10 Alarming Reasons Expats Are Leaving Hong Kong

10 Alarming Reasons Expats Are Leaving Hong Kong

Why would someone leave a place  that they called home for so long?   For expats, it’s a very tough decision  to leave a place that they had settled   into. A lot of the time, factors within that  place drive expats away, and several of them  

Are being driven away from Hong Kong. Today, we’ll look at exactly why expats   are leaving Hong Kong and whether you  should think twice before you move there.   10. It is Way Too Crowded A single ride on Hong Kong’s bustling  

MTR during peak hours can be an eye-opener for  you. After you’ve gotten through the initial   30 minutes of navigating through hordes of weary  commuters, the city’s energy can lose its appeal   very quickly. Sure, the place is vibrant because  of its people, but the overwhelming population  

Figures make the place feel suffocating for many. Hong Kong has more than 7.43 million inhabitants,   which means that the city has 7,100 individuals  per square kilometer. Additionally, if you   look at Hong Kong Island, it houses 1.27  million residents, with the density coming  

Up to 16,300 people per square kilometer.  This can lead to massive housing issues.   During the workweek, the city witnesses an influx  of hundreds of thousands heading to its major   business districts. This means that around 4.815  million people are traveling by the MTR every day,  

And the city’s public transportation system  struggles to accommodate these immense numbers,   even though it’s pretty advanced on its own. Adding to this crisis is the large number   of tourists coming in: 58.47 million  visitors arrive annually in Hong Kong,  

With 44.45 million coming from China alone. So,  living in Hong Kong means sharing the space not   only with the locals but also with the tourists.  The infrastructure of the city is impressive,   but it struggles when there are so many  residents and visitors taking up space.  

9. Excessive Pollution Air quality is a giant issue in Hong Kong,   as it can sometimes get unbearable for the people  living there. While some dismiss it as mere fog,   others claim it has improved over the  years, but the rest know that the air  

Can be hazardous to breathe daily. A 2017 Air Quality Review by the Clean   Air Network showed that pollution levels in  many Hong Kong areas exceeded World Health   Organization standards on over 75% of any given  day. Specific districts, like Causeway Bay,  

Tuen Mun, and Kwun Tong, had excessive levels of  pollutants. The report even identified pollution   “blackspots” in busy areas like Tuen Mun,  Kwai Chung, Causeway Bay, and Central.   Because of this, people can experience symptoms  like coughing, headaches, and lethargy, but it  

Can get much worse. The health consequences  of prolonged exposure to pollutants include   cardiovascular diseases and lung issues. Plus, it  can also increase cancer risk and birth defects.   Blame is mostly placed on factors like using  vehicles excessively, tall buildings trapping  

Particles, or China’s closeness. For newcomers  from the US, UK, Canada, or Western Europe,   the disparity in air quality will be  immediately evident. After a while, it might   become super unpleasant for these people to live  day-to-day in a pollution-filled environment.  

8. Rent is Too High You might see the Hong Kong   property market making global headlines for its  unforgiving sale prices and prevalent real estate   flipping. Buying property is an unattainable  dream for most of the people living there,  

But when it comes to renting, options vary  according to your needs and expectations.   Living in Hong Kong on a budget is possible,  and you can find some pretty reasonable deals   if you’re willing to travel long distances  to get to work. Young people sometimes choose  

Shared living arrangements, which  makes it comparatively cheaper.   But if you have family with you and are looking  for a living arrangement of a 3-bedroom apartment,   rent can be as high as $5000 a month. And the expenses don’t end there. There  

Are government property taxes, stamp  duty, and building management fees,   so there’s an additional 15% expenditure you have  to consider. Many young Hong Kongers decide to   live with their parents until they qualify  for public housing discounts or marriage.  

Only expats with comfortable living packages  will find residence in Hong Kong affordable.   7. You Might Make Less Money You might assume that you’d make more money   in Hong Kong due to lower taxes, which is true  for non-Americans who enjoy Hong Kong’s relatively  

Low-income tax rates, capped at 15% of net income.  But the reality is far more complex than that.   Despite tax advantages, you’ll face a much  higher cost of living, including housing,   pricey nightlife, frequent dining out, and  the lure of exploring Asian destinations.  

Additionally, flights to visit family and  the expense of imported groceries can add up,   impacting your savings. Educational costs  for children, supporting a dependent partner,   relocation expenses, and other factors contribute  to the city’s overall expensive nature.  

In the end, when you calculate your finances, you  might find that your monthly savings aren’t as   beneficial as you expected them to be. It’s  crucial to consider these financial aspects   when thinking of a move to Hong Kong. 6. Raising Kids There is Expensive  

If you’re jetting off to Hong Kong solo, it’s  gonna be super easy for you to find your way   around. You’re the captain of your ship, and if  things get tough, you can just leave anytime. Now,   imagine tossing a family into the  mix; it’s a very different scenario.  

First off, your kids might not like Hong  Kong life at all. If they’re still young,   they might not even know the difference, but  teenagers will feel the most intense culture   shock as soon as they move there. They  could straight-up resent the whole thing,  

Which makes many people leave in the end. Plus, the houses you can snag in Hong Kong   will be way smaller compared to the houses  you have in your home country; kids hate it  

When they don’t have enough personal space. And don’t get me started on getting a spot in   a decent school. It’s highly competitive, with  extremely long waitlists that require you to go   through a lot of hassle on your part. Once you do get your kids into school,  

Tuition fees are no joke. It can cost you  anywhere between HK$60,000 to HK$185,000 per year,   excluding the cost of textbooks, field trips,  and whatever other fees they throw your way.   This is a big reason why families move away  from Hong Kong; several other countries in  

The world offer free education, so why should  they be emptying their pockets over here?   5. The Weather is Way Too Humid A lot of people are into those summer   vibes, and that’s fine. Most people can tolerate  temperatures hitting 35 degrees with no issues.  

But things get very unpleasant very quickly in  Hong Kong. We’re not talking about average temps;   we’re talking typhoon season and a solid  95% humidity punch from May to September.   Whenever you’re out, you will feel  suffocated by the amount of water  

Suspended in the air. Increased humidity makes  the temperature feel higher, so while you sweat,   your clothes are glued to your back. Two minutes outside, and most people are   running around to find an air-conditioned space  to cool down. Most people decide to leave Hong  

Kong because that feeling of always needing  a shower gets a bit too much to handle.   Toss in crowded streets, a hectic work grind, and  corporate attire, and you’ve got a Hong Kong heat   saga that’s anything but tolerable. 4. The Huge Language Barrier  

When you dive into the expat scene in Hong  Kong, one would think that they should learn   the language if they’re planning to move.  Surely, Learning Cantonese is the golden   ticket to fitting in, but life gets in the way. Some people are swamped post-work, and others are  

On a short gig, thinking they’ll only scratch the  language basics. Plus, Chinese dialects are no   walk in the park, and one can get intimidated  even before one starts the learning process.   Back in the day, this was never an issue. English  is an official language in Hong Kong, which  

Means that you could get by pretty easily without  learning the language. But in recent years, a lot   of the locals aren’t learning English anymore. This inevitably created an expat bubble, where   they can’t really connect with the locals anymore.  They can only hang out with fellow expats,  

Which can get very exhausting very soon.  Most people start craving their homeland,   and many of them eventually decide to leave. 3. Everything is About Money   This might feel like a generalization,  but what most expats feel is that Hong  

Kong is obsessed with money. Everyone is  always thinking of ways they can make more   money so that they can buy more fancy things. Streets are covered with billboards showing ads   of things you should be buying. Plus, you don’t  even have to go out of your way to buy something;  

Everywhere you go, you’ll see malls,  boutiques, and department stores.  Shopping can be a super fun activity for people  who are only visiting for a while, but if a   person living there is already under the  burden of their massive cost of living,  

The consumerist culture doesn’t hold any appeal. Plus, many of the expats are depressed by the   large disparity between the classes in Hong  Kong. While many can afford expensive lifestyles,   others live in “cage homes” in industrial  buildings. This off-putting experience  

Eventually makes many leave, especially  the ones who want a slower-paced life.   2. No Work/Life Balance In Hong Kong, the expression   of “work hard, play hard” is super popular,  but does it hold any truth? If you look at the  

Experiences of the expats, most of them would  tell you that there’s simply no time to play.   The working culture in the country is very  intense, especially if you’re in the finance   industry. Many people find themselves staying  in offices even past midnight, and they simply  

Don’t get the time to enjoy their earnings. Plus, employers are obsessed with timeliness,   and they keep track of when you leave.  This can feel restrictive for many people,   especially ones who have worked in  progressive work environments before.  

This makes them leave in the hopes of finding  a country with a friendlier work environment.   1. Hong Kong is Turning into China Many expats move there, hoping to experience   a mix of Western and Eastern cultures. But once  there, they realize that China has a large amount  

Of influence on Hong Kong society. Many residents fear Hong Kong getting   forced into the Pearl River Delta economy,  which will completely ruin the cultures,   traditions, and language in Hong Kong. In short, Hong Kong might begin to look like  

A Mainland Chinese city, and many people decide to  leave before that prediction becomes a reality.   Do you think Hong Kong is worth staying in? Let us  know in the comments below, and if you liked this  

Video, do us a solid and smash that like button. Make sure to subscribe so you’ll be the first to   know about upcoming content. Buckle up, folks,  because there’s a lot we have in store for you!

Why would someone leave a place that they called home for so long?

For expats, it’s a very tough decision to leave a place that they had settled into. A lot of the time, factors within that place drive expats away, and several of them are being driven away from Hong Kong.

Today, we’ll look at exactly why expats are leaving Hong Kong and whether you should think twice before you move there.

#HongKong #MovingToHongKong #LivingInHongKong

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