u/LMS_F

Hey everyone. There's a good chance my wife and I will be relocating to Hong Kong from Latin America for around two years because of a work opportunity on her side, and I'd love some honest input from people who actually live there before we commit to anything.

Quick context so you know where I'm coming from: I run my own business and can keep working from anywhere, so I'm less interested in what the relocation blogs say and more in what a normal comfortable life actually costs. Since it'd be a fixed couple of years rather than forever, we're mostly focused on living somewhere well located and enjoying it. We've been looking at Kowloon Bay and the areas around it since it seems convenient for us and a bit more down to earth than the Island, but I honestly don't know if that impression holds up.

So, a few things I'm trying to figure out.

On rent: what would a decent 2-bedroom realistically go for in Kowloon Bay or nearby (Kwun Tong, Ngau Tau Kok, San Po Kong, Diamond Hill)? Any spots you'd point us toward or steer us away from if we want something calmer and more residential?

On salary: the package is still being worked out, so I'm trying to gauge what's reasonable. For a couple living well but not fancy (eating out here and there, some travel, actually saving a bit at the end of the month), what monthly net in HKD would you call a solid target? And what's the number where you'd start to feel stretched?

On cost of living in general: what tends to catch newcomers off guard? I'm thinking utilities, groceries, transport, health insurance, that kind of thing.

And on expat life: how rough is it settling in without any Cantonese? Is it easy to find your footing in Kowloon, or does most of the expat crowd end up on the Island or out in Sai Kung?

Basically anything you wish someone had told you before you moved would mean a lot.

Thanks!!