Thinking of moving? Here are the areas you can afford to live in Hong Kong

We’re all familiar with the sky high rent prices in Hong Kong (we’ve all been on that Great Apartment Hunt!), but have you ever considered which areas are actually affordable to live in? You may be tempted to spend most of your pay check on rent just to live on Hong Kong Island, but experts claim that we should only spend around 33.3% of our income on rent. Is this actually possible in the 852? Yes! The property pros at Spacious have rounded up different areas where you can afford to rent an apartment using only 33.3% of your income. Time to save those pennies and explore HK!

Salaryrange: $15-25K

Affordable areas: Lau Fau Shan, Lam Tei, Lok Ma Chau, Lam Tsuen Country Park, Fanling, Kwan Tei, Ping Che, Sha Tau Kok

Chances are you haven’t even heard of these areas in Hong Kong, but all you need to know is that they’re on the North side, close to the China border. You may live far away from Hong Kong Island, but at least you can get some peace and quiet in the countryside.

Salaryrange: $26-35K

Affordable areas: Lamma Island, Chai Wan, Heng Fa Chuen, Shau Kei Wan, Yau Tong, Lam Tin, Ngau Tau Kok, Kwun Tong North, Kowloon Bay, Tsz Wan Shan, Shek Kip Mei, Kwai Chung, Tai Mo Shan, Sha Tin, Yuen Long, Tin Shui Wai

You can afford to live on Lamma Island (hello seafood dinners) and certain parts of Hong Kong Island like the industrial area of Chai Wan, but you still can’t really afford the other outlying islands, such as Mui Wo and Cheung Chau. Most of the Kowloon areas mentioned are all quite convenient and near MTR lines… we’re fans of Shek Kip Mei where you’ll find the JCACC art centre.

Salaryrange: $36-45K

Affordable areas: Mui Wo, South Lantau, Tung Chung, Tsing Yi, Kwai Chung, Tseung Kwan O, Lam Tin, Tiu Keng Leng, Yau Tong, Lohas Park, Tai Wai, Ma On Shan, Tuen Mun

Tseung Kwan O may be an up and coming area, but some residents often complain about the pungent garbage smell coming from the landfill. Oh well, at least it’s still close-ish to Hong Kong Island!

Salaryrange: $46-55K

Affordable areas: Kennedy Town, Sheung Wan, North Point, Quarry Bay, Tai Koo Shing, Sai Wan Ho

Congratulations – you can afford certain parts of Hong Kong Island! For those who aren’t familiar with Kennedy Town, this area used to be more local and affordable, but after the new MTR station was built, this led to an influx of development projects and increased rental prices (check out our Foodie Guide to the area here).

Salaryrange: $56-65K

Affordable areas: Fortress Hill, Tin Hau, Causeway Bay, Wan Chai, Sai Ying Pun

You can afford to live comfortably in the party area of Wan Chai – now you’re walking distance from those crazy Wednesday Ladies Nights!

Salary range: $66 – 75K

Affordable areas: Poho, Noho, Shek Tong Tsui, Sai Kung, Tai Po, Gold Coast

With 33.3% of your income, you can choose to live in Poho and Noho (areas close to Central Soho), or choose to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city by living in the New Territories.

Salaryrange: $76 – 85K HKD

Affordable areas: Aberdeen, Central, Soho

The verdict is in – you need to earn over $85K to live comfortably in Central! But you still can’t afford to live in Discovery Bay or the Mid-Levels.

We know – the numbers are pretty depressing, but the data doesn’t lie! Do keep in mind that the average graduate salary is $13K and the median household income is around $22K, so if you earn more than this, consider yourself one of the lucky ones! If you’re looking for an apartment to rent, check out the listings available online at Spacious!