spanish family moving to HK with 2 children

[HowardCoombs]

we've just generally asked around. open for any leads, really.

If you are not finding things from your friends and neighbors:
a) put up notices at the local Wellcome/P&S
b) put up notices at your apartment complex notice board
c) put up notices at your club (if you belong to one)

[Grumbler]

do you work full time? if not, you do not need helper. then his salary is fine for most part if you don't need 1000+ square feet apartment.

[serverus]

edit: delete

[cbalex]

Hi there, we are a spanish family currently living in Saigon, my husband has been offered a job over in HK for 49000 HKD per month with private health insurance. I wonder if this will get 2 children (2yr old and 6 months old), my husband and I by with the cost of living?
He will be working in North Point (i assume is the center of HK) We've been told that islands are the best place for live with childrens (child friendly), we have been looking at Discovery Bay, Lamma island, tung chung... preferably a 3 bedroom place (at least) that is safe for children.
I would require Domestic Help as well, as both are still very young.


I need as much information as possible - all the pro's & con's I can possibly get to better prepare my family before we make definite decisions. So if you have anything else to add, it would definitely be appreciated.

Thank you in advance for your time.

best regards

This answer might get flamed but 49k a month for a family of 4 in Hong Kong should be your housing + schooling budget only. Yes you can always rent for less in far flung areas or downsize into a 500 or 600 square foot flat but that's not ideal for your children or for you.

Putting aside the money issue, I would not move here with young children for even 4x your partner's offer. The poor air quality and the lack of space is a damaging double whammy which could stunt your children's physical and mental development. This is a terrible place to raise young kids.

[hongkong7]

To the OP my two bobs worth: if you work in North Point forget Tung Chung to live as a way of cutting expenses. Its going to cost you about $1500/month just in MTR fees assuming you work a 5 day week.Leaving out the days you want to get a taxi from and to central station when your running late etc. The E line bus from North Point to and from Tung Chung is slow freezing overaircondiitoned hell and not much cheaper. i know i have been commuting more or less that route from 2000 .Its draining .
Live near where you work if you want a sane life.
I personally think that salary is very tight and only doable if you have absolutely no other financial obligations ie to elderly parents etc- etc and dont need frequent holidays and or you dont mind using savings for extra's
Also fyi a local kindy may end up 1500-2000pm when you have the gap fee /intrest classes unifrroms books outings etc etc-my kids at a local and i get the education vouchers

[HowardCoombs]

Putting aside the money issue, I would not move here with young children for even 4x your partner's offer. The poor air quality and the lack of space is a damaging double whammy which could stunt your children's physical and mental development. This is a terrible place to raise young kids.

What a load of bovine excrement.

Hong Kong is a fantastic place to raise kids. Its one of the safest cities in the world and we have some of the top schools around.

Admittedly you are not a parent. Here is a survey of a bunch of parents:
http://money.ca.msn.com/savings-debt...aise-your-kids
More details : http://www.expatarrivals.com/hong-ko...s-in-hong-kong

[INXS]

Hi there, we are a spanish family currently living in Saigon, my husband has been offered a job over in HK for 49000 HKD per month with private health insurance. I wonder if this will get 2 children (2yr old and 6 months old), my husband and I by with the cost of living?
He will be working in North Point (i assume is the center of HK) We've been told that islands are the best place for live with childrens (child friendly), we have been looking at Discovery Bay, Lamma island, tung chung... preferably a 3 bedroom place (at least) that is safe for children.
I would require Domestic Help as well, as both are still very young.


I need as much information as possible - all the pro's & con's I can possibly get to better prepare my family before we make definite decisions. So if you have anything else to add, it would definitely be appreciated.

Thank you in advance for your time.

best regards

Here's my take on it:

$49,000HKD is 5 x the median salary in Hong Kong and I lived on less than that for the first two years with a family your size.

A lot of the guys on here are big earners OP, they are earning over $100k per month and they have expectations that come with those kind of salaries.

For me, you need to forget about Discovery Bay and these 'expat areas', you can't afford it! I would be sick paying 20-25k on rent out of a 49k salary...

I live in a new town called Tuen Mun and there are several towns like this where you can rent village houses for under 10k...you can also rent smallish apartments for 9-12k but they will have expansive grounds with clubhouse, bbq, swimming pool etc. Hong Kong is very compact so imagine that you're living in the outer suburbs of any big city...the benefit is, you're close to the national parks.

I've already seen somebody use the phrase, 'far flung'...well, if you live in a new town guess what? You tend to shop and eat and play there! Just like you do in other cities.

Anyway, on 49k I wouldn't want to be paying more than 10k on rent, but that's me.

You talk about 'good international kindergartens'. Again, I kind of think they're off the radar for you...you can't afford that! In my view you'd be better off putting them into good local kindergartens...some do have English streams but many of us have had great success placing our kids in the local (free) system. Before anyone says, yes, my kids are half Chinese but we do personally know western kids in the local system who are thriving.

You don't need a helper. Sorry.

Here would be my tip for a nice life here on your salary:

1.) Rent a village house in Tuen Mun (Other new town), 700sqf...or small apartment in complex 600sqf <12k
2.) Put the kids in local kindy...a few thousand a year.
3.) Buy a little car to explore with on the weekends.
4.) Get into a sport or hobby that is cheap...instead of joining a gym, buy a bike, etc.

[Mat]

Here's my take on it:

$49,000HKD is 5 x the median salary in Hong Kong and I lived on less than that for the first two years with a family your size.

A lot of the guys on here are big earners OP, they are earning over $100k per month and they have expectations that come with those kind of salaries.

For me, you need to forget about Discovery Bay and these 'expat areas', you can't afford it! I would be sick paying 20-25k on rent out of a 49k salary...

I live in a new town called Tuen Mun and there are several towns like this where you can rent village houses for under 10k...you can also rent smallish apartments for 9-12k but they will have expansive grounds with clubhouse, bbq, swimming pool etc. Hong Kong is very compact so imagine that you're living in the outer suburbs of any big city...the benefit is, you're close to the national parks.

I've already seen somebody use the phrase, 'far flung'...well, if you live in a new town guess what? You tend to shop and eat and play there! Just like you do in other cities.

Anyway, on 49k I wouldn't want to be paying more than 10k on rent, but that's me.

You talk about 'good international kindergartens'. Again, I kind of think they're off the radar for you...you can't afford that! In my view you'd be better off putting them into good local kindergartens...some do have English streams but many of us have had great success placing our kids in the local (free) system. Before anyone says, yes, my kids are half Chinese but we do personally know western kids in the local system who are thriving.

You don't need a helper. Sorry.

Here would be my tip for a nice life here on your salary:

1.) Rent a village house in Tuen Mun (Other new town), 700sqf...or small apartment in complex 600sqf <12k
2.) Put the kids in local kindy...a few thousand a year.
3.) Buy a little car to explore with on the weekends.
4.) Get into a sport or hobby that is cheap...instead of joining a gym, buy a bike, etc.

With one caveat. Parking is very expensive on average so make sure itt is inc in ur rent or that u have cheap alternative nearby.

[Bob Loblaw]

If you are not finding things from your friends and neighbors:
a) put up notices at the local Wellcome/P&S
b) put up notices at your apartment complex notice board
c) put up notices at your club (if you belong to one)

thanks. we're perhaps a bit picky, which doesn't help matters.
but we'll try option a, and though b & c don't quite apply to us, we'll try to find variations.

[HowardCoombs]

thanks. we're perhaps a bit picky, which doesn't help matters.

That reminds of of a joke that I learned many decades back, I think it fits right here....



On a more serious note, if you are being picky and more serious about it, you can post an ad here : http://cedars.hku.hk/sections/career...r/PostaJob.php
to find someone closer to you and then make private arrangements.