We all know renting a place to live in Singapore isn’t cheap. But what does $500 a month get you these days?
For one international student, who didn’t want to be identified, the answer is: one bed in a room shared with two other students.
The student recently gave his Instagram and TikTok followers a tour of what he called the “smallest apartment in Singapore”.
Well, it’s actually a bedroom in what looks like a four-room HDB flat in Bukit Gombak, which he describes as a “lovely place to live” that’s not too far from his university.
And while many had plenty to say about his claim that the apartment is small, it was his sleeping arrangement — and how much he pays for it — that caught our attention.
In his video, the student shows off his “little space”: a compact bedroom containing a single bed, a bunk bed, a desk, shelves and a wardrobe for their belongings.
“So this is basically my little space and this is my bed, probably where I will be spending most of my time here,” he said, pointing to the single bed.
His two roommates share the bunk bed.
“It’s definitely not a lot of space, but I managed to fit pretty much everything I need,” he said.
There’s also air-conditioning and two fans — necessary, he says, because “Singapore is really hot”.
He confirmed with 8days.sg that they pay $1,500 for the bedroom, with each of the three students paying $500 a month.
The trio also share the flat’s kitchen and bathroom.
He did not confirm if wifi and utilities are included in the rent, or how many people live in the flat in total.
Many netizens, however, think he’s paying too much.
“If it’s $1.5K for a shared room, you are being scammed,” wrote one.
Another said: “For a shared common room, I’m sorry but you are paying too much. These kinds of landlord are the worst.”
Others wanted to know exactly what he was getting for his $500.
But is $500 for a bed really that expensive?
A check of rental listings suggests his rate isn’t unheard of.
A 99.co listing for a common room at Bukit Batok, for example, is asking $500 a month per person for a shared room, while other shared accommodation in the area is listed at around $450 to $500 per person.
So while netizens may think he is getting a raw deal, his $500 rent doesn’t appear wildly out of step with asking prices.
Whether you’d be willing to share a bedroom with two other people to keep your rent at $500, of course, is another question.
8days.sg sent him further questions about his living arrangement and experience looking for accommodation in Singapore, but he did not respond by press time.