First-time Expat--help on relo package housing costs

They're sending you there, don't they?

Generally companies that send people abroad pay for their housing abroad (plus a car, insurance, sometimes school for kids etc)

From our experience and what we know from our various friends' situations, housing can be managed in many diiferent ways. When my husband and I were working for private organizations, our housing allowance was part of our negotiated contract, but then it was up to us to find suitable housing regardless of allowance. Meaning, we either save money from the allowance or we shell out more. But we got to choose where we will live to effectively manage our housing costs. We know quite a few with similar contracts

My husband now works with the Foreign Ministry where arrangements for housng still differs from post to post. For instance, when we were in Kenya, although the embassy paid 100% of rent, we still had to find our own place to rent (with the help of the staff) while here in Nicaragua, we have a house ready to move into that the embassy here has been renting for the last 10 years.

We have 2 very good friends in the UN that although both are based right now in NYC, 1 subsidizes 20% of his rental - he chose living conditions where his 20% would translate to something affordable - while the other gets her's paid 100% (with a ceiling amount, of course).

Guess it depends on the organization, contract negotiations, circumstances of hiring and position. But I will be hard pressed to say what is normal.

To give you an idea of rentals, look up realestate websites in Singapore on the net and zero in on the area closest to your future workplace or a certain radius from there. Public transportation or driving to and from work should stiil not be a problem in Singapore, I think - it wasn't for me 7 years ago.

Goodluck