Singapore Living Guide for Foreign Tenants: Exploring Districts 1 to 9

Specially for Foreign Tenant

Foreign Tenant Guide Part 1: Districts 1 to 9

Are you a foreigner planning to rent a place in Singapore and wondering where to live? Singapore is a vibrant city-state with a diverse range of neighbourhoods, each offering its unique lifestyle and attractions.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll take you on a journey through Singapore’s districts 1 to 9, providing insights into what each district has to offer.

From the bustling business hub of Raffles Place to the historic charm of Tiong Bahru, we’ll help you find the perfect district that suits your work, lifestyle, and budget. So, let’s embark on this exciting journey and discover the diverse living options in Singapore!

District 1, City

Boat Quay, Chinatown, Marina Square, Raffles Place, Suntec City

This area is mostly business and entertainment. Raffles Place is the commercial heart of Singapore, where most of the banks cluster. Suntec City and Marina Square are major shopping malls, and Boat Quay is great for laid back pubs.

Chinatown is a bit of a contrast, and offers a lot of colour. It’s just as vibrant as the Chinatowns you’d find in San Francisco and New York, and just as noisy.

Good for:

• Being close to work
• Laid back pubbing
• Shopaholics

Featured Listing: The Sail @ Marina Bay

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

District 2, Central Business District

Anson Road, Chinatown, Neil Road, Raffles Place, Shenton Way, Tanjong Pagar

This is close to district 1, and some areas (Raffles Place, Chinatown) straddle the two. As the name implies, the Central Business District (CBD) mainly consists of office buildings. High end restaurants and cafes, catering to the corporate crowd, are also common along Shenton Way and Anson Road.

On weekends, this area transforms from a busy corporate hub to a relaxed, downbeat place with overpriced drinks.

Good for:

• Being close to work
• Trendy cafes and bars
• Relieving you of your monthly paycheck

Featured listing: International Plaza

 

 

District 3, Central South

Alexandra, Tiong Bahru, Queenstown

This area can look old, but don’t let that fool you. Queenstown, for example, is a high rent area with solid property values, due to the maturity of the estate: amenities such as shopping malls, eateries, train stations, etc. are abundant because of how established the area is.

Tiong Bahru and Queenstown are among the oldest estates in Singapore, and Tiong Bahru has legendary status for its hawker centres. Tourists go to Newton for hawker food, locals come here instead.

Good for:

• Convenient living. You can stay within this neighbourhood for months and not need anything.
• Hawker food
• IKEA, one of their two giant stores, is located here.

Features Listing: Queens

 

District 4: South Singapore

Mount Faber, Telok Blangah, Harbourfront

This is a “dock” area with a view of the Singapore Straits. This is where Singaporeans take the ferry to Batam in Indonesia (a common weekend excursion), and have their romantic dates ruined on Mount Faber (unless your date likes dirt and mosquitoes.)

Harbourfront is home to Vivocity, the most unnecessarily large shopping centre in Singapore. Or anywhere, really. Nearby, the old St. James power station has been converted into a cluster of nightclubs.

Good for:

• People who like to visit Batam or Bintan on weekends
• Shopaholics, due to Vivocity
• People who like nature retreats and parks (Mount Faber and Telok Blangah)

Featured Listing: The Residences at W Sentosa Cove

District 5: South West Singapore

Buona Vista, Pasir Panjang, Clementi, Dover

For a foreign tenant, this district might be a good option. This is an education hub, where you can find plenty of tertiary education institutes. Singapore Polytechnic, for example, is right across the street from the Dover train station. INSEAD and the National University of Singapore are also in proximity.

Clementi and Pasir Panjang form the residential hubs, with the largest neighbourhood mall (and key amenities) being in Clementi. Pasir Panjang is home to plenty of 24 hour eateries, which cater to the student crowd.

Good for:

• Students
• Clementi mall (it’s right across from a train station and has most of what you’ll need)
• Heated political discussions with 22 year olds at four in the morning

Featured Listing: The Rochester

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

District 6: City Hall

Clark Quay, City Hall

This area mainly consists of hotels, clubs, and bars. This used to be the main shopping and commercial area many years ago, before they migrated to Orchard Road and Raffles Place respectively. Due to the number of hotels in the area, expect heavy tourist traffic. So, if you are a kind of foreign tenant who loves to enjoy live music, clubbing, and dancing, you must give it a try.

Clark Quay is the clubbing heart of Singapore, so if you stay here your nights and liver will never be the same again.

Good for:

• Clubbing
• Sightseeing
• Running into tourists

Featured Listing: High Street Centre

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

District 7: Beach Road

Bugis, Middle Road, Beach Road, Golden Mile

Once a grimy, vibrant, red light district, Bugis was cleaned up a few decades ago. It is now home to Singapore’s first fully air-conditioned street, because we are that pampered. It’s now famous as a shopping area, and for its various mid-ranged restaurants.

Beach Road and Golden Mile were once famous for their hawker centres. Today, the early generation of hawkers have since moved on – but the food is of decent quality, and you will find a variety of cuisines.

Good for:

• Shopping
• Local food
• If you dare, the notorious Sim Lim Square is here. You will either get great bargains on electronics, or be horribly ripped off.

Featured Listing: Liang Seah Place

 

District 8: Central Region

Little India, Farrer Park

Little India is a mecca of Indian food and flouted traffic rules. You will find a lot of Indians here as well. You can pick spices and seasonings from specialist shops, so the area is much beloved by aspiring chefs. Some of the best jewellers are also located in this area: give them a picture of a design from a higher end store, and they may be able to pull it off for cheap. If you are foreign tenant moving from India for studies or working, this might be a good start to go with.

If you’re into fortune telling and psychics, this is the next biggest place for it (next to Chinatown.) You’ll find quite a few along the walkways.

Good for:

• Aspiring chefs
• People who like Indian food
• Jewellery shopping

Featured Listing: City Square Residences

District 9: Orchard Road

Orchard Road, River Valley

Orchard Road is one of the best known shopping districts in Southeast Asia, much to the frustration of Singaporeans. If you are a rich foreign tenant or have a good budget, you can consider this for shopping as well as living. We suspect the tourists perpetually outnumber us three to one here. Still, it’s a long stretch of malls that cater to middle and upper income. H&M and Forever 21 sit alongside Louis Vuitton and Hermes, and you can shop for days.

River Valley is a mix of small business and mostly high end residences. It’s not inherently exciting, but it’s where the rich often stay to be close to Orchard.

Good for:

• Shopping
• Mingling with the upper-middle to upper-class crowd, if you stay here
• Learning to manage credit card debt the hard way

Featured Listing: The Laurels

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Keen to see Districts 10-18 & 19-28? Click here, and here.

If you’re planning to rent any of the above-mentioned districts, you’ll be glad to know that aside from normal payment methods like cheque, you can also pay for the security deposit with your credit card via CardUp.co. This is especially beneficial if you do not have a large amount of cash on hand, or have not set up a local bank account yet.

Conclusion

We hope this guide has given you a clearer picture of what living in Singapore’s districts 1 to 9 can offer. Each district has its unique charm and lifestyle, and the best fit would depend on your personal preferences, work location, and budget. Remember, choosing where to live is a significant decision, so take your time to explore and consider your options.

Whether you’re drawn to the business-centric vibe of Raffles Place or the historic allure of Tiong Bahru, there’s a district in Singapore that’s perfect for you. Stay tuned for our next guide where we’ll explore more districts in Singapore. Happy house hunting!

Check out other rental related articles here: Here’s why renting in Singapore isn’t as expensive as you think and 7 rental hidden costs: is that cheap rental unit too good to be true?

Find the rental home of your dreams today at Singapore’s largest property portal 99.co!