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Another salary question: Is 40K enough for two?

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  1. #21

    Join Date
    Dec 2005
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    Hong Kong
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    i say:

    $100 a day for food = $3k a month
    max $50 a day for transport = $1.5k a month

    i currently spend about $75 on food and $30 on transport per day..

    electricity most likely around $3-500 in winter $5-800 in summer.. noone uses much gas in HK and water is pretty cheap also.


  2. #22

    Join Date
    Apr 2005
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    Sai Kung
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    8,561

    we pay around $6k per month on food, but that includes diapers and formula....

    if you are looking for food on par with what you'd get at home, you'd need $6k... if you are willing to go "local" it can cost you much less...

    example... 1 litre of milk will set you back between $16 and $21.... that's about 4-5x the price i'd pay back home... cereal is also very expensive(a box of cininamon toasties is around $48!!!)

    on the other hand if you buy fruit and veggies at a wet market, it's much nicer and the quality is better...

    good meat here is expensive, much cheaper if you buy the chinese meat...


  3. #23

    Join Date
    Jun 2004
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    HK
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    I spend:
    - about 800/900 a month for transport (I live in NT and work in HK).
    - On average (cos many business lunches you do not pay..) 35 HKD per lunches (5 days a week)
    - 1.000 on bills (we are 2 ppl as well)
    Just as n example....
    My big budgets are travelling and entertainement....


  4. #24
    I live in a 260 sq. ft apartment now so my space is likely to double if I can rent a 500 sq. ft flat.
    Don't have too high a hope for the space expansion. If you are in a flat that measures internally to 260 sq ft, it may be called 400+ sq ft in Hong Kong. The way it is measured in HK is that it includes all the communal areas of the building/estate (and I still don't know where those spaces are) etc. Usually the newer the flat/development, the larger the discount you have to put in.
    Last edited by PettsWood; 16-12-2005 at 01:21 PM.

  5. #25

    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Posts
    40

    Thanks again everyone for your useful examples.

    Jimbo, hughb2000 and Mat, when you mentioned transportation cost, is it for one person only?

    Carang, thanks for your clarification. We don't have children so I think our food budget can be lower.

    I was looking through the article "Cost of Living Hong Kong Style". It doesn't list the expenses for pets. Can anyone tell me how much it costs to buy a package of cat food (1 kg)? Do Science Diet exist in Hong Kong--coz we would only allow our cat to eat Science Diet. What about cat litter? And vet's visits? One more thing (perhaps a strange question to some of you): Our cat has been taking birth control pills since she was little coz she's never been sterilized. Does anyone know if vets give out pills to cats in Hong Kong? If such pills don't exist in HK, maybe we have to take her to an operation here, which she's not going to like

    Have a nice weekend, everyone!


  6. #26

    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Posts
    40
    Quote Originally Posted by PettsWood:
    Don't have too high a hope for the space expansion. If you are in a flat that measures internally to 260 sq ft, it may be called 400+ sq ft in Hong Kong. The way it is measured in HK is that it includes all the communal areas of the building/estate (and I still don't know where those spaces are) etc. Usually the newer the flat/development, the larger the discount you have to put in.
    Oh, thanks for the warning. Not very welcoming news That means if I really want to double my space, I'd better look for a 800 sq ft +/- apartment, right?

  7. #27

    Join Date
    Oct 2005
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    14,414

    travel costs which I quoted are for each person, Thats factoring in travel on weekends too, Will probably be a little bit less.


  8. #28

    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Posts
    51

    40k for 2 is ok.
    If you cook yourself, don't shop like mad, don't go to private hospitals etc.
    Some people earn way less and they have kids to feed.
    Tax should be lower here if you don't have to pay UK tax.

    Maybe you can consider vacation in China or Asia, those are cheaper options.


  9. #29

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    Jun 2004
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    HK
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    normad, in my case it is for one person (transportation), if I count for both of us then the monthly expense is around 1.500 to 1.600 HKD


  10. #30
    Quote Originally Posted by normad:
    Oh, thanks for the warning. Not very welcoming news That means if I really want to double my space, I'd better look for a 800 sq ft +/- apartment, right?
    Possibly. The ratio varies a lot depending on when the flat was built. What are you at now? A studio flat or a one bed? When you say 260 sq ft, how is it measured (including bathroom, kitchen etc.). Also the way HK flat are built, they often have a long-ish corridor that serves no purpose apart from eating up your flat area...

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