diver-hloc said:Err... I think you also miss the point.
We are saying that you might be paid XXXX amount more in country A than in country B... but doesn't mean having XXXX amount is enough, living as if like a rich man/woman in country A.
No where have we talk about could HDB flats or Housing... :bsmilie:
Or you could try being like our local FW... work aboard and live in bad condition for 3-5 years... return with $$$..
I get that point. Its concerning the purchasing power of the cleaners two diff economic environments.
Lets consider a basket of goods to compare. One is a Big Mac which was already discussed.
A Big Mac may mean diff things in this two places. For example. It may be seen as luxury food in Denmark but a staple food in SG.
How about housing? Is a HDB flat a perfect substitute for Danish housing? If not, then can we look at SG's private properties as a closer to a perfect substitute to Danish housing?
Also i think we have to look at lifestyle and the consumption pattern of Danish vs Singaporeans. Maybe the Danes can afford to have a sole breadwinner but as things are in SG, sometimes you see householda needing dual income and therefore may have more necessities like childcare or what not. Therefore diff consumption patterns to meet each other's needs..
Like if Danish restaurants are expensive, thats because it may be considered a luxury to eat out over there and not a necessity like we do here in SG. Nobody has the time to cook.
So compare a private landed property to that of labded property in SG. After all, housing is in the second tier of Maslow's hierarchy of needs....
Im typing from a phone so excuse me please dor typos..