A six-figure salary doesn’t always equal financial freedom. That’s the surprising takeaway from a recent online discussion in Hong Kong, where some high earners-banking professionals making upwards of $100,000 USD per month-are claiming they can’t save money. The revelation sparked a debate about the true cost of living in the bustling city.
High Income, High Expenses: is $100,000 a Month Enough in Hong Kong?
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The debate centers on whether a substantial income can truly provide financial security amidst Hong Kong’s high cost of living.
- A post on the Threads platform ignited the discussion, with a finance professional detailing notable monthly expenses.
- Monthly expenses listed included rent, children’s education, domestic help, taxes, healthcare, food, transportation, and fitness.
- Netizens responded with both criticism and empathy, highlighting the pressures faced by Hong Kong’s “sandwich class.”
The original poster shared a breakdown of their monthly spending, which included:
- Rent: $20,000
- Children’s Education: $15,000 (covering extracurricular activities, tutoring, and expenses beyond international school tuition).
- worker Sister (Domestic Helper): $6,500 (including salary, room and board, and miscellaneous costs).
- Tax: $10,000 (provisional tax).
- Household/Medical: $8,000 (covering expenses for four elderly family members,family insurance,and pet care).
- Food/Social: $10,000 (including $100 for lunch and drinks).
- Transportation/miscellaneous: $5,000 (taxi fares, car maintenance, utilities).
- Gym (Fitness): $500 – $1,500 (yoga or pilates classes).
💡 Quick fact: After accounting for these expenses, the poster calculated a net monthly surplus of approximately $10,000. However, they noted that this amount quickly disappears when factoring in clothing, new electronics, or weekend trips.
Netizens React: From Criticism to Understanding
The post quickly drew a range of responses. Some netizens criticized the financial management skills of those earning high incomes, questioning how a finance professional could struggle with savings. One commenter quipped, “Don’t know how to manage finances and work in banking 😂,” while another suggested the expense list contained areas for potential savings.
Others argued that the situation reflected a desire to maintain a certain lifestyle. One commenter pointed out, “100,000 income, but want to live like someone earning 200,000, then you can’t save money.” Another stated that “poor people are poor because they want to save face and regard ‘what others have and what I have’ as a necessity.”
The “Sandwich Class” Struggle
Though,many commenters expressed empathy,arguing that the post highlighted the challenges faced by Hong Kong’s “sandwich class”-those squeezed between the demands of supporting aging parents and raising children. One netizen commented, “I understand, very typical Hong Kong middle class… after birth, after the poverty line under the poverty line to seek storage… low indispension, high and unussing.”
❓ Is a high salary a guarantee of financial security? Not necessarily, especially in cities with a high cost of living like Hong Kong, where lifestyle expectations and family obligations can quickly eat into even substantial incomes.
