Living in Hong Kong and want some practical tips to make your life easier? We are here to help.

Maybe you’ve just moved to Hong Kong?  Or perhaps you’re a local looking to shake things up and explore the place anew. Either way, we hope some of our tips on living in Hong Kong give you a fresh perspective. 

With our combined decades of daily life experience as Hong Kongers, we want to share with you the tricks, tips, hacks, and need-to-knows to get the most of your time here.

In this article, tips we’re going to share with you include:

  • Why Hong Kong club memberships are so popular
  • Know which items are hard to find in Hong Kong – linen, for example, is difficult 
  • People in Hong Kong are embracing a more sustainable way of living 
  • Taobao is a popular shopping application 
  • Happy hour deals will help drive down your entertainment expenses

We hope these tips and tricks will help you get ready to dive right into Hong Kong life.

Club memberships are common in Hong Kong

When you're living in Hong Kong, a club membership can make your life more enjoyable; giving you space to relax and exercise

Photo courtesy of LRC Facebook.

 Club memberships are particularly useful in the Summer months when it’s difficult to find respite from the hot and humid weather.  People with kids love them too because clubs are generally full of kid-oriented facilities, and if you’re into sports, joining a club will help you to meet like-minded people.

The right club for you will depend on lots of different factors. In our guide to clubs in Hong Kong, we give details about:

  • Ladies’ Recreation Club, with a range of sporting facilities like tennis courts and swimming pools, as well as spa and dining options
  • Hong Kong Cricket Club, which isn’t just about the cricket – swimming, squash, and tennis are all catered for in a tranquil, green setting
  • Hong Kong Country Club is great for families with supervised play areas and a quiet location with well-maintained grounds
  • The American Club offers members two locations – city and country – with different facilities at both. Choose between fine dining and swimming and chilling
  • Hong Kong Football Club has netball, hockey, and rugby pitches as well football and restaurants and venues for watching your favorite sporting events
  • Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club is great for sailing enthusiasts with three locations around Hong Kong as well as a great kids club at their Causeway Bay venue

They’re by no means all the club options you have in the city, so dive into our full article to see more and learn about the pricing and membership options.

Some items are hard to find when living in Hong Kong

White Company bedding is so easy and good value to order online to many places around the world including HK. Read our review of the White Company

In Hong Kong, plenty of things are easy. For example, it’s easy to get clothes altered and it’s easy to get your phone repaired but other items are difficult. Gett to know what you can find in Hong Kong and what you won’t easily be able to find.

Something that’s difficult in Hong Kong is buying clean, crisp bed linen. 

Generally, when you’re looking for bed linen in Hong Kong, you’ll find linen:

  • Is poor quality with low thread count
  • Has unattractive patterns
  • That is expensive

That’s why it’s important to know that for some items, it’s much easy to go online shopping and get exactly what you need. We highly recommend The White Company and their online shop. 

Want to know more about the White Company? We’ve picked out some of our favorite products and give our honest opinion about some of the things we’ve had delivered whilst living in Hong Kong.

There is growing support for plastic-free living in Hong Kong

If you want to lead a plastic free life in Hong Kong, we have you covered. We offer plastic free tips for all people living in Hong Kong.

Previously, Hong Kong might have been focused on wealth and shopping but these days, people’s interests are much more diverse. Plenty of people living in Hong Kong feel passionately above the environment.

As such, once you’re living in Hong Kong, you’ll find plenty of ways to make more sustainable shopping choices. 

With that in mind, we’ve put together a guide to living a plastic-free life in Hong Kong. You can check out all the details here, but we’ve picked out some of the highlights for you:

  • Plastic-free drinking water is one of the biggest concerns for the environment. We give you our picks for sustainable and stylish water bottles for the whole family, and our recommendation for getting a water filter fitted at home
  • No more plastic toothbrushes or floss when you choose our recommended products
  • Remove plastic from your beauty routine with a change to shampoo bars and soaps rather than bottled products
  • Bulk food stores where you take your own bags or container and stock up to save the planet. These places are great for healthy food that’s great for vegans  
  • Plastic-free shops online and brick-and-mortar in Hong Kong where you can make sure you’re doing your bit for sustainability, buying everything from lunch containers to water bottles

Shopping via Taobao is super popular with people living in Hong Kong

Guide to Taobao English.

You’ve probably heard your friends and workmates talk about the wonder that’s Taobao. Not used it yet? Be ready to revolutionize your life in Hong Kong.

Taobao is one of the biggest, most-used websites in the world. It’s a huge shopping site selling pretty much anything you could ever want.

The only downside is that the site doesn’t have an English version. You might be working on learning your Mandarin, but unless you’re pretty advanced, navigating through this behemoth of a shopping site is going to be a challenge still.

Generally, you can order items via Taobao either by using an agent or order by yourself. Check out our guide for using Taobao in English.

Hong Kong has a great second-hand goods market

People move in and out of Hong Kong. In addition, apartment sizes are small.

This means that people often need to get rid of old items they no longer need or want. As such, the second-hand goods market in Hong Kong is large. You will be suprised by the high-quality items that you can buy when living in Hong Kong at low prices.

If you’re new to Hong Kong, don’t delay and start becoming acquainted with Hong Kong’s best second-hand stores.

In our article about the best second hand stores in Hong Kong, we cover where to buy second hand:

  • Designer women’s clothing
  • Kid’s clothing
  • Furniture
  • Cars

Many people in Hong Kong make the most of a Selfridges membership

A Selfridges membership is great when living in Hong Kong - you can access low pricing and enjoy free shipping for a 12 month period.

If shopping is life, Hong Kong might have a bit of a shock in store for you. Buying your usual items like clothes, makeup, and homeware is decidedly expensive. You probably knew this when you chose to move here, but it’s still shocking to see the mark-ups on products sometimes.

You don’t have to put up with the massive price hikes that your creature comforts come with. If you’re prepared to wait for shipping, shopping on the world-renowned Selfridges site is ideal for Hong Kongers.

Did you know that you can pay an annual membership for Selfridges and get free delivery? You’ll pay around $420 a year, but when you look at shipping costs, you’ll save that after just a couple of orders.  

Ready to learn more about the great-value products on Selfridges? We’ve gone into a lot of detail and answered all your burning questions about using Selfridges when you live in Hong Kong.

Miniso is a great store for stocking up on inexpensive items

Miniso is a popular store in Hong Kong; these stores offer inexpensive products.

Have you been to the 100 Yen shops in Japan, dollar stores in the USA, or pound shops in the UK? The bargains are amazing, and Miniso is a brand that works to emulate those business models.

Miniso was founded back in 2012 by a pair of friends from China and Japan. They aim to bring low-priced, well-designed products to market fast and keep pace with consumer trends.

Don’t see anything you like or need? There are no problems because the store gets new ranges delivered every week and there’ll be a whole new shop floor every two weeks. 

For the low down on our favorite products that’ll make your life in Hong Kong that much better, head on over to our complete article in Miniso in Hong Kong, including our recommended buys. 

HKTV mall is popular; you’ll see plenty of these trucks when living in Hong Kong

If you're living in Hong Kong, try out the HKTV mall platform. It's not the easiest platform to use but, it will save you money.

It might not be as pretty or easy to navigate as the likes of Amazon, but HKTV mall is a must for life in Hong Kong.

On the website, you can browse through categories like:

  • Skincare and makeup
  • Electronics
  • Homeware
  • Sporting goods

And search for anything your shopping heart desires.

You’ve probably seen the green and white vans trundling all over the city and coming into your apartment block. Deliveries can be with you the next day in lots of cases – order before 3 pm, and you’ll have your items with you before 6 pm the next.

For more details about HKTV Mall and to check out some price comparisons, head on over to our guide to HKTV Mall.  

Now’s the perfect time to buy Hong Kong-themed gifts

If you're looking for a gift for someone, consider giving a Hong Kong-themed gift. Not only will you be supporting the local artists, but Hong Kong themed gifts will be highly cherished.

Photo courtesy of Louise Hill Facebook.

Who doesn’t love receiving gifts? Now that you’re living in Hong Kong instead, chose Hong Kong-themed gifts and support the local community.

In our complete guide on Hong Kong gifts, we’ve got some super-cute and cool shops for gifting in Hong Kong. Local brands we cover in this article include;

  • For custom cards and lovely Christmas ideas, and plenty of other gift ideas, check out Biscuit Moon.
  • Breath-taking home items that are at both unique and thoughtful can be found at Ginger Jar Lamps Co.
  • Quirky, funky, and fun gifts can be found down in Wong Chuk Hang when you visit Mirth.
  • Qraftie which is an online platform that allows local artisans, artists, and designer to sell their items
  • Arty, original pieces for great gifts, can be found at Sun Ngai Brass Ware, running for 70 years so far.

Happy hour is an inexpensive way to catchup with friends and colleagues

When you're living in Hong Kong, make the most of happy hour deals.

One of the first things you’ll notice when living in Hong Kong is that very little is cheap.

And if you’re going out for dinner at night, the prices might shock. The best way to try and cut down on your entertainment expenses is to make the most of the happy hour deals that so many bars and restaurants offer.

Bars and restaurants like to use happy hour deals to attract clients – this helps to set up a lively ambiance for when people are wandering around looking for somewhere to have dinner.

We have an article dedicated to our favorite happy hour venues in Hong Kong – check it out!

Come December, you might struggle to find a Christmas tree

Living in Hong Kong and wondering where to buy a Christmas tree? Check out buying Hong Kong Christmas tree guide.

Recently, Christmas trees have been in huge demand in Hong Kong. If you forget to place your order in Hong Kong for a Christmas tree, you might find yourself either going without or spending huge amounts of money for one.

In our article devoted to buying Christmas trees in Hong Kong, we cover;

  • Best places for buying real Christmas trees
  • Where to buy fake Christmas trees
  • How to choose the right Christmas tree for your home & ethics
  • How to get rid of your Christmas tree
  • Alternative Christmas tree ideas

If you know you will be staying in Hong Kong over Christmas, ordering a Christmas tree around October is a good idea.

For full details on buying a Christmas tree in Hong Kong, check out our Christmas tree guide.

In conclusion

The more you know about the possibilities of Hong Kong in terms of what locals do, the better your life will be. We hope these tips help make living in Hong Kong an even better experience.

If we have missed any tips about living in Hong Kong, please don’t hesitate to let us know in the comments below.

Related articles