A Toyota Costs More Than a BMW? Singapore vs UK Car Prices
There is a moment in every Singaporean’s life when they price a car and quietly close the browser tab. I wanted to capture that moment, so I handed the question to Jules.
The setup was simple. I asked her to guess what an ordinary used car costs in Singapore, then what the equivalent costs in the UK. A Toyota Corolla on one side, a BMW 3 Series on the other. Then I revealed the real numbers: roughly $90,000 for the Toyota here, and around $27,000 for the BMW back in Britain. I’ll let you see her face for yourself.
The reason is the Certificate of Entitlement. In Singapore, you don’t just buy a car. You first bid for the right to own one for ten years, and that right is priced by supply and demand in a country with very little road and a lot of people who want to drive. The car itself is almost secondary. What you’re really paying for is the permission slip, and that permission slip is why a humble family sedan can end up costing more than a prestige badge half a world away.
Having lived in both countries, I find the contrast fascinating, because it flips every assumption. In the UK, a Toyota is the sensible, forgettable choice and a BMW is the aspirational one. In Singapore, the sensible choice can cost luxury money. Reliability, fuel economy and resale value all get tangled up in the COE, which is why so many Singaporeans see cars as financial decisions rather than lifestyle ones.
This is the kind of Singapore versus UK comparison I enjoy most, the one that reveals how differently two systems treat the same everyday object. If you liked my honest take on life in Singapore versus London, or Jules judging watches blind in the Patek video, you’ll enjoy this one.
Watch the full video here:
And tell me in the comments: would you pay it, or would you take the train?
Dr. Bobby Stryker 🎩
Comments