Originally Posted by
azhkman
I'll give you my numbers:
Rent: 28k (Tung Chung, new building ~1000 real sq ft)
Schooling: 18.6k (6.2k x 3 kids in one of the local private schools)
Live-in Help: 12.4k (5k x 2 for 2 live-in, 2.4k for one part-time)
Groceries: 10k (spend on average 2.5k week)
Utilities: 4.6k (3k electric, .5k gas, .4k water, .7k internet / TV)
Taxes comes to about 15% of your gross, but you can deduct 132k for your wife (assuming not working), and 100k for each child off your gross income. My wife works so the costs do not impact us as much. But honestly, it is the air that is doing me in. My littlest was at the doctors office 10x last year with 'colds'.
You could probably save some by living in Caribbean Coast, and being judicious with your A/C in the hot months. If your wife does not work, you could save on your helper costs, but you get the .
I don't doubt HK is expensive, BUT: when you add on "helper" costs of 2 live in servants and 1 part time as a normal thing you are comparing apples and potatoes.
In many parts of the world this would be impossible. In HK you have CHEAP servants!
How many BA or Qantas pilots have live in servants at home?