Cost of Housing

There is one immutable fact about living in Hong Kong... the shortage of space. It's one of the most densely populated places in the World and naturally, this is reflected in the very high price of land. As a result, the majority of people live in apartment buildings and many rely on housing societies and government lead schemes to organize housing issues.

The vast majority will be living in ordinary apartments in ordinary parts of the city, including many expatriates. Only the very wealthy and highly paid can afford to live in the most prestigious parts of town, such as the better parts of the Mid-Levels and the hillside complexes that overlook the sea and Victoria Harbour, with many executive apartments costing even more than those in Tokyo. A three bedroom apartment in a high end expat ghetto will cost you many thousands of Dollars every month.

Exacerbating this is the large number of people needing to live in close proximity to the business and finance districts, who prefer the low maintenance and convenience of a self contained apartment nearby.

If your employer is taking care of your housing costs, or paying you a handsome housing allowance, this will not be too much of a problem but for those paying all of their own costs, some careful planning may be required to find the right place at the right price. Certainly, you'll be making use of a good agent to help you.

If you're prepared to live outside the normal expat areas, you will substantially reduce your costs and prices come down to a much more reasonable level, more in line with what you may be used to. It's possible to get a reasonable one or two bedroom apartment for under 1000 US Dollars per month but a lot will depend on quality, location and how far you are prepared to commute.