments (10 years of age and above) as you would get more liveable space for the same amount of beds and bath layout. However, this is location subjective. Finding an older development may also command a higher premium than a developer’s new release due to prevailing PSF prices.

Should I rent or buy outright? Are there any significant barriers to entry for purchasing a dwelling in Singapore?

If you’re here for a short but good time, renting would be a better way as you get to explore a variety of properties during your stay here.

Barriers of entry for purchasing a property include the upfront cash on hand required amounting to 25% of property price, as well as the additional buyer stamp duties foreigners would be required to pay, above the property price, at 30%, payable in cash. This represents a huge quantum.

Freehold or Leasehold?

It should be pre-requisited on what your goals are. If you’re purchasing and intending to pass the property down to your children, I would say freehold. But if you’re intending to invest, leasehold is equally competitive. The returns on investment may even stand to be better than a freehold property too.

Is it more popular to stay within the city? (Or is staying within the city fringe an upcoming trend, if so, why?)

While I believe it used to be popular to stay within the city due to close proximities to the office, nowadays, staying within the city fringe is getting increasingly popular as well. Furthermore, City Fringe property prices are much lower than that within the Core Central Region (CCR). Our Public Transportation is reliable and cost-efficient. This allows for more expats to rent at city fringe places for bigger spaces at the same budget. (An equivalent 2-bedroom rental in the city would translate to renting a 3-bedroom in the city fringe). It is a consideration for Expats to want to “detach” from work by returning to their home slightly further away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

You may wish to contact Denyse for further assistance if you’re looking to relocate to Singapore for work.

Denyse Chong

(65) 97116664

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The big wedding can wait. Couples are deciding they would rather take the plunge into homeownership.

In reshuffling the traditional order of adult milestones, some couples may decide not to marry at all, while others say they are willing to delay a wedding. Buying a home is as much, if not more of a commitment, they reason. It helps them build financial stability when the housing market is historically unaffordable.

In 2023, about 555,000 unmarried couples said that they had bought their home in the previous year, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis of Census Bureau data. That is up 46% from 10 years earlier, when just under 381,000 couples did the same.

Unmarried couples amounted to more than 11% of all U.S. home sales. The percentage has climbed steadily over the past two decades—a period in which marriage rates have fallen. These couples make up triple the share of the housing market that they did in the mid-1980s, according to the National Association of Realtors.

To make it work, couples must look past the significant risk that the relationship could blow up, or something could happen to one partner. Without a marriage certificate, living situations and finances are more likely to fall into limbo, attorneys say.

Mark White, 59 years old, and Sheila Davidson, 62, bought a lakeside townhouse together in Newport News, Va., in 2021. But only her name is on the deed. He sometimes worries about what would happen to the house if something happened to her. They have told their children that he should inherit the property, but don’t have formal documentation.

“We need to get him on the deed at some point,” Davidson said.

White and Davidson both had previous marriages, and decided they don’t want to do it again. They also believe tying the knot would affect their retirement benefits and tax brackets.

Financial foundation

Couples that forgo or postpone marriage say they are giving priority to a financial foundation over a legal one. The median homeowner had nearly $400,000 in wealth in 2022, compared with roughly $10,000 for renters, according to the Federal Reserve’s Survey of Consumer Finances.

Even couples that get married first are often focused on the house. Many engaged couples ask for down-payment help in lieu of traditional wedding gifts.

“A mortgage feels like a more concrete step toward their future together than a wedding,” said Emily Luk, co-founder of Plenty, a financial website for couples.

Elise Dixon and Nick Blue, both 29, watched last year as the Fed lifted rates, ostensibly pushing up the monthly costs on a mortgage. The couple, together for four years, decided to use $80,000 of their combined savings, including an unexpected inheritance she received from her grandfather, to buy a split-level condo in Washington, D.C.

“Buying a house is actually a bigger commitment than an engagement,” Dixon said.

They did that, too, getting engaged eight months after their April 2023 closing date. They are planning a small ceremony on the Maryland waterfront next year with around 75 guests, which they expect to cost less than they spent on the home’s down payment and closing costs.

The ages at which people buy homes and enter marriages have both been trending upward. The median age of first marriage for men is 30.2, and for women, 28.6, according to the Census Bureau. That is up from 29.3 and 27.0 a decade earlier. The National Association of Realtors reported this year that the median age of first-time buyers was 38, up from 31 in 2014.

Legal protections

Family lawyers—and parents—sometimes suggest protections in case the unmarried couple breaks up. A prenup-like cohabitation agreement spells out who keeps the house, and how to divide the financial obligations. Without the divorce process, a split can be even messier, legal advisers say.

Family law attorneys say more unmarried people are calling for legal advice, but often balk at planning for a potential split, along with the cost of drawing up such agreements, which can range from $1,000 to $3,000, according to attorney-matching service Legal Match.

Dixon, the Washington condo buyer, said she brushed off her mother’s suggestion that she draft an agreement with Blue detailing how much she invested, figuring that their mutual trust and equal contributions made it unnecessary. (They are planning to get a prenup when they wed, she said.)

There are a lot of questions couples don’t often think about, such as whether one owner has the option to buy the other out, and how quickly they need to identify a real-estate agent if they decide to sell, said Ryan Malet, a real-estate lawyer in the D.C. region.

The legal risks often don’t deter young home buyers.

Peyton Kolb, 26, and her fiancé figured that a 150-person wedding would cost $200,000 or more. Instead, they bought a three-bedroom near Tampa with a down payment of less than $50,000.

“We could spend it all on one day, or we could invest in something that would build equity and give us space to grow,” said Kolb, who works in new-home sales.

Owning a place where guests could sleep in an extra bedroom, instead of on the couch in their old rental, “really solidified us starting our lives together,” Kolb said. Their wedding is set for next May.

Homes and weddings have both gotten more expensive, but there are signs that home prices are rising faster. From 2019 to 2023, the median sales price for existing single-family homes rose by 44%, according to the National Association of Realtors. The average cost of a wedding increased 25% over that time, according to annual survey data from The Knot.

Rent versus buy

Roughly three quarters of couples move in together before marriage, and may already be considering the trade-offs between buying and renting. The cost of both has risen sharply over the past few years, but rent rises regularly while buying with a fixed-rate mortgage caps at least some of the costs.

An $800 rent hike prompted Sonali Prabhu and Ryan Willis, both 27, to look at buying. They were already paying $3,200 in monthly rent on their two-bedroom Austin, Texas, apartment, and felt they had outgrown it while working from home.

In October, they closed on a $425,000 three-bed, three-bath house. Their mortgage payment is $200 more than their rent would have been, but they have more space. They split the down payment and she paid about $50,000 for some renovations.

Her dad’s one request was that the house face east for good fortune, she said. Both parents are eagerly awaiting an engagement.

“We’re very solid right now,” said Prabhu, who plans to get married in 2026. “The marriage will come when it comes.”