Looking for French Expats in Hong Kong?

Is Hong Kong a good move for French expats? 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 French expats in Hong Kong wrote in their own words, backed up by survey percentages from all expats living there.

• It's a career and finance hub. 70% of expats in Hong Kong say the move improved their career prospects, and the French single out IT and finance opportunities.

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

• Food and the outdoors deliver. 87% rate culinary variety positively and 82% opportunities for recreational sports, with easy access to hiking and beaches.

• It's safe and easy to operate in. 93% rate personal safety positively 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.

• Work-life balance suffers. Only 41% are happy with their work-life balance, and long hours are a common complaint.

• Air quality disappoints. Just 34% rate air quality positively, against 64% globally.

• The political climate unsettles people. Only 33% rate political stability positively (vs. 59% globally).

For the French, Hong Kong is fast, convenient, and strong for careers, with great food and easy travel. The trade-offs are punishing housing costs, long hours, and air quality. It rewards ambitious professionals more than those putting down roots.

Every year, we publish one of the biggest global surveys among expats — asking them about various aspects of their life, from work to leisure. Learn what motivated our French members to move abroad, what keeps them there, and what they struggle with or miss about home.

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 French expats, grouped into positive and negative opinions.

Let’s start with the positive ones.

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

With InterNations, French 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 French expats.
• Become active in our Expat Forums in order to find insider tips and suggestions from fellow French 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 French expats to discover the Northeast New Territories Sedimentary Rock Region. These activities make it easy for you to get to know other expats from France in your local community and meet French 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 French living in Hong Kong!