Originally Posted by
Dingleberry Handpump
The difference is, in HK, you have absolutely zero desire to stay cooped-up in your crap apartment. This costs money. Also, kids cost an exorbitant amount in HK. Schooling is huge when you factor books, transport, extra-curriculars etc..
I’m not sure (nor am I concerned) what you class as a normal upbringing for a child, or standard of home life you would accept. I want my family to enjoy the things they would back home.
If I was home, I’d be living in a nice house with space, a garden, a garage etc. Complete apples to oranges. Schooling is free. Healthcare is trustworthy. Kids have space to play outside. They don’t need to live permanently on a phone screen (don’t get me started). My wife’s yoga/pilates monthly subscription would be the price of one session in HK. My groceries would be a third of the price, and far better. I don’t need to escape the country for some peace & quiet. I don’t need to maximise my time out of the house.
Even ‘nice’ properties in HK are atrocious. Look at the standard of the fixtures, tiling, plumbing, flooring… The standard of everything in my very ‘normal’ house back home is higher in every single regard. All for the price of a HK nano-flat.
HKers seem to have become accustomed to poor quality as a theme. Be that groceries, accommodation, children’s upbringings, air…
It isn’t worth it for me anymore. It will do for now because my options are limited. However, I’ll have a far better life on a 50% pay cut back home, so that is what I’ll be doing at the first opportunity. Nothing personal and no hard feelings. I enjoyed my time in HK pre-Covid. The pros outweighed the cons. Now it isn’t close. The company seem fairly content with this too, so win-win.
You are so right , but some people just dont see it. At present a top level Captain basic salary after tax including housing at HKE is about 65 K HKD. Now if anybody can say that one can live nice on that I don't know anymore !!!