Job Discussion Forums

[The Noodles]

Hi Guys,

Wondering if any of you have had experience living in both and could help make a comparison of costs. I currently reside in SH and am having a real blast here. Life ain't cheap and everyone here says it's getting as expensive as HK. Recently, I've been thinking of making the move to HK to join the Pnet scheme. My understanding is, I'll be able to earn around 38K per month with my qualifications (not including tax). But I'm wondering if I'd be able to live as comfortably in HK as I do here.

To give you a rundown of some general costs:

3100 RMB for a 50 sq meter apartment
50-80 RMB for a semi decent pint of Guiness
25-40 RMB for a bud/Carona
50-100 RMB night club cover charge
200 RMB for decent Italian meal including Antipasto and main like veal shanks and rissoto (per person)
130 RMB for a Cantonese meal e.g. soup of the day x2, one meat dish e.g. roast goose, and a vegetable e.g. fried morning glory , rice x2 (couple)
10-15 RMB for a standard bowl of Shanghainese noodles
16 RMB for one regular avocado
3.8 RMB for 500 grams of satsumas
200 RMB water, gas and electric per month
70 RMB for The Economist

There could be a million other things I could add, but food, living and entertainment seem like the important ones. OR certainly the ones that I spend most of my money on!

I currently earn around 16K per month, take out tax, around 14 K from that, I'm usually able to put a little aside around 500 pounds per month during a good month.

I go to bars usually once or twice a week, eat out in a non chinese restaurant at least once a week. Cook at home sometimes. Usually will try to budget 1000RMB for the whole week, but if I party hard, that number easily doubles.

Anyway, your input would be much appreciated.


Cheers

[RiverMystic]

Hmm, sounds like SH is getting pricey. Housing is the real killer in HK. A typical place might be HK$8000 for 500 sq feet. But it depends where you are looking. You can get much cheaper village houses out in the new territories, but if you are working on the island, that might involve a commute of 45 mins plus each way.

[The Noodles]

Oh my God!

500 sq meters = 46.45 sq meters! For 8000HKD, I'm hoping it's in the city center...? My place is in the French Concession, which is a pretty nice part of town. I did see quite a swanky place today 71 sq meters for 5000 RMB, still way cheaper than HK from the sounds of things.

Shame that HK doesn't have cheap noodles joints As you can probably tell from my name, I have a real fondness for them!

I totally forgot to mention transport, I usually spend about 200 RMB on underground and another 100 (ish) on Taxis.

All of that said and done, I totally understand that HK will be more expensive than the mainland for most thing. Maybe except shopping for branded goods.

It still sounds from what you've said that I could probably live on 2000HKD per week.

That plus 10000HKD for rent (worst case scenario I hope!) would mean I could save more than I do here... I think.

Thanks a lot RiverMystic for all your advice. Any more would be much appreciated!

[free4good]

Of course you can get cheap noodles here in HK. 11HKD place in Sheung Wan. Can choose type of noodle and what you want in there (the lobster balls are good).

[The Noodles]

you just made my day

[dandan]

That's always the problem with these things, in HK there's a huge variety. So while it's certainly possible to pay 30-40 for noodles, 8000 for a 500 ft flat, and 50 - 65 for a beer in an 'expat joint' you certainly don't need to, all can be gotten for considerably less.

[The Noodles]

That's true enough,

and some bars in SH, you can buy a beer for 10 RMB (be it not a particularly strong one!)

Suppose it's all relative, but one thing which does seem to echo from all the replies are that you can or at least are more likely to save more than 500 quid a month.

All that said, I haven't factored in tax or pension which will probably eat away at a fair chunk of that 38K. BUT pension is one of the attractions to the job. ATM, I don't receive any pension and I ain't getting any younger. Compared to a language school on the mainland, the Pnet sounds like a 'real job'.

What is a real job? One that provides:
- a stable income
- a pension scheme
- more than 10-15 days paid vacation
- health coverage
- professional development (if you take a PGDE)
- learners who don't change after 3 months and that you can monitor progress with
- a syllabus
- and opportunity to teach rather than train

[SydGirl2]

If you look on this branch of the forum you will find lots of discussion about the PNET scheme. The process of application/hiring can be a slow painful process. Also, as far as I know, the PNET scheme requires you to have formal teaching qualifications as well as a TESOL certificate. However, if you get a PNET position, the pay is good and depending on your school, the conditions are good too. I haven't been to Shanghai, but Hong Kong is a vibrant colourful city.

[The Noodles]

Hey Sydgirl,

Thanks for the tip. I have already checked the HKED site, that's how I know I fall under category 4, hence the lower end of the pay scale. I've also read on here how long the process is which freaked me out a bit.

I guess I just like the sound of the benefits I mentioned in my previous post. Government run schools rather than private language centers seem a more solid option if you want to develop both professionally and financially. Or maybe the grass is simply greener!

SH is really worth a visit. Also vibrant, but perhaps in a different way to HK.

[sushikurva]

,,,

[LoPresto]

I wouldn't mind kicking back on Lamma Island. Is that where you live? Can you get me a job?

Yunqi

[sushikurva]

,,,

[YAMARI]

Shanghai is cheap unless you go out of your way to spend money. Hk is expensive unless you go out of your way to find cheap prices.

I eat most of my meals in Shanghai for 10 rmb and they taste good. If I want to spend silly money then I have to search for a stupid expat place.

I am in Hk now for a few days and it is the opposite. If I want a cheap meal I have to search for it.

Rent is expensive now in Shanghai as I pay 6ooo for a nice modern two bedroom.

When I fisrt got to Shanghai I stayed in a decent hotel for 158 rmb a night. Try doing that in HK. I like both cities and really like Shekou which is in China close to Hk because I can have cheap good meals there.

[thefuzz]

I think comparing Hong Kong and Shanghai is like comparing apples to oranges. Seriously, HK is a developed modern metropolis like Tokyo, Seoul or Singapore where SH, on the other hand, is a developing city in a developing nation. If you want to have a similar lifestyle to the one you left back home, HK is the place to be. Sure, it's expensive, but so is NYC, Los Angeles or Toronto.

If you're after a more local experience (people spitting on the street, kids peeing on the sidewalk, etc.) SH has all these charms and some more thrown in as well. SH is still learning to be an "international" city whereas HK has been doing it for decades.

I've lived in both, SH and HK, and I much prefer HK. Less stuff gets on my nerves when I'm in HK and the locals seem to be more cultured and actually posses good manners.

Anyway, HK and SH are two different cities with a distinctive flavor and it's really hard to compare both...some stuff might be more expensive in HK, but also a few things are cheaper than in SH.

BTW: If you take into account the bottom of the NET pay scale you're making 30+ K per month...which is not that bad considering that most people in HK earn about 10 to 15 K per month.