Originally posted by WaterbottleS at 18-4-2013 10:09 AM
you bring up the idea expats, now do those guys work the same hours as locals? Are they paid HKD or of their country of origin? At this point I think my friend is done with the idea of making a life i ...
Expats have a reputation as not working as long hours as locals, but for many the hours are still quite long.
Back to the original questions, D'Art gave good responses, but I wanted to add one more point, which is language. If your friend speaks the local Asian language this is a huge help. If not, they will hire local (cheaper).
Regarding housing, yes it is fucking insane. I have friends that are paying almost $2000 USD for a flat that is under 600 sq/ft on the Kowloon side.
Transportation is very efficient and since you probably won't have a car, you save on car payments & insurance which can be quite high in the US.
People told me other things were cheaper in HK, but I think most of those days are gone. McDonalds is cheaper here and if you eat very local, it is pretty cheap, but otherwise I find food as expensive or more than the US, especially if you want to buy imported groceries.
Clothes can be a challenge depending on your size.
Of course, there are other options like Thailand or Taiwan. Neither will pay as good as HK probably, but the cost of living can be significantly lower.