How much does housing cost in Hong Kong and how is life there in general? Olga, who has been living in this region for 17 years, told us about this, as well as how much housing costs in Hong Kong, how foreigners are treated there, whether it is easy to get a job and what salaries to expect.
Relocation, residency, in-demand specialists
— My name is Olga Minakova. I come from the Irkutsk region. By profession, I am an economist with knowledge of two foreign languages (the first language is English, the second is Mandarin Chinese). Then I learned the Cantonese dialect of Chinese, which is spoken in Hong Kong.
I worked in my specialty in Guangzhou and met my spouse from Hong Kong there, so I moved there on the so-called wife’s visa, or dependent visa. It was in 2007. That is, it will soon be 17 years since I first found myself in this beautiful place.
At the moment, I continue to work in my specialty: I communicate here in Hong Kong with businessmen, representatives of organizations from post—Soviet countries – as an interpreter, business partner, consultant and escort on various issues. I am very glad that my knowledge benefits many people.
— Based on my experience, it is not difficult to move to Hong Kong. I have a lot of friends who have created families with local citizens in the same way and moved. For the first 7 years after the registration of official relations, you will be considered a so-called dependent resident. After this time, we will be talking about independent residency.
However, it is important to understand that the authenticity and seriousness of your relationship in Hong Kong is carefully checked: even we had to show joint photos at the time, prove that our families know each other, and so on. Now, I think things are even stricter with this.
In addition to starting a family, work can also serve as a reason for moving — you can get the appropriate visa. For example, teachers are in great demand here — I myself taught English at international kindergartens and training centers in Hong Kong during the pandemic. Preference is given to female teachers here. Education should preferably be higher pedagogical, although sometimes they take it without it, if there is a good knowledge of English and a pleasant appearance.
In general, you can officially stay in Hong Kong for 14 days using a Russian passport. Therefore, those who want to stay here longer need to consider existing legalization options. After 7 years of residence in Hong Kong on one or another visa, you are already considered a permanent resident — from that moment on, there is no need to apply for a visa.
I emphasize that you can only move here officially. Also, when hiring, you will have to prove your advantages over the local population, because now there is no such need for “hunting” foreigners — it is more reliable and easier to hire local employees, who also often have excellent English and a high level of education. But the road is always open to unique specialists anyway.
The locals are growing up with the aim of living in prosperity.
The mentality of the locals, strict law and Asian food
— I really like the climate here, because there are different seasons here, unlike many other Asian countries, such as the Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand. For many, this may be a disadvantage, but I like that you need to adjust to different weather conditions and be able to wear both warm clothes and do without them.
In autumn, Hong Kong has the ideal weather to walk, enjoy the pleasant sea breeze and sunny weather; in summer it is hot, in winter it is cold (the temperature sometimes drops to +5), and in spring the rainy season comes, which ends in November. Sometimes typhoons occur, the number of which can reach up to 10 per year. Reports of an approaching typhoon are broadcast on radio and television.
The next plus is cleanliness. Despite the fact that people continue to litter, everything is cleaned up quickly and efficiently. The road surface is treated with special solutions here, and high-quality and cool repairs have been made in offices, hotels and restaurants. They are very closely monitoring how the contractor rents out the work.
I also really like the local food and products. There are a lot of fresh fish, meat, vegetables and fruits here. Basically, we buy everything on the market. I am glad that there is a variety of cuisines, that is, you can try any food from a variety of countries and it will be very tasty, in no way inferior to the original. There are a lot of Michelin-starred restaurants here and the owners of all establishments monitor the quality so that customers and tourists return. It is very important for them to get a good review.
We also often go to local Chinese restaurants, where sometimes we have to stand in line to try something unusual – for example, pork legs with noodles, steamed dim sum, pigeons in soy sauce, dumplings with shrimp, steamed souffle and so on. We actually eat Asian food 90% of the time and it does not bother us due to its variety — elementary chicken can be served here in a variety of forms, and all cooking methods will be different and surprise with the novelty of taste.
Another interesting fact is that almost everyone in Hong Kong has an au pair. You can delegate your household responsibilities to her. It is very gratifying to know that you are not alone, that everyone has the same way of life.
In addition to all this, I like the pleasant and friendly atmosphere in Hong Kong: the Chinese are very kind people who are always determined to help out, to suggest something. If you don’t know how to get somewhere, some Chinese people can even get in a taxi with you, take you to the right place and pay for the trip. I’ve been in similar situations myself, so I know what I’m talking about.
They are calm, responsible and self—sufficient people; they grow up with the aim of living in prosperity, abundance — they have been taught this since childhood (at home, in schools, on social networks), and most importantly, they see such an example around them, since many have an excellent standard of living. I am glad that the locals do not have any envy, they calmly perceive and even rejoice when others do something well, or someone goes on vacation to some resort. Because this is the norm for everyone.
On the other hand, since Hong Kong residents value their time very much, they will not waste it on people or activities that they consider not worth their attention.
Also, the locals are distinguished by their family: people here rarely disperse, mostly stick together, sincerely cherishing family ties.
Another plus is security, which you get very used to here. This is due, not least, to the fact that the standard of living in the country as a whole is high and people provide for themselves on their own. Hong Kong has a fairly strict law that everyone follows — this is taught from childhood.
It is difficult to forget about the existing rules here — everywhere there are reminders in the form of signs, signs, etc. For example, in the restroom they will remind you how to wash your hands properly, use paper and water carefully. Being on the beach, you can’t take sand with you. It is forbidden to throw cigarette butts, including out of car windows. You can’t take pictures of people in public places.
The order here is such that even many trees have their own number — you can scan the qr code and read information about it. For example, if a tree is damaged during a typhoon, a special service arrives and takes appropriate measures.
Drivers here are also strictly monitored and fined in case of violations. Also, in such cases, a certain number of points are deducted — after reaching the limit, you will have to stay without rights for some time. As a driver, I see that accidents practically do not happen in the city, because everyone drives strictly according to the rules, observing the speed of movement; there are cameras everywhere.
Local residents do not expect to retire.
Standard of living, contrasts, prices
— Real life in Hong Kong is very contrasting.
Many close themselves in the circle of friends and colleagues and live in their own “bubble”, and many, including me, plunge headlong into local life and culture. I spend most of my time with the locals. These are people from Hong Kong itself and from other parts of China, as well as those who were born in England or Canada, learned Chinese and returned to their homeland. I am very comfortable communicating with them, as I speak their language, accept and adore their culture, and this, of course, brings us very much closer.
The contrast in Hong Kong can also be observed in terms of people’s standard of living. Yes, many people live closely, as shown on TV, but also many live in large houses with sea views and with personal drivers.
But still, to a greater extent, the standard of living is high. Even though many people lost their businesses during the covid, they transferred children from foreign schools to local free ones.
People in general have confidence in the future because they initially ask themselves important questions: how old do I want to live, how long do I want to work, and based on this they decide how to live their youth. They do not hope for a pension, which is practically non-existent here, but mostly rely on themselves or their relatives. This explains their economic viability.
By the way, the locals are very gambling and like to go to the races, or go to neighboring Macau and play at the casino. Or sail away from Hong Kong for the night, play on the ship at night and return home in the morning.
Many people in Hong Kong cannot afford a child because it is expensive.
— Here are some examples of basic expenses in Hong Kong:
- 1 liter of milk — HK$24 (3 USD)
- 12 eggs — HK$37 (4.7 USD)
- 1 kg of tomatoes — HK$28 (3.6 USD)
- Big Mac — HK$45 (5.7 USD)
- 1 liter of gasoline — HK$24
- Monthly travel card — HK$442 (56.5 USD)
- Household assistant services per hour — HK$99 (12.6 USD); by signing a contract, you can save money — the monthly fee is about 5000 GKD (~$640).
The amount that may be required for a comfortable life in Hong Kong depends heavily on whether you live here with or without children. One can even live on 20,000 Hong Kong dollars (about 2500 US dollars). I know that this is how teachers live, who come here and rent a room, sharing an apartment with other tenants — this is how they manage to save both on rent and on communal services.
But if you have a big house, several children, an assistant, a car, or even more than one, then half a million Hong Kong dollars per month (~64,000) will not be enough. Because just to send one child to school, it may take from 50 thousand local dollars per one (for mugs, meals, etc.).
Therefore, many people in Hong Kong now basically cannot afford a child. However, wanting to take care of someone anyway, they get a pet – a kitten, a dog, a parrot, etc.
And then they raise him like a child — they pamper him, buy clothes, toys, take him to various procedures, arrange life insurance. Therefore, it is often possible to meet people with dogs in the city or in restaurants. In some places there are special games rooms.
By the way, I want to say that pets are mostly carried here in wheelchairs, thus traffic jams are not created at pedestrian crossings, plus it is safer for the animals themselves.
Thanks to all this, there are practically no stray animals in Hong Kong.
— It is difficult to name average salaries, because only after graduating from university at the age of 22-23, the salary can start only from 12,000-15,000 Hong Kong dollars, and having already gained some experience and proven themselves, young specialists can receive up to 30,000 HKD.
But there are, for example, professors who studied abroad, work locally at the university — they can receive 120,000 HKD (15,300 USD) per month. That is, this is how salaries can differ — 10 times.
In general, according to statistics, specialists working in the field of information technology/e—commerce earn the most, and the least in the catering industry.
Is it worth moving to China? Personal experience of immigration, living and doing business in China
In any case, even with small salaries, there is no question of poverty or anything like that. It’s just that in this case, people are looking for options to reduce their expenses, whether it’s living with their parents, taking out a mortgage and the like.
By the way, there is one more distinctive feature: Our Hong Kong dollar has been securely pegged to the US dollar for more than 30 years and does not change at all — we always divide our local dollar by 7.8 to find out how much it is in US dollars.
Real estate, education and medicine
— Construction is actively underway in Hong Kong, but it is interesting that only 30% of the territory is being built. That is, the remaining 70% are not developed here, leaving alone natural resources in the form of forests, fields and mountains.
Buying a home in Hong Kong is a very expensive pleasure. For example, if you buy a property with an area of less than 40 square meters, a “square” will cost about 164,716 Hong Kong dollars (~ 21,000), buying objects from 70 to 99.9 square meters, you should expect about 196,266 GCD per square meter (~ 30,000), and from 100 to 159.9 square meters. m is about 230,570 Hong Kong dollars per square meter (~30,000).
As for renting apartments in Hong Kong, expats usually rent it in the range of 15,000–40,000 local dollars ($2,000–$5,000). The cheapest way is to rent a room — here we can even talk about 3000 HKD ($400).
You can also rent, for example, houses by floors — one floor can cost 12-15 thousand HKD. In this case, you may have at your disposal, say, 70 squares, a courtyard area, and so on. And renting the whole house can cost 30, 40, 100, and sometimes 400 thousand in local currency, depending on the available amenities.
By the way, sometimes an employer can pay for housing, this also happens.
The lease in Hong Kong is issued for two years at once. The first year you commit to live in this apartment / house, that is, you cannot move out; in the second you can already, if you inform about your intention two months in advance.
When signing a rental contract, you need to make a payment one month in advance, as well as a two-month deposit, which you may not get back in case of damage to furniture, walls, household items, etc.
The communal apartment here counts for two months. If the air conditioners in the rooms are working, then you will need to pay more than $ 1,000 for electricity alone. At the same time, you can not turn on the air conditioner to save money — many people do this too.
— Education in Hong Kong You can get it both in free local schools and in paid international ones. In the latter, the teaching of the studied subject in English is more tightly applied. Also, international schools differ from state schools in that they have no textbooks or homework. Children here study everything in a positive way, without memorizing multiplication tables and other things. They believe that it is more important to educate an entrepreneur, who will then be able to simply hire the right specialists to perform specific tasks.
As for public schools, you only need to pay for uniforms and textbooks there. It can take about 3000 HKD per year — moreover, textbooks here need to be bought new every year. A lot of waste paper, but that’s the business. Mandatory contributions can be roughly defined:
Tuition fees at an international school will cost about 10-20 thousand local dollars per month (summer ones do not count). Also, in some schools, in addition to passing an interview, you need to make mandatory contributions: debenture is a refundable deposit, and levy is a non—refundable deposit.
By the way, every school, college, university has its own uniform, and it is the same. It is convenient, and teaches children discipline.
— Medicine in Hong Kong is also both paid and free. In free clinics, you will have to stand in line for a long time to get to the doctor, and in paid ones (if there is no insurance), you will have to be ready to pay a decent amount (sometimes a consultation alone costs about $ 650). Dental and gynecological appointments are especially expensive, so we foreigners usually travel to Thailand or Russia for such purposes.
Traditional Chinese medicine is also very popular here. — we are in love with it and actively use it. The composition of such drugs is mostly natural, that is, herbs, insects, seahorses, etc. I like that you can come to traditional pharmacies and there you will be advised by the color of your tongue, pulse, and description of symptoms that it is better to drink now, which foods to exclude from the diet, or vice versa to add, and so on. You need to study for 6 years at the university to become a specialist in this field.
Attitude towards foreigners and advice to relocators
— In Hong Kong, foreigners are treated well: they are already used to them, because a foreigner is a common thing here. While in China, foreigners living in this country are often surprised.
In general, English will be enough to live in Hong Kong if you live and communicate with foreigners, or with educated Chinese who, by virtue of their position, are required to speak English.
If you communicate with the local population, who do not need English for work, then, of course, you will need Chinese. Otherwise, misunderstandings may arise due to the language barrier.
— For those who are planning to move to Hong Kong, I would advise, firstly, to learn more about the mentality of the locals; to dress in about the same way as the locals do, not try to stand out – it was difficult for me at first to get used to it, since I loved heels and it was unclear to me how to walk in sneakers and T-shirts.
I also recommend that you immediately master at least a few basic phrases in Cantonese. And then, I think, with this stock, you will immediately have friends here.
Also, bring with you those things that you cannot do without and that will be difficult to get on the spot. For example, in Hong Kong it is very difficult to find buckwheat — you either need to order it online, or buy it and overcook it at home, since it is often green.
In general, you need to be positive and just curious to go to a new country — to allow yourself to learn the world through the eyes of a child. And even if you compare, then do it with an emphasis on the pros, and not the other way around.
Author
Yulia Yanukovych Editor-in-Chief
I am responsible for the work of the editorial office. I write expert interviews and guides.
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