Moving to HK from Dubai

[dubaiexpat1]

Hi,
My husband is being send to HK by his company from Dubai. We are Indians and would like to know if there are any Schools following the Indian curriculum in HK. Also about the churches in HK. Is there an Indian population esp mlayali population there.
What is the average size and cost of an apartment for rent in HK. What would a 1500 -2000 sq ft apartment costto rent. I am totally confused. HK was somewhere we really never considered moving to.
Is Indian food available there?
Please give info regarding these things.
Thanks
Dubaiexpat1

[KnowItAll]

No Indian schools here in HK. But you'll do ok with the ESF ( english schools foundation ), which is where most of the Indians send their kids.

HK has a thriving Indian population... majority of which is pretty much integrated with the mainstream in HK.

Tons of Indian restaurants... from your Bangladeshi cook turned chef to world class fare.. you've got a choice. Not much southy ...

There are some south Indian associations in town. I'm afraid I don't know my malayali from my madrasi ... so cant point you in the right direction.

[Katanga]

there is enough Indian food, spices etc available. Also good selection of DVD's etc.

We have been Dubai a few times and feel that you should be ok settling down here.

Only thing is there is no Meena Bazaar and you will find HK much more expensive.

[dessie]

Hi,

To answer a few of your queries,
There is a sizeable Indian population in HK and that includes Malayalis.
Lots of catholic churches; quite a few churches of other christian denominations, too (not sure how many, though).
You will find things like 'Atta', spices and other stuff at select provision stores (run by Indians). Having said that, I must say that the quality leaves much to be desired and it is also not that easy to find South Indian stuff at these stores.
Rents are ridiculously high and the apartments really small. Rents also vary quite a bit depending on the location, amenties available, etc. I think a 1500 sft. apartment would not rent at anything less than 25000 HKD.
Hope that helps.
Merry Christmas and welcome to HK.

[dubaiexpat1]

Thanks for the inputs all of you. Also I would like to know whether we should bring our electronic goods like TV, Computer, music system with us when we come or is it cheaper to buy from there. Is there an import tax?
Which is the financial center of HK? Would renting a apartment there be very expensive and what salary would be enough for two people and a 3 year old to live a comfortable life and save something.
Are the Utilities like gas, electricity and water telephone etc expensive. What would be the average expense for all this together. Is food expensive there? Also are the brands of companies like Proctor and Gamble, Unilever, Colgate available there and is it more expensive than local products. What about medical care? Are there good hospitals, doctor and the cost?

[dxbtohk]

We just moved here from Dubai a few months ago and it has been pretty okay so far. Of course we do miss the luxurious lifestyle that Dubai had to offer but i guess each place has its own charm. Yes, HK is very expensive especially the house rents and it is depressing to see just how tiny a place you get for the amount of money you spend. Anyway, these are things you get used to.I don't find our utility bills too high so don't worry about that. Regarding indian groceries, you do get everything here but the quality is not great and you don't get it at the local grocery store like we used to in Dubai. I shipped quite a bit of indian groceries(esp. south indian stuff) here with the rest of my household things to give me time to figure out where to get what and how.

I think medical facilities here are quite good though touchwood, we haven't had the need to check that out so far! Most companies here offer medical insurance to their employees which should take care of the family as well.

I don't know about the cost of electronic goods here but I think they would cost the same here as in Dubai if not less. We did the mistake of shipping all our appliances here(washing m/c, refrigerator and dishwasher) and we didn't require it as most flats here come furnished with white goods at least. I need to get rid of them now so if anyone reading this needs some appliances...contact me now!

Getting your 3 year old in a pre-school shouldn't be a problem. My son is nearing 2 now and there are plenty of playgroups and other things here to keep him occupied. Alright, I hope this helps. Good luck with your move.

[dubaiexpat1]

Hi dxbtohk,

Thanks for the reply. I am writing because I really need some info. Let me give you some background info. My husband’s company is starting an office in HK and my husband is being send there as the country head. The salary package has not been discussed yet, which is the area we require maximum help. What kind of package should we ask for? We were thinking of asking for house, medical insurance, air tickets and child’s education allowance. If they agree to this what salary would allow a reasonably comfortable life and also help us to save something (Rs. 50,000 to one lakh a month).
Even otherwise what would be a salary that allows the above requirement if the company doesn’t pay some of these allowances.
Any info you can give us on these would be greatly appreciated. I realize that you are also new there but having lived in Dubai you probably have an idea of our apprehensions. You can tell us what your experience has been with the above issues.

Thanks
dubaiexpat

[Sino Defender]

Hi,
My husband is being send to HK by his company from Dubai. We are Indians and would like to know if there are any Schools following the Indian curriculum in HK. Also about the churches in HK. Is there an Indian population esp mlayali population there.
What is the average size and cost of an apartment for rent in HK. What would a 1500 -2000 sq ft apartment costto rent. I am totally confused. HK was somewhere we really never considered moving to.
Is Indian food available there?
Please give info regarding these things.
Thanks
Dubaiexpat1

a 1500-2000 sq ft apartment can only be found in places like the mid levels, repuse bay, southern district of hk island etc given you are not talking about some remote places in nt. the rent ranges from round 50,000 hkd to 100,000+ hkd/month depending on the general quality.

[KnowItAll]

Sino -- you're about a year late with the response.