I lived there for 2 years. Cars are very expensive – it’s interesting excersize in Economics what people will pay for something
Dealers charge full list price plus a bit, no discounts
125% sales tax on cars
COE – certificate of entitlement – you have to buy a license to own a car, upfront valid for 10 years. These sell at auction – roughly £20k-30k
Petrol costs the same as in UK
Road tolls everywhere ERP – Electronic Road Pricing or as locals say Everyday Robbing People 😆
There are cars everywhere, too many for the small island but they keep selling. Lots and lots of Lambos and Ferraris which there cost £500k-600k
The fact is the annual cost of owning a car is very expensive but despite cheap tube, busses and lots of taxis it still makes sense to have 1 car if you are there any length of time. I didn’t buy one (due to cost) but it was a mistake, try getting a taxi on a rainy Sunday afternoon – impossible.
Personal tax rates are low – max rate is 20% payable once you earn £175k. No tax on investment income, no capital gains tax. Paying a high monthly equivalent for a car is made easier by the fact income taxes are low. Most local families both people work, birth rate is very low as people would rather work than have families so they can have more money.