So I've been offered a job in HK which pays about $110k HKD per month. Is this enough for a guy, his wife and a one year old sprog? We'd like live in a more suburban environment, perhaps near a beach within commutable distance from my office (Wan Chai).

Also, how easy would it be for my wife to either get a job as an art teacher, or share studio space to make ceramics (or get her own studio)?

I realise my company would provide sponsorship for my employment visa, but how about my wife? Would she need sponsorship and how easy would that be to obtain?

Oh, and pets. I would imagine bringing two cats along would be virtually impossible or they would have to be subjected to decades of quarantine?

Thanks for your help in replying to some real basic questions.

[vmlinuz]

For HK$110 per month, you can live like a king and queen, waited on hand and food every minute of the day!

Okay, maybe a slight exaggeration, but that is many times over the average family wage here. You would be able to get a very nice place to live in any but the most expensive and exclusive neighbourhoods in town for little more than $50k per month, including a live-in, permanent maid/nanny/housekeeper.

I can't comment on how easy it would be for your wife to find work, but I can tell you that under the current rules, if you have a sponsored employment visa, your wife does not need one - or to put it another way, she can get one just by asking, as your dependent. In effect, she would be included on your visa automatically. Not a problem.

Don't know about the pets, and you don't say where you're coming from, but a quick look at the appropriate government website says that you need to apply for a permit in advance, but:

Dogs and cats imported direct from U.K., Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Hawaii are normally exempted from quarantine, subject to full compliance with the permit conditions.

and

Dogs and cats imported from the following 40 countries/places may be exempted from quarantine provided the animals comply fully with the permit conditions.

with a table listing most of the rest of the 'western' world.

In other words, if your cats are healthy, have their shots - whatever's appropriate - and you can get a vet or two to certify that, it seems there's a good chance you'd be able to get them in without quarantine

Oh, and welcome to the site, and to Hong Kong. If you're getting paid that much, drinks are on you when you get here

[discobay]

Originally Posted by vmlinuz

If you're getting paid that much, drinks are on you when you get here

And all the time you stay here.

[goleoboy]

for 110k / mo, that's over 160k USD / year. that's good even in the U.S. (not sure where you're from). But I think the question of 'is this enough' is relative... if your wife is a shopping addict and you wanna live like donald trump (or lee ka shing i guess...) then it wouldn't be 'enough'. if living like a regular family, it would be more than enough. i guess it's all relative. :-)

[HKChigger]

Originally Posted by goleoboy

for 110k / mo, that's over 160k USD / year. that's good even in the U.S.

Isn't the US Cheaper to live?


Some familes in Hong Kong are living under 10k per month and not living a bad life. Mind you they are in public housing and only paying 2k per month in rent. But, still.....110k is considered upper class pay. So you can live pretty upper class. Depends what kind of place you want, you could either live well or semi well...or live not at all as the others have said. It's all based on how much you love to buy expensive things, if you want one maid or 10 and what kind of mansion/flat you want.

[goleoboy]

it can be cheaper in US. I guess depend on the city... in NY its kinda expensive but LA is much cheaper.

[freeier]

one word : TAX!