Hello friends! I'm Kat and I love anime, comedy, music, and film. Currently: in NY living out my dream life 🥰.
I'm that friend who always forgets to take a photo after a catch up. I started this channel to [make sure I don't forget to] document parts of my life as I explore the world [inside & out]. You might see a review here or a vlog there because I enjoy trying out new ideas.
I have many dreams, but the current is: one day I hope to voice an awesome ninja character in an anime!
Quick facts: My background is in film/tv and journalism, I'm passionate about mental health, I'm a fitness enthusiast, I bounce around countries, I've got braces (AGAIN), and I'm trying to cut coffee (still, but let's be honest, it's not really working).
Thanks for the video! at least I have a little picture on how living in HK. I actually will having short term assignment from my company. All is provided, just wondering if I can cash out the accommodation budget, I’d like to find a litte reasonable place with a little bit of commuting is fine. family of 2 (+ 1 infant). do you have any recommendation of affordable housing? and any recommendation of the agent which I can get in touch?
Hey, so I just got offered a job that pays around 50 grand HKD a month. The rent there is about 27 grand HKD, and it comes with a kitchen and a washer and dryer. I don't eat out much, but I really need a kitchen. Half of my salary is gonna go to rent though. Not sure whether i want to take that offer. Job is at the airport.
Congratulations on the job offer! I think usually people recommend for rent to be at around a third of the salary, so based on that the 27k HKD unit might be a bit pricey. I think most units in HK come with a washer/dryer (except the much cheaper ones). If you don't mind a smaller kitchen, I remember there were units closer to 20k HKD on HK island, but I don't know the airport area as well. I would expect that on the Kowloon side there should be units with washer/dryer and a kitchen for a less than 27k 🤔. Though of course it depends on size too. It may take a bit of digging around. Hope it works out for you!
According to my orthodontist, the problem with my teeth was "too big" and Invisalign wouldn't be able to fix it since it's more of a jaw alignment issue than just having a couple teeth out of place. 😢
Oh no :( I checked online and on their site they say "We invite each family to choose what is suitable, however children under 4 will not be admitted." So I'm guessing kids older than 4 can go as long as parents allow them(?) Might be worth checking with the theatre before purchasing tickets though, just in case.
Since I typically cook the same meals almost every week, I actually did a little experiment a few years ago. I bought a bunch of groceries at the supermarket next to my apartment in Brooklyn for around $50. The following week, I went to my nearest Trader Joe’s and only paid $30 for the exact same groceries. It was totally worth the subway rides.
That's such a good idea - to do a direct comparison. I also found that I saved when buying similar items at TJ's instead of other grocery stores. Especially simple things like yogurt, produce, frozen foods, etc.
Hey Kate i saw your comment a while ago about needing an editor. I would love to sit down and have a chat with you some time to discuss things. From the little i have seen allready. I would say i live your content . It feels fresh.
I really like the flexibility of things in America (this might be a cultural thing!) But it is more expensive because taxes are higher and rent also went a bit crazy haha! 😂
10k is already so much money. I have been to a smaller city in the north east of china (chengde) recently and a teacher told me, she gets about 7k and its above average there. Isnt the average income in Shanghai also only about 1000$? CNY
Hi! I asked around and this is what I managed to gather--> schools have three types of schools (in terms of funding): Public, Sponsored , and Private. Public and sponsored are basically free. There are also two types of schools in HK (in terms of language): Chinese and English E.g. Marymount which is an English Sponsored School, no tuition needed, but you still learn Chinese. Only thing is all subjects besides Chinese will be taught in English, and unlike international schools most teachers are still local. I'd recommend reaching out to the schools you are considering just to make sure, since my friends went to school a while back, so things may have changed since then! Hope this helps!
Hello 👋 Kat, I really want to move to Hong Kong because of a girl I love. This video has helped me to understand a little about the monthly expenses, for which i appreciate your efforts. Could you also help me if there could be a video about Flights, Airport routes or anything related. You know what I mean for someone who could be a first time traveller😅. Something about Hong Kong Culture related activities.
Hello! For flights I usually go with Cathay Pacific - their service in general has been very good in the past. It would depend on where you're flying from though! For travel from the HKG airport - if you're going to HK Island, there's an airport Express train that conveniently takes you to IFC which is located at Central station (this is an MTR stop). Otherwise, if you have more than 1 person traveling/if you can afford it, a taxi is also very convenient! Be careful to get into the right line for the taxi though, since not all taxis go to both HK Island and Kowloon. As for activities - depending on where you're coming from, you might be able to find some expat FB groups or join hobbyist groups on apps like Meetup! You can find quite a lot to do there :).
Please need your help . I am coming to hk next 31 October for probationary work period in Sheung shui (New territories). If you can recommend for me any hotel near sheung Shui mtr station to stay in till find flat for rent
Hello! I don't know that area very well, but I took a look and unfortunately I couldn't find any hotels that were close to that station. However, I did see there were a handful of options on airbnb--one was located in Fan ling that is 1 stop away from Sheung shui. When my friend first moved there he stayed at an airbnb for a few weeks before finding his apartment. If that is something you'd be willing to consider then I'd recommend having a look on airbnb to see if any of the option would work for you!
@@katopedia thank you for your reply . Yes I am a civil engineer and the company has a road construction project near Sheung shui but after I searched for a hotel in this area I did not find any result. Please let me ask more questions because it's my first time move t hk
@@katopedia please as you recommended an airbnb website to find a flat or rental place . I want to ask if I want to find a temporary rental place for 3 months without need to pay a deposit . Did you have any idea
I tried searching up airbnbs near the area you're looking at (shorturl.at/lLY01 -- I shortened the airbnb link because the original one was too long haha). These are the options that came up. I think if you negotiate with the owners of these listings they may be okay with you not paying a deposit(?) you will need to check with them though since they make that decision independently. I couldn't find any hotels either. Another option could be to search slightly further away that is close to an MTR stop on the East Rail Line (www.mtr.com.hk/en/customer/services/system_map.html ). If you search any of the stops further south, I think you'll be able to find more options for both hotel and airbnb! For example, traveling on the MTR from Sha Tin Station to Sheung Shui Station is about 40 mins - and the MTR is usually very reliable.
@@katopedia it really so nice of you to give all this information. I am so thankful for your help. I will follow your recommendations and I hope I can find a fit place . Thank you
Oh no :( so sorry to hear that. Yeah I've heard many experience that, especially from those who aren't naturally super extroverted. Have you tried joining any FB groups? I remember people used to post about hangouts and meeting new friends on various fb HK /expat groups
You're right that wet market prices are cheaper! I think for visitors/newcomers it probably takes some time to get used to. They do offer lots of different kinds of produce though! I usually shopped at the grocery stores because I had so many nearby and I'd also be able to find some other things (e.g. some foreign imports) there too. It's all in one place so it saved me time! But this is definitely only my experience with living there 😊
wet market can be really overwhelming for foreigners, the smell, the wet and slippery floor, the yelling, and language barrier, it is a huge culture shock, let alone price gouging.
thats crazy my country and the hong kong dollar is basically 1:1 and rent is 10,000 !!! if the used 10,000 in rent money at my home land i can rent a entire house per money
Hello! I assume you mean the website is in Chinese? Great qs. If you go to the top right, you'll see the letters "HK | ZH | HKD" - click on that and then you'll see a few drop-down menus. If you click on the 2nd drop-down menu (second from the top), you can scroll through and pick which language you want the site to be in!
I think if you're okay with living further out you'd have wayyy more options! And what @elbertwang627 is suggesting sounds interesting - might be worth looking into 🤔 - I wonder if it's an option for foreigners (?)
@@karinajames4367 solid. Best if they also provide a stipend for housing cause taxes are super low in hk. So you'll pocket more here if you can get a housing stipend
HK has both options! If you have a full-time job then you might get offered private health insurance which helps with avoiding waiting times etc. However, there is free healthcare available! From what I understand you'd need to go to the hospital and get a waiting ticket for whichever Dr you're going to see. I'm not 100% sure that's how it works though because I usually went to the private services that were covered by my insurance.
@@SimonCU it actually varies a lot. (www.internations.org/hong-kong-expats/guide/healthcare#:~:text=The%20average%20cost%20for%20a,of%20your%20personal%20insurance%20plan. ) I was really lucky because it was part of an employment package. If you're being hired from abroad you could potentially negotiate with your employer about it!
You don't really need dental or health insurance. Normal doctor visits are very affordable. However, if you have bigger health issues which requires hospital visit, then you can either get a waiting ticket in public hospitals or go to a private hospital. Private hospitals are expensive, but compare to US, it is still very affordable. For instance, ambulances are free, where in US, it will cost you roughly $2k a ride. Last time I visited the emergency room in an ambulance, I think I paid $20 US total ( a few years ago).
I got Rambler's Garden Hotel at 10k per mth. Sea port with island and sea across ceiling high window on 18th floor amazing view. 2 single beds, WiFi, tv, small fridge, small water heater, hot water attached bath. Daily clean trash service but sheets weekly change. Noisy mainland neighbours ah well..
Hey Kat! Loved the video. Really helpful for thise moving to HK. How are the prices post pandemic with inflation looking now... 19000HKD in June 2023 would now be how much?
Hi John! Yay I'm glad you found it helpful. I didn't want to give incorrect information, so I asked a couple friends who are currently in HK. Based on what they're saying, things have indeed increased in price. An easy example they brought up was restaurant menu items, which have gone up 10 to 15%. To tackle any rent increases, I think people have opted to stick within the same budget but move a bit further out. Salaries don't seem to have increased much though 😅...if at all.
Hmm this varies a lot. From my experience it depends on 2 factors-> 1. Whether you were hired or poached from abroad, and 2. What industry you're in. For point 1, usually if you're hired from abroad because the company noticed your talents and wants to transfer you to their HK offices, then you would usually be given a really attractive package to entice you to move your life over to HK. In most cases if you're the one reaching out and applying for jobs, you will probably have a similar salary offer to locals. It's worth keeping in mind that if you need a visa in order to work in HK, they may pay you a little less because they know you need them to sponsor your visa. (I've heard of offers between 13k hkd to 19k hkd /month). For point 2, based on what I've heard, finance and US law pay really well there, but other industries (even tech) will pay a lot less than, say, the US. However(!) It's also worth keeping in mind that HK has pretty low income tax.
