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Deciding betw HK & Shanghai - relocating w/ family, not under corporate package. Possible on a budget?

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  1. #21

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    Quote Originally Posted by 100LL:
    15k to 16k HKD will get you something very small in Hong Kong. I am out in the New Territories, rent is north of $20k and official square feet are 1042 while the real number is 590 square feet (make that 600-700 sq ft to get the norm). My rooms are tiny, and my "maid quarter" is actually a store room in which you couldn't fit a bed (if you would you couldn't close the door).

    My recommendation: when you come visiting check out a few apartments in your budget range to see what you'd get and do a reality check.
    I'm in the NT, my rent is $6k for 700 sq ft and roof terrace. I'm 5 mins from the MTR.
    carang and SiuMaiTaiTai like this.

  2. #22

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    100LL... but that is misleading... i am also out in the new territories. we have 2100' which is in actual fact 2100'. my master bedroom and the second bedroom are both ensuite. the master room is about 400' (inc bathroom) and the second bedroom is about 300' (inc bath). we have 3 other bedrooms of about 110' each. we pay $20k. now, i know that we have a good deal, but it is possible to find a good deal, you just have to compromise. for us, it was location we gave up, although we live in a lovely place, it is a little too far removed for many people.


  3. #23
    Quote Originally Posted by fraxbo:
    I am not Cambodian. I teach at a school here that has a couple of Cambodian masters students. I am of German Jewish heritage. My family came over to NY during WWII on my Father's side and my mother herself immigrated to NY. I had not recalled this episode in US history. Lucky I don't teach that I suppose. So the immorality inUS immigration cy started earlier than I previously thought.
    OK my reading on the fly was incorrect as to your background. But obvisously you are an American and you grew up there. Its a fact of history for which the Govt has only recently issued an apology-- an only after much lobbying. WW2 internment of Japanese-Americans was another disgrace perhaps not well known to you. Japanese American internment - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
    So there is a pattern of discrimination against Asians. You know the European side of American history as that is the majority and East Coast biased. The Asian atrocities took place across the country but mostly on the West Coast.

  4. #24

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    Are you serious OP? What life do you expect? Do you have a fantasy of maids and amazingness? Maybe you should visit here first.

    Your budget is low, but possible. Do you want to live in the boonies? Having a car is not cheap.

    Sent from my GT-I9100 using GeoClicks Mobile


  5. #25

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    booth, do you have a car?


  6. #26

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    No, have looked into it though.

    Sent from my GT-I9100 using GeoClicks Mobile


  7. #27

    a brief thanks, and more to come!

    Wow, thank you so much to everyone for such constructive and speedy input. I would like to expand on our specifics, and address many of the very helpful questions asked by responders, once I have a bit more time - just wanted to take a second to say thanks. The information I've gotten here and on the shanghaiexpat forum, where I polled Shanghai folks for their opinions, has been very, very helpful.

    More soon; I hope I won't stretch anyone's patience by continuing to ask questions!


  8. #28

    OP again here, for a second round of thanks and a couple more questions.

    For what it's worth, most of the folks who responded to my same questions on the Shanghai thread suggested HK.

    Just quickly on the issue of visa/job expectations - I solemnly swear we will not show up in HK with two small children and ask where we sign up for our superstar jobs, year-long visa, and complimentary maid. LOL. We are in the process of establishing connections ahead of time, and sussing out which location has the most legitimate business potential. There are a couple other locations on the globe that we're still evaluating - once we have our top choice narrowed down, we will visit ahead of time.

    At this point, I'm trying to get as clear a sense as I can (you know, through the internet. ha.) of what it would be like to live in HK with two small children on the housing budget I mentioned earlier. The friends and contacts we've made so far in HK are emphatically under the corporate umbrella, and so I'm trying to balance their perspective, as we will not be in the same situation, with the same resources.

    Since my husband will be working from home and the boys will still be in preschool for another 2 years after we arrive, does that give us some flexibility in terms of location? The NT have been mentioned several times, and Woodland preschools have also been suggested. We would likely send the boys to a Montessori school.

    Their locations are Tai-Tam, Mid-levels, and the regrettably named Repulse Bay. To recap: we really want to be in a location that is close to public transit, with cafes, shops, etc. I don't garden and we have no pets, so green space isn't necessary. We will not have a car. In these locations, think it's possible to get decent 3-bedroom housing for 15-16000 hkd/month?

    Thanks again -


  9. #29

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    you would have to search VERY long and hard to find that on hk island, i think. all of the locations you have mentioned are in the "expensive" category, as far as i am concerned. ie) it might be possible to find something, but it would be TINY....and unlikely 3 bedrooms for that budget.

    if you are on that budget, to get any kind of "decent"(i realise what is "decent" is very, very subjective) place for that price, you would be limited to NT.

    you would be moving to one of the most expensive places to live in the world. yes, things can be had cheaply... but the schools you would be looking at would likely set you back $5000+/month/child, easily...

    you may have to make a lot more compromises if you choose HK.... in schooling, housing etc.


  10. #30

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    Quote Originally Posted by 100LL:
    15k to 16k HKD will get you something very small in Hong Kong. I am out in the New Territories, rent is north of $20k and official square feet are 1042 while the real number is 590 square feet (make that 600-700 sq ft to get the norm). My rooms are tiny, and my "maid quarter" is actually a store room in which you couldn't fit a bed (if you would you couldn't close the door).

    My recommendation: when you come visiting check out a few apartments in your budget range to see what you'd get and do a reality check.
    The rent is as expensive as u want it to be....