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Moving to HK from Paris

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  1. #1

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    Aug 2014
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    Talking Moving to HK from Paris

    Hello guys !
    Will be moving from Paris, France in October and wanted to ask a few questions. I'll be paid 24k which is small compared to most expats in HK, so I'll need to be smart and cheap (I guess being french will make it easier to be a cheap bastard ).

    So I was looking into serviced apartments, as they seem to offer the less hassle if I want something quickly, is there anything I should be wary of ? When they for exemple advertise a 7k to 15k rent, should I understand it as "7k for a toilet closet and 15k for a cage plus a toilet closet" or are they honest renting places ?

    How should I calculate the food budget ? Let's say I'm not picky, can survive exotic food and don't eat all that much, is a 2k budget completely underrated or possible ?

    Is there anyone who lived in Paris recently who could tell me how far a difference there is on size vs rent compared to HK ? (For exemple I live in a poor quarter of central Paris close to a subway station, pay 9k for a one-room 35m2/375 sq ft, hear police car sirens all night long and all my neighbours are chinese, how much would that kinda life in that kinda neighbourhood cost in HK ?)

    I'll be working in Wan Chai, should I stop trying to find something there for less than 10k, or is it possible ? If impossible how are the MTR fares on the long run if I live in Kowloon ? Is it like something really big in a budget or barely noticeable ?

    Let's say I want to invest in myself and learn mandarin in one year, how credible a goal is it and how much would it cost ? Anyone here managed to do it ? Should I rather try cantonese + writing as it'll be easier to practise even if less interesting an investment ?

    Is there other adventurous cheapos around here who can share tricks on living a frugal yet enjoyable life in HK, without being an hot shot banker in HSBC ?

    I'm so excited to be there next month, happy to have any hindsight !

    Last edited by xwolfi; 15-09-2014 at 03:46 AM.

  2. #2

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    We have plenty of VIE making about the same (think it's 25k) and they seem to love HK.

    Most live between Tin Hau and Kennedy Town and most pay between 8 to 12K in rent. It ain't big but they don't seem to mind and spend most of their time out anyway.

    You won't have the police car issue in HK.

    Mandarin in a year won't be easy to be honest, unless you meet on day 1 miss china and spend your whole year w her and she doesn't speak a word of English.

    You seem to be coming w the right attitude so good luck and have fun.


    Sent from my iPad using GeoClicks


  3. #3

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    We have plenty of VIE making about the same (think it's 25k) and they seem to love HK.

    Most live between Tin Hau and Kennedy Town and most pay between 8 to 12K in rent. It ain't big but they don't seem to mind and spend most of their time out anyway.

    You won't have the police car issue in HK.

    Mandarin in a year won't be easy to be honest, unless you meet on day 1 miss china and spend your whole year w her and she doesn't speak a word of English.

    You seem to be coming w the right attitude so good luck and have fun.


    Sent from my iPad using GeoClicks


  4. #4

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    Dec 2013
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    You are better off looking at a normal apartment rental than serviced. Serviced are much more expensive. Just get somewhere for a couple of weeks when you arrive and look around.


  5. #5

    Do factor in that you will need to pay 2 months rent in advance (rent and deposit) plus agent's fees the first time you rent. Landlord will keep the deposit until you go. Have you thought about moving into a share rental? May work out well for you.


  6. #6

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    Or you might want to consider a flat share if you don't mind living with others as you will end up in a nicer place.

    There are several facebook groups that can help or the classifieds on this website seem to be pretty comprehensive, i found my first place on here and it was a flatshare. Was there for 2 years before getting my own place.


  7. #7

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    do you like the party life, live on hk island, prepare to live in a shoebox, ie, 150 sq ft

    if you live in Kowloon, some parts are much quieter than other, for 9k, you may get a 375sq ft in Kowloon, places like cheung sha wan or kwun tong,


  8. #8

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    Jan 2014
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    Quote Originally Posted by xwolfi:
    Hello guys !


    How should I calculate the food budget ? Let's say I'm not picky, can survive exotic food and don't eat all that much, is a 2k budget completely underrated or possible ?


    I'll be working in Wan Chai, should I stop trying to find something there for less than 10k, or is it possible ? If impossible how are the MTR fares on the long run if I live in Kowloon ? Is it like something really big in a budget or barely noticeable ?

    Let's say I want to invest in myself and learn mandarin in one year, how credible a goal is it and how much would it cost ? Anyone here managed to do it ? Should I rather try cantonese + writing as it'll be easier to practise even if less interesting an investment ?
    re. food - if you shop where the locals shop and cook at home, you can eat for very little; eat where the locals eat and it's still pretty cheap. just don't eat at expat places. and definitely don't drink at them.

    re. living in Kowloon (or NT even) -every time you cross the harbor it's a bit of money. I want to say something like 8-10HKD? So it would add up. (MTR here isn't like the Paris metro, you can't get a monthly and the fare depends on the length of the trip you take). that said, the thought of being in a packed cross-harbo(u)r subway during rush hour when it goes under the water gives me the willies.

    re. learning mandarin and/or cantonese - how are you with languages and how much time would you put into it? i learned french pretty well, and that took me a while - cantonese is sooooo much harder for me. i'll also add that mandarin makes much more sense to learn than cantonese. i'm only studying it (well, half-assed studying it anyway) because it's my wife's family's language.

    bonne chance!

  9. #9

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    I'm sure coming from Paris the OP is familiar with living as the locals do, not like the tourists.

    However Bob, your comment about drinking does require some clarification. Here it is more a case of drink at the places the long-time expats do, not in LKF. It is possible to get a drink for less than it would cost back in Paris at the right time and place.

    Same goes for food. You don't have to go completely native to live cheaply, you can go expat-native and enjoy some of the comforts of home at cheaper prices. The frozen meat wholesalers would be an example of this.

    OP, it takes time to know all the ins and outs, as it does with any new country. When you get here you will have many specific questions, ask them and you will get some good answers ( and some bad, but it is easy to weed those out).

    shri likes this.

  10. #10

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    Quote Originally Posted by kimwy66:

    However Bob, your comment about drinking does require some clarification. Here it is more a case of drink at the places the long-time expats do, not in LKF. It is possible to get a drink for less than it would cost back in Paris at the right time and place.
    I gotta learn about these places, then. Sounds nice.

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