Apart from paying for your fees, you must also expect to incur various living expenses. These vary according to one's lifestyle and spending habits. The following is an estimate of expenditures you should factor into your financial calculations:

Accommodation: rental per month ranges from $250 per room (double occupancy) in public housing to about $850 per room (single occupancy) in a private apartment.

There are two main types of housing available for rental in Singapore, namely public housing built by the Housing Development Board (HDB) and private housing such as condominiums, terrace houses etc. HDB flats provide an affordable, no-frills and generally comfortable living environment, especially for international students. They come in various sizes, from 3 rooms (2 bedrooms + 1 living room with kitchen and toilet) to 4 rooms and 5 rooms.


Housing Development Board (HDB) Flats

The choice of housing estates is entirely up to students. However, students may like to save travelling time and costs by choosing estates nearer the School. There are usually direct buses to or near the School from most housing estates. Students can also choose to take the MRT to Farrer Park MRT station, which is less than 5 minutes walk to the School.

Amenities like shops, libraries, shopping centres, sports complexes, public swimming pools, cinemas, places of worship, parks, food centres and coffee-shops can be found in mature HDB estates.

The room usually comes with basic furnitures like bed, writing desk, chair, electric fan and includes the use of electricity, water and gas. Air-conditioning, if available, is usually limited to certain hours. You will most likely need to pay for extra electricity if you wish to have unlimited air-conditioning. Students can also use the washing machine to do their own laundry. Most landlords allow students to cook in the kitchen. There are also some landlords who may provide full board i.e. meals are prepared. Typically you will need to pay about S$200 more per month for meals to be included.

Most likely you will have to pay for your telephone bills if you wish to use the fixed telephone line in your room for Internet access or making local calls. In the event that there is no telephone point in the room, you may need to pay for the wiring of an extra telephone point. You will definitely need to pay for any international calls you make. These are reflected in the telephone bill that your landlord will show you at the end of every month.


Private Housing

For students who are not constrained by budget, there are private apartments and condominiums nearby which you may consider.

Rental rates usually range from S$800 to S$900 monthly per room pe person. For twin sharing, rental can go down to about S$650 per person. Most private condominiums have facilities such as swimming pool, fitness centre, tennis & squash courts, barbeque pits, function rooms and 24-hour security within its compound.

You may also refer to the Classified Ads from local newspapers or to housing agents from real estate companies. Most newspapers ads are put up by housing agents on behalf of house owners who wish to rent out their rooms. There are some landlords who do not go through agents hence you may be talking to them directly.

The advantage of dealing direct with the landlord is you do not have to pay a fee to the housing agent. However you will need to look for your own. As a foreigner, going through agents is a practical option as they are able to show you more units at one time and recommend suitable ones closer to your budget. Hence you are able to get your ideal unit faster by paying a small fee. They can also advise you on the tenancy agreement that you need to sign before renting a unit.


Terms & Conditions of Tenancy Agreement

Tenancy agreements vary. Most agreements state the rental per month, what the rental covers and when you need to pay your rent. Most landlords will require you to place a deposit of one month and you usually need to pay the first month's rent in advance. More often than not, you will need to give at least a month's notice if you want to move out. You are also expected to pay for any damages, breakages to the furniture and appliances in the case of misuse.

You need to pay commission (as a certain percentage of the month rental) to the agent who acted as the middleman between you and the landlord and you will also be asked to sign a tenancy agreement before you move in. It is advisable to get someone to check and go through any document that you may be asked to sign before you sign it.