Recently, an American-based site, Refinery29, wrote an article about the expenditure of a Canadian-Chinese woman living in Singapore. This provides us with a detailed insight on how much wealthy expats with their expat pay package.
The Canadian-Chinese woman works in the finance industry. She is married.
– Her annual salary is S$164,990, which translates to some S$13,749.17 per month.
– According to the piece, she declared she pays S$2,492 in rent (her 50 per cent share; her husband pays the other half) and S$420 in phone and utility bills per month, too.
So that leaves her with S$10,837.17 to spend or save. And on the week they tracked, she spent S$820.58 — here’s what she bought (currencies from here on out are in Singapore dollars):
Sunday:
– A bottle of Fiji water while on her way to barre class (she bought a 10-class package for $301): $2.80
– 3 macarons from Laduree, and an açai bowl: $21.15
– A cup of tall iced Americano from Starbucks, where she meets a potential interior designer for her condo: $4.30
– Hotpot lunch: $110.00 (Paid for by husband)
– Organic soft-serve: $11.80 (Paid for by husband)
– Trip to a dog cafe, which involves a pork bento box for the dog, and an iced drink for her and her husband: $24.00
Total: $52.25
Monday:
– Uber ride to work: $11.84
– Iced skinny mocha: $7.50
– Lunch with a friend involves a soup-and-sandwich set reimbursed by company, up to $15.
– Early dinner, because was dissatisfied with lunch, of Taiwanese meat with rice and sweet potato fries: $10.50
Total: $29.85
Tuesday:
– Uber ride to work: $19.80
– Iced skinny mocha and chocolate croissant: $7.50 (there is a morning combo special)
– Bowl of beef noodles and two gossip magazines while waiting for flight to Hong Kong (work trip), because she doesn’t enjoy economy class food: $31.00
– A detox juice with a friend flying off to Paris from Hong Kong, on her friend.
– Reuben sandwich and fries from room service. Charged to company card.
Total: $58.30
Wednesday:
– Bircher muesli at client breakfast, paid for by client.
– Lunch with colleague at Grand Hyatt Hong Kong. Damage: $210, charged to company card.
– Shopping. Buys Tatcha Rice Enzyme Powder and Silk Cream moisturiser, and packs of sheet masks from Karuna: $449.86
– Dinner with seven girlfriends. Bill comes up to about $360, divided among them equally: $44.98
Total: $494.84
Thursday:
– Same breakfast, charged to company card.
– Bowl of ramen before boarding plane back to Singapore: $21.59
– More gossip magazines and some snacks because she is still hungry: $19.80
Total: $41.38
Friday:
– Uber to work: $14.07
– Salad lunch: charged to company card.
– Pork and veggies for her dog, who eats a home-cooked diet: $45.00
– Chinese takeout for dinner: $25.00
Total: $84.07
Saturday:
– Uber to take her dog to the dog park: $10.09
– Snacks at a restaurant in the park. Dog has grilled chicken, husband and her share fries, iced lemon tea and beer: $40.00
– Chinese takeout from meeting with another potential interior designer: $9.80
Total: $59.89
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