'Your parents spent $5m?' Hong Kong YouTuber asks how much it costs to raise a kid in Singapore

Back when it was just Torres Pit and his wife, Georgia Gordon, the couple could comfortably share a one-bedroom apartment in Singapore for a monthly rental price of $3,500. 

But now that they have a baby on the way, they have to move out to a more expensive two-bedroom apartment that costs a whopping $5,500 a month. 

Apart from that, the couple also realised they have to save up money to pay for other necessary expenses like school fees, doctor's appointments and clothes for the child. 

Curious to see how much others think it costs to raise a child in Singapore, the Hong Kong content creator took to the streets to ask locals and documented it in a YouTube video on Feb 29. 

One of the first few people he talked to was a student, who estimated that it cost a whopping $5 million to do so. 

"Your parents have spent $5 million on you? Like what items [did they get for you]?" Torres asked in disbelief. 

To that, the boy replied: "A freehold house." 

Another student Torres spoke to said he thought it cost around $200,000 to raise a child like himself. 

"Our mum spent a lot of money to raise us," he said. 

The boy added that in the future, he plans to repay his family by studying and working hard. 

There was even a student who shared that he tries to lessen his parents' burden by working part-time jobs, which he's been doing since he was 14. 

From his interviews, Torres also noticed that education was one of the more expensive factors. 

One woman told him that a lot of money is pumped into the child's tuition fees. 

"Expensive! The child needs tutoring three times a week," she said, adding that this added up to about $1,000. 

Another woman he spoke to also said that "tuition is the most expensive". 

"From Primary 1, there are some subsidies. From a young age, around two years old, tuition fees are around $1,000," she elaborated. 

To further investigate, Torres visited preschool Sparkletots to find out more. 

After speaking to a staff there, he learned that it costs a painful $2,084 a month. 

He also shared that it costs $3,800 a month to send a child to Odyssey The Global Preschool, one of the most expensive nursery schools in Singapore. 

That's not all. Torres also learnt that before even getting in, you have to pay to register for the waitlist. 

Hospital bills and more

But before Torres and Georgia can worry about their child's education, they have to fret over medical expenses first. 

"Each gynecologist appointment comes to $195 and chromosomal tests are $1,200," Georgie explained to Torres. 

She added that extra costs they had to worry about included hospital warding charges and doctor fees. 

"I think on average, what we are expecting to pay on those few days is going to be around $10,000," Georgia estimated. 

And she's not wrong. 

For context, in 2023, an appointment with a gynecologist could cost anything from $150 to $400 on average.

Tests like the first trimester screening panel or the triple serum test are about $200 to $400 each.

The bulk of the cost comes from delivery charges, and these usually start from $1,200 for a normal delivery at a Class C ward at a government hospital. At a private hospital, this can be $13,000 or more.

As for other expenses, the average household expenses per household member is around $1,997.20, according to Singstat. 

So, is it worth it? 

While Torres was pretty stressed thinking about how much it costs to raise a child in Singapore, his mindset towards it has slowly changed over the years. 

In the past, he'd lament about how expensive everything is. 

"But now actually, as the day goes by, your mind starts to change and you think, wow, maybe it's actually worth it!" he said. 

"Maybe it will be very nice and have a purpose in your life. Like your mindset starts to shift from being scared to being motivated." 

He added that four years ago, he thought there should be a standard amount to have saved up before having a child. 

"But once you hit that, you always want more and then you'll never have kids," he pointed out. 

Georgia herself has had her perception changed. 

"Before, I was a bit more casual about things or I care more about external things. 

"Whereas now, nothing [else] is important, and everything about this baby and the livelihood of the baby and the happiness of the baby comes before anything else," she confessed. 

How much does it actually cost?

According to an article by Dollars and Sense, the cost of raising a family in Singapore varies.

The lifestyle choices and education options that parents choose play a big part.

That said, in general, one can expect to fork out almost $200,000 to cover the cost and expenses of raising a child here until he or she reaches 18 years of age.

With the rising cost of living, starting a family is something many Singaporeans would be concerned about.  

And in recognising this, the government recently announced measures to strengthen support for Singaporeans on their parenthood journey.

ALSO READ: Realistic or not? Mum suggests it takes $30k to $40k of monthly income to raise 3 kids 'comfortably' in Singapore

melissateo@asiaone.com