Cost of living in Hong Kong

Welcome on board HBTj

This website can give you an overview of the cost of living in Hong Kong. It listed all the basic prices such as approximate costs of: apartments rental, food, leisure and so on... May be it can help

Thanks Yud, it does help a lot.

You want a one bed room (closet size room) with one bathroom (closet size) with a kitchen (closet size) well a soso one will cost you between 8,000 (very old) to 20,000 (nice and in a nice area). Electricity is high while internet and cell phone rates are cheap. JW

would you mind telling me what your budget for an apartment is, and i'll see if i can find you 1 in Kowloon or Hong Kong Island.

Thanks JWilliamson and Amea. The office I would be joining is in Queen's Road Central Hong Kong, which area would more suitable to live for a couple from the point of view of security for expats, distance from office and easy of traveling to and from the city.

I am a expat living in a poorer area in Kowloon and there are no expat around for blocks and I can honestly say the one good thing about HK is I had no trouble with crime nor personal safety. I walk as if I am invisible and no one will reconize me as being a live. JW

Hi folks: When you say moving to Hong Kong, do you mean you have a job there or you are simply moving there? I have a basketball academy in Hong Kong but I teach in Mainland.  Living in Hong Kong is very expensive and you are correct, housing is a massive expense.  However, it depends where you live and what type of apartment you want. Living on Hong Kong Island is extremely expensive however, if you want to live in the territories, it can be much cheaper.  On the island a 3 bedroom apartment in a guarded complex with amenities such as gym, swimming pool, security etc. could run as low as 15,000 to 50,000 per month.  I have been looking for a very cheap apartment for several months now and have been shown dumps that i would not allow my dog to reside in for between 6500 8000hk.  Transportation in Hong Kong is great, the subway (MTR) is one of the best I've seen and you can get to most places easily and cheaply.  with that being said, if you are used to taking taxis, it will cost you 18hk just to open the door. New cars in Hong Kong are very expensive, however, second hand cars are very cheap as the Chinese don't like to keep their cars more than two years but you will have to get used to driving on the other side of the road.  The fast food chains are relatively cheap, however to get a good meal in a pretty good restaurant is going to run you  2-500hk.  A glass of Carlsberg beer that you can get in mainland for 12rmb is going to cost you up to 60hk.  The food in supermarkets is fairly expensive. Some things you can get cheaper in HK than in mainland such as cheese and bacon.  Other than that Hong Kong is great enjoy.  Laurence J. MacDonald PhD

As far as Central living is concerned, getting to queens road is not a problem with busses or the MTR.  However, if you want to live there, now that will be costly.  My suggestion, is to find a place near the MTR a little further out and commute.  Very accessible.  Laurence

The biggest shock for me was rent.  Everything else seems cheap, but rent is ridiculous.

at the few I know years ago was even lower !

you mean it's ridicolous.. but also in big cities as HK ?

If yes... I can't imagine countryside costs

For couples/family: normally they choose Discovery Bay or Tung Chung.

DB is a bit more expensive than Tung Chung. Both both very convenient to get from Central (the 1st one by Ferry, around 15-20min, and the second 30 min by subway MTR).

The areas are quiet and nicely surrounded (sea and/or nature).

You will find a nice appartment of 2 rooms (typical standard Hong Kong size) in new buildings including swimming pool, gym, etc in the club house for a reasonable price (cheaper compared with HK island, for example Stanley is an expat area but much much more expensive!).
Price may vary, but normally it is around HKD 12,000.

If you are only 2 people, you can also look into Tsing Yi station, Nam Cheung station or Olympic station. They are all in the orange MTR line, called also Tung Chung line that goes close to the airport. (Same standards: new buildings, with club house, standard HK size).
Those other locations are closer to Central. The appartment size might be smaller at that same price, but it is much closer to Central.

Eating local food is very cheap, sometimes cheaper than buying food and cooking at home.
Eating western food is more expensive, normally because of the imported ingredients.

Transportation prices are ok, it is worth using since it is very convenient, although it could be cheaper...
Crossing harbour fees: more than 10 HKD per trip (other routes: under 10 HKD).

- Nature leisure, sea and mountains: FREE
- Downtown leisure (restaurants and clubs for western standards, around Central and in the expat areas): can be quite expensive, comparable with European standards and prices.

Hope this was helpful!

Good luck and wish you all the best in this amazing city!

One of the most informative post I have ever read, Thanks! JW

Hi and welcome to the forum amaitran!

Thanks for your contribution

Armand

Amaitran
thanks for your useful reply. i'm going to move to hong kong for a year or more. my son is 14 years old. he is going to grade 9 this year. can anybody advise any international schools please. of course i'm searching in google, but if anybody has her/his personal expierance i would be glad to have the info. also can you pls tell me which district is lowest in crime level?
apartments rents are really high.
thanks in advance

I would not worry about crime in Hong Kong that will not be a problem but maybe the pollution will be (joking, a little). Tung Chung is nice. Rent is high depending how much you make but 500 square feet apartment is the norm. jw

Very pricing! With 8000 HK, you can rent a lovely 3 bedroom villa in the center of Auckland with a 500m2 garden!

With the half of the price, you can rent a pretty decent apartment over 90m2 in the central area in Shanghai.

Since last a few years, it is quite popular for Hong Kongners living in Shenzhen and commute to Hong Kong everyday by trains.

Wow what a trip each day. 8,000 HK dollars you can get a 500 sq ft old old place or for 20,000 you can get a 600 sq ft which is newer and has a pool and club house (have to pay extra to use the pool and club house). JW

What is why I don't want to live in HK !

I like to have a big garden to plant my roses, and a house with beautiful Kauri wooden floor !

Hehehe I agree with you, Hong Kong is tight living but a great place to visit. I said visit and I am trying to learn how to live in it. JW

haha, you are right! I like visiting HK too, it was good fun! Good food, shops, clubs and ... people!

mai8086 wrote:

Amaitran
thanks for your useful reply. i'm going to move to hong kong for a year or more. my son is 14 years old. he is going to grade 9 this year. can anybody advise any international schools please. of course i'm searching in google, but if anybody has her/his personal expierance i would be glad to have the info. also can you pls tell me which district is lowest in crime level?
apartments rents are really high.
thanks in advance

Thanks, just trying to help here
No worries about the international schools, they have a very good system (I don't know the people there personally, but I have friends that have kids there, and the feedback is good).
You may choose the German or French, (too bad they don't have the Spanish yet! hope soon, hehe)

In general Hong Kong is very safe, actually rated one of the top safest in the world...
The concern would be what environment do you want to give to your son, more local or expat type? Since you mention international school I guess you want a more international environment, so better stay in the Island.
And yes, if you stay in an expat area the rents are very high (sometimes too much! like in Stanley. But you may choose Discovery Bay then, residential family expat area with more affordable prices).

Hi, I am looking to move to Hong Kong from England in October this year. I am 28 and I currently work in Local Government as a Development Officer. I have not secured employment in Hong Kong and it looks like its going to be hard doing so whilst still in England.

It's come to a time in my life where a radical change is needed and a change in culture and work opportunities is required. Having had a few holidays in the far east and enjoying the culture more than in England, I have decided that Hong Kong is best for me. My sister also used to work and live in Hong Kong for 8 years and loved it before moving to shaghai for two years and now is back in England having started a family.

I'm excited about my choice to jump ship here in England and start a new and more exciting life in Hong Kong. But I am also very nervous as I will be doing this whole thing on my own, and so wondered whether anybody could help me figure out a plan of action or point me in the right direction.

So...

The plan is to jump into the country with a one way ticket (ensuring that I have all the visas in place before I come to HK) and start looking. I hear that there are plenty of jobs around and I have a Certificate of Higher Educationg and a Diploma in Built Environment Development.

I wondered what would be the best way for me to start looking once in Hong Kong? I have been told that to socially network is the best form of opening employment possibilities, with people knowing people in different industries looking for staff.

On the other hand I was also considering making myself know to a number of agencies with resumes to hand. Does anyone recommend particular agencies that I could register with and who would be good for British expats?

Thank you to anyone who reads through all that, and I look forward to any information or words of wisdom that you can pass on to me.

Just want to get there as soon as possible!

Hi, I am moving to Hong Kong in another 2-3 months. The salary is still under negotiation (present offer being 28K HKD p.m.).My office would be in Central.

Can someone advice on the cost of rent there? I shall be living alone so can live in 1 room apt. I have been reading on the cost of living and other things in Hong Kong which gives a broad idea. Would it be possible to get a flat for around 8K in an area not too far from Central?

rohit10 wrote:

Hi, I am moving to Hong Kong in another 2-3 months. The salary is still under negotiation (present offer being 28K HKD p.m.).My office would be in Central.

Can someone advice on the cost of rent there? I shall be living alone so can live in 1 room apt. I have been reading on the cost of living and other things in Hong Kong which gives a broad idea. Would it be possible to get a flat for around 8K in an area not too far from Central?

Hello there if you read the older posts you will see the rates. Central will cost you more so you can choose places that are like 10 mins away by train, tram or taxi (taxi can be faster). North point, Fortress Hill are two examples. A 500 sq ft place with the bare minimum will run you 8,000 up to 25,ooo HK Dollars. JW

Hi everyone,

I got a call from a headhunter 2 days ago regarding a job opportunity in Hongkong specifically in the advertising industry. The salary figure he gave me was HK$50,000-60,000 per month, all-in. I have a family with 3 kids - 15, 17 and 20 years of age. My eldest is graduating college in the few months but my 2 kids are in high school and college. My question - is the salary above enough for a family of 5 given that my 2 kids will still be in school? What is usually the cost of food for 5 people per month and the cost of low-to-mid range international schools. Reading all your information, Im not planning to live the lifestyle of an expat.
Thanks!

If two adults go to a mall and eat at a mid level restaurant it will usually cost me and the other 200 to 300 HK Dollars. kids will be a little less but just a little. Fast food kind of food at the food court will run each 30 to 50 dollars. in  the streets you can find it less expensive but less choices. Ruby Tuesday, Out back will cost more and higher quality restaurants will run me 1,300 for 2 people minimum.

Hi JWilliamson,
Maybe you could also give me info on my concerns which I posted last Friday.

Thanks,
Jimpauchen

HBTj wrote:

Thanks JWilliamson and Amea. The office I would be joining is in Queen's Road Central Hong Kong, which area would more suitable to live for a couple from the point of view of security for expats, distance from office and easy of traveling to and from the city.

Anywhere on Hong Kong island will serve your needs.

Jimpauchen wrote:

Hi JWilliamson,
Maybe you could also give me info on my concerns which I posted last Friday.

Thanks,
Jimpauchen

Well a old 500 sq ft place way on top will cost from 8,000 to 14,000 HK Dollars. A newer 500 sq ft place that has a club house and pool will run from 20,000 on up. If you live out of the city say 1 hour away in the NT you can get more space like 700 to 1,000 but the cost still can be high.

First, it would help us to answer the question on living costs if we knew FROM WHERE you are moving? Where do you live right now? Its difficult to say whether or not the living costs will be higher in Hong Kong if we have nothing to compare it to.

True so compared to most cities around the world it would be considered more expensive. Compare it to Toronto, Vancover, LA. I wonder how Hong Kong compares to new York City and London. I am comparing it to Miami. JW

Dear edwardburgess,

You can't just come to Hong Kong and get a job. There are rules about work permits, like in any country. Foreigners are not permitted to just land here and start working.

You'll first have to find an employer, then the employer will have to give you a former job "offer" i writing which demonstrates that you have skills that no other Hong Konger can fill. Then you have to apply for a work permit from the Department of Immigration and hope they give you one.

Dear edwardburgess,

One more thing you may not be aware of. Brits have no special privileges or status here anymore. You're just another foreigner.

Dear all,

I'm from Canada and I find Hong Kong incredibly cheap compared to Canada if you live reasonably and don't hang out in the expat joints. But rents are very high. I got around this problem by buying a boat that I live on for practically no cost at all. The boat is moored in paradise only 30 minutes by public transit from my work. I won't tell you where it is because I don't want everyone else to do the same thing and spoil this paradise!

Well in that case anywhere can be cheap if your goal is not to spend much. Food can be cheap for well, cheap food but high quality food will cost more in Hk then in Miami. For 500 sq ftt I would and did have 3,500 sq ft back in Miami. Clothes, shoes and electronics are all more expensive for the exact same product and customer service such as returning it is non existant in HK. What is cheap is cell phone charges and internet. JW

Well, this seems to be very old post, but I am an Indian moving form Shanghai to HK. I am well versed in Chinese as I did my masters from China. But HK seems to be a bit different territory (with its 广东话）. Especially finding apartment seems to be very arduous task in HK.

Can you suggest me some agent or agencies or website, which you have used in past while doing your apartment search.

Finding one is not a problem and there are many agents that can find you what you will need. As you might already know a flat will cost like 9,000 HK Dollars for about 500 sq ft.

luckylehana wrote:

Well, this seems to be very old post, but I am an Indian moving form Shanghai to HK. I am well versed in Chinese as I did my masters from China. But HK seems to be a bit different territory (with its 广东话）. Especially finding apartment seems to be very arduous task in HK.

Can you suggest me some agent or agencies or website, which you have used in past while doing your apartment search.

It's almost impossible to tell people how expensive Hong Kong is.  Everyone's experience will be different. 

What you pay in rent will vary greatly depending on location, size and type of apartment.  The expat and business areas are far more expensive.  Prices drop dramatically just a few MTR stops away.  My apartment would cost 3 times as much at Mid-Levels and half at Tai Po.  My best advice is that you probably don't need to be so close to your job.  The MTR works very well.  It also helps to bring a Chinese person with you when you look at apartments.

That cost of living website doesn't match my experience.  Everything seems high, except rent, which is too low.

It's a very large city with a lot of variety.  I don't think there's any such thing as an average price here.