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  • 2 Post By Char Siu King
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Moving to HK from Shanghai, need some advice

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  1. #1

    Moving to HK from Shanghai, need some advice

    Hi,

    I'll be moving to HK on a company transfer/secondment around year end, and will probably be staying for either a year or maybe slightly less. My new working location will be in Central, and I can probably get housing allowance from my company.

    Anyway, would like to ask those of you with more experience, what areas would be good to live in and what kind of price would I be looking at? This is also mainly so I can know what kind of baseline to negotiate from regarding my housing allowance. At the moment I'm thinking about trying to negotiate a budget of around $10k, and possibly up to $15k if I can get it, but the company will definitely not expect to pay anything over $20k from what I understand.

    What I'm looking for: Easy access to food. Short commute, preferably by underground/metro/MRT (not sure what it's called in HK), as my office is right next to the station in Central. Location is more important than size, as I don't have too many belongings.

    Simple example: Coming from Shanghai, the financial district here is on the east part of the city across the river. But most things happen in and around the west part of the river, such as food, nightspots etc. So while some expats prefer to live closer to work, I would want to live slightly further but have easier access to everything else, while spending about 20 minutes on door-to-door commute to work.

    Is there somewhere in HK like that? Or is my example unsuitable?

    Any feedback on what to expect etc. would also be appreciated. Have no idea about rental costs in HK but I've seen urbancube prices and that makes it (and something like it) one of my current top choices.

    EDIT: Just looking for something for myself, no family/kids/wife/gf/s.o. concerns, so location is more important than space.

    Last edited by lollerwaffle; 21-10-2013 at 09:38 AM.

  2. #2

    Anywhere on the island mtr line. On your budget, older buildings in Sheung Wan and Wan Chai come to mind.

    Last edited by Char Siu King; 21-10-2013 at 10:14 AM.
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  3. #3
    Quote Originally Posted by Char Siu King:
    Anywhere on the island mtr line. On your budget, older buildings in Sheung Wan and Wan Chai come to mind.
    Thanks for the tips. How much should I expect to be paying there, and what kind of size etc?

  4. #4

    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Posts
    2,034

    How's your salary in HK compared to Shanghai? Are you willing to use some of that for housing? Given how you live in Shanghai I would say you need at least 15k per month to have anything near the same location. Take the RMB amount you spend on rent multiply by 2, that's what you will pay in HKD for approximately the same housing.


  5. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by RobRoy:
    How's your salary in HK compared to Shanghai? Are you willing to use some of that for housing? Given how you live in Shanghai I would say you need at least 15k per month to have anything near the same location. Take the RMB amount you spend on rent multiply by 2, that's what you will pay in HKD for approximately the same housing.
    Currently still hammering out the details regarding salary and/or allowances etc. Yes, would be willing to pay a portion of salary for housing, and average rent in Shanghai in my area (Jing An, part of the French concession) is typically 5k - 7k for about 40-60 sqm. (i.e. 400-600 sqft) Would my approximation of 10k - 15k be correct then? Definitely willing to go lower on the space since I understand HK living quarters are generally smaller and more expensive.

    EDIT:
    After reading about on the forums, looks like Urban Cube is looking a lot more appealing, just to maybe have a place to stay for a month at the start, while I get a feel for the different places in HK and look for accomodation.
    Last edited by lollerwaffle; 21-10-2013 at 03:44 PM.

  6. #6

    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Posts
    284

    ^^ Good choice on that. I'm staying there at the moment also. It will give you a chance to explore the town to see what you truly want and it is close to the MTR>


  7. #7

    Yes, staying somewhere like urban cube is the way to go. Gives you an opportunity to get a feel for different areas and do some proper apartment hunting.


  8. #8

    Join Date
    Oct 2013
    Location
    Hong Kong
    Posts
    4

    I replied earlier but it looks like my post was deleted. I found the site spacious.hk to be helpful with their map view of HK and the ability to zoom in on specific neighborhoods.

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