Singapore vs Hong Kong

The most frequent question I have been asked since I moved to Hong Kong has been where I prefer to live, Singapore or Hong Kong. My perception is that in Singapore hardly anyone bothers to compare the lifestyle with Hong Kong while in Hong Kong it is quite the opposite.

 I have to admit that after having lived a crucial stage of my life in Singapore for 8 years (my first time living abroad alone was in my 20’s in Singapore, that’s an age when you are still growing and absorbing a lot of the world around, especially on a personal, professional and cultural level; this is a stage that helps a lot to define you as an adult); the truth is that at the beginning moving to Hong Kong caused me a big cultural shock. Hong Kong is a city that challenges you from the beginning, while Singapore offers you immediate stability, comfort and tranquility. For example, the lingua franca in Singapore is English, endearingly termed ‘Singlish’ because of its elements of Chinese and Malay, but it is still English, while in Hong Kong they speak Cantonese and increasingly Mandarin.  Surprisingly, although Hong Kong is an international business hub that is considered ‘Asia’s World City’,  it is common to find many local people who do not speak English well, for example, taxi drivers. Language is often a communication barrier even in a city as international as Hong Kong, for example not speaking the language can prevent you from getting some jobs.

At first the crowds on the streets of Hong Kong, the housing price for less space and the distances used to annoy me, but after a while I began to discover incredible places, almost paradisiacal beaches, beautiful mountains and a magnificent lifestyle, with easy access to nature, where if you want you could live on a quiet island, but work in the vibrant city center  just by taking a 20 minute ferry every morning. 

My conclusion after having lived 8 years in Singapore and 4 in Hong Kong, is that they are 2 cities that should not be compared.  They are both modern cities and international centres where many multinational companies reside and offer great opportunities for employment with good salaries and possibilities to grow quickly, but that is largely where the comparisons end.  Hong Kong is blessed with natural beauty (mountains, waterfalls, beautiful natural beaches etc)  that you cannot find in Singapore, Singapore is much more multicultural than Hong Kong, and offers an exotic blend of Chinese, Malay, Indian and Eurasian cultures reflected in the architecture and food, but comparing Hong Kong with Singapore in my opinion is a mistake, since both offer completely different lifestyles and experiences. That is why my answer to the question of which city I prefer to live in, Hong Kong or Singapore,  has changed over the last 4 years from  “in Singapore” to “in Hong Kong ”( when my culture shock ended ) and from “Hong Kong” to “depends on what stage of life you are in or what your priorities are.”