Compare Hong Kong and Singapore?

[resis]

Hi Folks,

I'm currently being recruited by one employer in Singapore and another in Hong Kong.  The salaries and housing subsidies I will be offered are likely to be comparable.

Have any of you lived in both places?  Would you care to offer me any counsel about choosing between the two?

Cheers.

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Resis

[This message has been edited by BoardManager (edited 13-09-2002).]

[Penny for my thoughts]

I think a lot of choosing on whether to go for Hong Kong or Singapore depends on your own personal circumstances.

They are both great places to live and I would not say that one place is better than the other.

I would say though that Hong Kong is a fantastic place to live is you don't have kids. It is a vibrant, colourful city. Lots of things to do - you can party all night, lots of places to go hiking, lots of cultural events...the list goes on. I spent all of my twenties in HK and would say that they were some of the best years of my life.

I am now at a different stage in my life and SG seems to fit better. There is far less pollution for a start which is a biggie and the pace of life is much slower.

Housing is cheaper in Singapore, food and alcohol is about the same price in SG & HK.
So make sure your package reflects this.

Hope this helps.

[Consider]

The women in Singapore are MUCH easier.

[Apple and Oranges]

Why are people always trying to compare Singapore and Hong Kong? They are two totally different places.  It is like comparing NY to LA. They are much more different than they are similiar.

[resis]

Thanks everyone.

I'm curious about the living with kids comment.  I have a 4-mo. old daughter (and a wife to boot--so thanks anyway for the line about women being easier).  What makes life with kids in sg easier than life in hk?

Thanks, Resis

Oh, by the way, if anyone needs me to compare NY and LA for them, or apples and oranges for that matter, drop me a line.  I'd be happy to describe some of the similarities and differences.

[123commonsense]

In terms of $$ and career opportunities, in general Hong Kong is better. Hong Kong pays better, with lower income tax, you get more $$ in cash! Hong Kong's new government is OK. S'pore government is simply too parental in all aspects in people's life. Both of them are quite efficient. It is sometime hard to make S'porean think out of the box, Hong Kong people simply think too much out of the box, a catch 22.

If you only speak English, you may have a hard time in Hong Kong on the street, people in general do not speak English there. S'pore, you will have no such issue. Kids may be better off in S'pore, more of a multicultural society than Hong Kong and less 'bad' influences, e.g. drinking in HK is virtually unregulated, any time, any place, any age, pornographic magazines are readily available from all newstands in Hong Kong. Local kids from both places are very materialistic anyway.

I would choose Hong Kong, not S'pore.

[resis]

Cool.  Special thanks to Penny and 123--just the kind of information I'm looking for.

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Resis

[Xerxes]

With a wife and young one I would choose Singapore. I just spent twenty yrs in HK and as Penny says it was a great place to party etc..but if you are family minded Sing would be better. There is too much air pollution in HK, not to mention the other assults on your senses such as bad smells and noise. Although u say packages in both cities are comparable, u would prob end up spend more of YOUR money in HK, extra's like groceries and CD's, dining out enad entertainment are much more expensive. In HK your grocery bill is double that of Sing, and if you own a car the parking is at least triple the cost and I just worked out that yesterday we went to see a film here and the cost of both tickets and car parking was eqivalent to ONE ticket in HK !!! There is a greater range of housing here, housing is very expensive in HK, you will get a better bang for your buck here.We pay a quarter for what we were paying in HK for a demi-detached house with 5 beds and garden compared to a 3 bed flat in HK mid-levels about 2000sq ft. I also pick Sing as its gets darker here later, I was fed up leaving the office at 6.30pm in darkness, here i can get home in time to sit in the garden and have a drink in daylight !
HK is also very very crowded, toooo many people, everywhere is crowded, its nice to be able to walk in the streets here without being surrounded by people about 6 inches away.Also like the fact that u can drive to Malaysia for a quick breat or go to Bintan etc...HK u are stuck there unless u want to go to Macau or Shenzen, neither of which I really recommend.Most of all I feel more relaxed at happy here in Sin and glad to have made the move, only regret I didnt do it years earlier.Sorry to rant on: Singapore also has English radio that is litenable, HK does not. English standards are dropping rapidly in HK.Also Sin taxes are headed downwards, not to the 16% level in HK but will prob be at 20% in a year or two. There is also much more choice in shops and food markets here, the variety of food is better in Sing (except dim sum)and much fresher. I am biased, but I love Singapore, choose Singapore.

[Hong Konger]

After reading the above post, All I can say is Hong Kong is light years ahead of Singapore !!
We moved to Singapore after 14 years in HK When Singapore govt. offered PR to HK residents. Needless to say we are back in HK after 2 years in Singapore.

[Sweeties]

Hi, Consider

Some explaination on your quote "The women in Singapore are MUCH easier."

Thank you

[localer]

hong konger, i wasn't surprised at all that you fled singapore and back to your comfort zone in hk. for what can i expect of somebody who can be in a place for 14 years without any attachment, and only to take flight at the slightest hint of trouble ahead? frankly, am glad you've chosen to leave singapore. otherwise, we'd have another quitter to add to our list. good riddance.

and you've not even bothered to elaborate what you meant by "light years ahead".

[exhonkytonkynowins'pore]

Xerxes,
excellent post - you mentioned all the reasons why I moved from HK to Singapore - another reason for those of us who travel often: much better to have a nice and affordable condo with a big pool to stay in Singapore and enjoy HK on business expenses..

[rina]

I think it depends on lotsa factor when considering.I personally find H.K too congested and dirty.Here in Sin.It's clean n green.Ppl here speaks and understand English better and Sin is 100% more systematic interms of infrastructure.If u r someome who's motivated by pay/perks package then i think u will go by the zenith.

Talking about playschool and kids thingy there are aplenty here too. dun u think?

[resis]

Does HK feel more crowded than SG?  So many sources talk about both places being among the most crowded on earth.

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Resis

[Doorman]

Me too.  I lived 6 years in Hong Kong and loved every second of it. BUT it was the right time in my life.  I met a great woman there married her, had kids and now fate has us living in Singapore which we also love.

I travel back to Hong Kong very regularly and although I have a soft spot for HK I am glad to return to Singapore.  I woulnd't raise kids there (well not for long anyway).

If money is the priority I must say I found it easier to accumulate wealth in HK.

If you've got family, come to Singapore.