malasia or singapore to move to?

[vitaly]

since my move back to ukraine had not work out well. i am thinking about going to asia.
right now i am looking into to getting an employment pass in singapore. but everything seems to be very expensive over there.
does anyone have any experience with malasia? is it possible to get a job there without knowing the local language (am a clinical pharmacist)?
singapore seems like a much better place to live (just very expensive).
another option is to stay in US, but i am kind of bored with it.
plus the seem to have all the cool fish in asia now a days

 

[Fat Homer]

Since no one seems to be answering your thread...

Singapore will almost definitely be a lot more expensive as far as living standards go, although a lot cleaner and getting around in English won't be a problem, not to mention finding work shouldn't be too tricky either since i'm pretty sure you can use just English...

Malaysia might be a little tricky for work?, unless its an foreign company and they don't require you to speak Malay? Upside is, every thing is cheap in Malaysia compared to places like Singapore, and Japan...

Which one is better is debatable... i guess it depends on how much you like drinking and partying? Obviously in Singapore they have some very crazy and strict laws such as No Chewing gum, no drinking / smoking in public etc, but the trade off is a very clean city to live in...

Malaysia will most likely be a little more "dirty" in comparison, but i'm sure you'd be allowed to get away with a lot more... so really depends on what you enjoy doing when your NOT working...

I'm also going to guess that the pay in Singapore will most likely be higher than in Malaysia if that matters?

 

[vitaly]

thanks. i am not big on partying. i think i am going to try to apply for a number of jobs in singapore and hope they can sponsor my employment pass.

 

[vitaly]

also i guess another option is to stay in US which is very comfortable, but i am not a big fan of it

 

[Fat Homer]

Yeah, Singapore would probably be a pretty decent place to live... Good food, clean living...


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[elindra]

Well in Singapore, English is the business language and virtually everyone speaks English except for some foreigners (especially those from China) who barely understand a word of English and the older folks. Things are expensive here. Rent is high though it shouldn't be a problem if you are just renting a room and not the whole house. It's easy to buy fishes here but if you are looking at exotics like frogs, snakes, hedgehogs etc, these are illegal to keep in Singapore. Although they are also illegal in Malaysia, the law is not enforced.

To clarify some of the laws.
No Chewing Gum: It is illegal to sell chewing gum in Singapore, but not to eat it. Dental gum is allowed for sale though. You can bring them in for personal consumption from Malaysia. You won't get into trouble for it.

No Drinking in Public: No such law. -_-" Seriously no drinking in public? You can't eat or drink in public transport but that is for the comfort of everyone. Most countries have signs saying no food and drinks on their transport too.

No Smoking in public: That is not true too. There are designated smoking areas. Anyway I think everyone appreciates cleaner air so most aren't unhappy about the law.

Paywise, I think you have to look at it objectively. For example, an admin job might pay you SGD 2000 in Singapore and RM 2000 in Malaysia (which is why a lot of Malaysians actually commute to work in Singapore) A consideration if you don't mind spending time travelling is to rent a place in Johor Bahru and commute to work in Singapore daily. You save a lot. Lots of Malaysians do that.

Anyway, back to to relative amounts. In Singapore at SGD 2000, food in what we call hawker centres will cost you about $3.50 a meal, whereas in Malaysia depending on where you are, the same plate can cost you RM$5.00 or $6.00 and your pay is RM$2000. Doesn't make living standards any cheaper I think.