- Download our Moving to Hong Kong Guide (PDF)
Relocating to any destination has its advantages and disadvantages, and Hong Kong is no exception. The more prepared prospective expats are for the less appealing aspects of life abroad, the more successfully they can adapt. The good news is that most expats in Hong Kong find far more to love than to complain about.
Here is our list of some of the pros and cons of living in Hong Kong.
Accommodation in Hong Kong
+ PRO: A steady supply of new apartments
There’s always something new being built in Hong Kong. You won’t be short of places to view. In fact, apartment hunting in Hong Kong is a numbers game: view as many places as possible until you find the best fit. Rents are still below their 2019 peak, so tenants often have room to negotiate. Unfortunately, the melodious sounds of drills and jackhammers are part of the deal.
- CON: Small apartments
The size of flats is shrinking, so the newest buildings are often the smallest. Tenants get more space for their money in buildings from the 1980s and 1990s, although the apartments may look a little more tired. Older blocks also rarely have facilities such as a gym or pool. Choose a newer building, and you’ll probably get clubhouse facilities and a brand-new apartment for the price of cramped rooms.
+ PRO: Custom-made furniture
Pretty much anything can be custom made in Hong Kong. Most shops will customise sofas, beds, dining tables, and so on, so buyers can have the exact specifications they want. Suppliers usually take one to two months to complete made-to-order pieces.
- CON: Little middle ground for furniture and homeware
Mid-range options are hard to find in Hong Kong. Furnishings are usually either stylish and pricey, or cheap in both look and price. Shoppers pay a fortune for decent bedding and towels, and the budget alternatives tend to be poor quality. If you have the space in your shipment, bring good bedding and towels from home.
Lifestyle in Hong Kong
+ PRO: A friendly expat community
Hundreds of thousands of expats live in Hong Kong, and most remember what it’s like to be new, so they’re happy to help the newcomers settle in. The community is incredibly friendly, and unlike many cities, where residents have established circles of friends, expats come and go so often that they rarely form cliques. The flipside is that friends often leave to go back home, so goodbyes are a regular part of expat life here.
+ PRO: Varied nightlife
The lifestyle in Hong Kong has something for everyone. Expats can go for a night out on the town one week and settle into a quiet dinner party the next. There are restaurants and bars everywhere, so there's always something new to try.
+ PRO: Easy access to outdoor activities
Around 40 percent of Hong Kong’s land area is protected country park, so the outdoors is never far away. Trails such as Dragon’s Back and the MacLehose Trail are weekend favourites, and many expats join sports clubs or take up watersports like sailing and dragon boat racing.
Cost of living in Hong Kong
- CON: High rental costs
Many expats are taken aback by the cost of living in Hong Kong. The city is frequently ranked as the most expensive in the world for expats, and rent is usually the largest expense in the budget. The trouble is that apartments at these prices are famously small. Salaries tax is capped at around 15 percent, though, and most newcomers feel the trade-off is worth it.
- CON: Grocery shopping is pricey
Supermarket prices are high, and the range is often disappointing. The cost of familiar Western brands can be a real shock. The vast majority of food in Hong Kong is imported, and much of the fresh produce is from mainland China. Shoppers who want organic goods or imported brands usually pay a premium.
Education and schools in Hong Kong
+ PRO: Wide variety of high-quality international schools
Parents looking to send their children to one of the many international schools in Hong Kong will be spoilt for choice. Most expat families find a school that teaches a familiar curriculum, or at least an internationally recognised one.
Various national curricula are available, including those from the UK, the US, Australia, Canada, France, and Germany. The International Baccalaureate is also widely offered. Popular schools have waiting lists, and some give priority to holders of debentures or nomination rights, so parents should apply early.
International Schools in Hong Kong
Weather in Hong Kong
- CON: Humid summers
Summer weather in Hong Kong is hot and humid. It is often around 90°F (32°C) or higher, and most residents find it uncomfortable to spend long outdoors. For much of the rest of the year, though, the weather is pleasant. Autumn is the pick of the seasons because the days are warm and the humidity is low.
Summer is also the season for typhoons. That may sound frightening, but Hong Kong is well equipped to deal with extreme weather. When a typhoon approaches, the Hong Kong Observatory issues a numbered signal to show how severe the storm is, so residents know whether to batten down the hatches or carry on with their day. When the Observatory raises the signal to T8 or above, most offices close and trains and buses stop running.
Eating out and groceries in Hong Kong
+ PRO: Great selection of restaurants
Nearly every cuisine has a home in Hong Kong, and diners can choose anything from cheap and cheerful canteens to Michelin-starred fine dining. Few cities in the world have as many starred restaurants.
- CON: Supermarkets can be a bit of a headache
Stock at the big supermarket chains, ParknShop and Wellcome, is inconsistent. A product on the shelf one week may be gone the next. Shoppers usually adapt by using wet markets and speciality grocers for anything that’s missing from supermarket shelves. It takes some adjustment, but there are affordable eateries everywhere, so eating out is often the easiest option.
Transport and driving in Hong Kong
+ PRO: Fantastic public transport
Residents value the public transport in Hong Kong for how modern and clean it is. MTR trains are frequent and punctual, and there are rarely delays. Best of all, the fares are low by international standards, especially for such an efficient system. You can pay for journeys on the MTR, buses, trams, and ferries with a rechargeable Octopus card, and use the same card in plenty of shops.
+ PRO: Cheap and abundant taxis
There are taxis everywhere in Hong Kong. They are cheap by Western standards, although still pricier than public transport. Because Hong Kong is small, taxi journeys are quick, and finding a cab is usually easy. The exception is a rainy day, when free cabs are suddenly much harder to come by. Cabs are colour coded by area: red for urban Hong Kong, green for the New Territories, and blue for Lantau. Many drivers speak little English, so it helps to have your destination written in Chinese.
Working in Hong Kong
+ PRO: Easy to network
Most expats find networking easy when working in Hong Kong. The community is compact, and industries are tightly knit, so it rarely takes long to get introduced to the right contacts.
When searching for work, many jobseekers print business cards to hand out, since social gatherings in Hong Kong are often networking opportunities in disguise. LinkedIn is widely used for job hunting too.
- CON: Limitations for English-only speakers
Expats tend to work in finance, property, technology, and law. As a result, these sectors are the easiest to break into without Mandarin or Cantonese. Other lines of work are possible, but opportunities for English-only speakers are limited outside these industries. Anyone who learns even basic Cantonese or Mandarin finds many more options open to them.
Healthcare in Hong Kong
+ PRO: Healthcare is world-class
Expats moving to Hong Kong can expect first-rate medical care, since hospitals are well equipped and staff are highly qualified. Many private hospitals hold international accreditations, and public hospitals also provide excellent care. Public treatment is heavily subsidised for residents, and although the government raised charges in 2026, they are still fairly modest by international standards. Public hospitals can get crowded though, so many expats prefer to go private.
+ PRO: Most employers will sponsor healthcare for expats
Although the standard of healthcare in Hong Kong is high, private treatment is expensive, but most employers cover health insurance for expats hired on employment contracts. Check the small print, though, because insurers often exclude dental and outpatient treatment.