Choosing between Hong Kong and Singapore poses a dilemma: chase the money in HK or cheaper living costs and more space in the Lion City.
Its very hard to compare the two world class city in Asia in term of wealth. But it seems that Singapore will only provide you the routine working life cos it is very small and it govern their big company. They feel they stay in the biggest human zoo in the world that why a lot and a lot of Singaporean try very hard to migrate to other country every year cos they don't want their kids to become the well educated pet.
Hong Kong is very very much a normal life city. Its more dangerous and more expensive place than Singapore. Most of people stay in Hong Kong stay in very very small house but they couldn't afford to leave their belove home. Hong Kong is their life.
Recruiters say that decision is often determined by the stage of life bankers are at. "We see bankers move to Singapore for lifestyle reasons," says Nicholas Hughes, manager of front office banking at Singapore's ConnectedGroup. "Even though pay is generally higher in Hong Kong, candidates approach us to see if there are options to move here. They range from Singaporeans wanting to move home to expats with young families worried about pollution in Hong Kong."
"Conversely, many younger bankers who are not concerned about smaller apartments and pollution actually prefer the hectic lifestyle Hong Kong offers," notes Andrew Price, director of banking at PSD Group in Singapore.
Price says even for bankers with families, it is not always easy to turn down Hong Kong. "From some recent placements it even seems the pay differential is widening in Hong Kong's favour. In one instance we saw a Singaporean candidate earning US$197k here offered US$400k for a similar job in Hong Kong. Some bankers will sacrifice the lifestyle for bigger money," states Price.
Thank you for the in depth informations regarding the life style of Singapore and Hong Kong. It seems like Singapore is for people who prefer relaxations and Hong Kong for the fast-paced individuals. Overall, both area will be new to me but I am contemplating more on Singapore now. Does anybody know about expenses wise, whether Hong kong or Singapore would be a better pick if money is short?
Despite this, enquiries are rising from candidates in Europe looking to move to Singapore.
Hong Kong is generally more attractive in Singapore. Hong Kong offers a better lifestyle then in Singapore, although the apartments are smaller and higher in price. Hong Kong offers a bigger and wider network as compared to Singapore. Singapore is too bureaucratic more conservative.
"We see this especially with bankers from London looking to move to Asia," says Hughes. "In addition, a lot of Swiss bankers are moving here as part of Singapore's wealth management boom. Tougher regulations in Switzerland are leading to money being shifted to Asia. We are seeing an influx of bankers as a result."
