Cost of Living?

Hi.

I have been trawling some of these threads today and I notice everyone remarks on the cost of living in HK being so expensive.


I have travelled to HK, from London, 5 times or more now and I am always blown away about how much cheaper, then London, everything seems to me! Public transport, food, luxuries etc...

I realise that rent is very high for what you get but not out of this world, granted you can get a bigger place in London for similar prices if you are willing to move out of the centre of the city. I realise purchasing a flat in HK seems way out of most peoples leagues.


For instance, if you need to go just one stop on the London Undergrond it now cost £3! One stop, might take 2mins that's approx HK$39 or US$5.4. A single bus journey now cost min £1.50.


Utility prices have just risen over 20% in the UK also.


Everyone moans about the taxes here but yes taxes on everything and everything, wages, national insurance, bank accounts, inheritance tax, petrol tax, stamp duty, road tax, council taxes (and a soon to be introduced 'household refuse' tax), VAT on EVRYTHING from cars to books, food, gas and electricity!. Government also wants to introduce a 'computer' tax for the simple reason that taxing them with VAT when you buy one is not enough!


Grocery shopping here is now almost comparable to eating out, which doesn't mean that the cost of eating out has dropped, just the cost of essentials has gone up.


Can anyone give me practical advice on the cost of living?

I.e. local government tax, cost of grocery shopping (and are there cheaper alternatives like most cities?), utlility costs (electricity, water, gas) etc...

My rent's soon to be "raised" to 3400HK a month for 750-800 sq ft in the Tai Po area. Monthly living as a single guy (can't speak for family shopping) is about $4000 (a lot of which is taking out the gf).

Pantyfire, not sure where you live in London. We lived in SW London in a 7 bed house, which now rents out for half of what we pay for a smaller house on the southside of HK Island.


Day to day expenses are similar - groceries, petrol etc. are almost identical (but those escalate when you buy in 'expat'; supermarkets like Great and CitySuper (which I do for my meat and some things that I miss from home). Eating out is a bit cheaper here. You will not find an M&S style food hall - possibly because so many people have live-in help to cook.


Our summer utility bills are a real shocker - the cost of AC pushes electricity right up (many multiples of what we paid in London), but in winter they go back down again. Our gas bill on the other hand is minimal.


School fees are costing us MUCH less in HK than in London. New cars cost about 35% more here. We were about to buy a car in London and when we went to order the exact same car here, found out that the optional extras were taxed at 100% here (which focuses the mind a bit). Second hand cars over 4 years are much cheaper - but that is true in London too. Buses, taxis etc. are A LOT cheaper here.


Income tax rates are obviously SO MUCH lower here (which makes up for the rent differential). Little things like joining a club are different too; joining fees are many multiples of what we paid at home (you have to buy a debenture, which varies, but can cost £100K), but monthly dues are lower. IMO the standard of clubs is higher here.


Cost for manual labour are much lower here. It costs me about the same to have full time live-in help here as it did to have a part-time cleaner at home. Calling a handyman to do small tasks is again, much cheaper here etc. etc. So many people people cross the border into the Mainland to get curtains made etc (at a tiny fraction of the London price).


Private medical care is cheaper here. I had a fantastic NHS GP in London (which obviously cost nothing), here I have had to pay privately. I have continued with our health insurance from London (so same cost).


All in all, we have found it close to a nil sum game to maintain the same lifestyle. It depends on what you are used to.