SINGAPORE: With the United States possibly seeing negative net migration for the first time in decades, many US nationals are choosing to relocate to Southeast Asia, particularly to Vietnam and Thailand. 

Aspirational relocation videos from Americans who have already made the move are helping drive this trend, according to a report in NPR this week. Lower living costs and a slower pace of life are among the reasons for the move, and many who have settled in Southeast Asia are digital nomads.

Indonesia, especially Bali, has also become a big hub for nomads, and Malaysia, the Philippines, and Cambodia have seen their share of US expats looking for a new home.

Singapore, however, is not.

TikTok trend

The trend has been helped along by social media influencers who are working remotely, many of whom feature lives where they can work anywhere, such as at a beachfront cottage, where they pay much less than what they would have if they stayed home.

“More and more people are working remotely … and trying to find ways to integrate work into their lifestyle,” instead of the other way around, Cornell University associate professor Brooke Erin Duffy told NPR.

Commenting on the piece, a US national who worked in Beijing wrote, “Americans are packing up and heading to Vietnam and Thailand because TikTok keeps showing them a version of life that actually feels livable: rent that doesn’t devour your paycheck, streets where folks actually talk to each other, and days that don’t revolve around grinding just to stay afloat. Remote workers and burnt-out professionals are chasing pho for two bucks and beaches that don’t come with a side of existential dread.”

What about Singapore?

Cheaper living costs, especially for accommodations, plus gorgeous locales, a more relaxing pace of life, plus the ability to legally work remotely are the biggest draws, and are also why the case is not the same in Singapore.

First, unlike Thailand, Singapore does not offer a dedicated digital nomad visa, which makes long-term stays very challenging. Vietnam has a 90-day e-visa, which digital nomads work around by going to a neighbouring country, then coming right back.

Next, the cost of living in Singapore is significantly higher, at as much as 170% more than the global average. In Singapore, they are told to expect to spend around S$4,400 a month, compared to a maximum of S$1,900 in Thailand and S$1,400 in Vietnam.

Instead, Singapore draws highly paid professionals who have corporate roles such as those in finance, tech, and consulting. /TISG

Read also: Singaporean digital nomads choose Japan as their most preferred destination to work

This article (Inspired by TikTok videos, US nationals are moving to Southeast Asia, but not to Singapore) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News.

SINGAPORE: After their landlord raised the rental rate on their flat by more than 43%, one family decided to move from Singapore to Johor Bahru.

Our “only regret is not moving sooner,” entrepreneur Michelle Hon, also known as The Chill Mom on Instagram and the founder of MomBoss Academy, told The Independent Singapore.

She posted a video on IG on March 11 where she told her family’s story.

She and her husband had been paying S$4,500 for a flat in Singapore for their family of five, when suddenly, “Our landlord raised the rent to SGD $8,000 a month. For the same apartment we’d been living in. For the same 2,000 square feet. So we started looking.”

Ms Hon, a PR from Malaysia, went on to say that they found a three-storey semi-detached house in Johor Bahru with a garden on a 6,000 sq ft property.

It went for RM5,000 per month, which came out to about S$1,600.

“Same business. Same USD income. Same family. Different address,” she wrote in the caption.

When asked how the family is doing since they made the move, Ms Hon said that their children are adjusting very well.

“My daughters, who had been in primary school in Singapore, love their new school. Less stress. And they’ve escaped PSLE!” she added.

Nevertheless, there are drawbacks, one of which is time. She noted how in Singapore, it had been easy to set up meetings, coffees and attend events, given how convenient it is to get everywhere.

“Now, I have to be more intentional, and such outings are minimal,” Ms Hon said, adding that she’s more focused and able to get more things done each day. 

“Could be feeling FOMO sometimes,” she added.

What commenters are saying

Her post has generated a lot of comments, ranging from IG users who could hardly believe anyone would pay S$8000 for a flat (“Oh, it was rented out, after only 2 viewings,” Ms Hon answered) to those who wanted to know why she and her family chose JB instead of, say, Raja Amat or Cambodia.

“Because it’s still near Singapore for the occasional catch-up with friends!” she answered.

“I am in my mid 40s, and my kids are in their early 20s & late teens. Contemplating retiring in JB or anywhere else in my 60s,” a commenter wrote.

Ms Hon also said that her family’s move to JB has been so successful that they’ve since bought a home there. /TISG

Read also: ‘More will eat at JB, McDonald’s,’ Singaporeans say after hawkers raise prices by S$1

This article (‘Same income, different address’: Family moves to JB after rent hike pushes family to Johor Bahru — ‘Same income, different address’) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News.

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