Singapore is the most expensive city.....

[Magazineinp]

Singapore is just like any tropical place.
Fashion are not taken seriously in tropical places, unlike Europe, North America and Northeast Asia.
And you are quite right about the relatively lack of personal freedom in SG. Caning is also abolished in most other countries.
It is expensive but it has a high porportion of rich people.
Also a lot of cheap HDB flats.