HK Living Standard vs. New York?!

[goleoboy]

Quick thing, I read somewhere that HK has a higher cost of living than New York!! I'm a little shocked and wanted to know, for people who've lived in both cities, what cost more in HK? what cost more in NY?? so i can be better prepared... After checking out ParkNShop's website - I'm believing it and am tempted to bring Tide detergent when I move!!!

[ontheroad]

I've lived in both and the main differences in costs of living are :

rent much higher in HK

utilities about the same as heating in NY winter compares to aircon in HK summer

taxes much lower in HK plus no sales tax

transport (public + taxis) much cheaper in HK than in NY

cheaper to buy casual clothes in NY

supermarket : I would say about the same including "luxury expat foods" which were just as expensive in NY as they are here in HK

but there is no costco or walmart or target so all the stuff you could get cheap there in the US you don't get in HK.. I'm still using the stuff from costco I put in my removal, and I lived in the UK in between the US and HK, so that says a lot about the stock I made! Stock up as much as you can!

[goleoboy]

rent is more expensive in HK than NY? Even comparing manhattan rent?? i'm paying $2200US for a 1bedroom in lower east side... about 500sq ft and I think that's expensive.

[shwetapershad]

I agree with ontheroad.

You can probabely get furniture cheaper in HK (depending upon what style and quality you are looking for). And if you buy it in Macau or Shenzen, it is no doubt a big saving.
Clothes and shoes from the US are a better option. You might not find your size in HK.
If you use Clearasil products, stock them up, not available here.
If you have any food allergies, find out beforehand if foods of your interest are available in HK. It might be a little to explain it to the wait staff here in the begining.

This was just to add to the above. Good luck!

[goleoboy]

Thanks S, besides clearasil (which i don't really use), are there anything else which would be cheaper here? i heard vitamins (B12 etc) are cheaper in the U.S. overall, so i should stock up huh? I'm thinking to dedicate one box to household goods. do they sell swifter wipes in HK? clothes i'm not too worried about since I;m Asian so I can find Asian sizes, it's just the other 'necessities' :-))

For 20k HKD is it possible to rent a 1,000+sq ft apt in the more outlying areas like tung chung? also, I understand that square footage is relative in HK, since they quote the actual square footage and not the 'usable' sf. thanks guys!

[ontheroad]

Rent is definitely more expensive in HK than in NY. I'm paying twice as much here for a 3 bedroom appartment than I was for a 6 bedroom house!!! It's very painful to think of.. sniff, sniff...

Square footage is definitely a relative here!

The stuff I stocked up on was mostly stuff from Costco - printer cartridges/paper, household cleaning items (swiffer indeed), towels etc. Also non-perishable food that you can't find here.
Stuff I wish I'd stocked up on : OTC medicine, Old Navy clothes but not much else really.

[IMO]

Hi goleoboy,

Rent in TC is actually pretty decent - our flat is 1189' gross (as all areas are quoted inclusive of shared areas such as hallways and lift areas) and costs us HK$11,500 pm. For 20k you'll be able to find a place quite a lot closer to Central than TC.

Most places tend to be quoted 'gross' i.e. inclusive of shared areas such as hallways and lift areas, and it really depends on the building you are in. Some places are about 80% usable space, some better, some worse.

I get B complex supplements and it costs a couple of hundred HK$ for 100 capsules.....

[ingenue]

heya goleoboy, i pay HKD$15k (about USD$1920) for my apartment in Central, and it's a fully furnished 450 sq ft or thereabouts. it's a 5th floor WALKUP so i guess you can use that as a gauge for rent!

in terms of stocking up, make a trip to Costco or BJs or Sam's while you're still in the States...as mentioned by previous posters, a lot of every day items are expensive in HK, such as paper towels, shaving cream, and batteries. i usually have my American colleagues buy batteries, shaving cream, and razors when they're in the US...SO much cheaper in bulk!

and get your Dayquil/Nyquil and other OTC meds there...HK healthcare isn't cheap either, and their OTC meds SUCK.

[goleoboy]

wow, so rent is comparable about $2k for 500sqft - similar to manhattan. I think I'll probably try out New Territories or Tung Chung since I'll be able to get more space for the $$$. Central may be too congested for me anyways, But very good call on the Nyquil/Dayquil.

[KnowItAll]

>> HKD$15k (about USD$1920) for my apartment in Central

But you also do know that you can get much better value once you move out of that core area.

Within 20 minutes by bus or by MTR you could be looking at 700 sq ft with facilities.