[hellmet]

After doing my master's in the US (2.5 yrs stay, I took my time), I returned to India due to lack of good opportunities for freshers in the US market. You could go through consultancies and fake your experience but I was in no mood to do that. Just my choice, no offense to those who choose to do so.

I've been working in a very decent product based IT company here for almost 3 years now (that's all of my experience) and I have not many issues with the job. However, from the time I returned, I felt myself a stranger to the very land I had left a few years ago. I find myself frustrated with a lot of things in India some of them being:

- Our traffic sense. The NUMBER ONE reason to move. I feel like I'll be squished like a mosquito at anytime owing to the sheer stupidity and lack of common sense in our drivers. In a car, I always find myself slowing down for morons cutting in and try very hard to keep myself relaxed. Hyderabad clearly has some of the worst drivers.

- Mentality. I find the mentality of the majority of our population to be disgusting and in support of racism, casteism, communalism, corruption (tedi ungli), sexism, regionism, populism, and destruction.

- Value for life. People die in hundreds every day across the nation on roads, train accidents, building mishaps, in bore-wells, from broken school buses, bomb blasts and more and nobody seems to care. I don't want to be a statistic on India's (poorly maintained) statistical records.

- Noise. India is very noisy, and on top of that we've a temple across our street. I've been sleeping with my ear plugs for the last 3 years. Traffic noise and human noise starts at 5.30AM. Might seem silly to some, but not for me :(

... and many more.


I'm currently looking to move to a place that has GOOD driving sense and/or an excellent public transport network, is safe and quiet, and has no issues with ethnicity. My wishlist of nations to emigrate to in the order of preference:

1. United States - been there, I liked it OK, pretty safe roads. Huge country, lot to explore in travel. But, horrible VISA process and paranoid TSA and DHS. Need your help to gain re-entry. Need H-1 VISA to enter and then try for jobs?

2. Singapore - visited once, liked it very much, clean roads, multi-ethnic, great public transport, and very close to India. No idea about VISA process. Need help. But, tiny country and lot of negativity surrounding the kingdom's rule.

3. Australiza/New Zealand - Heard good things about both, but I've not much knowledge otherwise. Do I need a job in hand before I go there? Or can I fly and then search for opportunities on a tourist (?) VISA?

4. Netherlands - this is purely a fantasy. I love cycling and I know the city's infrastructure favors cycling. Not a fan of the climate, but wouldn't mind. But, EU in crises, I've no hope of finding a job there. Language barrier. And no idea about VISA process either.

Please suggest and feel free to criticize my selections. Help me get out!

[gauravdgr8]

Originally Posted by hellmet

2. Singapore - visited once, liked it very much, clean roads, multi-ethnic, great public transport, and very close to India. No idea about VISA process. Need help. But, tiny country and lot of negativity surrounding the kingdom's rule.

Please suggest and feel free to criticize my selections. Help me get out!

While I can't answer your entire question, what I can do is about Singapore as I too am contemplating moving there.

The rules for Singapore are simple. You get Visa's in the following ways:

1. Study
2. Work
3. Business

Study:

If you take up admission in Singapore, you get a student visa and then through campus placement, the employer can give you a work visa.

Job:

If you land up with a job in Singapore, your employer will sponsor your Visa.

If your salary is higher than $8000, you get a P1 Visa. Can apply for PR on completion of a year.
If your salary is higher than $6000, <8000, you get a P2 Visa. Can apply for PR on completion of 2 years.
If your salary is >$4000, <6000, you get a Q1 Visa and do not qualify for a PR until your salary goes up.

Tax for non-residents is fixed at 20%.

For leading a decent life in Singapore, your salary needs to be upwards of $10,000/month.

Business:

Minimum investment of $2.5M in a GI Fund or startup gets you a PR right away.

Singapore is at par with NewYork/London in terms of cost of living. However the Asian culture is suitable for most of us. Plus it's proximity is a benefit for us.

[hellmet]

Thank you for the information! If you don't mind sharing what's your current situation - job experience, single/family, etc? Any other country you have on your list?

Originally Posted by gauravdgr8

You get Visa's in the following ways:

1. Study
2. Work
3. Business

Study is out of question, I've had enough of it. Business is out of question, I don't have money for it.

Originally Posted by gauravdgr8

Job:
If you land up with a job in Singapore, your employer will sponsor your Visa.

I've been trying hard via JobsDB for the last few months but without success. Is it my very little (3yrs) exp. or the fact that I'm not in SG right now that's the problem? Should I try consultancies?

Originally Posted by gauravdgr8

For leading a decent life in Singapore, your salary needs to be upwards of $10,000/month.
However the Asian culture is suitable for most of us. Plus it's proximity is a benefit for us.

Seriously, SGD10000? I'm single and without any responsibilities, and with my experience I don't expect to earn more than SGD4000 per month.

[RJK]

Originally Posted by hellmet

After doing my master's in the US (2.5 yrs stay, I took my time), I returned to India due to lack of good opportunities for freshers in the US market. You could go through consultancies and fake your experience but I was in no mood to do that. Just my choice, no offense to those who choose to do so.


- Our traffic sense.
- Mentality

- Value for life.
- Noise.
... and many more.

Dude, you mirror my thoughts ! These are exactly the same thoughts and reasons for my mounting frustration day-to-day. Unfortunately I'm in luxury services sector and the amount of corruption and kick backs that people work on, is unreal. Like you, I've also become a stranger in my home ground

[MotoNanu]

Originally Posted by gauravdgr8

While I can't answer your entire question, what I can do is about Singapore as I too am contemplating moving there.

The rules for Singapore are simple. You get Visa's in the following ways:

1. Study
2. Work
3. Business

Study:

If you take up admission in Singapore, you get a student visa and then through campus placement, the employer can give you a work visa.

Job:

If you land up with a job in Singapore, your employer will sponsor your Visa.

If your salary is higher than $8000, you get a P1 Visa. Can apply for PR on completion of a year.
If your salary is higher than $6000, <8000, you get a P2 Visa. Can apply for PR on completion of 2 years.
If your salary is >$4000, <6000, you get a Q1 Visa and do not qualify for a PR until your salary goes up.

Tax for non-residents is fixed at 20%.

For leading a decent life in Singapore, your salary needs to be upwards of $10,000/month.

Business:

Minimum investment of $2.5M in a GI Fund or startup gets you a PR right away.

Singapore is at par with NewYork/London in terms of cost of living. However the Asian culture is suitable for most of us. Plus it's proximity is a benefit for us.

Hi, even I have the question about the figure you have quoted!
SGD10,000???
I have few friends working there and even for my experience the maximum that I can expect is SGD5500. My friends said that is actually sufficient.
And I really doubt that figure is realistic as salary. Most of the companies offer in the band of SGD 4000-6500 for experience of 3-6 years.
Please correct me if I am wrong.

[noopster]

Originally Posted by S_U_N

Can you share some average/ approx numbers for the following?

Biju will have the updated numbers but these are based on what I remember...

1. Avg. salary for someone with 10 years of IT experience

Around 90-120K a year I guess if in managerial or architect kind of roles. Could be 150-200K for higher roles.

2. In hand income after tax

Almost the same. I was paying 6% tax.

3. 2BHK apartment somewhere close to the IT parks (so as to reduce commute time)

Even if you take public transport and assuming you are living on the same side of the island as your office, commuting should not take you more than 30 minutes one-way. And it will be in air conditioned comfort.

4. Transport

MRT continues to go into new areas previously uncovered so it will only get better! Buses ply on most sectors as well. Taxis are ubiquitous and never ask for half-return You will never need a car, though it doesn't stop people from buying despite the prohibitive prices!

5. Internet/ Mobile/ Phone

There are 3-4 local providers, all are equally good. Am sure SG is completely on 4G by now.

6. Food (eating home mostly)

Food courts are located every couple of blocks for quick, cheap food options. You will find regional options (Chinese, Malay, North Indian, South Indian) in every food court. Restaurants range fom simple Indian fast food joints and McDonald's to fine dining/ gourmet cuisine places.
Cooking at home is best. You will find all the stuff needed for Indian cooking in the supermarkets (and there is always Mustafa!)

7. Schooling

Covered previously. Pubic school system is more preferred by PRs/citizens and the admissions process is slightly tricky. Most desis on EP (employment permit) prefer the Indian "international" schools like GIIS and DPS. Education is expensive but that is pretty much the same situation in India these days as well.

8. Insurance + Medical charges

Medical costs are high but if you and your famiy are covered by your emplyer, the process is seamless. Dental is a major pain (pun intended). I was quoted 850 dollars for a single tooth root canal procedure, not covered by insurance. Flew to Bombay and did 3 RCs and 6 fillings in less than that!

9. Anything else relevant to Singapore.

Go with an open mind. Singaporeans seem curt and unfriendly at first but it is just a cultural thing: focus is on efficiency and getting things done rather than idle chitchat. When it matters they are incredibly considerate: e.g. my wife says that whenever she was alone in the bus with our baby, the bus driver would help her carry the stroller in and ensure she was seated even if the bus was full.

BTW: I hear that all Indians use public transport. Is it because vehicle tax is too much or because public transport is efficient.

Both! I used to walk a lot, anything under 2 km was easily walkable since most parts of Singapore are connected by walkways that go through residential complexes etc. whereas cars and taxis have to take roundabout routes. Also parking is expensive, COE (certificate of entitlement) to buy a car is sometimes as expensive as the car itself and ERP (the electronic toll system) is prohibitively expensive in the CBD.

Lastly any good sites to start a job search?

You're on your own here, sorry!!!

[Honda Monk]

Originally Posted by hellmet

I find myself frustrated with a lot of things in India some of them being:

- Our traffic sense.
- Mentality. I find the mentality of the majority of our population to be disgusting and in support of racism, casteism, communalism, corruption (tedi ungli), sexism, regionism, populism, and destruction.
- Value for life.
- Noise.
... and many more.


I'm currently looking to move to a place that has GOOD driving sense and/or an excellent public transport network, is safe and quiet, and has no issues with ethnicity. My wishlist of nations to emigrate to in the order of preference:

New Zealand - Heard good things about both, but I've not much knowledge otherwise. Do I need a job in hand before I go there? Or can I fly and then search for opportunities on a tourist (?) VISA?

Please suggest and feel free to criticize my selections. Help me get out!

Exactly the reasons why even I am looking to move out. When you look aroud here what you see is a hopeless (never to improve) political system with corrupt (so called) leaders. Highest level of Unlawful activities done mostly by law enforcing department.
Not a preach or something but "Is the the nation our fighters had fought for?" Won't we have been better (disciplined and developed) if english men had not left the country!?!

Anyways
I am form Architecture and Construction field with PG Degree and 3 yrs of exp. Can anybody guide me on getting immigration procedure to New Zealand. I have heard the norms are easy and opportunities in my field are good.
My first choice was UK, though have relatives but lack of opportunities in construction and stricter visa norms ruled that out
Somebody experienced to help for New zealand.

Also suggest some good and quick immigration service in New Delhi.
Thanks!

[hellmet]

Originally Posted by noopster

Even if you take public transport and assuming you are living on the same side of the island as your office, commuting should not take you more than 30 minutes one-way. And it will be in air conditioned comfort.

MRT continues to go into new areas previously uncovered so it will only get better! Buses ply on most sectors as well. Taxis are ubiquitous and never ask for half-return You will never need a car, though it doesn't stop people from buying despite the prohibitive prices!

Both! I used to walk a lot, anything under 2 km was easily walkable since most parts of Singapore are connected by walkways that go through residential complexes etc. whereas cars and taxis have to take roundabout routes. Also parking is expensive, COE (certificate of entitlement) to buy a car is sometimes as expensive as the car itself and ERP (the electronic toll system) is prohibitively expensive in the CBD.

Your inputs on transport seem so mouth watering. I don't have to drive!! I am going to have to try more seriously for a job there. Can you tell how the market is for junior level IT (system/cloud admin actually) with 3 yrs exp, in SG? My general observance of jobs in developed nations has been that there is a market for senior staff (>7 yrs exp). Rest seem to be outsourced to India

Originally Posted by Honda Monk

Won't we have been better (disciplined and developed) if english men had not left the country!?!

I've always thought so, too!

[vb-saan]

Originally Posted by S_U_N

Someone should help with cost for Singapore and Malaysia as well.

Malaysia is much cheaper to live compared to Singapore, and the Salary range is also adjusted accordingly (read lower). It may not be as safe and clean as Singapore, but on the plus side it’s very cheap to own and maintain a car.

Regarding Singapore, it’s pretty well covered in Noopster’s response. I will add on a bit more based on my experience here.

Originally Posted by S_U_N

1. Avg. salary for someone with 10 years of IT experience

Originally Posted by noopster

Around 90-120K a year I guess if in managerial or architect kind of roles. Could be 150-200K for higher roles.

This is the realistic salary range for the said experience/roles, irrespective of whether you are a citizen / employment pass holder / Permanent resident. The range mentioned is base salary (12 months), and most companies will have annual bonus which normally could be around 50% to 300% of one month pay, depending on the market/organization health.

Originally Posted by S_U_N

2. In hand income after tax

Originally Posted by noopster

Almost the same. I was paying 6% tax.

Low income tax is one major attraction here. I have a few Aussie friends who moved to Singapore just for this reason.

Originally Posted by S_U_N

3. 2BHK apartment somewhere close to the IT parks (so as to reduce commute time)

No place here is really far off. And its fairly easy to find good accommodation closer to your place of work. Housing has become really expensive in the past few years. That said, if you don’t long for the comforts of swimming pool, gym etc. in your apartment complex, the HDB (Housing Development Board) apartments are indeed good options. More than 80% of the population stays in HDB, and the housing standards, cleanliness, estate layout etc. are pretty standard across the island. In a location which is not very close to central business area, a 2 bedroom HDB will cost around SGD 2000 (+/-), and if you go for condominium / private apartments, it will be around SGD 3000-4000.

Originally Posted by S_U_N

4. Transport

[quote=noopster]MRT continues to go into new areas previously uncovered so it will only get better! Buses ply on most sectors as well. Taxis are ubiquitous and never ask for half-return You will never need a car, though it doesn't stop people from buying despite the prohibitive prices! [quote/]
The public transport system is extremely efficient, with well connected bus and train (MRT) network. All you need is one access card for both the systems. Taxis are considered expensive if you compare with India, Thailand or Malaysia, but its cheap if you compare with Tokyo, UK, Australia etc.

To keep the traffic situation under control, the govt. has imposed something called COE (Certificate of Entitlement) for new cars, which normally is much higher than the actual cost of the CBU car. Just to compare, and brand new Suzuki Swift will cost around 40 lakhs+ if converted into INR.

I have been here for 12 years now. Never felt the need of buying a car. That said, car market here is growing, and nowadays BMW tops the monthly sales chart (it used to be Toyota during the low COE years)

Originally Posted by S_U_N

5. Internet/ Mobile/ Phone

Mobile: Not expensive at all, 3 major service providers who provide similar / regulated price plans. For around SGD 30-40 per month, you will get around 100 mins free outgoing, free local sms, and around 2GB of data. And if you go for a 2-year plan, the handsets come at a discounted price (and at times free, depending on the model). Higher the price plan, lower the handset price.

High-speed home broadband is quite cheap, and normally you can opt for bundled packages with your Cable TV. Normally landline connection comes free with those packages.

And there is free wifi around all the malls/shopping places.

Originally Posted by S_U_N

6. Food (eating home mostly)
7. Schooling

Anoop has given the details, nothing much to add on. If you are someone who loves to try out different cuisines across the world, this is the place to be!

Originally Posted by S_U_N

8. Insurance + Medical charges

Most organizations provide these as a part of their benefits package. Specialist treatment in private hospitals can be expensive if paying by your own.

Originally Posted by S_U_N

9. Anything else relevant to Singapore.

Nothing much; can get a bit monotonous initially, but if you can get over that phase, its quite an easy place to live.
And yes - chewing gum is not allowed, littering will call for a fine/corrective punishment if caught.

Originally Posted by S_U_N

BTW: I hear that all Indians use public transport. Is it because vehicle tax is too much or because public transport is efficient.

Not just Indians, majority of the public use public transport.

Originally Posted by S_U_N

Lastly any good sites to start a job search?

JobdDB is quite well rated. And another place to check around is efinancialcareers.sg

Originally Posted by gauravdgr8

If your salary is higher than $8000, you get a P1 Visa. Can apply for PR on completion of a year.
If your salary is higher than $6000, <8000, you get a P2 Visa. Can apply for PR on completion of 2 years.
If your salary is >$4000, <6000, you get a Q1 Visa and do not qualify for a PR until your salary goes up.

This is not fully correct. If you paid tax for one tax-year, you can try applying for PR. Though its generally recommended to complete 2 years before application. And there is no such salary bracket for PR application.

Originally Posted by gauravdgr8

Tax for non-residents is fixed at 20%.

Again, wrong information. Foreigner who stayed/worked in Singapore for 183 days or more in previous year will get taxed as per resident rates. The tax rates in general is quite low, and the said 20% is applicable only for the real top tier – who earns more than SGD 320K per annum. For a reasonably well-off regular salaried person the yearly tax will not go above 10% of the annual pay.

Originally Posted by gauravdgr8

For leading a decent life in Singapore, your salary needs to be upwards of $10,000/month.

Originally Posted by MotoNanu

I have few friends working there and even for my experience the maximum that I can expect is SGD5500. My friends said that is actually sufficient.
And I really doubt that figure is realistic as salary. Most of the companies offer in the band of SGD 4000-6500 for experience of 3-6 years.

Originally Posted by hellmet

Seriously, SGD10000? I'm single and without any responsibilities, and with my experience I don't expect to earn more than SGD4000 per month.

Definition of decent life varies. But just to set the expectations right, SGD 10000K per month is something which is considered as high-end bracket. For someone with 3-5 years experience don’t expect anything higher than SGD 5000, unless the resource is with some hard-to-find skillset, or the organization is a hefty paymaster.

Originally Posted by hellmet

2. Singapore - visited once, liked it very much, clean roads, multi-ethnic, great public transport, and very close to India. No idea about VISA process. Need help. But, tiny country and lot of negativity surrounding the kingdom's rule.

There is no Kingdom rule here.

[jaysmokesleaves]

Does anyone here have any information about migrating to Eastern Europe?
Im considering moving to Eastern Europe.
Ive shortlisted Romania. Im not looking for weather information and i know its snowed out for almost 5 months in a year and has extreme summers too.

Does anyone have any pointers / websites to share about Romania or Indians in Romania?
If you have been there, or know someone there, the information will surely help.
The lifestyle, the people, cost of living, etc
Please dont give me a Wiki link

[joslicx]

Originally Posted by hellmet

I find myself frustrated with a lot of things in India some of them being:

- Our traffic sense.

- Mentality.

- Value for life.

- Noise.
... and many more.

That is one super post. Echoing sentiments of many of us.

4. Netherlands - this is purely a fantasy. I love cycling and I know the city's infrastructure favors cycling. Not a fan of the climate, but wouldn't mind. But, EU in crises, I've no hope of finding a job there. Language barrier. And no idea about VISA process either.

Thats where I lived few years back when I graduated fresh out of college. Place to be if you love cycling. Language is not that big an issue (as opposed to countries like France) as everyone speaks English comfortably. Dutch are very businesslike people. Visa process (at least at that time) was very lengthy but in my case taken care by my employer (one very famous electronics manufacturer). People there are really good and helpful. A gentleman proposed to walk with me to the town hall when I was lost (the names of the roads are just crazy - unpronounceable and crazy long). Europe is generally quite laidback and family oriented and you'd appreciate living there more after getting married. The language is also easy to learn (most of my friends there were conversant in about 6 months) Unfortunately I didnt live there long (moved to France for my higher studies) but thats one country I'd love to settle down (alongwith Swiss and Germany) if theres an opportunity.

One thing I rather had complex about was the height of the people there! Dutch are considered to be the second tallest on earth (just behind some deep African tribe). Standing just 5'8" I was much smaller than your average dutch female

[hellmet]

Originally Posted by joslicx

Thats where I lived few years back when I graduated fresh out of college. Place to be if you love cycling. Language is not that big an issue (as opposed to countries like France) as everyone speaks English comfortably. Dutch are very businesslike people. Visa process (at least at that time) was very lengthy but in my case taken care by my employer (one very famous electronics manufacturer). Europe is generally quite laidback and family oriented and you'd appreciate living there more after getting married. The language is also easy to learn (most of my friends there were conversant in about 6 months)

Thank you for the useful information Any idea if it is at all possible to look for a job sitting in India? I searched a few weeks ago and found a lot of Dutch-speaking requirements for jobs. You could however search for English speaking jobs but they were few and far between.

Originally Posted by joslicx

One thing I rather had complex about was the height of the people there! Dutch are considered to be the second tallest on earth (just behind some deep African tribe). Standing just 5'8" I was much smaller than your average dutch female

I'd be invisible to the Dutch at 5'6".

[subs]

Hi all

THis thread has really caught my imagination and I have breezed thru it in 2 hours flat!

Like a lot of contributors to this thread, am also one of the few who left Bangalore to come to Manchester (initially for a few years) but am now stuck in trying decide whether to stay here or go back to my motherland. I actually came here, courtesy of my wife, who was working here already. We initially planned to save a bit of money for a few years and then go back as both of visit hoem every year and yearn to go back for good.

The main reason for my not deciding to go back to India is the financial and job security that will be missing at my age. Being middle aged and not belonging to the IT sector, it will be difficult for me to start my career afresh if I do return. I have a daughter who is 5 and am beginning to get worried about the values she will be taking in during her growing up years. Actually, by the looks of it, both countries have their own set of positives and negatives in terms of upbringing.

I can see a lot of Indians in the exact state that I am in where we want the best of both worlds, i.e. the standard of living that we get in the UK but for everything else, luv to be in India. Moreover, with children growing up, its tough to take decision on their studies, future etc.,

When you start planning a life in India, you plan to have enough money for you to go back and not work for a living, but then you reach a stage where you dont actually know how much money is enough money? I am not even talking about leading a luxurious life back home, but with the standard of living having gone up so much back home, it is just going to take me more time to decide when is the 'right' time for me to go back.

Subs

[hellmet]

Originally Posted by subs

I have a daughter who is 5 and am beginning to get worried about the values she will be taking in during her growing up years. Actually, by the looks of it, both countries have their own set of positives and negatives in terms of upbringing.

What values are you talking about? Coming to India, I've not seen or heard of a more valueless society than us. If you want your child to dress in beautiful Indian dresses and say namastes and fall on your feet then I won't stop you from coming back. But, if you're worried about your daughter mixing with the localites and learning a 'few things' early, then what have you got to lose? Why imprison her in a cage called "Indian values" and destroy her life. Well that is unless you have such long term plans of getting her married to an Indian dulha, all arranged!

Originally Posted by subs

I can see a lot of Indians in the exact state that I am in where we want the best of both worlds, i.e. the standard of living that we get in the UK but for everything else, luv to be in India.

India's standard of living is pathetic, we are all aware of that, but the inflation is horrible and I've noticed a nearly 200% rise in the prices of food (veggies, pulses, oil) and in restaurants after 2007. Also, multinational chains such as McD, KFC, SubWay, PizzaHut, Dominos that are affordable overseas, charge through the nose (even with lower labor costs) but don't deliver on taste the way they would overseas. I've noticed increasing prices coupled with decreasing quantities and qualities across these chains. And if it is the luxury of maids you're looking for, then let me break it to you, but stable maids are increasing hard to find no matter how much you choose to pay. After bearing with 5-6 maids in 1 year, we gave up and now clean everything ourselves. Peace of mind.

Originally Posted by subs

but with the standard of living having gone up so much back home,

It's not the standard that has gone up, it's the cost of living. The housing boom & rising purchasing power have pumped a lot of funny money into the system. And supply-chain constraints have increased the prices of essentials.

Before we discuss any further, please let us know what you love about India, in points, the techies and engineers that we are, and we can then further elaborate.

Also R2IClubForums is the place to be, for you. It's about people returning to India. This thread is about people like me who'd like to swap places with you :P

[gauravdgr8]

Originally Posted by MotoNanu

SGD10,000???

Originally Posted by hellmet

I've been trying hard via JobsDB for the last few months but without success. Is it my very little (3yrs) exp. or the fact that I'm not in SG right now that's the problem? Should I try consultancies?

Seriously, SGD10000? I'm single and without any responsibilities, and with my experience I don't expect to earn more than SGD4000 per month.

So the $10000 is something that I was getting after 10 years of experience in my industry.

The breakup of $10000 is as such:

House: 2/3 BHK : $3000. With a family its difficult to stay in HBD as they are given by government and checks are done from time to time if the owner is staying or rented it.

Transportation : $500
Schooling: 2 kids : $1500 DPS
Groceries: $800
Utilities: $500
Normal Weekend Expense: $600
Budget fot travel to India: $200

That totals to $7100 a month.

You need to buffer for unforeseen expenses.

Now once you plan to come to India once every 6 months or a year, you definately shop and that too hard.

If at all you are not able to save 30%, what's the point in staying away from the family. This was in my situation. For a bachelor you can cut the costs.

You can refer to the following website;

http://www.guidemesingapore.com/relo...ent-pass-guide