Sure, it is all insane in a sense. But the difference is that you are not allowed/able to turn your studio in a retail space that caters to the tens of thousands of people that are walking on that street downstairs every day. It is a shopping area, so many have come there specifically with 'intention to buy.' That is worth gold. Literally if you are Chow Tai Fook.That's what I'm saying man. We live in a studio in the building next door!! We're paying HKD$8,900 a month. That's why I am still having problems with the numbers in this story.
Next time you're in Starbucks, pause for 10 sec and think about how Starbucks probably pays more in rent for the 10 sq ft your table+chair stand on than you do for your entire studio. And that is purely because apart from you, another 30 people will sit on that chair every day, and each one will pay HKD 40 for their Grande Buggachino with Whoopee Cream. That adds up you see.