Working in Singapore as a Malaysian: 4 Myths I Believed Before I Made the Move

I won't pretend the pace isn't real. Singapore's work culture moves quickly and expects you to keep up, and my first few months were an adjustment. Everyone walks like they are rushing for an appointment, and trains are crowded even at 9pm on a weekday.

However, what surprised me was how much the city takes off my plate. The trains run on time, the healthcare is excellent, and the everyday systems just… work. I spend far less energy worrying about logistics than I ever expected. Back home in Kuala Lumpur, just going home from work was a headache because of the massive road jams.

Myth 2: “It's too expensive to live in Singapore”

This one has a grain of truth — Singapore definitely isn't cheap, and I felt that in my first few weeks here. But the full picture is more nuanced.

Take food. You can still find a proper meal for around S$5 at hawker centres and food courts across the island. Getting around is easy on the wallet too. I don't drive here, and I've never needed to: public transport is affordable and reaches almost everywhere I want to go, which means no car, no petrol, and no maintenance bills to worry about.

Where the cost does bite is housing. Rent in Singapore is costly. But once you see how manageable the everyday spending can be, the overall picture looks far less daunting than the "Singapore is too expensive" reputation would have you believe.

Myth 3: “Working in Singapore means losing touch with home”

This was the fear that weighed on me most before I started, and it's the one I'm happiest to have been wrong about.

I still go home often — usually every few weeks, and more when there's a family occasion. Family dinners, hometown visits, the friendships I grew up with: none of that went anywhere.

And staying close is about to get even easier. The Johor Bahru–Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link, running between Bukit Chagar in JB and Woodlands North in Singapore, is targeted to open around the end of 2026, with full service expected by early 2027. For anyone who makes the trip up north to see family and friends, that's a genuine game-changer — shorter, smoother journeys home whenever you want them.

Myth 4: “My SGD salary is only good for spending (and only ‘worth more’ once I bring it home)”

This is the myth that cost me the most, and the one that took me longest to shake. For my first year or so, my instinct was simple: earn in Singapore, convert it back to ringgit, enjoy how much further it stretched at home. It felt smart. What I didn't realise was how much of my salary's advantage I was leaving on the table.

Here's what eventually clicked. The advantage was not simply that SGD was a stronger currency. It was that I was earning and saving in SGD, but converting almost everything back to ringgit before deciding what I needed for long-term goals. By separating my immediate Malaysian expenses from my longer-term investments, I could keep part of my savings in SGD and invest it directly.

Because I'm paid in a stronger currency, the same monthly saving habit puts far more to work in global markets than the equivalent ringgit habit would. Picture two people who each set aside “200 a month,” same discipline:

●        SGD 200 a month invested into a global equity ETF puts roughly US$155 to work.

●        RM200 a month into the same ETF puts in closer to US$49.

(These figures are illustrative and based on recent exchange rates, which move over time.)

The other half of the myth was my “bring it home first” reflex. I've since learned I don't need to convert all of my salary back to ringgit. I can put it to work in global markets directly. All I need is an investment platform that allows me direct access to global markets.

I use FSM Global’s ETF Regular Savings Plan, which “forces” me to invest regularly. It allows users to set a recurring investment amount into your selected ETFs with 0% processing fee. I find this the most useful since I’m not particularly savvy with investing and trading! 

What I'd tell my younger self

Working in Singapore as a Malaysian isn't the stressful, isolating, budget-draining experience the myths made it out to be. For me, it's been a practical way to build a stronger financial future — a life that genuinely spans both sides of the Causeway.

If there's one thing I'd tell myself two years ago, it's this: make your income work as hard as you do. Put it to work globally, from right where you already are.

Choosing the Right Singapore Investment Platform

Since the income itself is earned in Singapore, it’s a natural fit to manage it through a Singapore investment platform, somewhere MAS-regulated that sits in the same financial environment as the job itself.

With FSM Global, you can hold your SGD where it’s earned, and choose from cash solutions, auto-invest tools, bonds, and more for the portion of your salary that you’re not using right away.

• Multi-Currency Cash Account: Access 12 major currencies in one place, safe and secure, with your cash earning interest while you wait for your next trade

• Auto-Sweep Account: A cash management solution FSM manages on a discretionary basis, available in 3 currencies, automatically investing into cash, money market funds, and short-duration bond funds for a higher indicative yield than the Cash Account alone

• Global Stocks: Access to major global markets, with a low flat fee of S$8.80 for SGX trades

• Unit Trusts/Mutual Funds: Permanent 0% sales charge

• Bonds: Your #1 gateway to over 1,791 retail/wholesale, Singapore Government Bonds, new issues, and bond ideas powered by Bondsupermart

• ETF Flat Fee: Enjoy a flat fee of just S$3.80 / US$3.80 / HK$38, regardless of trade size when you invest in ETFs

• Regular Savings Plan: Start from as little as S$50/month, with no lock-in and 0% fees

Getting started

Click here to open an FSM Global SG account.

Not sure how to start?

Read our guide to top up your FSM account

Find out how you can use Wise to transfer USD to FSM Global.

Get complimentary investment advice from our Investment Advisory Team.

Or get in contact with us via email, call or live chat. 

Ringgit Deposits and Withdrawal

Did you know you can also deposit and withdraw Ringgit for free, from your Malaysia bank account to your FSM Global account?

Simply use DuitNow to transfer Ringgit seamlessly and for free to FSM Global.

Interested in investing in the US, HK, or SG markets? Our FX conversion feature can convert Ringgit to USD, HKD, and SGD respectively.

About FSM Global

FSM Global is the business-to-consumer platform of iFAST Corporation Ltd., a global digital banking and wealth management platform listed on the Singapore Exchange. Founded in 2000, FSM Global has spent over 25 years helping investors invest globally and profitably, and is now trusted by investors across more than 100 markets worldwide.

The platform offers a comprehensive range of products for first-time investors and seasoned professionals alike, backed by competitive, transparent pricing — including low flat fees on ETFs and zero sales charge on unit trusts — all supported by a long-standing, committed presence in Singapore's financial sector.

Investors outside of Singapore can open an FSM Global account fully online. To do so, you will need to provide essential personal information and identity verification documents, including a valid passport.