Looking for American Expats in Hong Kong?

Thinking about moving to Hong Kong as an American? These pros and cons come from the InterNations Expat Insider 2024 survey, in which thousands of expats around the world share what they like and don't like about life abroad each year. The points below reflect what US American expats in Hong Kong wrote in their own words, backed up by survey percentages from all expats living there.

• It's diverse, safe, and connected. 93% of expats in Hong Kong rate personal safety positively and 93% the opportunity to travel across Asia, in a city Americans call a bigger, buzzier melting pot.

• Getting around is world-class. 90% rate the availability of public transportation positively, and English goes a long way (78% get by without the local language).

• Food and the outdoors surprise people. 87% rate culinary variety positively and 85% the natural environment, with hiking, running, and climbing close to the city.

• It's a strong career base. 70% say the move improved their career prospects, and 56% find bureaucracy easy, against a global average of 36%.

• Housing is brutally expensive. Just 3% of expats in Hong Kong rate housing affordability positively — the lowest kind of score anywhere — and only 9% rate the general cost of living positively.

• The political climate unsettles people. Only 33% rate political stability positively (vs. 59% globally), and many mention friends leaving.

• Air quality and healthcare costs bite. Just 34% rate air quality positively and 40% healthcare affordability.

• Admin can be slow for foreigners. Americans describe complicated, inefficient processes for taxes, IDs, and visas.

For Americans, Hong Kong is fast, diverse, and strong for careers, with great food, easy travel, and surprising outdoors. The trade-offs are punishing housing, air quality, and political uncertainty. It rewards ambitious professionals more than those putting down roots.

Every year, we publish one of the biggest global surveys for expats — Expat Insider — where we ask people living around the world about every aspect of expat life. We’ve rounded up key facts about the typical American expat: what motivated them to move to a new country, what they enjoy about life abroad, as well as what they struggle with the most.

We asked tens of thousands of expats about their lives abroad in our Expat Insider surveys. In addition to our standard questions, we invite them to share what they like or dislike about their experiences in their own words. Here, we’ve selected some of the most interesting or representative quotes about expat life in Hong Kong from American expats, grouped into positive and negative opinions.

Let’s start with the positive ones.

On the downside, here's are some negative experiences from American expats in Hong Kong.

With InterNations, American expats in Hong Kong are able to find both the help they need as well as lots of valuable information. The "Fragrant Harbour" offers so much for expats to explore - our community helps you enjoy your stay to the fullest.

• Look through our Members Network to connect with Hong Kong’s American expats.
• Become active in our Expat Forums in order to find insider tips and suggestions from fellow American expats in Hong Kong.
• Make full use of the Expat Guide for Hong Kong to obtain important information on your temporary home abroad.

Our Hong Kong community is also lively and welcoming offline. The InterNations Ambassadors host regular get-togethers and a range of expat activities, e.g. a chic dining experience in Hong Kong’s trendiest restaurant or a get-away with fellow American expats to discover the Northeast New Territories Sedimentary Rock Region. These activities make it easy for you to get to know other expats from the United States of America in your local community and meet Americans in Hong Kong in a comfortable setting. If this sounds interesting to you, simply sign up for membership – we are looking forward to welcoming you among our Americans living in Hong Kong!