singapore life
General cost of living (as at Aug 08)
SGD $1 equals:
EURO
NZD
HKD
AUD
ZAR
€0.47
$1.01
$5.64
$0.79
R5.37
_____________________________________
Approximate cost in Singapore Dollars:
Weekly travel card
CD
Pint of beer
Glass of wine
Cinema ticket
Food snack/ sandwich
$30
$16-20
$10-12
$12-15
$9.50 per ticket
$2.50 - $8
Singapore is an intriguing blend of Western modernity and Asian culture. It is known and admired for its highly efficient government, world class infrastructure, strong educational system and clean, crime free streets. Singapore also leads the world - if not Asia - on many fronts: economic competitiveness, productivity, living standards, cleanliness; and boasts one of the world's best airports.
There are mega developments in the pipeline that will transform the face of Singapore within the next few years. Two casino/resort developments, each costing about S$4 billion, will turn Singapore into a world class playground and entertainment hub by 2010, with multi-million seafront homes, a megayacht marina, theatres for Broadway shows and a Universal Studios theme park.
_____________________________________
Nightlife, food and drink
Singapore is regularly named in regional surveys as one of the best places in Asia for expats to live in. In an international traveller survey by Country Brand Index 2006, the country ranks second in the world for nightlife and dining.
Clarke Quay is now Singapore's top 'chill-out' spot. An eclectic mix of modern and traditional, the shophouses now play host to a colourful kaleidoscope of restaurants, wine bars, entertainment spots and retail shops lining the Singapore River. You will be able to savour the many delights of Chinese, Italian, Mediterranean and local cuisine right beside the beautiful waterfront and party till the wee hours of the night at some of the trendiest and hottest dance clubs in town such as Ministry of Sound, Fashion Bar, Attica, Clinc and Pump Room.
Just a stone's throw away is the grand dame of Singapore's clubs Zouk (which means 'village party' in a French-Caribbean dialect), ranked 10 for the Top 50 Clubs in the world - the highest ranking club in Asia and Australia). Being the local club with the most international accolades, Zouk has hosted many key DJs and celebrities in today's music world in the likes of Carl Cox, Timo Maas, Paul Van Dyke, The Chemical Brothers and Kylie Minogue.
For wining and dining in a candlelit courtyard ambience, Chijmes is the perfect venue for cosy indoor dining or alfresco dining under the stars. Refurbished from an old Gothic-style school and chapel, Chijmes, with its charming courtyard settings and historical appeal, offers a chic yet casual host of fine restaurants, cafés, wine bars and pubs on its idyllic premises.
At St. James Power Station, entertainment comes in the form of a giant 70,000 square foot complex, aptly located within the premise of Singapore first coal-fired power station built in 1927. There are nine distinct outlets encompassing nine distinct themes, with an assortment of wonderful musical delights from world music to swing and big band, from contemporary dance to alternative rock, from R&B to karaoke. One of the biggest highlights at St James Power Station is TigerLIVE, Singapore's first and only beer museum, where you will be taken on a sensory journey to discover the past and present of a homegrown brew that has garnered numerous international accolades over the years.
To feel the cool sea breeze and sandy beaches, take a sky-train ride from Harbourfront and head over to Sentosa. Dig your feet into the sand and relax with a tropical cocktail at the beach pubs on this little island. Don't miss the exotic and ultimate beach party club Café Del Mar, the latest hotspot with picturesque ocean views, tropical sensuality and Ibiza decadence. Surrounded by palm trees that give the bar/restaurant a sense of exclusivity, the place is dotted with spacious day beds and cabanas, two Jacuzzis, a pool with a bar and stretches of sandy beach.
The Chinatown districts of Pagoda Street and Trengganu Street have seen a renaissance of sorts with trendy pubs, cafés, art galleries and media houses springing up in conservation-style shophouses delightfully juxtaposed with nearby archaic Chinatown homes.
In increasingly cosmopolitan Singapore, from Irish and English pubs to American bars, classy jazz lounges to vibrant blues pubs, Chinese-styled to Mexican-theme bars you will be spoiled for choice to find a haunt that suits your taste.
