Yes, it is Really That Small
in Hong Kong
What is the one thing that people say about Hong Kong? That it’s crowded. That there are too many people. That people have cramped living spaces. That it’s too expensive and that Hong Kong is even more expensive than New York City.
All of the above are true.
Hong Kong is now fourth most expensive Asian city for expats
The Big Squeeze: Hong Kong’s cramped subdivided flats
In Hong Kong, the Apartments Are Fit for a Mosquito
… and the list goes on.
To give you some context and perspective. My condo in Vancouver, Canada is 600 sq ft. It is in a relatively “old” downtown building or “new” building compared to buildings with 3–5 floors. It’s a one bedroom, one bathroom (with a tub) and a storage area. I lived in the apartment by myself. It is shaped like a rectangle (so space is maximized) and has floor to ceiling windows on the longer side. The apartment is across the street from the Skytrain (Subway or MTR), Costco (bulk foods for families), T&T (asian grocery store), the quaint Tinseltown Mall with a movie theatre and about a block away from False Creek and cheap groceries in Chinatown. I am paying $1100 USD ($1450 CAD) monthly.
What does my apartment look like in Hong Kong?
Let me start with this.
Most people don’t even know if the agents or landlord knows the accurate square footage so I don’t even know if this is accurate. Also, the square footage in Vancouver is typically calculated by “livable” space. So I was living in a 600 sq ft “livable” sq ft. In Hong Kong?
350 Sq ft.
… between TWO people.
Okay, we were picky in HK terms. I think it’s net aka total sq ft. We wanted it to be on “the” Island (HK Island), somewhat renovated, across the street from MTR (it’s literally 10 steps away from the front door), working lift with an open kitchen. Open kitchen’s are literally non existent because people typically don’t cook and if they do, they want don’t want the smell to travel. For expats with families, when their ‘maids’ cook.
We have pretty similar sized bedrooms with two walls of windows. Built in closets are generally non existent unless the landlord somehow finds an Oh, and the shower? Must be able to have a curtain surrounding the shower area. Don’t even think about tubs. Tubs are are luxury and typically something you have to pay for or are in the newer “expat” apartments. So we got a “deal” on the apartment and are paying $1900 USD ($15K HKD) monthly.
Now to be clear, this is AFTER my roommate, Jenny and I went through about
55+ listings across 4 different apps
20 or so agents (by referral or through listings), and 10+ in-person viewings. Mind you, I saw two apartments in person. And thank goodness for FaceTime. I saw the rest of the apartments while I was in New York City through my dear roommate’s iPhone. Meanwhile, my poor friend had to deal with my early morning calls as NYT and HKT are exactly the opposite timezones. (Thank you for putting up with my late night calls Victor!)
So I won’t tell you what I think. What do you think? What is or was your apartment in HK like? (I almost wrote “apartment hunting experience” but that’s a whole other ball game…)
ps. We’re on Airbnb!
(This is my roommate’s listing. My dates are coming soon!)
