Chinese visitors claim Singapore is too expensive, has inferior food & healthcare to China
A recent TikTok video has caused a stir online after Chinese visitors in Singapore claimed that the country was too expensive and lacked in areas such as food and healthcare compared to China.
Posted on 5 Sep, the TikTok video by Singapore-based Chinese channel @anythingneng showed two Chinese visitors being asked about the differences they noticed between Singapore and China.
The first interviewee said she felt that China had superior cuisine.
“There are not as many salty and spicy dishes in Singapore,” she opined.
She also said that the Chinese food in Singapore lacked authenticity.
Another negative she found with Singapore was how expensive everything was, especially transport. She particularly highlighted the cost of booking a Grab ride.
“I studied in Shanghai previously,” she said, noting that Shanghai is one of the costlier cities in China.
“It’s probably twice as expensive here [in Singapore].”
The second interviewee had the same opinion, claiming that every facet of Singapore’s society was more expensive.
“It’s not as cheap as China.”
Furthermore, he brought up Singapore’s healthcare system, saying that medical procedures were more cumbersome and appointments took longer.
“When I saw the doctor [in Singapore], it took one month to complete the check-up.”
He compared it to China, where he alleged that he could solve a medical problem on the same day he went to see a doctor.
Netizens debate fiercely in the comments
The video has unsurprisingly caused a heated debate in its comments section.
One commenter light-heartedly defended Singapore’s expensiveness, saying: “You get what you pay for.”
One dissatisfied netizen wrote that if the interviewees didn’t like Singapore, they should have stayed in China.
“Don’t be so extreme with your comments, Singaporeans!” A commenter replied to them. “You can’t even stand two lines of criticism before scolding others, be more mature!”
Another Singaporean netizen claimed that costs were higher for expats, with Singapore citizens getting quick and cheap medical treatment and transportation.
They also added that authentic Chinese cuisine had too much salt, and there was therefore “no need” for authentic Chinese cuisine as the saltiness of this cuisine could allegedly lead to less healthy meals and shorter average lifespans.
This year, Singapore was ranked as the second most expensive city for expats, behind only Hong Kong.
Also read: ‘S’pore is so backward’: TikToker claims China is ahead of Lion City in many ways
‘S’pore is so backward’: TikToker claims China is ahead of Lion City in many ways
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Featured image adapted from @anythingneng on TikTok.
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