Hi LS,

You asked me to name some items. By nature I’m not quick for such questions. I only remember the final “conclusion” after looking at and forgetting hundreds of shopping items, such as

• every kind of stationeries
• laptop (Yes!)
• simple Chinese food in supermarkets or restaurants
• bread (Yes!)
• vegetable and fruits
• fast food
• furniture
• mobile phone air time
• movies
• public transport
• medicines
• doctor visits

Trying to be objective, I feel 90% of everything are obviously pricier than in Singapore, usually by 50% or more.

Assuming employer pays for my accommodation and transportation in both U.S. and Singapore, to enjoy my modest S’pore living standard of S$1400 ( about USD 900/month), in U.S. I would now spend $1800/month ($1500 – $2000). Bear in mind this is excluding rental and transportation which add about $1100.

Taking rental and transport into account, overall price level is 2 to 3 times SG level. Our combined after-tax income (converted into Euro) is roughly unchanged. Can you see our financial pain?

Right now, we are cutting back from our comfortable S$1400 living standard to about half that level. But good thing I’m not a comfort creature, so I can accept a simpler lifestyle with relative ease, but adjustment is not easy.