Got a job at 18,000 HKD per month...is that enough to live on?

[fuzzysocks]

i just meant regular lunch. in the States, i can get regular lunch with co-workers for about $12, and in the area where I work it's only about $4-5, but I don't work in Central, where prices would be higher. I'm just saying it's possible for it to be that much cheaper.

Eating at home is always a different story. In the States, I felt that eating at home would usually be cheaper for just a regular meal, but in HK it seems about equivalent.

There are always variations of type of food, type of establishment, what you cook at home, etc, but my example was one area in which I was surprised with how low costs could be.

[Proplus]

I don't recommend TST unless you plan on living at Chungking Mansions or in a Guest House. Rents in TST are well over 9K and I don't think the OP can afford to spend more than half his paycheck on rent.

Thats not true. If you look hard enough you can get decent cheap places in TST. A mate of mine lives in the building above HMV in TST. Its a 2 bedroom apartment for 8k, so he rents out the spare bedroom to go halves.

[MandM!]

Would I come here with a job offer of 18k? Yes. What about 18k + the serviced apartment? Yes.

If they are paying for your housing, then it's good. The whole thing is an experience, and if it's something you want to do, and this 18k job is getting you here, then why not. But I mean they should be able to sponsor your visa and get approval before you come, I think. I heard from another company that the rule of thumb is 18k and not 20k. Yet, when I first came here, I had companies try to pay me 12k and were ascertain they could get a visa. I wouldn't worry about the visa, it's merely a formality, if the company is newer then it's more paperwork. Also, people argue oh it takes 4-6 weeks to get a visa, well you will know this argument isn't really a problem, yes it might be true in some or most situations, but you will know what I mean after you live here.

Can you live on 18k? Well, if you are making 18k only, I would say it's not great. But once you are here, you can get a feel for what your pay should be, and then you can find another job with better pay. Plus, once you are in HK, your job market opens much more! And don't be afraid to leave your first job after 3-6 months if the conditions and pay are matching up to your wishes. Transfer sponsorship is very possible. I've seen companies threaten they will cancel your visa and you must leave, don't believe the nonsense, you can switch, you fill out a transfer form and there you go.

But I can tell you, when I first lived here, I would be happy with 18k, but now after being here, I seriously won't consider anything near 18k. If you want to settle down, and get enough space, you need more money than 18k.

And as far as living in TST....I think there are affordable places to be found everywhere. I feel like even though the general rental prices are going up, it seems that I am exposed to more of the "real prices" the longer I live here, and the longer I live here, the cheaper the flats seem to get, compared to the "expat prices". It's a game, I can't explain it, but it takes awhile to know the ropes and once you do, you can find better housing at better rates. All I can say is, well don't trust the first 50 real estate agents, and thereafter, keep your guard up.

Best of luck! Hope you can make the move!

[Mat]

food is 1/3 the price in the US? I don't think so. In my experience if you eat at home, the US is much cheaper.

If u eat rice , veggie and little meat u can eat for less than HKD 20 per meal easy in HK......

[MandM!]

Agreed, but little meat is hard for westerners

And you can't consistently eat 20HKD meals, I really think it has a lot of stuff in it that isn't good for you, but what do I know. I think it can subsidize eating out though. Cooking is expensive too, unless you are ok eating just rice and one meat, otherwise it's like why not just go out to eat.

[audiot]

actually you can get pretty tasty stuff in sham shui po for 12 $ - char siu fan... even has some veggie as well as the pork and rice.

other street BBQ stalls? a bag of fried calamari 15$ - also skewers.. handy to grab on the run to the MTR!

edit - with a microwave a baked potato is 10-15 mins away.

havent you ever been to a wet market? cheap veggies - ones you might recognise too!

you can get a fresh fish - or cuts of meat..

and also with restaurant food you may not know its source... for those of you who will only shop at city super.

[Renotommy]

"Cha Chan Tans" - HK style western restaurants, may also be your other choice. Set lunches for around $32 each which includes a beverage also. Central may be a bit more expensive, of course.

[HKHK154]

What kind of job is it? Kowloon is probably easier to live in frugally than HK Island. I spent a decent % of my time around there and you can get pretty cheap meals and so on. There are lots of markets and small places where you can get deals as well.

If you're not picky you can always live in a tiny apartment (either shared or by yourself) for fairly cheap. If I was you I'd try and find a basic apartment or share situation, which is just big enough to sleep and shower in and then save the rest of the money for activities and spending money.

Also if you're a fit person then you can walk pretty far in Hong Kong without paying for transport. If I walked from my old hotel a radius of about 2 stations out then brisk walking would often be quicker than taking a mini-bus or bus. Even though its fairly cheap you can still keep fit and maybe reduce your travel costs (but at 4 hkd for a mini-bus its up to you to see how much of a tight wad you want to be.)

I think 18k is doable but you'd have to be more of a Kowloon / New territories kind of person rather than a Central kind of person. There is quite a big difference between the areas that I picked up from my limited holiday experience.

Take my advice with a grain of salt as I've only spent a holiday in HK.

[chingleutsch]

18K is certainly doable, but you will have to examine your priorities and budget carefully - specially if you like Nights Out.

You still haven't mentioned what kind of work, but at that salary I'll take a stab at English teaching in a private language centre?? In that case, and if the centre has a number of branches, it's possible you won't know where you'll be working until you hit town, and worst case scenario is that you might be at different branches on different days (if the boss tells you you're doing mornings in Ma On Shan and afternoons in Causeway Bay, dig in your heels and insist on an extra transport allowance!).

But assuming you only have one workplace, then try and balance out your rent and commuting costs. Even if you're working on HK island, if you move out to more "local" areas like Shau Kei Wan or Sai Ying Poon you'll be able to find an affordable place (note that often HK buildings look like total dumps from outside but that inside people have done them up very nicely, or at least adequately) and commute cheaply by bus (or even by tram if you're really broke at the end of the month). If you're working out in the New Territories, you can probably even get a place within a few minutes walk - then you can save even more money by eating lunch at home, which is what I did while I was getting myself set up and paying off all the essentials I'd bought as fast as possible.

[MinhVu1]

just want to say congrats on getting the job im still pushing congrats and work hard