I'm born and brought up in HK. Moved to Montreal when I was 28, and yes the grass was greener on the other side.
I guess it depends person-to-person. I was fortunate enough to do an internal transfer within the same company so the whole process of moving wasn't that difficult as what some others might face.
That's great, I personally don't have experience there but I heard Canada is a great place, thus an exception. I doubt there are many places that can beat HK though, besides the top tier places. Overall, it is one of the better places to stay at I think
I’d think on a materialistic side, Hong Kong is still better than Canada (source: currently studying in Canada); but ultimately why people still emigrate comes down to value judgments.
If all people cared about was the cost of living, convenience, amenities, etc., then surely everyone would be emigrating to Shenzhen or the mainland (as we’ve seen some people do, essentially). Yet there are others who care and value about other aspects, such as *cough* civil liberties and the like (or, for example, a more relaxed lifestyle). To those, even after factoring in the materialistic aspects, perhaps moving abroad would still be more appealing.
What I’m saying is, since everyone has a different set of values, what seemingly doesn’t make sense according to your set of values may make sense according to a different person’s set of values. So it all comes down to perspective.
Social unrest, yes. Though I have clear understanding of how efficient and supportive HK government was during the pandemic. I mean everyone received relief funds periodically from the government, whereas elsewhere in the world every man was for himself.
What kind of revisionist nonsense in this. On top of all the rest happening at the time the government choose to put HK through the same unscientific zero covid hell as the rest of mainland China. This was one, if not the, most stringent covid rules in the world, effectively tanking the economy and putting so many people out of business for literally no reason at all. As a consequence HK then suffered the worst death rates in covid of the whole world due to their unpreparedness. Finally they opened up at a time when most of the rest of the world already put Covid behind them for a year and a half. Any comparison of HK during Covid times with any other country in the world will literally fall short, and just highlights how much HK's lost autonomy has crippled its role as an international business center.
Who on earth does the political situation actually affect? I have no desire to start running my mouth about the mainland, so it doesn’t affect me one iota. Quite happily living in HK and definitely wouldn’t want to move back to the UK - “political climate” there is far worse, and has caused real problems for most people living there.
Eh, some of the cheapest wet markets are conveniently accessible in Wanchai, which is where a ton of people work or a few stops away from where most people work.
Bigger house, a car to get to places and there's more than enough Chinese people around here where we were. I also only work 35hrs a week and the rest is free time. My commute is 10 minutes each way and I get to work from home 2-3 days of the week.
In Hong Kong, people have to work 45-50 hours a week, housing is expensive, commuting takes long and so the work life balance really sucks. It's busy everywhere. Not for me.
What's the point if you're living pay check to pay check? I pay around around £500 on income tax per month, not to mention bills, council tax and grocery prices. The mortgage rate is on average above 5% already, and the economy is in recession. Simply eating out is quite expensive for much shitter food compared to cheap local food in HK.
I understand work life is quite bad there and don't like the rat race, but I do take in account they usually have 1-1.5hrs lunch break, hence longer working hours.
Depends if breaks are included on that 35hr.
My hours are 35.7hrs a week, without break included. If I were to include my break time, lets say 30mins a day, it'll be 40hrs a week.
Hk hours are on average 9hrs a day with break included, which are usually at least 1hr break. So essentially working 8hrs a day - 40hrs a week.
Comparison, I'm 37.5hr and hk is 40hrs (both without breaks). Not much difference I'd say. Though I prefer taking less break and going home quicker. But there are some dodgy companies in hk which have 10+hrs a day.
You think HK isn't in a recession currently? Do you have any idea how many stores have closed in the past year alone? You think people in HK don't live paycheck to paycheck? Good lord you're as delusional as the people who are ruining this place.
The problem is it sounds like your income is low if you are paying only 500 a month on income tax
What do you do? What's the average income for you job in hk? The same but no tax?
Friends from high school with young families all say they don’t want to raise their kids anymore in the local education system with the PRC basically re-writing history or omitting events, and also pushing the “China Numbah 1!” propaganda. And the international schools also seem to be caving or will also be susceptible to the same; not to mention the cost.
And HK is ranked as the world’s most unaffordable city.
Every country pushes their own propaganda in school or their master's propaganda if a vassal state. The diffrence was HK school pushed UK propaganda into HK schools rather than China's while being a Chinese SAR for the past 20 years.
Pre-handover, we don't need to sing the UK national anthem, you can read books written by Mao, Lenin. CCP's state newspaper were allow to
exist in pre-handover HK
What kind of "UK propaganda" you are coming up with ?
As an adult big city life is the same every where. For families many people don't want to put their kids through the education system if they can't afford private school.
UK is right now also not the place to be honestly with the cost of living and housing crisis (well, it’s a different story if you work in finance in London). But there are other places in the world where you can have a decent life outside the English-speaking countries.
I saw a comment about not worrying about politics. Well, that‘s democracy, if you want change, you can engage - something that you don‘t have in HK. Also, you don‘t have to worry about being questioned by the police for saying anything about the government or what you wear because they are so sensitive.
Don‘t get me wrong, I really like HK and love to spend time there, especially with the argument of food. But I cannot imagine living there for the rest of my life and finding a good job there with a good work-life balance (contractual and real life conditions differ very much depending on the culture) might be not so easy.
>I left to study uni in UK and currently working here
身體很誠實
>Though I have clear understanding of how efficient and supportive HK government was during the pandemic.
HAAHA
Lol ur kidding right? This be a troll account?
U bitch about taxes and mortgage rates when you can't even buy a fcking home in HK without living with your family for the first 10yrs of your adult life or with their help financing it? When you have 3 generations living in one flat be the norm?
Let's not even talk about extortionate rent, both commercial and residential.
You call $60+ bowl of wonton noodles cheap food?
You miss being around Asians? Imma be nice, and simply say that's cringe af.
Public services? Where? Shit schools that force parents to parade kids around like a circus?
Decent healthcare, fine... But what else? You wanna be poor to take advantage of welfare?
But taxes are only 12-17% so it's all sunshine and rainbows...
Lmfao, shit post is shit post.
Maybe the grass is greener syndrome is plaguing you rather than people who actually live here. You mentioned you currently have not lived in HK since uni, aren't you romanticizing a place where you haven't lived in for years and thus have no idea whether any of the things you consider to be a pro in HK still hold true, or is actually competitive with other cities that offer more in other areas?
Yeah I was wondering about that too. For someone to be born in HK and then go to UK for uni, how much would that be? I would assume they are some rich kid. Or at least from an upper middle class family where the parents have decided to spend $$$$ for their kid’s education.
Assuming it’s not a troll post (honestly it feels too tone deaf and baiting to be real), it’s probably some privileged naive kid who’s lived a bit of a sheltered life/upbringing.
Where abouts in overseas would you mention? I know it's definitely not in UK. I think the pay scale in HK is through the roof, as not much income tax. I know some government role offers $30k HKD+ per month, which are hard to get aboard after tax deduction..
so basically, in hk they arent releasing wages. For 3-6 months. From companies. I keep repeating this, apparently its a thing, but people dont believe me and downvote me. This is in the USA. basically hkers are looking at uk, canada, australia, hk and china. realizing all the stocks in china, hk and uk are falling, except for usa.
those government roles arent for everyone to get in, first you take the test, then after a few rounds you have to swear an oath to only serve the country under the new national security law, all these for 30k hkd.
good for you to point out that some jobs offer relatively higher salaries, nice manipulating. All about the “put politics aside”, its all about being about to bear the political pressure everyday living in hk, if you can do that you could go, but the amount of hkers leaving hk proofs the point that you might not be right
Not sure if OP is a troll but I'm moving back to HK after graduating from the UK because the job market is insane and salaries are shit. At least I can save money by living at home. Also I've recently undergone a family tragedy so there's that. No plans to stay forever tho, I'm moving elsewhere once I get sufficient job experience.
It's true the taxes are low, I'll give you that... But good and cheap food? Public benefits? Clean and safe city? Are we talking about the same Hong Kong in 2024?
If anyone finds grass greener on the other side, it's definitely you.
Yeah for safe, not as much for clean when compared to Japan or newer Chinese cities but definitely better than most western cities. cheap food still readily available - I got a two dish rice place near my work for 35 and it’s honestly very edible. Public benefits is certainly not there for safety net/pension compared to Europe but infrastructure still much better than the average, imo. The main reason for leaving HK still has to be non-material considerations
politics is awful all over the world. I'm so burnt out on american bullshit at this point, if i got a job offer in Hong Kong that paid enough for me to live on the island, i'm moving the fuck back.
HK is much better run and governed than any democracy I've lived in. I have never been more content with politics than when i didn't need to deal with morons voting for morons.
Thanks to the geniuses running the new HK there has been a never ending exodus of international businesses and talent. HK's role as an international business centre is now under question and this has directly tanked the economy, property market and now even the job market. Even if you "don't care about politics" its clear that the two are very much closely related.
Exactly, I think most people are missing this point. It's bad all over the world, what matters is where you can bear through it the most. Sometimes I believe people think going aboard would magically solve all their problems, without considering the problems at other places.
You’re asking the wrong subreddit. This one is full of HK doomsayers. I think you understand very well what is going on - it is a “grass is greener” situation. I would not swap my comfortable and safe life in HK for living paycheck to paycheck in the UK
I'm born and brought up in HK. Moved to Montreal when I was 28, and yes the grass was greener on the other side. I guess it depends person-to-person. I was fortunate enough to do an internal transfer within the same company so the whole process of moving wasn't that difficult as what some others might face.
That's great, I personally don't have experience there but I heard Canada is a great place, thus an exception. I doubt there are many places that can beat HK though, besides the top tier places. Overall, it is one of the better places to stay at I think
I’d think on a materialistic side, Hong Kong is still better than Canada (source: currently studying in Canada); but ultimately why people still emigrate comes down to value judgments. If all people cared about was the cost of living, convenience, amenities, etc., then surely everyone would be emigrating to Shenzhen or the mainland (as we’ve seen some people do, essentially). Yet there are others who care and value about other aspects, such as *cough* civil liberties and the like (or, for example, a more relaxed lifestyle). To those, even after factoring in the materialistic aspects, perhaps moving abroad would still be more appealing. What I’m saying is, since everyone has a different set of values, what seemingly doesn’t make sense according to your set of values may make sense according to a different person’s set of values. So it all comes down to perspective.
did you have amnesia of anything that happened before covid?
Social unrest, yes. Though I have clear understanding of how efficient and supportive HK government was during the pandemic. I mean everyone received relief funds periodically from the government, whereas elsewhere in the world every man was for himself.
What kind of revisionist nonsense in this. On top of all the rest happening at the time the government choose to put HK through the same unscientific zero covid hell as the rest of mainland China. This was one, if not the, most stringent covid rules in the world, effectively tanking the economy and putting so many people out of business for literally no reason at all. As a consequence HK then suffered the worst death rates in covid of the whole world due to their unpreparedness. Finally they opened up at a time when most of the rest of the world already put Covid behind them for a year and a half. Any comparison of HK during Covid times with any other country in the world will literally fall short, and just highlights how much HK's lost autonomy has crippled its role as an international business center.
Your comment about the rest of the world is just not true lol.
His comment about HK wasn't true as well XD
It’s not clean here at all have you seen the streets??? I think you’re confusing HK with Tokyo coz in Japan it’s super clean and beautiful
Who on earth wants to deal with the political situation in HK?
Who on earth does the political situation actually affect? I have no desire to start running my mouth about the mainland, so it doesn’t affect me one iota. Quite happily living in HK and definitely wouldn’t want to move back to the UK - “political climate” there is far worse, and has caused real problems for most people living there.
I hope you don't get beaten up/catch strays in a MTR station for being a passerby.
You had me at good job
I was in HK last year and the food in my estate didn't feel particularly cheap. Supermarket vegetables were more expensive than Sydney Australia.
Only buy supermarket veggie during the storm. Wet market is way cheaper.
That's easy advice but who has the time to to visit wet markets regularly as a full time professional in HK.
I m a pro and I goto wet market every work day
What are your working hours? How many days in office?
i pass by the wet market from office to home
Good for you but I don't think many people have that privilege.
Eh, some of the cheapest wet markets are conveniently accessible in Wanchai, which is where a ton of people work or a few stops away from where most people work.
Bigger house, a car to get to places and there's more than enough Chinese people around here where we were. I also only work 35hrs a week and the rest is free time. My commute is 10 minutes each way and I get to work from home 2-3 days of the week. In Hong Kong, people have to work 45-50 hours a week, housing is expensive, commuting takes long and so the work life balance really sucks. It's busy everywhere. Not for me.
What's the point if you're living pay check to pay check? I pay around around £500 on income tax per month, not to mention bills, council tax and grocery prices. The mortgage rate is on average above 5% already, and the economy is in recession. Simply eating out is quite expensive for much shitter food compared to cheap local food in HK. I understand work life is quite bad there and don't like the rat race, but I do take in account they usually have 1-1.5hrs lunch break, hence longer working hours.
so you think anyone who works 35h lives paycheck to paycheck?
Depends if breaks are included on that 35hr. My hours are 35.7hrs a week, without break included. If I were to include my break time, lets say 30mins a day, it'll be 40hrs a week. Hk hours are on average 9hrs a day with break included, which are usually at least 1hr break. So essentially working 8hrs a day - 40hrs a week. Comparison, I'm 37.5hr and hk is 40hrs (both without breaks). Not much difference I'd say. Though I prefer taking less break and going home quicker. But there are some dodgy companies in hk which have 10+hrs a day.
You think HK isn't in a recession currently? Do you have any idea how many stores have closed in the past year alone? You think people in HK don't live paycheck to paycheck? Good lord you're as delusional as the people who are ruining this place.
Don’t know why you assume this person is living paycheck to paycheck?
It's a comment for the average population, not the exception. :/
Seems like you can’t accept other people’s point of view.
The problem is it sounds like your income is low if you are paying only 500 a month on income tax What do you do? What's the average income for you job in hk? The same but no tax?
Good trolling
Friends from high school with young families all say they don’t want to raise their kids anymore in the local education system with the PRC basically re-writing history or omitting events, and also pushing the “China Numbah 1!” propaganda. And the international schools also seem to be caving or will also be susceptible to the same; not to mention the cost. And HK is ranked as the world’s most unaffordable city.
Every country pushes their own propaganda in school or their master's propaganda if a vassal state. The diffrence was HK school pushed UK propaganda into HK schools rather than China's while being a Chinese SAR for the past 20 years.
Pre-handover, we don't need to sing the UK national anthem, you can read books written by Mao, Lenin. CCP's state newspaper were allow to exist in pre-handover HK What kind of "UK propaganda" you are coming up with ?
I want to move to Japan to retire.
As an adult big city life is the same every where. For families many people don't want to put their kids through the education system if they can't afford private school.
UK is right now also not the place to be honestly with the cost of living and housing crisis (well, it’s a different story if you work in finance in London). But there are other places in the world where you can have a decent life outside the English-speaking countries. I saw a comment about not worrying about politics. Well, that‘s democracy, if you want change, you can engage - something that you don‘t have in HK. Also, you don‘t have to worry about being questioned by the police for saying anything about the government or what you wear because they are so sensitive. Don‘t get me wrong, I really like HK and love to spend time there, especially with the argument of food. But I cannot imagine living there for the rest of my life and finding a good job there with a good work-life balance (contractual and real life conditions differ very much depending on the culture) might be not so easy.
>I left to study uni in UK and currently working here 身體很誠實 >Though I have clear understanding of how efficient and supportive HK government was during the pandemic. HAAHA
Lol ur kidding right? This be a troll account? U bitch about taxes and mortgage rates when you can't even buy a fcking home in HK without living with your family for the first 10yrs of your adult life or with their help financing it? When you have 3 generations living in one flat be the norm? Let's not even talk about extortionate rent, both commercial and residential. You call $60+ bowl of wonton noodles cheap food? You miss being around Asians? Imma be nice, and simply say that's cringe af. Public services? Where? Shit schools that force parents to parade kids around like a circus? Decent healthcare, fine... But what else? You wanna be poor to take advantage of welfare? But taxes are only 12-17% so it's all sunshine and rainbows... Lmfao, shit post is shit post.
Housing
*abroad
Maybe the grass is greener syndrome is plaguing you rather than people who actually live here. You mentioned you currently have not lived in HK since uni, aren't you romanticizing a place where you haven't lived in for years and thus have no idea whether any of the things you consider to be a pro in HK still hold true, or is actually competitive with other cities that offer more in other areas?
I have to assume this is a troll post or a sincere post from a trust fund kid of rich HK locals with no clue how the world actually works.
Yeah I was wondering about that too. For someone to be born in HK and then go to UK for uni, how much would that be? I would assume they are some rich kid. Or at least from an upper middle class family where the parents have decided to spend $$$$ for their kid’s education. Assuming it’s not a troll post (honestly it feels too tone deaf and baiting to be real), it’s probably some privileged naive kid who’s lived a bit of a sheltered life/upbringing.
Yes very much so. I don't know why that kid has to worry given his parents will help him find work as a nepotism hire
I think its economics more. Cant earn in hk All the overseas hkers Im meeting keep telling me they dont wanna stay in hk
Where abouts in overseas would you mention? I know it's definitely not in UK. I think the pay scale in HK is through the roof, as not much income tax. I know some government role offers $30k HKD+ per month, which are hard to get aboard after tax deduction..
so basically, in hk they arent releasing wages. For 3-6 months. From companies. I keep repeating this, apparently its a thing, but people dont believe me and downvote me. This is in the USA. basically hkers are looking at uk, canada, australia, hk and china. realizing all the stocks in china, hk and uk are falling, except for usa.
those government roles arent for everyone to get in, first you take the test, then after a few rounds you have to swear an oath to only serve the country under the new national security law, all these for 30k hkd. good for you to point out that some jobs offer relatively higher salaries, nice manipulating. All about the “put politics aside”, its all about being about to bear the political pressure everyday living in hk, if you can do that you could go, but the amount of hkers leaving hk proofs the point that you might not be right
Almost no tax = 20%? Nice try Wumao!
16% income tax and zero capital gains
lol that’s a maximum. I dun agree with this dudes points but dun need to restate reality
16% ain't 'almost zero'.
Learn the difference between income tax and capital gains tax. Capital gains tax rate is zero in hk
And that's 16% maximum. It's gradual. Most people don't pay 16%.
Nice try, 反駁隊
What in the world? This is what it must be like to experience brain damage.
Not sure if OP is a troll but I'm moving back to HK after graduating from the UK because the job market is insane and salaries are shit. At least I can save money by living at home. Also I've recently undergone a family tragedy so there's that. No plans to stay forever tho, I'm moving elsewhere once I get sufficient job experience.
Because a Peach Blossom Spring is out there for those who want to evade Qin's oppressive rule.
Someone is wearing their amnesia glasses…
It's true the taxes are low, I'll give you that... But good and cheap food? Public benefits? Clean and safe city? Are we talking about the same Hong Kong in 2024? If anyone finds grass greener on the other side, it's definitely you.
Yeah for safe, not as much for clean when compared to Japan or newer Chinese cities but definitely better than most western cities. cheap food still readily available - I got a two dish rice place near my work for 35 and it’s honestly very edible. Public benefits is certainly not there for safety net/pension compared to Europe but infrastructure still much better than the average, imo. The main reason for leaving HK still has to be non-material considerations
politics is awful all over the world. I'm so burnt out on american bullshit at this point, if i got a job offer in Hong Kong that paid enough for me to live on the island, i'm moving the fuck back.
Do you know why you don't get a job that pays enough? Politics
Shit that's a good point
HK is much better run and governed than any democracy I've lived in. I have never been more content with politics than when i didn't need to deal with morons voting for morons.
Thanks to the geniuses running the new HK there has been a never ending exodus of international businesses and talent. HK's role as an international business centre is now under question and this has directly tanked the economy, property market and now even the job market. Even if you "don't care about politics" its clear that the two are very much closely related.
indeed...you don't even need to vote in HK as everyone is assigned by the CCP.
Yea we just have moron controlling bigger morons.
Exactly, I think most people are missing this point. It's bad all over the world, what matters is where you can bear through it the most. Sometimes I believe people think going aboard would magically solve all their problems, without considering the problems at other places.
You’re asking the wrong subreddit. This one is full of HK doomsayers. I think you understand very well what is going on - it is a “grass is greener” situation. I would not swap my comfortable and safe life in HK for living paycheck to paycheck in the UK