The single most important thing when moving to Hong Kong is to find a great living space to call home for a while. We want to help you find that as this was so important to those of us who’ve already made the big move. We have researched the city and its localities, talked to Hong Kong locals and foreigners, and come up with the following answers and facts about accommodation in Hong Kong.
Finding a Place to Live: Where to Look
We’ve picked out a select few areas that have stood out as great places to live in Hong Kong, both from our experiences and from feedback received. Obviously we took price into consideration as Hong Kong rivals the most costly cities in the world to live in. Even if you’re transferring from London Paris or New York you will find accommodation in Hong Kong costly for what you get. Other important factors were safety, character, location and entertainment.
As we have mentioned above, accommodation in Hong Kong dwarfs most places in the world in terms of price. For a compact one-bedroom flat in a relatively central area, you will pay around HK$15000. Head towards the more popular areas on Hong Kong Island (like Soho or Central) and accommodation goes up by 20-30% to HK$18000-HK$20000.
If you are looking to save money, head for Kowloon. Here you will find accommodation at a fraction of the cost and with far greater space. New Territories will also give you more space and facilities for your money. This is a popular choice with families. Fully serviced condominiums are plentiful here but the trade-off is the commute. Accommodation in Hong Kong is very well serviced transport-wise so you’re never that isolated.
Below is a list of some of the more popular areas to live in Hong Kong:
Central/Lower Mid-levels
This is the throbbing heart of Hong Kong and ideal for socialites. There are few areas worldwide that the rival the pace of life in this quarter. You will pay for this though.
Admiralty/Wan Chai
These areas are distinctly known for the mish-mash of cultural icons and towering skyscrapers, and the collision between Eastern culture and Western. Admirality/Wan Chai one/two tram stops from the ‘heart to things’. The average rent is substantially cheaper than Central/Lower Mid-levels and is around HK$20,000 per month for a one-bedroom flat.
Causeway Bay – is Hong Kong’s largest and most popular shopping district and is only 2 MTR stations away from Central. If you don’t find crowds overwhelming, then can consider living in Causeway Bay because as you can find some pretty boutique apartments for the same kind of rent you pay in Central/Mid-Levels. Average rent is currently priced around H$17,000 per month for a 550 square feet place.
Kowloon
With spectacular views over Hong Kong Island, great shopping and excellent value (compared to across the water) more and more people are choosing to live here.
New Territories & Outlying Islands
A popular place to live for families, the islands, especially New Territories, surrounding Hong Kong Island & Kowloon offer luxurious condominiums and open space that one would only dream of on HK island.
Great article! Thanks for the advice, I have just moved to Hong Kong! Finally found a place to live and I am now enjoying Hong Kong to the fullest!
Cheers,
Andrew
I was in the same position as Andrew, I am quite new to Hong Kong and I am really happy I came across this article early on, it really made my “flat-hunting” experience a lot easier!
Thanks for sharing!
Cheers,
Fiona
Hello guys! I am from Ecuador and I will go to live in Hong Kong this year in August, so I was wondering if you could help me and tell me what would be the best option for a student to live in Hong Kong. The University where I will study is CUHK and is located at Shatin, NT, Hong Kong. I will live in Hong Kong for one year =) I look forward to hearing from you soon! Sunny greetings from Ecuador!
Hey guys … its excellent article. Can anyone help me in getting accommodation in Hong kong. I would be there in May end or early June. Me and my friend are planning to share the place. It would be great help.
Also consider Stanley were you can find a large French expatriates community or Tin hau for a “village-like” area with many stock markets and good restaurants
Good article with lots of links for further reading. Having just returned to London from working in Shanghai for 5 months I am certainly wanting to relocate to Hong Kong. For me finding the job is going to prove the most difficult. I am in the Visual Merchandising Industry which is quite niche market. Needless to say vacancies to do arise very often!