Hiring a part-time maid in Singapore can save you $9,000 annually

September 22, 2023

Imagine Saving $9,000 Every Year by Hiring a Part-Time Maid instead of a Full-Time Maid

Contrary to popular belief, part time maids in Singapore are actually much cheaper to hire compared to full time maids. Add to those issues of privacy, trust, and liabilities, it becomes a no brainer that hiring part time helpers is a better choice. Learn more about the rules and regulations for hiring a domestic worker in the Employer's Guide issued by the Ministry of Manpower.

To begin with, let us break down the costs involved in hiring full time helpers. When hiring a helper, there are several one-time expenditures which include but are not limited to.

One-time costs of hiring full time helper

Agency Fee = $2,000 Fees typically range from $$2,000-$5,000
Settling in Program = $75 Compulsory for first-time Foreign Domestic Worker (FDW) in SG
Work Permit Cost = $70 $35 each for Pass Application and Issuance
Insurance = $350 Compulsory Medical and Personal Accident Insurance is required by Ministry of Manpower
Security Deposit = $5,000 Required by Work Pass Division of MoM - Bond via insurance guarantee is permitted
Air Tickets= - $400 Cost of Air Travel at end of period to be borne by employer
Basic Supplies = - $300 Mattress, Pillow, Blanket, Closet, Fan, etc.

Total One-Time Cost = $8,195.

Now, we look at the recurring expenses that you will have to incur for the duration of a full-time helper’s employment with you.

Monthly or Recurring costs of hiring full time helper

Salary ($1,000 per month) = $12,000 per annum Monthly salaries range from $$1,000-$3,000
FWD Levy ($300 per month) = $3,600 per annum For SG citizen famalies having live-in persons with Disability (PWD), children and elderlies, concessionary rate $60
Living Expenses ($270 per month) = $3,240 Monthly food, toiletries and transport costs
Medical Checks ($70 half yearly) = $140 Medical examinations every 6 months are a must for FDWs

Total Annual Cost = $18,980.

So, it turns out that hiring a full-time helper will set you back by roughly $27,175 per annum.

Now let’s compare this to the cost of hiring a part time helper in Singapore. Even with the best part time maid provider like Sendhelper, it costs only $25/hour to hire a part time cleaner on a recurring basis.

What will it cost you per year for hiring a part-time maid to meet your needs?

Depending on the size of your home and your specific requirements for home cleaning along with ironing of clothes, the number of hours needed may vary. The following table will give you a good indication of your expenses based on cost of $25/hour.

Cost Comparison

On average, for a standard 2 bedroom + living room apartment, 3 to 3.5 hours of cleaning is sufficient even after including some ironing of clothes. Now, say you want home cooked meals too, so adding another 1.5 to 2 hours, a sum total of 5 hours of work should be sufficient for an average home with a household size of 3-4 people.  

With cleaning and cooking done every alternate day of the week, using a part time helper will only cost you $1,500 per month or $18,000 per annum. This translates to cost savings of $9,175 per year when compared to full time helper cost of $27,175 per annum!

Apart from the extra cost of hiring full time helpers, there is also the hidden cost of renting or living in a larger apartment so as to provide lodgings for the full-time helper. Further, if privacy is an issue for you, then it can be a major turn off as well. The flexibility and zero liability that comes with part time maids is in stark contrast to high potential for disputes and risk of liabilities that come with full time helpers.

Hire professional and trustworthy part time cleaners

On platforms like Sendhelper, you can always hire part time cleaners and cooks in Singapore at short notice. All service providers on Sendhelper are vetted, verified, checked for criminal records and are legally eligible to work in Singapore. Not only that, but there is also a healthy diversity in terms of backgrounds, age, gender, race and language abilities that suit your preferences. The helpers are also insured up to $1 million dollars of coverage, so you don’t need to worry about any potential disputes as well.

The icing on the cake is the flexibility that a part time helper from a platform like Sendhelper offers. This gives you the option to change helpers anytime vs. a full-time helper who is fixed for a period of 1 to 2 years. Further, when a full-time helper is on annual vacation, you have no one else to take care of their duties. However, helpers on Sendhelper are available 365 days a year. In case, you are going to be on a holiday, as a Sendhelper user you have the option to pause your service for as long as you want. Over and above that, using a platform like Sendhelper has added benefits of bigger discounts on laundry / dry cleaning, handyman, aircon servicing, among others.

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