COST OF RELOCATING TO HK!

HI All,


I am planning on moving to HK from the UK and i am starting to save for the move..... I was looking for some ideas of costs (hidden and obvious) that i should budget for in terms of: rent, flat deposit, utility costs etc etc


Much appreciated


T

HI Cara,


Thanks for the prompt and useful reply :) Food for thought!


T

Hi Tdavidson, do you already have a job to come to when you arrive?, normally if you have employment the firm will help with some of the housing costs, and education costs for children if you have any.

I would say that food in the supermarkets is more expensive here than Uk, travel on public transport very reasonable compared to UK.

Check with http://www.asiaxpat.com/movingquote/

HI Suzie1,


I do have a job offer and they are giving me $14,000 a month housing allowance-is that "good" i have no children etc to worry about :)


They are also offering me Bupa care and i am guessing that is taxable? Any idea how to work out the tax on that a month so i am not short at the end of the year :)


Thanks


T

I presume the $14,000, is HKD? if it is, its possible to rent a small place on HK Island, have a look in the property section of this forum to give yourself an idea what is available, where some mention very close to MTR avoid them, you'll find they probably rattle each time a train passes. Google a map of where you are going to work, then look at the places within easy commuting distance. I don't know of any of the areas on HK island, so couldn't advice which ones are better than others.

If the housing allowance is US dollars, you have no problem finding a place in a nice area.

To get an idea of price of food, look at PARKnSHOP.com do a 'guest visit'.

HI Suzie1,


Yes its $14k HK a month-wish it was US $ :)


tHANKS FOR THE HEADS UP ABOUT BEING TOO CLOSE TO THE MTR-that would have seemed like a plus point to me!


Thanks for the tip about shopping as well. I fully intend to cook a lot as that is what i do now in the UK!

Your BUPA care isn't taxable.


Where's your office? That could very likely impact your decision on where to live.


Young (I am assuming) singletons tend to gravitate towards Mid-levels when they first arrive, which has proximity to the SoHo and Lan Kwai Fong bar areas (a good place to meet others). After a period of working out their priorities, some then move further out. You may well want to look at a flat share when you arrive. It means you will automatically meet some people.

If you want to cook a lot, prepare yourself for higher prices on many "western ingredients" and for that fact that many less expensive apartments only have a gas or electric hob (sometimes only a single wok hob) and no oven.


All that said, it is a great opportunity to live and work here and grasp it with both hands and I am sure that you will enjoy it!

HI All. Thanks for the posts/replies. I am indeed from the UK and not Calcutta! I will be working in Kwai Hing-all i know is that it is western of the new Territories. I was thinking of staying in Kowloon-thoughts? I defo want to share a flat with others as a way to make friends or interact with others.


Great that Bupa is not taxed i just assumed that it would be :)


I have seen a few flats in Midlevel west, central etc and liked the look of there. I have it in my head that i want to be close to the water though-any advice on that weird wish?


I did a park shop demo thing (as per someone's post) and noticed that my weekly shop would be more but i am happy to try local vendors for fresh ingredients etc-all part of the experience

Many thanks. I shall check these areas out now :) Very grateful to all teh advice given to me thus far x

Agree with the recent posters - if you're working in Kwai Hing and your housing budget is $14k then look on Kowloon side. Personally I would give Tsing Yi i a miss it's not great; above Olympic or Kowloon MTR stations would be worth a look as they're close to Kwai Hing and an easy MTR journey (you'd be travelling in opposite direction to the rush hour, so not so crowded on the train); also easy to get to/from HK Island for Lan Kwai Fong or other nights out. Another possible option, although a bit "cookie cutter" for me, would be Park Island especially if you want to be near water (although no beaches).


For your budget you'd get a nice 700 sq. foot apartment with roof in the Sai Kung/Clearwater Bay area which could also mean being nearer decent beaches; but would mean a longer commute. Other options if you really want to be near water would be to rent a place on Lamma or Lantau Islands, or rent a boat in Gold Coast or Aberdeen marinas (DB also has a marina, but prob no boats there within your budget), but all of these options would mean a longer commute. However, unless you live in the the remoter areas of the NT, on the Islands or in a country park (like Cara above) then there are no really long commutes in HK.


I wouldn't fully discount HK Island, $14k might get you a small apartment in somewhere like the Sheung Wan area which is undergoing a lot re-development and you may even get a roof or terrace. Check out the property section on this site and others in HK (prob can't mention them here, do a google search). When we first moved to the island we had an 800 sq. foot apartment on the 4th floor of an old building and it had a really nice roof terrace. We had to walk up three flights of stairs to get to the flat, but it was worth the trade off of a bit of extra exercise vs a decent apartment and a cool roof (hot work getting up the stairs in the summer though!).


Best advice I would want to receive if i was moving to HK now - move into a serviced apartment for the 1st couple of months; there are affordable ones in your budget. This will give you a chance to look around HK, meet some people and then decide where you want to live.

Ignore Rundoodle's advice - i have mates living in serviced apartments on Kowloon side who are paying within your budget, so it is possible and you wouldn't be looking for anything long term, just until you decide where you want to live. It would be small, but there are a number good serviced apartment operations in TST, Jordan and Whampoa which are run by reputable management companies. Check out the list of serviced apartments on this site.


Re: earlier advice about not living next to/above MTR stations ignore that as well. Unless it's a really old building 'rattle' will not be a factor. If anything living near an MTR, assuming that's how you will get to work, could be a plus during the hot, rainy summer months...


Re: costs: the biggest single saving you will make coming from the UK is tax. The maximum you will pay here is 15%, but your housing allowance portion is taxed at an even lower rate and with other tax allowances you should pay even lower than 15% - a significant saving from the UK which will offset some of the other higher costs (electricity, western food, etc). Btw if you're planning to return to the UK after working here then it's worth keeping up National Insurance payments while you're here.

HI All,


I did not realise that joining this forum would be so life changing for me! So far i am moving from Calcutta and i am now a man! I am actually a female :)

Rumdoodle quote "For where he is looking and the $'s he will be lucky to get a serviced appartment in a time 'otel".


I hardly think telling the poster (who's female btw) that the options are a love hotel or moving out to the sticks is very helpful. A decent, clean (and yes small) serviced apartment for a few weeks whilst getting the lay of the land seems far more sensible - i wish i'd done so when I 1st arrived.


Otherwise it means putting up 3-4 months rent up front to move into a min. 12 month lease (more like 13 or 14 with break clause in a 2 year lease given the current property market) in an apartment/area you're not sure about because you are not yet familiar with HK.


Personally i've lived in the NT, on HK Island and Kowloon - currently back on the Island. There are pros and cons to each, the OP may want to find out something about HK first before deciding where to live.


Lots of options in Kowloon without resorting to what you describe as the "under belly or low life in HK".