Job Discussion Forums

[Smoog]

Well, for my 2c worth, $30k is a decent wage here.
The average wage is only around $10k p/month yet the locals seem to do ok out of it. The TA (teachers assistant) is only getting $8500 /month at one of the schools I teach at. Local teacher salaries start at 16k up to a max of 36k for primary and 42k for secondary. Add another 10 (soon to be 13) on to that for NETS.

I'd say the average pay for NETS would be around 35-40k p/month. I know some teachers in the Aussie international school and they're getting a similar pay. It's only the ESF teachers who are on a really good whack (average annual pay close to 1 million - $80k p/month).

Teaching at a private centre, the average salary would be around 20k, with no allowance. When I first got here I was working at a particuarly horrid one - working 5 1/2 days a week up to 9pm most nights and getting just 23k (I was offered one job at 16k!). Even then I still managed to pay off a large VISA bill (~$60 000HK) and a few other debts in my first 9 months I was here. So it is quite possible to live very cheaply here. I can buy lunch for $10, dinner for $15.

Rent is the only major expense really. Even then it's what you want. I've just moved to Lamma island and am in a new, relatively spacious (for HK) apartment (~550sq ft) with a balcony and view of the harbour for $4500HK p/month. I have friends in Shek O who are paying $25k for slightly larger flats with no views.

Food can be extremely cheap if you don't go to the 'western' places, like CitySuper - a horrendeously over-priced supermarket, though it does have an excellent selection. Also going out drinking in Lan Kwai Fong will set you back several hundred $$ each time. And as I mentioned above, lunch can cost as little as $10 (rice with soya chicken or roast duck) or well over $100 if you decide to frequent a western restaurant.

Likewise, clothing and electronics is cheap if you go to where the locals shop (Mong Kok for clothes, Sham Shui Po for electronices) but not much different to what you're probably paying if you go to where the xpats and their tai tais go.

So it's really up to you how you want to live. I would suggest $10k a month would easily cover all your basic expenses (rent, utilities and lunch), assuming you're flat-sharing (or in a place costing around $5000). That gives you 20k to blow on fripperies and having a good time - which would give you a damn good time!

[shmeagain]

Excellent post and says all that's left to say I guess.

I know we don't get going on the HK forum that much - except if it's about money so maybe I shouldn't ask this as we wouldn't have much more to talk about BUT...

Could the powers that be make this a "sticky" for the HK forum? I think most people coming to HK (outside the NET scheme) are really anxious about the cost of living and this would probably answer all their questions in one go.

What do you guys think?