In what is often considered the most expensive city in the world, it was a timely and down-to-earth moment when a study was released recently to show how much a single person aged over 65, and who lives alone in Singapore, would need to cover his or her basic needs. This is termed minimum income standard (MIS). The amount came to a "princely" sum of $1,379 per month. For an older couple living together, the sum needed was $2,351.

The MIS study was done by a team of researchers led by Assistant Professor Ng Kok Hoe of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore.