k_PPP

Q: why are some locations more expensive but salaries are lower across many sectors?

As of 2025, I can see that Beijing/Shanghai price levels are well above half of Sgp but not wages.

It’s crucial to decide which job sectors to exclude. For example, in SG we exclude large portions of the workforce.
… Answer: They are low-wage foreigners, often on WorkPermit. Their low-cost roles in the economy help subsidize the cost of many public services in SG.

Answer: salary tax and company tax .. is a cost to employer. Employers pass on the cost to consumers.

Answer: home ownership is crucial in controlling accommodation costs. Sgp government manages public housing for citizens and PRs

I was surprised that SG public transport fares are fairly competitive vis-a-vis Chinese cities, let alone American cities.
… Answer: governments subsidize public transport. However, private cars are very expensive in SG because government levy on the rich.

Raw or packaged food is probably cheaper in the U.S. but
… Answer: __Cooked__ food is truly low-cost in Singapore due to SEAsia’s street-food culture. Actually, a lot of hawker stalls are taken over by Chinese and Malaysian immigrants, who continue to keep the price level competitive

Repairs are the most neglected but non-trivial cost.
… Answer: in general SG labor cost is lower than U.S. but higher than many developing countries.

— eg: SG vs NYC… SG has higher GNI per capita but lower after-tax salary than HK or U.S. In terms of economics on the ground, I think it has to do with cost of living including rental and home price. https://www.mylifeelsewhere.com/cost-of-living/singapore-c5119/new-york-c3934 is fairly realistic, based on UGC. Their data is presumably more consistent among U.S. cities and U.S. states. Further, I suspect the database is U.S.-centric and possibly limited outside the U.S. Due to the UGC demographics, the data points reflect a lifestyle of a young expat, clearly less frugal than me. At a conceptual level, this site ses a “basket” to compare two cities. You an see local prices in local currency, and derive your own ppp-fx.

• gas/transit-pass/taxi costs are realistic
• raw foods .. NY costs are overstated
• accommo .. expat exclub
• childcare .. expat exclub
• clothing (tiny part of CPI basket) .. expat exclub. No China brands!
• — Personally, I feel slightly richer in Singapore than U.S. due to
• healthcare, med-bx.
• car ownership (forecast)
• college cost (forecast),

Overall, U.S. feels like a high-cost, moderate-tax, low-welfare country. Luckily, nutrition, bicycle, clothing, gadgets, repair tools … are very affordable.

— eg: SG vs HK … https://www.mylifeelsewhere.com/cost-of-living/singapore-c5119/hong-kong-c4452