Comments on: Cost of Living in Hong Kong

By: Shahid

Shahid — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 15:16:08 +0000

Sir,
I am an electrical engineer working in govt.sector in India.I am 25 yrs of age and i want to persue my M.B.A in Hong Kong. Can you tell me how much will it cost including accomodation and tution fee. What about the part time job , can my living expenses come from this part time job.

Thanks.

By: Maro

Maro — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 19:39:39 +0000

Hello!
I won a 3-years PhD studentship, about 12100 HK$ each month.
I use to live cheap in Europe, and I want to live as a student (this means no luxuries, cheap alchol, and not single but a double room).
Is possible to face the HK cost of living in this situation?

By: hkvibes

hkvibes — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 09:19:41 +0000

@Hamlet Lin
Just stumbled upon your comment.. HKD 60 for a meal? Could be half the price if you choose like a “fo toy dan fan” for example (rice with ham and egg) in a small “cha chan tan”, including the drink (“basic tea”). No frankly, while I was there I managed to spend HKD 100 for breakfast+lunch+dinner without feeling hungry throughout the day! Should you like to know more about Hong Kong food, please do visit my blog @ http://hkvibes.com !

By: larrissa

larrissa — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 12:10:43 +0000

hi i am a fresh graduate, 21 years old from the Philippines. I am considering to work in Hong Kong since I have my resident identity card there. I am asked to attend this interview for a financial planner position but what’s bothering me is that I am really poor in Cantonese though I speak
fluent (and write) English and Mandarin, as well as another chinese dialect- fookien. I can understand 7 out of 10 sentences in cantonese but I just can’t speak the language yet. I have been told that people in HK speak good english but still it doesn’t make me feel at ease. Anyone who has an idea whether financial planners in insurance companies have to be proficient in Cantonese? And can i live in Hong Kong without knowing how to speak Cantonese?

By: Md. Monzurul Alam

Md. Monzurul Alam — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 18:29:29 +0000

A university is offering only 14,000 HKD per month contract for a researcher post (!) in a project. All my expances need to be carreid out by myself! Do I agree? Or they usually pay better than this? I need some burgaining !!!

By: usman rashid

usman rashid — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 21:23:45 +0000

hi i am usman rashid 25 years old belong to pakistan and doing job as a webdesigner in pakistan and doing job in call center as well
, i am comming in hong kong for 15days visit and i will try to find any job here as well.if anybody can tell me abt the part or full time job in hong kong plz reply +923014534963
i wil be there on 15thjan i mean after 2 months and plz try to find a flat with cheap cost round abt 20$ per night plzzzzzzz i shel be very thnkful 2 u

By: Born in Hong Kong

Born in Hong Kong — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 16:45:38 +0000

Hi:

We are 50 years old couple born in Hong Kong who worked in US for 20 years.

We are thinking retire and back to Hong Kong in a year or so. We will not be working. We plan to do some light volunteering work to serve our home town

My pension will cover like around $24,000 per month Hong Kong dollars for the rest of our life. I have saved 1 million hong kong dollar to purchase a flat in say Tung Chung or Shatin.

I think I will be ok. I may be even able to travel once to Asia/US every year. Of course, I factor also, I will be traveling low season. Only go out once a week. Get all the cheap movie ticket because I am retire.

The main reason for me, it is my home town. Also, I cannot affort retire early in US without medical insurance. Hong Kong has better goverment health care and medicial insuracne is not that high compare with US.

Can someone comment and help this old man?

Thanks

By: Desmita

Desmita — Sun, 13 Aug 2006 16:35:57 +0000

Same like Andrew, i’m a fresh graduate and would like to start my career in HK. I can not speak cantonese as well however, i can speak some putong hua and have good english. I am an Indonesian who previously have my business degree in Malaysia.
I was planning to take some training program in HK. I heard in HK the fresh grads are very much welcome to the training program. Is it true? Can u pls let me know what are the companies that provide those training? How much are they willing to pay for trainee? Any advise for me? Tq very much

By: Tyrone

Tyrone — Mon, 10 Jul 2006 06:25:49 +0000

Andrew,

If you have plans of working abroad and speaking Chinese is your main problem, then opt to work here in Singapore because it is an english speaking country. BTW, i’m also a Pinoy like you.

Well, you can contact me if you have further questions at djyd_calvin2001@yahoo.com

Cheers!

By: Ed Hahn

Ed Hahn — Sat, 17 Jun 2006 02:19:55 +0000

To Kristin:

US$40,000 works out to HK$310,000 or approximately HK$26000 per month. After you pay your U.S. bills you will net about HK$21500. There are no tax deductions from your paycheck in Hong Kong but after your first fiscal year, (April 1 – March 31) you are required to pay not only the current year’s taxes but the estimate for the next year. That can be a pretty big hit. The tax rate here is a flat 15%. You should have no U.S. Taxes because of the exclusion.

It seems to me that you can do it but you must make some tough choices. Either live in the New Territories and commute (not that bad) or find a shared rental on Hong Kong Island or Kowloon side (not that difficult). Rents are rising pretty fast but are still affordable in certain places.

All things considered but without knowing your total situation, my advice is, “Go for it!”