Over 7 million people live in Hong Kong, making some districts among the
world’s most densely populated areas. Yet more than 70% of Hong Kong’s
total areas are rural, including about 40% designated as protected
country parks. This means Hong Kong has one of the world’s highest
ratios of conserved parkland. Almost 95% of the population is Chinese.
Chinese and English are the official languages. Cantonese is the most
widely spoken Chinese dialect, though the use of Putonghua (Mandarin) is
growing. All major signage is in English or is bilingual. Most people in
the service industry speak English.
The
Study in Hong Kong
website, maintained by the Education Bureau of the Hong Kong SAR
Government, provides plentiful information about
living in Hong Kong.
Cost of Living in Hong Kong:
Hong Kong is considered one of the most expensive cities in the world.
In that view, it is also useful to have an idea of the cost of living
while you complete your studies at HKBU School of Business. The normal
ranges of study-related expenses are as follows:
Item: | Amount (HK$): | Amount (US$): |
Tuition Fee for HKBU taught postgraduate business programmes (for
non-local students)
| HK$180,000 – HK$322,000 | US$23,000 – US$42,000 |
Accommodation for 10 months | HK$55,000 – HK$150,000 | US$7,000 – US$19,500 |
Personal Expenses (including meals, transportation, entertainment
and miscellaneous) for 10 months
| Approx. HK$50,000 | Approx. US$6,500 |
Furthermore, here are a few examples of what you can expect to pay for
certain items or services:
Item: | Amount (HK$): | Amount (US$): |
A McDonald’s Value Meal | HK$24 – HK$37 | US$3 – US$5 |
A can of coke, from convenience store (e.g. 7-11 or OK) | HK$8 | US$1 |
A set meal (with main dish, rice and drink) at an average local
café (known as Cha Chaan Teng)
| HK$50 – HK$80 | US$6.50 – US$10.50 |
A Starbucks medium size Cappuccino | HK$38 | US$5 |
A movie ticket (without 3D effect) | HK$70 – HK$130 | US$9 – US$16.50 |
An MTR trip from Central to Causeway Bay by using an Octopus Card
| HK$6 | US$0.80 |
Crossing the harbour from Central to Tsim Sha Tsui by ferry (Star
Ferry)
| HK$2.20 – HK$3.70 | US$0.30 – US$0.50 |
We understand that for the international students, one of their biggest
concerns over moving to Hong Kong and starting their master’s degree was
about the living cost. Although everyone’s personal financial situation
is different, one of our postgraduate graduates, Kali from the USA, has
written a blog article to help everyone make the decision by outlining
average monthly cost in Hong Kong. Another graduate, Michael from
Poland, also shared with us on the ways to save money while living in
Hong Kong.