# Is 40K per month decent in HK?



## dheerajs

Hi, am an indian, earning 100K Rupees per month(which is a kind of high range of salary here)..which is good enough to live my life and i also save a decent amout, living in Mumbai. Curious to know how much is 40K HKD in hongkong...do people consider it a low salary or a decent to high range of salary?

Thanks


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## JWilliamson

It aint the lowest. Many get by with 15,000. I am not saying they get by well with 15,000 but they get by. You can find a nice flat for 12,000 a month. Electricity will be like 800 a month. internet is very low so no worries there. Food well depends say you go to a fast food indian restaurant it will be 30 a meal or a nice Indian restaurant will be 60. JW


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## dheerajs

JWilliamson said:


> It aint the lowest. Many get by with 15,000. I am not saying they get by well with 15,000 but they get by. You can find a nice flat for 12,000 a month. Electricity will be like 800 a month. internet is very low so no worries there. Food well depends say you go to a fast food indian restaurant it will be 30 a meal or a nice Indian restaurant will be 60. JW


Thanks JW.
So assuming 12000 pm towards flat rent and 5000 for food and 3000 for electricity, internet and other bills???, so in all 20K is good enough for months expenditure.??.so i would be having 20K to spend on my life style or on savings.,


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## dunmovin

dheerajs said:


> Hi, am an indian, earning 100K Rupees per month(which is a kind of high range of salary here)..which is good enough to live my life and i also save a decent amout, living in Mumbai. Curious to know how much is 40K HKD in hongkong...do people consider it a low salary or a decent to high range of salary?
> 
> Thanks


NO... 40K hk$ would barely cover a decent rental and living expenses, You are looking at 20k- 30k hkd for a 700 sq ft flat per month. 40K hkd+ benefts+ housing+ medica insurance.................. look at the whole package that is being offered


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## dheerajs

dunmovin said:


> NO... 40K hk$ would barely cover a decent rental and living expenses, You are looking at 20k- 30k hkd for a 700 sq ft flat per month. 40K hkd+ benefts+ housing+ medica insurance........... ....... look at the whole package that is being offered


thanks for your reply..
medical insurance and other benefits would be there but no housing and as you said 60-70% of mothly my salary, i would be allocating to my housing expenses then i dont think its worth moving to HK. i will have to re-re-rethink. I havnt acceped it yet and i have enough time to take a decision. so will need all of yours help in this. Thanks again.


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## dunmovin

dheerajs said:


> thanks for your reply..
> medical insurance and other benefits would be there but no housing and as you said 60-70% of mothly my salary, i would be allocating to my housing expenses then i dont think its worth moving to HK. i will have to re-re-rethink. I havnt acceped it yet and i have enough time to take a decision. so will need all of yours help in this. Thanks again.


They want you.... they will pay... ask for a housing allowance. Rental in HK is a MAJOR expense. I've been out of HK for two years now, but 20,000 to 30,000 HK$ pm is not unreasonable to ask for for housing


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## JWilliamson

I am living in Hong Kong and i work with many high payed sales men and they are living in some nice flats for 12,000 in North Point and causeway bay. JW


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## cerealjoe

dheerajs said:


> Hi, am an indian, earning 100K Rupees per month(which is a kind of high range of salary here)..which is good enough to live my life and i also save a decent amout, living in Mumbai. Curious to know how much is 40K HKD in hongkong...do people consider it a low salary or a decent to high range of salary?
> 
> Thanks


Hi. I think it is in the middle range. It is a good to earn that amount whereas some of the people who has the lowest rate has only earning 4,000 to 5,000 HKD per month.


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## JWilliamson

North Point flat over 750 square feet for 12,000. JW


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## dunmovin

JWilliamson said:


> North Point flat over 750 square feet for 12,000. JW


t he bottom of the market must have dropped even further than when we left. 700 sq ft in Yau Yat Tsuen (near festival walk) was 26,500HK$


For 24,000HK$ we got a village house in Clearwaterbay (3 floors x700 sq ft, roof terrace, 600sq ft garden and two carparking spaces)


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## JWilliamson

Thats a completely different location. I have seen mansions around there. His flat at North Point is real nice all redone. I on the other hand have a 500 sq foot place. Wooden floors, 2 bed rooms, bath, kitchen, living room and dinning room for 8,000 but its far from the MTR and in kwun ong which is the old district where 95% dont speak English. JW


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## dunmovin

JWilliamson said:


> Thats a completely different location. I have seen mansions around there. His flat at North Point is real nice all redone. I on the other hand have a 500 sq foot place. Wooden floors, 2 bed rooms, bath, kitchen, living room and dinning room for 8,000 but its far from the MTR and in kwun ong which is the old district where 95% dont speak English. JW


JW, did you mean kwun tong? If so, I have to be honest, there is no way in Hell you could get me to live there, regardless of how cheap the rental is. I worked in Kwun tong for many years and really disliked the area


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## JWilliamson

I totally agree with you. KT is the ghetto! I never said it was good and i never implied i had money. JW


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## MichaelS

dheerajs said:


> Hi, am an indian, earning 100K Rupees per month(which is a kind of high range of salary here)..which is good enough to live my life and i also save a decent amout, living in Mumbai. Curious to know how much is 40K HKD in hongkong...do people consider it a low salary or a decent to high range of salary?


I know a lot of foreigners come to Hong Kong as banking execs or something, and expect giant houses on the hill, but I just wanted to point out that the average person in HK makes about $20,000 per month, so at 40K you are making twice the local average, which is usually considered pretty good.

Obviously HK is an expensive city, but other than rent, I think it compares favorably to most other big cities due to the incredibly low taxes and costs of goods (especially compared to my current country of France). But as all things in life, it depends on what your expectations are.


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## ivecoian7

*Depends what youre used to*

Hi,

We earn 40K between us, rent a lush 3 bedroom appt for 6,000, spend no where near 800 pm on electric and live well and save.

We live on an island so life is more relaxing, quieter and cheaper.

Happy Days.


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## JWilliamson

Island? Hong Kong island or the other islands? Sounds great so inexpensive and the electricity so low. I heard of people who live farther away from the city but i was not aware of that happening 30 mins from my work. JW


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## ronblack

You'd be able to live comfortably. Tax rates are so low here anyways.


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## Priscilla311

HK$40K is enough for living in HK. Local will not get this pay. Average pay is ard 15,000. Only the foreigner get more than 40k. So it is reasonable to live in HK. I live in Hk more than 5 years. Food are cheap, clothing are cheap too. But u must know where to get.


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## JWilliamson

What food is cheap? You mean the street food? What clothes are cheap and what prices are you comparing it to? Nothing is cheap in Hong Kong except maybe cell phone charges. JW


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## Priscilla311

Hi Jwilliamson,

nice to know u! Not street food. may u can find good and cheap food. I always buy food fm Jasons supermarket. You know Jasons supermarket, They sell many foreign imported food. My clothing from Marks and spencer, Are they cheap and low quality stuff? I think is not. You must explore hk. You can get cheap stuff. I live there almost 5 years. Things are cheaper in especially Marks and spencer. The price is cheap compare to Singapore. U shd find out.


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## MichaelS

JWilliamson said:


> What food is cheap? You mean the street food? What clothes are cheap and what prices are you comparing it to? Nothing is cheap in Hong Kong except maybe cell phone charges. JW


Are you comparing prices to US discount stores? I had a friend from Australia who used to think it was a really cheap place for shopping until she went to a Wal-Mart in the USA and was absolutely astounded at how cheap things are.

I think in general you will be hard-pressed to find a cheaper place to shop or eat than the USA, particularly outside the big east coast and west coast cities were cheaper rents keep prices lower. 

Last time I was in HK I was able to eat at good local restaurants (not street food) for 50-100 HKD per person. Here in Lyon, France a decent local restaurants start at 150-200 HKD per person and 250-300 is the starting price for good restaurants. Prices in Paris, or Amsterdam, or London, or pretty much any big city in Europe are even more. Compared to these, or say Tokyo, Seoul, Singapore, etc. HK is cheap. 

I know it's not the best restaurant for comparison, but an extra value meal at McDonald's is 25 HKD in HK and 60 HKD here in France. (I don't like McDonald's, it is just the only restaurant that I could think of that is in both France and HK)

When I go to HK I usually buy clothes because they are cheaper than here in France. Shoes are about the same, and luxury good (particularly French brands like Louis Vuitton) are the only goods that are cheaper here. For "cheap" items like t-shirts, belts, hats that you can buy in the street markets, HK is 1/4th the price (granted, for some items you definitely get what you pay for). Food and restaurants are definitely cheaper. 

I think HK is considerably cheaper than most places I have lived, but I have never shopped for big items in HK, as I have always stayed with relatives when in town, and never had my own place.


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## JWilliamson

*Hello P*



Priscilla311 said:


> Hi Jwilliamson,
> 
> nice to know u! Not street food. may u can find good and cheap food. I always buy food fm Jasons supermarket. You know Jasons supermarket, They sell many foreign imported food. My clothing from Marks and spencer, Are they cheap and low quality stuff? I think is not. You must explore hk. You can get cheap stuff. I live there almost 5 years. Things are cheaper in especially Marks and spencer. The price is cheap compare to Singapore. U shd find out.


Yes M&S has some nice stuff but cheap it aint well especially compared to USA. The shirts they sell are like 200 HK for a t-shirt that in USA will cost 90 HK. Another issue is the size im 6 feet 2 inches and i need xl or xxl which are hard to find. JW


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## marygervino

it's a pretty high salary. not bad!


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## ljon246

I'd say that 40K is not a low amount at all. It is if you are an expat with a family and need to get a 3 bedroom apartment, but on your own, you could easily live on 40K a month. Most locals get by with less than that but we are all expats right? I think you will find that if you are willing to look around and live on a budget, Hong Kong could be much more affordable than what most expats believe.


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## rajverma22

*Moving to Hong kong with HK $50K per month*

Hi,

My wife and I will be moving to HK in January. I will be on a work visa from my company and my wife will have a dependents visa. 

My package gives me 50k HK$ per month($6ooooo HKK annually before tax). We're looking to rent a 1 or 2 bed flat in the mid levels or causeway bay areas. Is this feasible? We've seen prices varying from 5000 -10000 for 1 bed flat and 8000 to 20000 for 2 bed flat , can anyone advise what is a realistic figure?

1. In 50k HK how much i can save per month while living a decent life style?
2. Can we get some good Indian restaurants and India stores in Hong Kong?
3. how about Hong Kong safety point of view?
4. I found lots of articles about the Hong kong life style, expenses and cost of living etc..can anyone give me bit realistic figure on the same?

Also, my wife will want to work, can she work in her visa? Also what opportunities are there for an engineer who doesn't speak mandarin?

Thanks in advance. 

Rajeev


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## JWilliamson

The areas in Hong Kong can go from 8,000 to as high as you like. For 20,000 you can find some real nice apartments so no worries. Hong Kong has many nice Indian restuarants but sadly no buffets. Yes everything costs more in Hong kong compared to Miami or Orlando Florida (USA). HK is safe. JW


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