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Is Hong Kong or Singapore a better city for expats?

Bloomberg Published on Thu, Jun 29, 2017 / 7:19 AM GMT+8

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HONG KONG (June 29): In the race to lure talent for global firms’ regional headquarters, Hong Kong and Singapore have long been neck-and-neck. While many companies make their managers locate in one or the other city — often depending on whether their duties focus more on Southeast Asia, or on China — others give top talent a choice.

Back before Hong Kong’s handover to Chinese rule in 1997, Hong Kong had an edge due to expectations of the opening of China’s economy, the city’s role as the entrepot on the border, and the banking industry poised to capitalize on it. Now, Singapore’s push into innovation and technology has the Lion City on an upswing, said Karen Koh of recruiting and consultancy firm HRnetOne, who works in the Singapore-based company’s Hong Kong office.

“Twenty years ago, Hong Kong was a more popular expat destination than Singapore because of the job opportunities or perception that banking was much hotter in Hong Kong,” she said. “I don’t think banking will ever be able to compare with Hong Kong, but other sectors in Singapore have come up.”