‘S’poreans are romanticising every country except our own’: CEO’s take on moving overseas sparks debate
A video claiming that Singaporeans are romanticising life overseas has sparked debate online, with netizens split over whether Singapore’s efficiency and convenience are worth giving up for life abroad.
On June 13, Felix Lee — a 28-year-old Singaporean entrepreneur based in San Francisco and co-founder and CEO of mentorship platform ADPList — posted a video arguing that Singaporeans often idealise foreign cities while overlooking what they already have at home.
“You are trading the best functioning city on earth for a Netflix version of London that doesn’t exist,” he said.
Drawing on his experience living in San Francisco and having friends based in cities including London, Melbourne and New York, Lee argued that many Singaporeans compare reality at home with an idealised version of life overseas.
In the video, he described London as grey and rainy for nine months a year, with a single-bedroom flat costing around $4,000 a month in rent. Meanwhile, Melbourne commuters face lengthy delays on public transport, and New York can drain wallets the moment one steps out the door.
“Meanwhile, in Singapore, you tap on the MRT, the next train is in two minutes. You eat a Michelin-star meal for $6 at a hawker centre,” he said.
Lee also pointed to factors such as safety, healthcare, internet reliability and government responsiveness as reasons Singapore remains difficult to beat.
In his view, Singapore functions so smoothly that many locals have become desensitised to the conveniences around them and “forget to be impressed by it”.
“We have confused boring with functioning,” Lee said. “We thought sterile means soulless”.
He urged Singaporeans to appreciate the vibrant culture already around them, such as exploring Geylang at night, taking a bum boat to Pulau Ubin, or eating at kopitiams.
Every other country would “queue to be Singapore”, he said, adding that the city-state is “quite frankly the best”.
‘I think I’m the proof’
Speaking to Stomp, Lee shared that he officially moved to San Francisco in February this year after spending two years living there in three-month stretches.
“I wanted to know if I could actually build and live here, not just visit and fall in love with the idea of it,” he said. “By the time I moved for real, it wasn’t a leap of faith. It was a decision I’d already pressure-tested.”
Responding to comments questioning why he moved overseas if he felt so strongly about Singapore, Lee said the decision was driven by work rather than dissatisfaction with life here.
He explained that relocating allowed him to tap into larger markets to scale his business, adding that it was never because he felt Singapore was lacking.
Lee said living in San Francisco has reinforced rather than weakened his appreciation for Singapore.
While he praised San Francisco’s weather, he described the streets as rougher and said the healthcare system “doesn’t work as well”, noting that patients often have to visit a separate pharmacy after seeing a doctor.
Addressing claims that his lifestyle contradicts his message, Lee said he sees himself as the ultimate validation of his argument.
“I don’t think I contradicted myself; I think I’m the proof,” he said.
“You can have the best home in the world and still go out, get bruised, and come back better. That’s not rejecting home. That’s what a strong home is for.”
Netizens divided
Lee’s video has garnered more than 5,000 likes, 2,400 shares and 200 comments.
Some netizens strongly agreed with his views.
“Singaporeans don’t realise how good Singapore is precisely because it functions so well,” wrote one user.
“Facts! Singapore is the best country to live in,” another commented. “People who complain never lived elsewhere.
One netizen said they felt “blessed” to be a Singaporean, adding that despite the hot weather and lack of seasons, they would gladly trade that for “safety, reliability and efficiency”.
However, others argued that convenience alone is not enough to determine quality of life.
A Singaporean living in Australia acknowledged the higher costs and transport inefficiencies highlighted by Lee, but said benefits such as “work-life balance, job opportunities and work culture” were reasons many choose not to return.
Similarly, a netizen who moved to Switzerland more than two decades ago said they were “hard pressed to return” to Singapore.
They explained that Zurich’s flexible work culture, distinct four seasons, respect for the environment, and affordable property “triumph over the minor conveniences” offered by Singapore.
Another commenter offered a more nuanced view: “The question is not which city is best, but best for whom, and according to what values?”
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