H

ow familiar are you with the geography of Singapore? Many Indonesians break into a knowing smile upon mention of the legendary Orchard Road or Little India.

Some automatically bring to their minds the green, hilly boulevards leading to the National Museum of Singapore, while others instantly produce a mental image of VivoCity’s aerodynamic architecture.

Yet all of these places, for all their familiarity and charm, are mostly reserved for business and entertainment purposes.

Living right in the heart of Singapore promises endless delights to make-merry our dullest days. But in the long run, where do Indonesians prefer to live in Singapore? “It’s quite hard to say, for Indonesians do live all across Singapore,” said Novita Meliza, 23, a Semarang-born accountant who has been a resident of Singapore for the past fi ve years.

“Thinking about it though, I would say Katong and Bishan are the two areas that most Indonesians live in.”

Katong, set on Singapore’s east coast, is famous for its Peranakan (Chinese-Malay) culture and cuisine, particularly the now world-famous Southeast Asian staple dish of laksa. Bishan, on the other hand, comprises numerous housing estates surrounded by lush parks packing into Singapore’s Central Region.

Novita lives in Tiong Bahru, west of Chinatown. After graduating from the Singapore Institute of Management in 2010, she joined an audit fi rm for a year before moving to her current accounting company.

Her boyfriend Jevont, also Indonesian, lives in Toa Payoh in the Central Region. “It was close to the fi rst job I had when I started working here, and it’s also close to the city center,” he said.

Commenting about Indonesians’ choice of accommodation in Singapore, Jevont noted that wherever there are universities, there will be clusters of Indonesians living there.

Kevin Putra Wangsa, managing editor of I CAN Education (www.icaneducation. com), headquartered in Gading Serpong, Tangerang, agrees that the most convenient place to live for students would be somewhere close to their respective universities.

“Even if Singapore has a good public transport system, there’s no rivaling the convenience of a short-commuting distance,” he said. “Universities also often have arrangements with hostels or dorms, in which their students can stay for a reasonable cost.”

Unfortunately, since land is rather limited in Singapore, most hostels or dorms won’t probably be located in the same vicinity as the school. “The only university with an on-site dorm that I know of is my alma mater, MIDS (the Management Development Institute of Singapore).”

All the options Kevin is a marketing graduate who started his education-consultancy business in Singapore before bringing to Indonesia two-years ago. His agency has a representative offi ce in Jurong and can arrange for university applications, as well as follow-up assistance services from airport pickups to opening local back accounts.

He reckoned Singapore has the right options to meet every accommodation budget.

“In the top range, living in condos can cost around S$1000 to $1200 per person per month, (with) all bills, including housekeeping, already included,” he said.

A less expensive option is to fi nd a place in the housing estates of Singapore’s Housing and Development Board (HDB), which can be likened to regular apartments if not for their lack of facilities such as pools or fi tness centers. Opting to live here may set you back around $600 to $700 per month.

“For those who don’t mind sharing rooms with friends, it is even possible to arrange for accommodation in a house- or fl at-share for as little as $300 to $400 a month,” Kevin said.

If you’re planning to make a university application through an agency, Kevin suggests that looking for one that doesn’t stop at fi nding the right school. “It makes more sense to go for one with expansive knowledge on both Singapore’s geography and lifestyle.”

Students and parents looking for more info can log on to www.universitassingapore.com.