Submitted by an expat woman living in Singapore, Singapore

Housing is divided into four categories: 'HDB housing' is Government-built low-cost housing for Singaporeans. HDB may be available for rental from the owners in some circumstances. This is cheaper than other types of long-term accommodation, but it is advised to go through an agent.

The most common housing used by expats is 'Condo'. This can be bought or rented. The best areas are usually considered to be the city (Districts 9 or 10) and the East Coast (Districts 14, 15, 16), but other areas are also good and may be cheaper. Look for proximity to transport, good car parking (especially if you have more than one car), and schooling if relevant.

Apartment buildings are lower-cost than condos, but with fewer facilities (no pool).

'Landed property' is also available, but is usually very expensive to rent. Foreigners need to seek permission to buy landed property.

It is best to go through an agent, and use one who is accredited. There have been some scams relating to rental (collecting deposits from multiple tenants etc.). It's usual for a deposit to be required, but otherwise payment is monthly. Check if utilities and furniture are included, and who is responsible for management fees in a condo/apartment. For HDB, it may be advisable to check with the HDB itself.

Please note that the landlord will require proof that you have work permits. If they rent to illegals, they can be sent to jail.

You can arrange to bring in a maid from overseas, or hire local part-time help. The maid may also be a nannie, or a carer. Childcare is readily available.

Cost for local help is around S$10 per hour. Cost for overseas maids not available, but please note that there is a Government tariff on top of the direct costs. Gardeners, if needed, would usually be a landscape service.

It is unusual to hire drivers. Non-drivers will usually use taxis or public transport.

Phone: If you're going to be here for at least two years, sign up for a mobile phone, and check the deals. Some offer low-cost services to some overseas countries. Signing up on a contract will give you low-cost handsets. Handsets are not locked to telcos, so you can also buy in the open market. Pre-paid cards are available and good value if you're going to be here for a shorter time. There are also VOIP options available with the telcos for reduced-charge overseas calls, or you can use services such as SKYPE.

The mobile service is excellent, with almost 100% coverage.

Fixed lines are cheap for local calls, but more and more people are using mobile-only. Charges for mobile phones are very much dependent on the plan you take, and there's a wide variety. I pay around S$20 per month.

Internet access - Broadband is available in most places, except for some landed property. A typical price for 8Mbps would be S$50 per month Higher speeds are available, but if you are mainly using non-local sites, you won't get the benefit.

Mobile internet access is also available, using 3G, either through a phone or a modem from the telcos.

The local TV has a few English channels. There are over 100 cable channels available, from two providers. This includes all of the standard English-language channels, mainly from US or UK, but also some from Australia. Typically charges would be around S$80 per month excluding the premium sports channels. Satellite is not available.

There are three daily English-language newspapers. One is free, the main newspaper (Straits Times) is around S$23 per month on subscription.

The local postal service is fast and reliable, but you may need to collect from the post office if there's no-one home during the day. Typical delivery times are around 1 week from the US, less from the UK.

There are services available for shipping US/UK purchases quickly and relatively cheaply here if you buy online. A lot of online stores don't ship here.

There are four local languages - English, Mandarin Chinese, Malay and Tamil. Other Chinese dialects are common, especially with the older generation.

English is the main language in business and schools. In day-to-day use both English and Chinese are used, but you can reasonably expect people you are dealing with to be able to speak and understand English. The accent may be a challenge for a newcomer though, and they may also have difficulties with your accent. Speak slowly, and rephrase if necessary, when not understood.

Water is safe, but is heavily chlorinated and doesn't taste nice. A lot of people will filter, boil or use bottled water. It is safe to take water and ice when out.

Most accommodation uses bottled gas for cooking, although some properties do have piped gas. If you run out, the gas supplier will usually come to your place in under an hour, but it may be useful to have a fall-back cooking method if you're likely to run out.

Electricity prices are tied to market rates, and can fluctuate month to month.

At the moment, we're paying S$300 per month for water, electricity and garbage disposal, but we're heavy users of electricity.

The local currency is the Singapore Dollar (S$). It is easy to set up a bank account, and you will need only your identification. For a credit card, you will need proof of income, as the credit card limits are regulated based on income.

Credit cards and stored-value cards are readily accepted, but there may be surcharge on some types of purchase if you use credit card or a discount if you pay cash (especially for electronic goods). Restaurants frequently offer discounts for certain credit cards - always ask.

Changing money is best done at moneychangers for the best rate and not at banks. There are extremely good networks of ATMs, including most gas stations and shopping malls.

Shopping is the national pastime. The main shopping areas are Orchard Road and the Marina Bay area, but there are also a lot of neighbourhood malls. Sim Lim Square and Funan Center are the main malls for computer and camera equipment. Generally, prices are fixed, but there may be some negotiation possible at places like Sim Lim. Don't expect huge discounts though - 2% may be the best you can get (for cash payment).

Difficulties: Large-size clothing, large-size women's shoes, electric toasters.

Beauty services are easy to find. For spa-type services, look for local outlets. The price of something like a massage may easily be half that of a central spa. But also check that a massage parlour really is a massage
parlour and not something else.

Cinemas are readily available and cheap. There are plenty of bars, but a lot are 'hostess bars', so check first. Clubbing is popular. There's a lot of live music, sports bars, karaoke bars.

Alcohol is expensive. If you're at a local bar, check on buying spirits by the bottle, it's often a lot cheaper and mixers come free. Beer is cheaper by the jug.

It can be expensive to bring in pets, and quarantine will be required if you're coming from somewhere with rabies. The veterinary services are reasonable, and there are hospitals available but the quality and range of treatments available is lower than in countries such as US or UK.

There are restrictions on certain breeds of dogs, and may also be restrictions at your accommodation (check first).

Grooming services for dogs are good. Boarding services are not so good, but home sitters are available.

http://www.ava.gov.sg has the best details.

http://www.gov.sg for one-stop portal on all of the legal requirements.