Offered jobs, almost ready to move - need advice/guidance!

[Enzos]

Hi All,

I would like peoples opinions/advice of some matters more specific to our move! We have been to Hong Kong twice before and lived in Shanghai for years.

My fiance and I have been offered jobs in Hong Kong Starting Sep. We would be making together just over 90k a month with a housing allowance of around 19000k.month
Yearly flights and relocation costs are covered. My questions are these:

Salary:
Is this enough for us to live comfortably AND save considering:
- We cook at lot at home, different recipes from all over so I shop a lot for groceries and buy special ingredients. We LOVE eating out in Hong Kong - local food, street food is our favorite! But we would like to eat out at traditional sit down restaurants too, once a week probably. Also love to get delivery on lazy days! We would also enjoy happy hour once week. We travel ALOT and want to continue to do so (not just in Asia)
- We need a maid once a week
- Would love a dog walker 5 times a week.

Housing:
- Work is between Mongkok and Kowloon bay areas and we don't want to travel to far. A direct shot on the MTR or bus would be ideal. (I would travel longer if I didn't have to switch trains!) We are willing to pay above our stipend for a decent sized 2 bedroom place.
- We have a small dog (already sorted how it can come in a painlessly as possible) Could anyone recommend a good pet friendlyish neighborhood (with grass/park for the dog, easy to walk/ vets nearby etc) ? Really, his happiness is very important.
- Our dream would to have a view, a balcony even, not with a building right next door and we don't need to be in a fancy high rise. A walk up is totally ok (if big enough and not too old)
- Is our budget going to get us anything? Do we need check our expectations?

Nature/Health:
- After 9 years in Shanghai, the pollution was just too much! Is Hong Kong really THAT bad? When I look at the readings it seems pretty low compared to Shanghai. Where I am living now reads 76 AQI today.
- We love to walk trails and explore nature, if we lived in Kowloon/HK island would it be a struggle to head there on the weekends both time wise and crowds wise?? Are dogs allowed?

I know people ask these questions all the time, and I have taken the time to read previous posts - all very helpful too!
I really appreciate any of your help and thanks so much in advance!

[pinkinhk]

So you'll have 119k between you. I guess you'll get something you're happy with for around 25k. Then you've got internet, electricity, blah blah. Let's say you're down to about 90k p/m. If you're travelling "a lot" and love eating out "regularly" then you will burn through the rest pretty quickly but if you live a bit frugally you could save quite a lot. Good luck.

[Bob Loblaw]

Nature/Health:
- After 9 years in Shanghai, the pollution was just too much! Is Hong Kong really THAT bad? When I look at the readings it seems pretty low compared to Shanghai. Where I am living now reads 76 AQI today.
- We love to walk trails and explore nature, if we lived in Kowloon/HK island would it be a struggle to head there on the weekends both time wise and crowds wise?? Are dogs allowed?

pollution is definitly an issue in HK. from everything i hear/read, mainland is much worse, but i've never lived in the mainland.

for living near trails, there's not a lot of mystery here. take a look at a map of hong kong, make sure you live near the green parts. if you are, there should be *some* trailheads near you. granted, some trailheads are better than others. but anywhere on HK Island higher up the hill there should be something. places in northern Kowloon there should be some trails. It's when you're in an area like Mong Kok or TST that it gets difficult.
i see plenty of dogs on the trails. leashed dogs on hikes, stray dogs, village dogs....

[cookie09]

With 119k and no kids, I venture you can save up to 60 or even 70k if you want to push it. 30 to 40k should be easily doable

Pollution is much less than in China. Hk people complain about pollution on a relative basis since it worse than Australia or Canada, but compared to China this is heaven here

[Enzos]

Pollution is much less than in China. Hk people complain about pollution on a relative basis since it worse than Australia or Canada, but compared to China this is heaven here

Good to know! The nature and beaches are a huge plus too!

[Nep]

Easily doable!
pollution compared to Shanghai is negligible.
enough money to save a chunk.
travelling out of HK is also cheaper.

[Claire ex-ax]

Perhaps Tseung Kwan O/Lohas Park would be a suitable area to live. You could even get a green view out there.

[Enzos]

I have heard Happy Valley is very dog friendly - how bad is the commute from there to Mongkok station?

[East_coast]

I have heard Happy Valley is very dog friendly - how bad is the commute from there to Mongkok station?

Work is between Mongkok and Kowloon bay areas - Where?

The buses in Hong Kong can are a lot more effective for getting around the city if you are going not going between places that don't sit atop a MTR station.


https://www.google.com.hk/maps/dir/2...6160!3e3?hl=en

[Enzos]

Work is between Mongkok and Kowloon bay areas - Where?

The buses in Hong Kong can are a lot more effective for getting around the city if you are going not going between places that don't sit atop a MTR station.

Near to Kowloon public library. The closest MTR station is Mongkok which google maps says is 18min walk away.
I didn't even think about buses!