Does it matter if the girl has more money than the guy in a relationship?

The aspiration of a typical uni student or fresh graduate would be to work towards buying their first property which is typically going to be a BTO. I feel that it is only normal for your BF to express disapproval of renting an apartment, especially in the CCR region.

Of course, there are reasons for renting an apartment and one of which is to try living together to see if the relationship can work out well. Sometimes, couples get along well while living separately and realise that they are incompatible only after living together in their love nest(e.g BTO). I am sure this would be the last thing you want. You could perhaps put it across this way that you want to take one step forward and try living together with him but without committing to a BTO yet so that both of you can be more certain about your future together. If he is open to this proposition but still disapproves, then the issue could be about the quantum of the rental. Perhaps he will be more comfortable with living in an apartment that charges lower rent?

You also mentioned that you insisted you pay full but he got angry at the idea. Sometimes its not about the money. Even if you are willing to pay the rent in full, it might hurt your bf's pride and ego. He would want to contribute a portion of rent if he is going to live in the same apartment as you. However, the idea of paying rent for a property that both of you do not own might be hard for him to accept. Ultimately, money contributed towards rent is money thrown away because it does not contribute towards equity that you own as in the case of paying a mortgage loan for a BTO. Financially speaking, it may be unwise to rent. Of course, this is subjected to individuals' circumstances.

In summary, if you are really adamant about moving out, try to propose this as a short-term experiment to see if both of you are compatible living together under one roof. If the rental price is the issue( a 1RM condo in CCR should be about 3-4k/mo),perhaps you can propose a location that is cheaper so it is easier to convince him? If he is totally against the idea, then it could be that both of you have a very different view on finances and it really boils down to how well both of you can communicate to reach a common ground.​​​

This is not a simple matter that is just about dollar and cents. Instead, it is about open communication and setting the expectation right.

From his perspective, he may feel that instead of spending money on rental, it could be saved and channelled towards your future home. Above all, you don't own anything when you pay rental, unlike paying the mortgage for your own home.

From your perspective, you feel that it is okay to spend the money for convenience (to school) and in order to create more time together.

To summarise, both of you value money differently and neither of you are wrong. Now, it is all about the tone and how open we are to sit down together and discuss your future. As part of the discussion, start doing serious planning by knowing exactly how much money both of you need to accumulate for your future, e.g. wedding, house, renovation, family planning, retirement.

The more detail your planning is, the better we can set an expectation. It is only when both of you align the expectation before you all can move forward together.

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