Monthly budget: Did I forgot anything?

[333s]

I got a job offer to work in HK for a bank. They pay HKD 50'000 per month.

Now I tried to figure out about the monthly cost and wrote a budget plan (we're a young unmarried couple).

Did I forgot anything or made some big mistakes?

Net salary: 41'000 (50'000 - 7'500 taxes and 1'250 MPF)
- rent: 20'000 -> find lesser
- public transport: 1'000
- groceries: 5'000 (we're fine cooking at home and eat local food)
- gas etc.: 2'000
- mobile phone: 1'000 ->
- health insurance: 1'000
- fitness club: 1'000 -> find lesser
- flights back home: 4'000 (3 flights per year to Switzerland)
- entertainment: 3'000 -> lesser
- various: 2'000 ->
- bills back home:1'000

All figures are for two persons. Bonus is not included in the salary.
Thanks for any advice and corrections!

well planned future, you can consider to cut off/ lesser if you wanna to save more, for future life.

[big_panda]

Your budget doesnt really leave any room for general savings? What's the point of coming to HK if you do not put aside some $$ for savings.

[bookblogger]

Your budget doesnt really leave any room for general savings? What's the point of coming to HK if you do not put aside some $$ for savings.

New experiences, happenstance, adventure, fun?

[HowardCoombs]

Original Post Deleted

Feel free to find something more objective that encompasses overall buying habits if you feel you need more science behind it. Its pointless trying to compare singular items to each other, notwithstanding that onions are a lot cheaper here. You can get them even cheaper at wetmarkets.

Anyway, I've made my point and trying further to convince you is futile; I'll move on to more productive things.
HAND

[GeoDerek]

Your budget doesnt really leave any room for general savings? What's the point of coming to HK if you do not put aside some $$ for savings.

Good to see expats making solid investments in HK!

[MandM!]

Well, I dont know about you all but I used to exercise daily and ate so much meat, chicken and everything but to change to a veggie rice noodle diet is hard. Even I feel I dont get enough substance food. I dont think it is an overnight change.

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[Mike12]

Thanks for all the answers!

I see that groceries is the point which really depends on our behaviour. And for sure we will eat cheese and ham sometimes. But we both love asian food and will be happy to eat local food.

Another questions that has been asked: Why we want to move to HK?
- Adventure, new culture, new experience and of course it (I hope) it helps for my future career.

Someone else was asking about savings:
- Good point. Of course I won't be able to save as much as I could back here in Switzerland. But I didn't include the bonus in our budget. This should be somewhere between 80k and 140k. So there it should be a way to save some money. And when my girlfriend (or future wife) also could start working, than we could save more than now.

Of course the money for fitness centre could also be invested somewhere else. It just was ment to have something planned for sport.

So do you think it will be possible to get an appartment for 15k? (Within 30 minutes from the office which is at Two international finance center).

[Trebor]

Thanks for all the answers!

I see that groceries is the point which really depends on our behaviour. And for sure we will eat cheese and ham sometimes. But we both love asian food and will be happy to eat local food.

Another questions that has been asked: Why we want to move to HK?
- Adventure, new culture, new experience and of course it (I hope) it helps for my future career.

Someone else was asking about savings:
- Good point. Of course I won't be able to save as much as I could back here in Switzerland. But I didn't include the bonus in our budget. This should be somewhere between 80k and 140k. So there it should be a way to save some money. And when my girlfriend (or future wife) also could start working, than we could save more than now.

Of course the money for fitness centre could also be invested somewhere else. It just was ment to have something planned for sport.

So do you think it will be possible to get an appartment for 15k? (Within 30 minutes from the office which is at Two international finance center).

I think you are ignoring what has been pointed out several times already on this thread. I would not worry about accommodation until you have clarified how your gf is going to move here with you without a valid visa.

Will she be working? Has she started looking for a job?

For the record 30 mins from Central covers so much of HK that I am sure you will be able to find something within your budget.

[MovingIn07]

For a place within 30 mins of 2 IFC, suggest you look around Olympic. It's fast on the MTR and should be possible to get something within 15-20k (smaller = cheaper). If you are prepared to go further out and away from the MTR (e.g. Sham Tseng or Park Island) - yes, absolutely. As somebody suggested somewhere else - you trade location/transport costs to some degree.

Re the gym - depends what you need from fitness. If you get a place in a nice building with a gym (like in Olympic, Park Island or Sham Tseng, or anywhere between those places) then no extra gym needed and you will also be close to the hills for good hiking to keep fit and closer to beaches or have a pool for swimming. But if you are looking for "step classes" and such like, less substitute

[Mike12]

I think the point concerning my gf will be solved within 6 months. For the first 3 months she will be there with a tourist visa. Afterwords when we will be married she could get a "normal" visa. She didn't start looking for jobs (she wants to work as well) as it is not 100% sure that we move to HK (I have the offer but not jet decided if we really want to accept it).

Fitness: If there is a gym at the appartment and there is a possibility to go jogging somewhere near the house that would absolutely enough for us. So another 1000 hkd to save / spend on other things.