The cost of living in Hong Kong can be high for expats. Listed second in Mercer’s 2015 Cost of Living report, the Pearl of the Orient has an extremely overinflated property market, which makes finding accommodation an expensive endeavour to start with.

Add to that the fact that most produce and commodities are imported, and one tends to find that the necessities of life are generally more expensive in Hong Kong than in other cities. Nevertheless, high expat salaries tend to offset these costs, and many find their quality of life is higher than it was back home.
 

Housing is the most expensive thing in the region and, depending on their needs, expats can expect a high percentage of their salary to be spent on a small but perfectly formed apartment. The tiny, older Chinese-style apartments will always be more reasonably priced, but may not afford the space that Western expats often like.

Cost of public transport in Hong Kong

Public transport is cheap, clean and reliable. By contrast, owning and maintaining a car in Hong Kong is very expensive. Most people find that they don’t need one if they live centrally and the cost – and risk of bumping into erratic taxi drivers – is not worth it. Taxis are extremely plentiful and cheap.

Cost of education in Hong Kong