Dating Life in Singapore
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I am a 27F working in a Nordic country. I have a job offer in Singapore and thinking about moving there to be closer to my parents. I am not Singaporean but grew up in one of the SEA countries.
I am still single and I know people marry quite early in SEA. Does anyone have any advice on the dating scene in Singapore for expat women, esp those who are late 20s?
I want to settle down and find a long term partner so I don’t want to kill my chance while moving for job opportunities.
Thanks a lot in advance
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Netizens’ comments
- I think if you are looking at the possibility of settling down with a local, the main hurdle is integration. Will you as you are, be able to find someone that has similar values and outlook as you. If not are you willing to explore if the culture here, whatever that is, is something you may embrace. Everything else comes after.
Generally speaking, men are still expected to be the initiators of relationships here. But women are the selectors. I’m sure being a 27F, you will have suitors. The only question is if you will find one suitable to settle down with. - Singapore is not like the other SEA nations. So we don’t marry that early. We have the typical issues of developed nations eg marrying late, less children, aged population.
I would say everyone has a chance to date and marry it’d hard to tell knowing your personality and what you’re looking for. - Disclaimer: speaking from my (29M Singaporean) personal experience, as well as those of my friends.
1. Where to find dates, outside of the club/bar scene:Â Online dating can be incredibly dull here, so I don’t recommend it. Instead, if you’re into any kind of creative activity (music, standup comedy, live painting etc) then find and hang out in those spaces. That’s how I met my partner.
2. Make the first move:Â With local men, I recommend making the first move if he seems “stuck”. Make it explicit that you’re into him. Expat women can be intimidating to local men due to the perceived class difference.
3. Having a place of your own is a huge plus:Â One thing to note is that most Singaporeans stay with their family until they’re married, because of how our housing subsidies work here.
As you’ll be renting on your own as an expat, be ready to bring your dates home if it goes well… or to get a budget hotel room for a quick “staycation”. There’s an app for that, and it’s called Flow.
4. Local men are taller than other SEAsians but shorter than Scandis:Â Finally, I notice you’ve been living and working in a Scandinavian country where people tend to be taller.
If it matters to you, the average Singaporean man is taller than most SEAsians, but is still shorter than a Scandi man. The exact average male height is 1.73m, or 5’8. - Most expat women I know don’t have much luck with finding a life partner because it isn’t easy to integrate into local culture (if they date local men). It doesn’t help that expat men can date local women easily so they do not only date expat women. It is, however, not difficult to have casual relationships/ hook ups.
That said, I also know a female expat that dated and married a male expat (they met in Singapore) so it could happen. Who knows what life has in store for you??