cost of HK baby

N

ny_to_hk

Registered User
My husband and I are considering a move to HK from NY and we need info on the cost differences on baby items (we will be coming with a two month old infant). His employer is arguing that everything for the baby is cheaper in HK than the US (so wants to reduce COL package).

We need to know what costs are like for basic items--baby clothes, diapers, formula, toys, baby furniture, strollers, books, babysitters, over the counter meds., etc. Are they really cheaper in HK than in the US? Also, are groceries cheaper in HK? (Employer says so!) We don't want to sign on to a package that ends up putting us in debt because we were misinformed about what costs to expect! Any and all info is helpful, but we need to get info ASAP!

TIA! -J
 
Hi

We too had our daughter in the US and came here when she was two months old. The above posts gave you great references to look up but from our experience, most things related to the baby, have been more expensive here than in the US (we are from CA and i think NY prices might be a little higher). To give you a quick run down on the items you are looking for:
baby clothes: brand names more expensive, local brands about the same. Though in Stanley name brands are supposed to be cheap but i'm not sure if they are knock-offs
diapers: same
formula: We started our daughter on a formula in the US that is not available here. We dont want to switch formulas so we have to order it from the Foreign Buyers Club (www.fbchk.com) which is double the price and shipping has been quite unreliable.
toys: cheaper in US and much bigger selection
furniture: cheaper in US unless you buy local HK brands
strollers: cheaper in the US
books: also cheaper in the US
babysitters: a LOT cheaper in HK
OTC meds: cheaper in the US. A lot of the US brands are not available or are found under a different name. Though vitamins are much cheaper in the US

Hope this helps! If you have more questions or need more specific information, post it on the site and i'll try to give you a quick reply!
 
Cost of baby in HK & Expat vs. Immigrant

If you go to Fa Yuen Gai in Mongkok you can get very good bargains for baby and kids clothes. Cheaper than in the USA (also don't forget you are not paying sales tax as you would in many places in the USA.


ayanas said:
Hi
baby clothes: brand names more expensive, local brands about the same. Though in Stanley name brands are supposed to be cheap but i'm not sure if they are knock-offs
diapers: same
toys: cheaper in US and much bigger selection
furniture: cheaper in US unless you buy local HK brands
strollers: cheaper in the US
Click to expand...

When I bought a stroller, it was cheaper and lighter than in the USA.

I think the question is - are you buying at "Expat" only places, or are you buying at local places. Of course it will be more expensive than "home" if you buy at Expat targeted places. Or not just expat places.

I've been looking for a new tie for my son (he likes to wear ties, odd in a 7-year-old, but at least I don't have to argue w/ him about getting dressed up for occassions). Anyway, it's hard to find a nice tie for a little boy and finally DH and I found one in Taikoo Shing for HK$ 189. DH refused to buy it, he said the price was crazy. I said "But it's the only one we've been able to find, and I looked hard before X-mas too!" He said no, I pouted, but agreed.

Last Saturday we went to Fa Yuen Gai and bought 3 very nice ones for HK$10 each. I sang "You were right, oh so right!" to him.

If you are living in a place, it makes sense to buy the local furniture and eat the local food. If you lived in NYC, but only bought food and clothes and baby furniture imported from (say) Germany, of course it would be more expensive. If you lived in the USA and bought toys from FAO Schwartz rather than Target, of course it would be more expensive.

I think the reason so many expats feel that HK is so expensive is because they are afraid to live like a "local". Maybe it's because they are scared of the language and cultural differences, so can't or won't explore less expensive or trendy options.

I think the thing to do, to adjust happily to living in HK if you come from abroad, is to not live like an "expat" but to live like an "immigrant".

If you think like an immigrant, then you try to fit in to the new society, and learn to adjust and try new things. So, try and live like a local, it's cheaper and more convenient and opens you up to new ideas and experiences.
 
>> I think the reason so many expats feel that HK is so expensive is because they are afraid to live like a "local".

AMEN!
 
Expats are "afraid" to live like a local. I find that patronising attitude extremely insulting.

I think the main reasons expats prefer to live like expats are:

* "expat" types of food, clothing, furniture, whatever is part of our culture. We miss our family and friends living here. Who are you to criticize where we shop? Can't we have a little bit of home with us? We can certainly enjoy the local culture from time to time, but it isn't what we are.
* There are language barriers at "local" shopping places - the signs are in Chinese and often the only language spoken is Chinese. Try going shopping somewhere every day where you don't understand the language and see how you like it !
* There are hygiene issues in local stores - I am particularly referring to wet markets. Personally I would never buy meat from a shop without proper refrigeration. That is my personal choice.

Hong Kong is consistently ranked as one of the most expensive cities in the world by independent surveys.

Now, when I meet HK born friends in Australia would I ever insult them because they want to shop or go to restaurants in Chinatown? NEVER ! I would never expect them to give up their culture. Of course I respect their culture. Pity you can't do the same here. HOW RUDE !
 
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I dont think that as expats we are afraid to live like locals. I think it's more a matter or whats easier and convenient, even if it is a bit more expensive. The reason we look for the brands we are familiar with is because our friends and family have used them and recommended them, so we feel more secure about the quality. Ofcourse, you can buy local brands but you will have to do a lot more legwork and research them and may not know anyone who has used them before. I am not saying that some local brands aren't as good but how do we as expats know which ones. In the US I know the good brands versus the bad ones (for baby food, formula, strollers, furniture, toys, clothes) and while I am more willing to experiment with different brands for myself, I am not willing to do so for my baby.

All I was saying is that we bought a lot of baby items in the US and in HK and WE found it much cheaper there. You can just go to the local Target Store around the corner and pick up very cheap stuff versus here you have to go hunting for it.

HK is a great place to raise kids. There are a lot of resources and play groups available for the mom and the baby but they are costly. Most mommys I know are very happy with their experience with HK and i'm sure if you guys decide to move here, you will be too.

Take care!
PS. Rani, thanks for your reference about the books; I'll definitely check it out!
 
Thank You!

I wanted to thank everyone who replied--valuable info all around! And really helpful in our understanding of HK costs! I really do appreciate all of the links, input and discussion!! :)
Thanks again, -J
 
Jane01 (and others),

I did not mean to be insulting. But as a "foreigner" myself, I find it easier to live here if I accept that I am not back in Massachusetts and change my life accordingly. I sometimes get homesick and yearn to eat foods of my homeland, and I do seek them out and eat them from time to time, just like Hong Kong immigrants to Australia or the USA will go to yum chaa, etc. and like to visit shops that carry familiar brands.

But, Hong Kong is my home now. So, I tend to eat a lot more pork and a lot less ground turkey than when I was in the USA. I accept that ricotta is a luxury item, and that while refried beans and tortillas might have been cheap food in Chicago, it's equivalent in HK is congee with fishballs.

I have shopped in places where I did not understand the language, many people have and do. That's also part of the immigrant experience, you learn the language of your host country.

Tens of thousands of women from the Philippines, Indonesia, and Thailand go shopping in HK wet markets and other local shops every day. When they started out, they did not speak Cantonese and most still cannot read it. They do it because they have to do it.

I think that the main reason that HK is cited as such an expensive city is because the rents are so high. Frankly, whenever I go to visit my family in the USA, I am shocked at the prices for vegetables and tofu, and the poor quality of the fruit in many US groceries.

Yes, you do have to do a bit more legwork to find the best places and prices, but that is true in ANY new place that you live.

It is my choice to be somewhat of an assimilationist. One of the reasons that I post here on geobaby is that I am concerned that my fellow foreigners in HK tends to cluster in an "expat" bubble, which closes them off to a lot of what I think HK has to offer. I try to offer another perspective, and new information.
 
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OK, I'll get off my high horse now and stop over reacting :). I was just annoyed at the "afraid to" comment.

If you examined my life, you'd probably conclude that I live in an expat bubble, even though I have local (as well as expat) friends, enjoy chinese food and am gainfully employed in HK. I love my life here! Perhaps ignorance is bliss, but I don't feel I'm missing out on anything. The wet market experience is just not for me.

I don't consider myself an immigrant to HK, despite having lived here for 7 years. I'm here for work - mine and my husbands. If (god forbid) something happened and we lost our jobs, we'd return to Australia. We intend to retire in Australia (and hopefully return there before then).

That is not to say that I don't love HK and appreciate what is great about it. There are plenty of things about HK that are better than Australia. I'm really enjoying experiencing another culture, but I choose to live in my own. If work took us to the US, I wouldn't be eating a lot of ground turkey either.

Thanks for another perspective, it is really interesting.
 
It's lunar new year holiday so I have some time and I?m going to put my 2 cents worth into this discussion.

While I agree with loupou that it?s good for expats to experience local culture I have a problem with her theory on expats versus immigrants.

It?s a mistake to assume that immigrants integrate into society and live like locals, especially those that do not already speak the language when they immigrate. Many first generation immigrants (be they Chinese, Indian, or Hispanic) in the US do not only ?visit? ethnic places when they get homesick. Rather, they live in areas with large communities of similar ethnic groups, many work for people of their own ethnic group, their only friends are those that speak their original language, and most of their meals are strictly of their ethnic groups (cooked at home if there are not restaurants). In effect they live in an ?expat bubble? even though they are immigrants.

It is only the second generation that integrates into society. The reason I know this is I grew up with or went to college with plenty of friends whose parents were first generation immigrants and perfectly fit this profile.

Obviously not all immigrants are like that. Those that speak the local language before immigration are going integrate much better. But in Hong Kong, unless you are a foreign born/raised Chinese expat the odds of you speaking Cantonese before moving here are virtually zero.

So telling expats to live like immigrants might sound good in theory, but the reality is people live in their comfort zone, expat or immigrant.
 
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