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Masjid Angullia, Serangoon: A Cultural Gem
Jantra Jacobs
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An Expat’s Guide To Serangoon Singapore

This guide about living in Serangoon, Singapore is meant for expats and digital nomads still trying to decide which neighborhood is right for them. We’ve pulled information and dozens of links to sites about Serangoon housing, dining, entertainment, shopping, recreation, education, and healthcare.

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Serangoon is a popular community because it is a large residential area with easy access to many stores, schools, and restaurants. It also has some of the best transportation in Singapore since it has many bus routes and a railway station that connects to multiple lines.

We will introduce you in depth to the many amenities available to expats in this area, and after reading this article, we recommend our guide about the best places to live in Singapore to expand your search!

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Introducing Serangoon Singapore To Expats

Serangoon is in northeast Singapore. It is east of Ang Mo Kio and Marymount, south of Yio Chu Kang, west of Sengkang, and north of Toa Payoh. It is a popular residential area with seven subzones, and it has the most popular shopping center in north Singapore.

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History And Background Of Serangoon

The history of Serangoon’s name is disputed, but both possibilities have to do with animals. The first comes from a large population of birds called “ranggong” that used to hang by the swamps around the Serangoon River. The second comes from a Malay phrase “di-serang dengan gong.”

This phrase means “to surround with gongs,” and probably is a reference to how gongs used to be used to scare away animals from the Serangoon forests.

Today, Serangoon is a well-established housing estate with a popular shopping mall. Nex is a busy, comprehensive series of retail stores, entertainment, and restaurants with easy transportation accessibility.

Living In Serangoon As An Expat

If you’re an expat looking to live in Serangoon, there are plenty of home varieties from extravagant HDB homes, landed properties, and condominiums. Serangoon is popular and competitive because it is centrally located and the residences are known for being larger and of a higher quality.

Serangoon is divided into seven residential subzones, they are listed below:

  1. Serangoon Central
  2. Lorong Chuan
  3. Upper Paya Lebar
  4. Serangoon Gardens
  5. Serangoon North
  6. Seletar Hills
  7. Serangoon North Industrial Estate

Here are a few of the residential complexes in Serangoon, though there are many more than we can list in this article:

  • Chiltern Park is one highly rated condominium complex here, and its average sales range is S$1,166 – S$1,345 per square foot (psf). Its average rental price ranges from S$1.80 – S$5.10 psf per month
  • Serangoon Garden Estate: The average sale price for these apartments is S$858 psf and rental prices are S$3.90 psf, ranging from S$2.40 – S$6.10 psf per month
  • Affinity at Serangoon: These apartments have an average sale price of S$1,732 psf. The sales range is S$1,600 – S$1,844 psf

Serangoon Tips For Expats

Some of our tips for expats moving to Serangoon, Singapore focus on respecting the local customs and people. You are a guest in their home, and if you truly want to embrace their culture as your own home, you should come with an attitude of curiosity, a willingness to learn, and friendship.

Here are a few more Serangoon tips for expats: 

  1. Singapore is very popular for expats, so find a community of other foreigners! It can help ease your transition to Singapore life.
  2. Singlish is one of the most common languages – for Singapore English – so pick up some of those phrases!
  3. To help yourself find the home you want, consider renting an apartment with a short lease for the first few months after you move so you can browse around the area before you lock into a longer lease

Dining And Entertainment In Serangoon

There are over a dozen local dining options in Serangoon at the intersection of Serangoon Garden Way and Chartwell Drive. If you’re craving Italian Pizza, La Pizzaiola @ Jalan Riang comes with top reviews, and if it’s Western food you seek, check out Chef K. Western off Serangoon North Avenue 1.

Here are three restaurants in Serangoon with excellent customer reviews:

Shopping And Markets In Serangoon

Nex is the main shopping center in Serangoon, and it is the largest mall in northeast Singapore. This mall has seven levels brimming with social, recreational, retail, and dining entertainment options. It has excellent transportation connections with buses and railway lines close by.

Here are some of the top favorites at the Nex shopping mall:

Cultural And Recreational Activities In Serangoon

When it comes to cultural and recreational activities in Serangoon, you can try out the community park at Serangoon Ave 4, the Miniso gift shop at the Nex, Tommy Kian Magic on North Ave 1, the Trika Museum at Ang Mo Industrial Park 1, and all the bars off Garden Way and Kensington Park Rd.

Spectacular Marina Bay Sunset: Serangoon's Stunning View

Here are some more recreational activities worth checking out in Serangoon: 

Education And Healthcare In Serangoon

Serangoon has strong primary, secondary, and international schools available for all ages of students. It is a particularly good area for expat families with young children as there are many primary schools. Serangoon also has a wide selection of public healthcare clinics and hospitals.

Education In Serangoon For Expats

There are several primary and secondary schools each in the areas near Serangoon, with St. Andrew’s in the south and Serangoon Garden in the north. NPS International School is for primary age, and it is just outside Serangoon at 11 Hillside Dr.

Primary Schools:

Secondary Schools:

International Schools:

Healthcare In Serangoon For Expats

There are quite a few medical clinics in Serangoon, particularly near the Nex, so expats and digital nomads should be able to find a primary care provider close to your home. The nearest general hospital to Serangoon is Tan Tock Seng Hospital.

Here are some international hospital options for expats around the Serangoon area:

When trying to decide if using an international or public hospital is the right fit for you, you should consider:

  • If you want your treatment and care to be performed in English
  • If you want to have the best level of hygiene and sanitation in your facilities
  • If you want faster, more efficient appointments without long wait-times

If these elements are important to you, using the general public healthcare system is probably not the right fit. Instead, look into international clinics and hospitals.

These can be more expensive, however, so you’ll want to make sure you have a strong international health insurance plan. Pacific Prime Singapore has many options you can choose from.

Here are a few health insurance plans for expats worth looking into:

Transportation For Serangoon

When it comes to transportation in Serangoon, you’ll be very connected. You’ll most likely use the bus to get around the community day to day as there are quite a few bus stops. You can also use the MRT railway because the North East Line and the Circle Line run through Serangoon.

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To learn more about the bus services available and which ones will benefit you, check out SBS Transit and Tower Transit.

Pros And Cons Of Living In Serangoon

Pros of living in Serangoon include the number of shops within reach of the residential areas and the quantity of primary and secondary schools in the area. Cons of living in Serangoon include needing to leave the neighborhood to get to a hospital and the noise pollution that never subsides.

As with any neighborhood, Serangoon has its advantages and disadvantages. It’s up to you to decide which ones are deal breakers and which ones you can’t live without.

Pros of Serangoon:

  • Great transportation with easy access to multiple MRT lines
  • The Nex Mall is huge and beautiful, attracting residents and visitors with all-you-can-want food and entertainment
  • It is first and foremost a residential area, which may be the exact type of community feel you’re looking for

Cons of Serangoon:

  • Serangoon, alongside Clementi and Bukit Timah, are some of the noisiest neighborhoods in Singapore
  • Nex is often overcrowded, and it doesn’t have the most logical layout
  • If you’re looking for schools nearby for undergraduates and beyond, you won’t find one immediately within the vicinity of Serangoon

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Conclusion

We’ve now discussed much of what Serangoon has to offer when it comes to food, fun, and health, giving you an idea of whether or not this is the right Singapore neighborhood for you.

If you’re not settled on Serangoon, check out our guides to living in Tanjong Pagar and living in Sentosa or the other top places in Singapore, and of course, be sure to get a quote for Singapore health insurance today!

Jantra Jacobs
Jantra Jacobs
Senior Copywriter at Pacific Prime
Jantra Jacobs is a Senior Copywriter at Pacific Prime with over 10 years of writing and editing experience. She writes and edits a diverse variety of online and offline copy, including sales and marketing materials ranging from articles and advertising copy to reports, guides, RFPs, and more.

Jantra curates and reports on the results of Pacific Prime’s monthly newsletters, as well as manages Pacific Prime’s Deputy Global CEO’s LinkedIn posts. Complemented by her background in business writing, Jantra’s passion for health, insurance, and employee benefits helps her create engaging content – no matter how complex the subject is.

Growing up as a third-culture kid has given her a multicultural perspective that helps her relate to expats and their families while 8 years of working remotely have given her unique insight into hybrid work arrangements and enthusiasm for employee benefits.
Jantra Jacobs
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