Continuing from Part 1, here is Part 2 of our Cost of Living, which will cover clothing, transport and entertainment.
Clothing
Brands like Zara, H&M, Levis cost almost similar with 5-10% difference. But they do have their local brands like Jennyfer and Jules.
However, shoes are generally more expensive in France than in Singapore. You can check out some shoes at this site.
But of course, Brandeds are still much cheaper in France than in Singapore. Brands like Chanel for example. You will still be able to get your VAT tax refund of 20% on top of the cost. No wonder alot of my friends say, buy branded in France. It is cheaper.
Transport
Of course, cars in Singapore is more expensive. A COE cost S$60k to S$80k depending on the season. Apart from the cost of vehicle, actually driving in France is consider on par with Singapore. Most of their cars are diesel based and prices of diesel are usually lower than petrol. But! In Singapore, you have credits cards and loyalty cards promo that gives you additional discount on top of the price. So actually, the petrol/diesel cost in Singapore is much cheaper.
Let’s just see what car can we buy with S$130,000 in France.
Wah lau eh! You can get a X6 M series for S$135,000. Such a car will cost at least S$350,000 in Singapore. I wonder where the S$200,000 goes to.
Soooooo expensive.
And so in Singapore, buying any kind of car is a major expense compared to France or Europe. Maybe you think take taxi will be cheaper?
Comparing Taxi Fares
| France (Paris) | Singapore | |
| Starting Fare | € 2.60 euros (S$4) | S$3.20 – S$3.40 |
| Normal Fare | 10:00 to 17:00 – € 1.05 (S$ 1.65) /km | 09:30 – 17:59 – S$0.55 / km |
| Surcharge | 17:00 to 10:00 – € 1.29 / km (+25% Approx) | 12:00 – 05:59 – Plus 50% Metered Fare |
| Surcharge | Sunday – 12:00 to 07:00 – € 1.56 / km (+50% Approx) | 06:00 – 09:30 18:00 – 23:59 – Plus 25% Metered Fare |
To compare, taxis in France is 3 times more expensive than in Singapore. Plan your travel in advance so that you will not burn your pocket on Taxis.
If doubt, just check our Uber fares. It is usually slightly cheaper.
Entertainment
Basically, eating out in France is definitely much more expensive than in Singapore. So to live in France, you have to look out for discounts and live like a local. You don’t eat at restaurants everyday right? Singapore has hawker centers leh! Where to find S$3 Bak Chor Mee?
Watching English Movies in Paris
Well, we recently caught a movie in the Cinema at Paris. So far, what we know. Paris has English movies. Just look out for the tag VOSTF (Voice Original, Subtitle French). So guess how much was the tickets?
Yup! €7.15 !! But you have to go to counter and ask for this card. Bundle prices are cheaper. Normal prices are €11 per ticket which is pretty expensive. And if you are a movie fan, there is a price for unlimited shows per month. Quite worth it if you watch more than 2 movies a month. And if you realise from the ticket, there is no seating. In Paris cinemas, shows are usually free seating. So if you are late, you can only seat at the front. So this is pretty good incentive but not efficient to fill up the seats though.
Check out this website for English movies in Paris
So actually in general, living in France is more expensive than in Singapore. The only thing is you have to live like a local and eat like a local. There are still pretty valued stuffs around in France. You just need to dig it out. You can signup our newsletter or like our facebook for more living tips in France. Until then.
Stay tuned for more updates!
