Australian Cost of Living Compared to Singapore

Many say that the cost of living in Australia, if not the same, is even higher than that of Singapore's.
This may be true, but let me breakdown the costs into a few categories:

School:

There are 2 types of schools, a private school and a public school. For a private school, in Australia, it can be very expensive because the rate is not subsidized, from A$2,000 to A$15,000 per year. Very similar to the cost of studying in a private school in Singapore. On the other hand, in Australia, studying in a public school is highly subsidized. This is one of the push factors why my family decided to migrate to Australia, for my kids education.

Housing:

In general, the price of having a roof over your head in Australia and a roof over your head in Singapore will cost about the same price. Surprised? Let me tell you the difference. Buying an HDB flat in Singapore (with 4 or 5 bedrooms) is equivalent to having a landed property in Australia (with your own garage and a swimming pool!). If you want to move to a very popular area in Singapore, such as in Toa Payoh,  Ang Mo Kio, Bishan or Clementi, the price of living in a slightly better suburb in Australia is about the same.

Cars:

HUGE difference! If we are talking about the same car model, for instance, a brand new Toyota Corolla, in Singapore, you may spend $120,000 to get one. In Australia, you can get the same one at around $23,000. See the difference? It is because in Singapore, you need a Certificate of Entitlement that would cost about $100,000! That is like buying 4 brand new cars in Australia! My friend in Adelaide even bought a car for only $500. The price of petrol (fuel), in Australia is about the same, if not cheaper, of what it is in Singapore.

Health Care:

Australia has a very interesting health system called Medicare. Medicare is a federally funded system to ensure that everybody is entitle to the best of health care services. Compared to Singapore, Singaporeans living in Singapore are entitled to similar system except that you fund your own health care in the form of contributions, a mandatory thing. In Australia, health services is highly subsidized.

Food:

In Australia, food is more expensive I would say. There are certain things that are more expensive in Australia especially processed food. But if you will go to local farms in Australia, you will get it in a very cheap price.

Utility Bills:

The cost of electricity is slightly cheaper in Australia. You can save more because in Australia, you do not need air conditioning 365 days a year! I spend more with water because I have a garden in front of my house, unlike when I was in Singapore when I was living in hole in the air.

Electronics and Internet:

Gadgets and mobile devices are way cheaper in Singapore. Internet is faster in Singapore.

Shopping:

In my opinion, there are more shopping choices in Singapore. But in Australia, there are more online shopping websites that offer free delivery with cheaper item prices. I buy most of my clothes online, most of the are $9 each.

Conclusion:

I highly appreciate what we have back in Singapore. Very convenient transportation and extremely safe environment. But in Australia, there is more life. You can do more fun activities, and more importantly, have a good time with your family.

IELTS and choosing NTRUST Singapore as my migration agent for Australia visa

Books.. Practice.. Score!

Many of my friends and relatives were asking me how my family applied for permanent visa in Australia. My answer was always, "I used an agent". Then they will ask me which agent. I tell them I used NTRUST, a local company in Singapore.

Since I haven't tried other agencies, I cannot compare them with others but I was very satisfied with their service. Of course, hiring an agent does not mean I would do nothing and just wait for our visa to be approved. I needed to prepare for the IELTS, an English exam that would add points to my eligibility.

At first, I thought I needed to enroll on some English course specializing in IELTS for me to get a better chance of obtaining a high score. But because of my busy work schedule, I decided not to. I purchased some books, if I my memory serves me right they are from the publisher Cambridge and just study on my own. Despite going home late at night, I dedicated one hour of practice before I go to bed. I even asked my wife to help me practice. She wrote some questions that are most likely to be asked in the speaking exam such as "Tell me something about yourself", "What do you usually do during your free time?", "Who do you look up to?" and a lot more. I even recorded my own voice while practicing and listen to it to know which parts I can improve!

Let me tell you, it was not fun practicing but because I really wanted to give my kids a better future, I just did what I needed to do - practice English. I took the test and after 2 weeks of waiting for the result, I obtained the score I needed. I got at least 7 on each band (not bad!) that made me eligible for skilled migration. I have a friend (whom I guess speaks English better than me) who took the IELTS twice before getting his target score on each band. He said he did not practice for his first exam because he was too confident that is why he failed. On the second one, he practiced and even got a minimum of 8 on each band.

So there, PRACTICE is the key to IELTS.

Back to my agent, after submitting my scores, the process went smooth. I was updated with the progress of my application. I gave them all the necessary documentation they needed for the application. We thought it would take about 1 to 2 years to get approved but surprisingly, our visa was approved in 7 months only!

You are not required to use an agent but if you are not confident in handling your application, just use one. Using an agent would cost you more than applying on your own but it would be totally worth it once you get the visa!