Lifestyle: Hong Kong versus Singapore

[v4jr4]

With the current "cutting" process, now some of the staffs, including me, are offered with a relocation package, from SG to HK. Thing is, none of us have ever been there. I'll try to Google up the living cost, place to stay, food, health care, security, etc-etc-etc. Just curious, did some of you work in HK? Maybe OSOD?

[offshoreoildude]

Accom. is expensive is all I know. The thing I like about HK is there is so much more space.

[QRM]

If you are young free and Single go for HK if you have Kids SG is better.

HK pollution is making alot of people think twice about the place, but when its nice nothing beats a hike through the mountains and the buzz of the city

[nutnut]

This is something I have been considering recently too, here's my pros and cons:

Cons:

School places are very very very very short (massively over subscribed due to letting locals send kids to International Schools during SARS and now having a further influx of Expats who can't send their kids to Cantonese speaking schools)

Property is Stupidly expensive (think $35K HKD per month for a 1000sqft apartment in the new territories - 1.5 hours from HK Island)

Smog - Air is pretty f***ing horrible there. It's a health concern and a lifestyle concern. - It's horrible everywhere there! just in case you thought it might be better in NT or Langtau... It's not.

Weather patterns, Typhoons and such are pretty common, can damage property and you wouldn't want to be outside in one!

Pros:

Consumer electronics and stuff is cheaper and you won't have to wait 14 weeks for an xmini to arrive from Hong Kong!

It's a little more relaxed in it's laws than Singapore, you can touch a woman's bum by accident on the MTR without having to buy them a Prada Handbag...

Outdoor Lifestyle seems to be much better catered for

The City is amazing, very cultural, old and has plenty to do, without fail

They have WINTER and it doesn't get too cold

Cars are within reach for most mere mortals, they are not ridiculously expensive (although there are too many and golf carts are pricey in Disco Bay!)

If you can get your kids into a good International School, they are cheaper than here!

Loads of job opportunities if you are in Finance industry

Hope that helps! If you work out how to get kids into an International School there I may give it a shot!

[zzm9980]

I don't get the "rent is expensive" argument, because I have friends living in nicer places than I do near admiralty for less rent than me. Sure, it's a 600sq/ft 2 bedroom, but the layout is very efficient. $14.5HKD/month, 5 minute walk from Pacific Place. All modern / western design inside.

Another person I know is paying just under $3k SGD/month in Causeway bay with a harbor view. Again, ~600sq/ft two-bedroom. About 100meters from the WTC there.

Another, ~200sq/ft studio. It's microscopic I admit, on the 5th floor with no lift, but it's also ~$900sgd/month all utilities included and maybe 50m from Wan Chai MTR. I wouldn't live there, but it can't be worse than renting a room in a kiasu LL's HDB here in Singapore.

Last anecdote, brand new building, ~1000sq/ft 3 bedroom. Right near old Airport in kowloon. ~2400sgd/month. Top floor, amazing view. Only downside to this one is not convenient to MTR. ~15 minutes by bus to closest station.

In my experience, if you chop off the top 3-5% of the very high end stuff, rent is comparable to Singapore across the board. You get less sq footage, but that's life. Not everything is cubicle sized either. Honestly the "HK property is so expensive laaa" sounds a lot like those threads about the expats that can't live in Singapore on less than $20k/month. Yes you can if you adjust your expectations, and not necessarily worse, just different than SIngapore or anywhere else.


I would say cost of living is close / give or take to Singapore, but it's a much more exciting location. Of course, depends on what you like. OP is Indonesian, and every Indonesian I know there (maybe a half dozen) hates it and would love nothing more than to live in Singapore.

[Callput]

With the current "cutting" process, now some of the staffs, including me, are offered with a relocation package, from SG to HK. Thing is, none of us have ever been there. I'll try to Google up the living cost, place to stay, food, health care, security, etc-etc-etc. Just curious, did some of you work in HK? Maybe OSOD?

I just had a look at this cost of living comparison, I am shocked!

http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/co ... y2=Kowloon

HK seems to be much cheaper than SG and I thought HK is more developed country

If you are a Chinese or a Caucasian, probably HK wouldn't really make you home sick compared to Singapore, if you one of the other races(Indian, Malay or Indon), you will probably miss Singapore, especially foodwise and culturewise. Other than that, HK should be a much better place than SG.

[zzm9980]

http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/co ... y2=Kowloon

HK seems to be much cheaper than SG and I though HK is more developed country

If you are a Chinese or a Caucasian, probably HK wouldn't really make you home sick compared to Singapore, if you one of the other races, you will probably miss Singapore, especially foodwise.

Yep.

Again, OP is Indonesian. I've eaten in what I'm told is the "best indonesian restaurant in HK", and the food was terrible. And ~$15sgd for what would have been $3 here.

[zzm9980]

One thing though, at least for my company, the pay scale is quite lower. You might want to check that. Also, the tax rate (at my bracket) is 50% higher. Still peanuts compared to the west, but more than here.

[v4jr4]

Wow. Thanks for the feedback guys
I've looked into some other forums as well. Some of the users are kinda "bugged" with the locals (either because of the tone of Cantonese speakers, the pollution, the storm, or the accommodations), while some others are happier.

Most of us are single (as for the attached ones, I don't know if they're willing to go). Tax and stuffs (electronics, groceries, etc) are not too different I guess (according to the search result)

As for the foods, personally, I'm pretty flexible (except for internal organs *blah*). Perhaps, the only thing that worries us is the living space. I'm not sure if numbeo gives the right figure since I still want to see "poorer" rates

[Sergei82]

One thing though, at least for my company, the pay scale is quite lower. You might want to check that. Also, the tax rate (at my bracket) is 50% higher. Still peanuts compared to the west, but more than here.

+1 a bit better with salaries on average here in SG, but only a bit - can get same or higher in HK, but some effort should be done.

But if not SG, then HK is the 1st place of escape on my mind. In my home city the air is polluted too, so I don't mind pollution. Women are there, so life will be settled.

[movingtospore]

Although I've not lived in HK I work there a lot. Love the place. Though, with a family, SP is more livable and much less polluted.

However, I MUCH prefer working there. People have got it going on, so to speak. Here, well....

[v4jr4]

I found an article, which is, more or less, contains the same pro-cons from you guys. I'm not quite sure if it's one-sided. According to that article, apart from the economic landscape, sounds like HK is not really that attractive.

Aside from that, I just knew that youtube has BBC's documentation about living in HK

[the lynx]

I found an article, which is, more or less, contains the same pro-cons from you guys. I'm not quite sure if it's one-sided. According to that article, apart from the economic landscape, sounds like HK is not really that attractive.

If you're young and unattached, and has never been to HK, and not viewing it as a permanent stint, why don't you just go? For the sake of experience?

[v4jr4]

I found an article, which is, more or less, contains the same pro-cons from you guys. I'm not quite sure if it's one-sided. According to that article, apart from the economic landscape, sounds like HK is not really that attractive.

If you're young and unattached, and has never been to HK, and not viewing it as a permanent stint, why don't you just go? For the sake of experience?

Sounds about right
I still have 2-3 months to do surveys

[zzm9980]

I found an article, which is, more or less, contains the same pro-cons from you guys. I'm not quite sure if it's one-sided. According to that article, apart from the economic landscape, sounds like HK is not really that attractive.

If you're young and unattached, and has never been to HK, and not viewing it as a permanent stint, why don't you just go? For the sake of experience?

+1

It's hard to convey emotional or personal preference towards something in a list of pros and cons. Experience you just can't quantify. Like here, having a drink on the 118th floor roof bar of the Ritz:



I did that last week, and spent about half per drink as I would have in an average boring bar in Singapore