Hey All
Crwjerk's fact is correct, and part of my point was to convey to everyone that living accomodations will be much smaller than they are used to, as money for property in HK does not buy the same amount it would in another country - my example of the lower class family in toronto is one instance. It is important for any prospective cadet to understand and realize that this will affect their lifestyles, as having a spacious accomodation maybe important to some, and perhaps less so for others. I only ask that we also understand that the price of property affects everyone and anyone of any profession, including doctors, lawyers, teachers, etc. And to consider what is important to you, The salary for this position is what it is, for some it maybe too low, for some it maybe more than enough depending on which part of the world you are from and what kind of lifestyle you are used, will dictate how you ultimately perceive it.
Simply said, if you want to live in a 1000 sq ft condo, to supporting your spouse and children, with the lifestyle you are used to at home (driving in a sedan everywhere, eating imported foods) it will be hard for an expat SO even with the housing allowance, and unrealistic for cadets without it. The same salary however, will definitely afford you that elsewhere (definitely able in Canada, Thailand is another). This is not to say that the cadet with a family should give up because they wouldn't be able to support their family, but rather to warn candidates from western countries (again particularly Canada, and US) that the standards of living are going to be difficult at the beginning of this career, once again because of the housing allowance. But with the allowance or not, the standards of living simply are not the same, and thus cannot be compared.
My final note with that regards is that Hong Kong is not for everybody, even though there is something for everybody. This has been true even since the A scale existed for pilots, where as for some the money offered by the A scale was enough to offset the the price of leaving home, but others whom value being at home or were not at all attracted to the lifestyle in Hong Kong, then no amount of money would have lured them to make the move.
Make sure you know what you are getting yourself into, money being one factor, but it is not the only factor that affects lifestyle. I've decided to throw in some links as to further understand the real costs of living in Hong Kong. To know if Hong kong is for you or not is important, because the career at cathay is only worth it if it is a career and not a stepping stone.
Some of these links may be useful to provide a look into what you're monthly expenses may be. Once again, good luck to everyone who is pursuing this program, and all the best to those that decide that this is not for them.
All These links can be found with a simply google search (i.e. gym membership cost in HK). The only thing that does not have it's own website are groceries. I don't believe it is possible to understand the culture and setup of street groceries markets other than to actually see them. However park n shop is one of the largest chain supermarkets in HK and offer some insight into the price of food (
http://www1.parknshop.com).
On a funny note with regards to groceries: pork is another meat that is relatively much more expensive than surrounding countries (again Canada, US). It was actually worthwhile when my grandmother would go back to our little town in mainland China to buy a large bag of pork feet (a chinese cuisine) cook and preserve them and bring it back to Hong Kong so she didn't have to pay Hong Kong prices... again just a different standard of living.
Here are just some links to start you off on your way.:
Internet, television, and telecommunications
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<- pccw is one of Hong Kong's largest provider of broadband and telecommunications, there are many many others at competition makes prices cheap. But pccw is a good start to figuring out your monthly tv/internet/phone bill
www.fortress.com.hk
<-fortress is a large chain franchaise for electronic and home appliance products, again there are MANY smaller dealers that you may find cheaper deals. As some apartments may not be furnished, this would be a good site to look into getting started in basic home appliances
To understand a bit more about the utilities and basic services in HK such as gas,electricity,water expatfocus.com has several links:
Hong Kong - Utilities (Electricity, Gas, Water)
and finally here is another excellent post from a internet blogger with regards to living in HK as an expat.
Cost of Living in Hong Kong