1. Average monthly earnings per employee by industry in Singapore

Have you ever wondered which industry pays the best in Singapore? Well according to the Jun 2013 Monthly Digest of Statistics Singapore, it was Finance and Insurance industry with the average monthly salary of SGD $10,779. This was partly due to the year end bonus of course. Yet during the normal months in 2012, the average monthly income for this industry per employee fluctuated between SGD $7,544 (monthly average in Q3 2012) - SGD $8,178 (monthly average in Q4 2012). Do you know how much an average employee in Singapore earns? $2.5k? $3k? Nah, it is actually $4,948 in Q1, 2013. The lowest monthly income industry is Accommodation and Food Services, which was at $1,709.

Industry

Monthly Average Earning Q1 2013

Manufacturing

SGD5,056

Construction

SGD3,799

Wholesale & Retail Trade

SGD4,422

Transportation & Storage

SGD4,492

Accommodation & Food Services

SGD1,709

Information & Communications

SGD6,341

Financial & Insurance Services

SGD10,779

Real Estate Services

SGD3,667

Professional Services

SGD6,271

Administrative & Support

SGD2,315

Community, Social & Personal Services

SGD4,940

Average 

SGD4,948

Note: below average

On average, monthly income in Singapore per employee increased in Q1 this year (SGD $4,948) in comparison to Q1, 2012 (SGD $4,717).

2. Singapore government has been very strict with Permanent Resident (PR) application since 2009

My friends in Singapore have been telling me that Singapore policy regarding Permanent Resident (PR) application has changed massively against foreigners since 2009. The income criteria is much higher than before and foreign students after successfully completed a degree in NTU, NUS or SMU are no longer offered PR Application Letter. This has been the consensus amongst friends and on the news. I have no hard data about this until I looked at the number of Singapore PR over the years. As you can see from the graph above, the number of Singapore PR remains more or less unchanged since 2009 at 533k PRs. Between 2006 - 2009, the number of Singaporean PR increased by about 120 thousands PRs, which is about 30% increase.

3. Chinese is still the main ethnic group in Singapore in 2013

Singaporean Chinese is still at about 74% of the population, followed by Malays and Indians. However, when it comes to live-births, there are ONLY about 63% of the number of new born babies Chinese. It seems that OTHERS ethnics group when they become PR in Singapore, they tend to give birth much more than Singaporean Chinese. Many of my Vietnamese friends who are PR in Singapore, get married and have babies there :D

4. While Singapore Monthly Average Income is much higher compared to Vietnam, the retail prices of selected daily items are "CHEAPER" than Vietnam's.

I know this may not be a really Apple to Apple comparison but I would still want to highlight this so that you could draw your own conclusion. Not all of the items are cheaper in absolute dollars than in Vietnam I will include the Vietnamese translation of the items as well so that everyone could understand :) I hope it is alright. The retail prices in Singapore was for May 2013. Exchange rate from SGD to VND by Vietcombank on 05JUL 2013: 1 SGD = 16,467 Vietnamese Dong.

4.1 Rice & Other Cereals (Gạo và các mặt hàng ngũ cốc)

Item

Unit

May 2013 (Singapore Dollars)

Tháng 5 2013 (Vietnam Dong)

Thai Rice 100% Fragrant (Gạo Thái thơm 100%)

10 kg

SGD25.82

₫425,178

Instant Noodles (Mì gói)

1 package

SGD0.44

₫7,278

Ordinary White Bread (Bánh mì gối bình thường)

400 g

SGD1.49

₫24,536

Vitamin Enriched Bread

400 g

SGD1.64

₫27,006

High Fibre Bread

400 g

SGD2.20

₫36,227

4.2 Meat & Poultry (các loại thịt)

Item

Unit

May 2013 (Singapore Dollars)

Tháng 5 2013 (Vietnam Dong)

Chilled Lean Pork (Thịt lợn thăn)

1 kg

13.14

₫216,376

Chilled Streaky Pork

1 kg

14.57

₫239,924

Chilled Pork Rib Bones

1 kg

16.40

₫270,059

Chilled Beef (Bò đông lạnh)

1 kg

20.96

₫345,148

Chilled Mutton (thịt cừu đông lạnh)

1 kg

17.79

₫292,948

Hen (gà)

1 kg

5.82

₫95,838

Duck (vịt)

1 kg

6.87

₫113,128

Chilled Chicken Wing (cánh gà)

Each

0.68

₫11,198

4.3 Seafood (đồ hải sản)

Item

Unit

May 2013 (Singapore Dollars)

Tháng 5 2013 (Vietnam Dong)

White Pomfret

1 kg

23.56

₫387,963

Flowery Grouper

1 kg

14.22

₫234,161

Kurau (cut)

1 kg

48.36

₫796,344

Gold Banded Scad (kuning)

1 kg

6.37

₫104,895

Spanish Mackerel (tenggiri)

1 kg

10.65

₫175,374

Golden Snapper

1 kg

17.28

₫284,550

Sea Bream (kerisi)

1 kg

8.32

₫137,005

Sea Bass

1 kg

12.14

₫199,909

Cod Fish

1 kg

49.80

₫820,057

Salmon

1 kg

26.34

₫433,741

Small Prawns

1 kg

11.76

₫193,652

Medium Prawns

1 kg

17.64

₫290,478

Large Prawns

1 kg

24.76

₫407,723

Squids

1 kg

11.74

₫193,323

Fish Balls

Per 10

1.9

₫31,287

4.4 Dairy Products & Eggs (Sữa và Trứng)

Item

Unit

May 2013 (Singapore Dollars)

Tháng 5 2013 (Vietnam Dong)

Fresh Milk (Sữa tươi)

1 litre Package (Hộp 1 lít)

2.88

₫47,425

Condensed Milk (Sữa đặc có đường)

400g tin (hộp 400g)

1.62

₫26,677

Infant Milk Powder (Sữa trẻ em)

900 g tin (hộp 900 g)

43.44

₫715,326

Cheese (pho mai)

Package of 12 slides (gói 12 miếng)

4.84

₫79,700

Ice-cream (kem)

1.5 Litre Tub (hũ 1.5 lít)

6.2

₫102,095

Hen Eggs (trứng gà)

Per 10 (10 quả trứng)

1.95

₫32,111

 

4.5 Vegetables (rau)

Item

Unit

May 2013 (Singapore Dollars)

Tháng 5 2013 (Vietnam Dong)

Cabbage

1 kg

1.95

₫32,111

Spinach (bayam)

1 kg

2.88

₫47,425

Small Mustard

1 kg

3.17

₫52,200

Kale

1 kg

4.41

₫72,619

Broccoli

1 kg

7.7

₫126,796

Tomatoes

1 kg

1.94

₫31,946

Potatoes

1 kg

1.75

₫28,817

Carrots

1 kg

1.95

₫32,111

 

4.6 Fresh Fruits

 

Item

Unit

May 2013 (Singapore Dollars)

Tháng 5 2013 (Vietnam Dong)

Papaya

1 kg

1.77

₫29,147

Bananas

1 kg

1.76

₫28,982

Watermelon

1 kg

1.42

₫23,383

Grapes

1 kg

8.41

₫138,487

Orange

Each

0.37

₫6,093

Apple

Each

0.43

₫7,081

Pear

Each

0.98

₫16,138

4.7 Petroleum Related Products

Item

Unit

May 2013 (Singapore Dollars)

Tháng 5 2013 (Vietnam Dong)

Diesel (Dầu Diezen)

Per Litre (1 lít)

1.43

₫23,548

Petrol, 98 Octance (Xăng 98)

Per Litre (1 lít)

2.11

₫34,745

Petrol, 95 Octance (Xăng 95)

Per Litre (1 lít)

1.96

₫32,275

Petrol, 92 Octance (Xăng 92)

Per Litre (1 lít)

1.91

₫31,452

Liquefied Petroleum Gas (Ga)

Per kg

3.05

₫50,224

Thats all from me. Feel free to drop any comments. Thanks, Chandler