[Veetmarg]

Hello everbody,

I am aware that there are loads of similar threads discussing quality of life in HK depending on your salary, yet many of them are speaking in--for me--very high numbers. I didn't find many threads from people living on a low budget so I would be very grateful for any experience or advice.

I'm 24 year old and have been living in the UK for about 2 years now (I'm not English). I have a bachelor's degree in IT and English, and was recently offered a job in HK as a IT support staff. The whole opportunity sounds exciting and I'm seriously considering accepting the offer. I'm just not sure about the money issue as the offered salary is 10K HKD.

Is it possible to lead a reasonably comfortable existence with this amount of money? I don't mind making compromises, going local, etc., but at the same time I don't want to count every penny. With this salary and after rent, food, travel expenses, will I have some money left for occasional chill out/hobbies (maybe travelling around a bit, attending a martial arts class, going out)?

The company offers lot of tranings, workshops, etc. and there's a good chance for career/salary growth, but still I'm a bit worried about the beginnings.

What would your advice/reaction as experienced Hong Kongers be? All comments and ideas much appreciated. Thank you.

[PDLM]

Unless you somehow have the right to work in HK I don't think your chances are very high of getting an Employment Visa for a HK$10K/month IT support job - there are loads of locals can do that sort of thing.

[prashanthbk]

I think it is not enough. You need atleast about 16-19 K to lead a normal life since ur an expat. The main drain is the rental. It can drain a huge part of the salary. So sugest any where between 16-19 should be ok for a beginner. That too with a lot of budgets..

[jayinhongkong]

if you dont mind living in a tiny apartment, ud be ok....but you would be counting pennies...lol

[tsuiwah]

Why would you want to uproot yourself for $10K a month in Hong Kong. You're better off going to China or Taiwan and teaching English. Wait, you're better off going to Hong Kong and teaching English!

[biddy]

Think that will be a bit difficult for you if the salary is 10k per month unless you have some friends here to share the flat or so. Rental & transportation here is not too cheap here.

[coolgirl]

Even with a shared flat, that would be tough. The types of apartments fitting your budget would be small and old. And partying would be out of the question. Unless you dont want to save anything. And at 10K, you will be counting every penny.

[Feniks]

Think that 10k is really on the edge
I actually wouldn't know how to do it, but then again, haven't been in HK long enough to find the cheap app and restaurants ;-)
My rent alone for the moment is 18k but ok,its a 980sq feet serviced app, but I had to go all the way to goldcoast new territories :s
I think that an english teacher gets about 15 to 18k, so your better of doing that in stead of a stressing IT job ;-)

[geo-seb]

10 K is enough to survive if
1.) You are willing to live in some more remote place. In parts of the New Territories or Outlying Islands you can get 500-600 sf flats for 3000 - 4500 HK$.
2.) You don't have any children.
3.) You don't drink and party a lot.

[andante]

If u are talking abt 10k and living in HK island.. i think its barely possible.

Rent (like wat everyone claimed) is extremely high. but if ur office is in new terrorities & u are looking at renting there, it is do-able. U might wanna surf thru the hk rental sites like gohome.com.hk to have a rough idea of how much rent is.

Food ranges easily from 20hkd to over a couple of hundreds depending on how & where u dine. I spend on an avg 30-40 hkd per meal (normal chinese eateries). that makes ard 3k hkd if u stick to the cheap food everyday, and make ur own sandwiches for breakfast.

Transportation, u can get a gauge from www.citybus.com.hk.. do a rough estimate yourself and see if ur 10k and living standards match... do leave a buffer of 2-3k hkd a mth for emergencies though.

fyi, 10k, from wat i know frm my HK colleagues, is the starting pay for local fresh undergraduates. Honestly if u are looking at using this as a stepping stone (find something else which pays better after you've arrived) it's an opportunity but no harm trying to ask for more!

Gd luck!