Pros and Cons of Living in SINGAPORE vs AMERICA 

As a Singaporean that’s been living in NY for almost 6 years, I definitely miss the convenience of seeing a doctor / GP immediately when you’re unwell / when there’s concerns. Firstly if the health insurance that you have is not widely accepted in a lot of medical centers, you’re just left with a few clinics to choose from despite having them around your location (unless you want to pay out of pocket which is really exorbitant and the US healthcare system is notorious with overcharging the insurance). Secondly, unless you don’t really care about who you’re seeing, trying to get an appointment with the same doctor every time will leave you waiting for weeks since everything is appointment based.

Just to clear this up, singlish is only used in casual conversations amongst friends or if you are talking to the auntie or uncle at the hawker centre. Trust me, you don't need Oxford-standard English to converse with them. In fact, they might get put off and think you're a snob or as we say, "hao lian" or "action" if you try to converse with them in proper English. But rest assured, we don't use Singlish in professional business settings or in schools.

Context for foreigners about Yishun, it is a private joke amongst us in Singapore. It started with a spat of crimes that made the news during COVID lockdown. In Singapore crime rates are low so when there is a spat of happenings from one area, it became the butt of our jokes. Mind you, still one of the safest neighbourhoods around the world but we made it as if it is "dangerous" and "ghetto". So now we joke about building a wall around Yishun (parody of Trump's wall for Mexico).

As a Singaporean living in US now. Surely Singapore is a better choice...so I am moving back this year. )

Just hosted my American friends 2 weeks ago. Their 1st time to SG as tourists. They were very impressed with our transport, HDB, greeneries, cheap hawker prices etc. Yup 1 of them driving a Lexus SUV in CA cost 50k USD, same model will cost 400K sgd here. Myself lived overseas past decade and missed the greens here esp raintrees...personally i rather be a pauper in sg then being rich elsewhere

Another excellent video. As a foreigner living in Singapore for over 5 years, I strongly support this content. Singapore is a fantastic place to live. In my opinion, Singapore's efficiency and safety are not negotiable at any cost. There are some challenges, but the cons are insignificant when weighed against the benefits!

Yishun is a bit dirty but in term of safety I don’t think so. I spent 3 months at my mum’s place in Yishun and did not hear any police siren. But when I am back in Houston, police, ambulance and fire department siren blasting every day. Mind you, I live in quite a good neighborhood.

As an Asian American, Singapore looks like it really hits everything I’m looking for in a place to settle down. If only finding a job there were easier…

Don't go to Yishun 😂😂😂 but Yishun is safer than US's safest state.

Spot on and thanks for sharing! As a local Singaporean we welcome all foreigners 👍

Expats planning to come here should know some of our other common words too hehehe love your videos! Welcome to SG❤

Healthcare in the US is enough of a nightmare that I did everything I could to not get sick for the 7 years I lived in San Francisco. There, you never go to the doctor unless you think you're dying. Public transport exists but train/bus frequencies are notoriously low and unreliable with frequent breakdowns. And yes, the coldest summer is in SF, it's 12-18C in summer except for the occasional 45C heatwaves, you freeze and get badly sunburnt all at the same time. I moved back to Singapore after there was a shooting next to my workplace. That was terrifying even though the shooter was caught before he could kill anyone. I also still remember the widespread riots when Trump was elected, ATMs and windows were smashed and molotov cocktails thrown. One thing both cities have in common? My rent was US$1800 in SF for a studio apartment. It's US$1800 for a 1 room flat in sg. No diff there...

Yishun is as safe as any other housing estates in Singapore. I work in Yishun for 15 years and can vouch for its safety.

I just visited Singapore (SG) and liked it a lot. I need to get used to the weather though, but you can always use the subway system then you will have cool temperature. The streets are clean and the people are very nice. Love SG.❤️

this is very nice, informatief and funny video LoL 😆

FYI. In Singapore the $120 amount for the emergency room, it's the base amount. It excludes treatment and other procedures e.g. Xray etc.

As an American who grew up in NYC and was fortunate to have lived/worked in Singapore…..I’d choose Singapore, even it is ranked most expensive place to live, I still believe you can find affordable places to live, it’s balanced with less expensive food options (Hawker centers) and the safety of the city is amazing plus a great public transportation system.

Another astonishing video-clip 📹 frm Max. Keep up yr good n challenging projects 👏 👏 I'll be sharing to my friends yr interesting video-clips. Rooting you to hv more subscribers. Cheers

Great video covers most topics, I am from Singapore and considering to move Seattle for a Job opportunity. you didn't cover Housing ( rental market, affordability of buying a house), education, nature & options to explore! maybe next video?

Excellent video, thank you!! Do you have to pay for any additional fees or licensing to ride your motorbike?

Why Yishun again sia? That took me by surprise. 😂😂 I've lived in Yishun for over 10 years and I can honestly tell you, there isn't any difference between Yishun and other housing estates in Singapore okay. I regularly go for midnight jogs alone and I've never had any encounters with creeps or weirdos. And that blaring siren thing your friends told you about, it's a blatant lie. I can't even recall the last time I heard the police siren here. Also, the amenities available within walking distance from my block makes it so convenient. Even the MRT station is just a short 6-min walk from my block. I had stayed at Woodlands and Sengkang before moving here and those being newer estates, there weren't many shops around. You'd have to take a feeder bus or LRT to the town centres to get to the MRT station/bus interchange and mall. I mean they had the occasional standalone supermarket like NTUC or Sheng Siong sporadically strewn across the estate but they always felt somewhat isolated and remote (though that can also be a good thing sometimes). But with Yishun we have many clusters of town centres complete with their own markets and vibrant eateries and shops spread across the estate (Chong Pang, Khatib Place, Broadway place, etc). Yishun is also becoming increasingly popular with foreigners looking for cheaper rent and newlyweds because of the numerous BTO housing projects coming up in the estate. Granted it's quite a bit further away from Orchard Rd and the CBD than let's say, Bishan or Toa Payoh (where rental prices are also undoubtedly higher) but it's still considerably nearer to these places than say Jurong or Tampines. Additionally, being closer to Woodlands also means that it's easier for me to go to JB!

If you are single no kids etc.. Want to enjoy getting rich make alot of money then getting out of your comfortzone and going to USA can help you grow. People keep telling me i am too comfortable in Singapore need to go out. I never got in a plane for more than 8 years 😅

It is only wise that if you are considering in going to stay long term in another country, you need to gather accurate information and weigh the pros and cons.

I missed the 4 season and cheap car in Australia. 😊 I grew up in Yishun, never felt dangerous even when riding bike at late night. I guessed something changed?😅

I like"the police siren sounds like a lullaby" ... 😃 😀 😄 😁 🤣 😂

As someone who lived in Singapore in the mid to late 90s and in the US for the last 24 years..... I will take Singapore anyday ..... No guns, warm weather and great food..... As someone who was single living in Singapore and having raised kids here in the US .... I have sent my kids to school with dread .... Due to gun violence ... Singapore anyday

Max , keep it up , shiok to see your RU-vid 🤣🤣🤣🤣

I'm a U.S citizen, currently work in a hospital and I was a health insurance agent. The healthcare experience here is so anxiety inducing. Even if you are lucky enough to get health insurance from your employer, you still have to pay at best a $2500 deductible before you get the benefits of your insurance on top of your monthly premium. This can be as much as $7500. Some clinics won't take you unless you have the money right there and you are redirected to go to the ER, which is far more expensive. They have to take you in. In addition, people are generally sicker here. We have the highest obesity rates, lots of car and motorcycle accidents, our foods are very unhealthy and lacking nutrients, and importantly a true risk of being shot due to gun access. Also, the healthcare system is overwhelmed in part due to lack of support for going to college. College is so expensive, and we need more skilled workers in our hospitals. This leads to understaffing, and ultimately your time with a provider can be cut to as short as 5 minutes. Thankfully if you do have money, you can afford amazing healthcare. There are enough regulations in place to make sure most places do a decent job, but this also leads to shopping for what healthcare you can afford. This is my biggest problem with the country I live in, and yet I work in it so I can be part of improving. I am hopeful that we are making steps to improve this system so everyone can live happier, healthier lives.

Amazing video thank you! With regards to a motorcycle, do you need to get a CoE and pay others fees like you would for a car?

btw, GST is now 8% and may go up to 9% next year😅

The 4 "dangerous" places you mentioned are usually preferred by foreign workers with dubious character or lower socio-economic background.

Max - your comparison of income tax failed to take into account US federal income tax, so the total amount of income tax you pay in NYC is easily double or more what you'd pay in SGP. NYC isn't really my cup of tea, but I'd pick another US city like LA over Singapore, even if I have to pay more tax in LA. Just my personal preference.

how about pros and cons living in eastern rusia >< ?

Max, you had mentioned in a few lips that Yishun is dangerous or don’t stay in Yishun. Just how dangerous is Yishun?

Can you deep dive education for a potential transplant to Singapore with kids?

I felt Singapore is the safest country. Didn't knew that there were few areas which are risky. Thanks for letting people know.

Singapore or USA? (or Malaysia?)

In Yishun, the police siren is the lullaby.. wahahahahaha

a major factor weather SG is best for you is your stage in life. SG is not good for younger/starting out career (under 30) demographic. It is a no brainer for established families/career and senior living because of all the pros and cons discussed in video and comments.

You didnt compare the housing prices between the two.

Would like to know about housing and education too..

Bro, US$230,000 for Toyota Corolla Altis? nope - pls check again., its not even 230k in SGD$ but yes, cars are damn expensive thanks solely to the COE

Max, can you please enlighten us how dangerous Yishun is? How many crimes are committed per month?

McDonald's is founded in the US , but this is one @4:08 miserable burger 😑, I think McDonald's in Japan uplift those standard

Taxes are way wrong, us has federal and state tax, 100k should be 22-26k in taxes in nyc

USA new york ❤😅😊 nice

Is there really a book for translating English to Singlish?

The other con is that alcohol and cigarette are expensive. Also, can't buy chewing gums. So must order online from oversea.

I believe singapore motorbike the world most expensive lol the coe now cost 11k+ already

When you were talking about cost of Toyota at first I thought you were joking or exaggerating. That sounds crazy but maybe it's to discourage car ownership and encourage public transit usage

In america you don't own vehicle means you don't have leg

No no no, the best solution is Round Robin. US -> Thailand ->SG -> US -> Thailand...... dice and slice 4 months each.

I just came back from Singapore 🇸🇬! Asian food & organic food is tastier in Singapore 🇸🇬, but pizza 🍕 & Mexican food is disappointing.

would recommend that you get an insurance before stepping into yishun..... nah just kidding. but you can research and do video specially for yishun. you will be amaze why ppl want to build a wall around it. hahahah

$230,000 for Toyota Corolla Altis? Sure or not?

"Shiok" is pronounced "shee-ok" (like "шиеок" if I use the Cyrillic alphabet), not "shee-ak". And "wah lau" is pronounced "wah lao", not "wah la". FYI.

👍👏💪🇸🇬

hahaha.. wassup with yishun man.. everyone's trashing it

Technically speaking the US First Amendment to the Constitution guarantees five freedoms: Freedom of religion, speech, press, to assemble, and to redress the government for grievances

2:14 Hey, how an Altis come to 230k USD in SG?😂

I'm a Singaporean and what Max said was right. Don't go to Yishun 💀💀💀

Actually nowadays Singaporean don't like ah moh because most of the don't follow rules. I think ah moh should respect Singapore law

pro in singapore: good weather con in singapore: can’t get shot in school

I'm from Singapore.. I love Singapore..but I would like to live in USA.. Singapore is sinking literally..

u forgot to add that we do have free healthcare in the usa... usually if the doctors cover a certain healthcare company... if they dont its usually about 30 bucks to go to a cardiologist for example... same thing with certain medications if they dont cover it fully u might pay a co pay... sometimes they wont cover it at all... my healthcare company doesnt cover acid inducer pills... u pay 130 for 30 orrrr u can buy it at the grocery store 45 for 18 bucks 🤣 which does the same f*cking thing as a house brand LOL just a ambulance called is 500 dollars also... im not positive but even if u didnt call them urself or reject their services u might still get billed... ive gotten a bill for getting burned in a kitchen fire 2 years ago for the ambulance... i didnt get a bill when i was in a totaled car crash... it really boils down to what kinda healthcare provider u actually choose to what they offer u rather then just one same provider... i think thats why people complain about the healthcare in the usa... its inconsistent in what they prioritize on what they wanna cover/pay for i had a collapse lung n i stayed there 5 days to inflate it back up with tubes n a suction... taking xrays every day n staying in the ICU cost me 21k... and my medical care provider covered it 100%... and with my severe 2nd degree burns on my hands and one foot... they covered the E.R. visit at a hospital in another state that has a burn center.. and the follow up appointments with a plastic surgeon who specialized in skin grafting they paid for it... just not the ambulance ride to the hospital... so all in all last 7 years i been to the e.r. 17 times regular doctor appts ambulance twice.... 3 surgeries for a 1.3 inch diameter kidney stone and the collapsed lung..all i really paid was 500 dollars honestly so i always hear people complain about the usa healthcare thats not to bad now is it?

NYC has excellent public passport lol 😂

Aiyo..... frustrated 😮😮

Freedom of speech= Ask Amos Yee

Have you been to Yishun? Dont say things which are incorrect.

Stop the hyperbole. A corolla is definitely not 230k usd.

Singapore Tax so low, world best, cheap. 😂 This is also endorsed by some of the Singaporean you've interviewed.

🎶 singapore is boring expensive place 😂 ...hot hot weather..all u see is building I guess there is no air circulation because of building are so high..'

If you think Singapore is great now you should have been here during golden era in the early 2000s

Jialat means disaster

is just a tiny piece of island to make into a country. tiny itsy-bitsy kingdom. Singapore is excellent is due to their tiny easy to manage island lifestyle but when come to long term living is a big No-No. fair to say they are island syndrome (mentality)

Food in Singapore sucks 😂