Essentials
- City
- Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR
- Population
- Approx. 650,000 (Kowloon district)
- Internet Speed
- Avg. 150-200 Mbps (Fiber is standard; 5G is ubiquitous)
- Currency & Banking
- 1 HKD ≈ 0.13 USD, 1 USD ≈ 7.82 HKD (Pegged exchange rate)
- Tap Water
- Safe but boiling or filtering is recommended due to old plumbing in TST
- Power
- 220V, 50Hz, 🔌 Type G (UK style) sockets
- SIM Card
- CSL, SmarTone, or Birdie (eSIM available); approx. 150 HKD for 50GB
- Banking for Expats
- HSBC (Tsim Sha Tsui Branch, 18 Nathan Rd), Standard Chartered, ZA Bank (Digital)
- Accommodation
- High-end hotels (The Peninsula), Serviced Apartments (K11 ARTUS), Guest Houses (Chungking Mansions)
- Cashless Friendly
- Yes, Octopus Card, AliPay, WeChat Pay, and Credit Cards accepted nearly everywhere
- Short Term Rentals
- Dash Living on Prat (approx. 18,000 HKD/month), Airbnb
- Budget Accommodation
- Hop Inn (33-35 Chatham Rd South); approx. 450-600 HKD/night
- Best Area to Stay for Tourists
- Salisbury Road / Canton Road for luxury and harbor views
- Best Area to Stay for Digital Nomads
- Knutsford Terrace or Observatory Road for social life and proximity to workspaces
Working and Networking
- Best Coworking Space
- WeWork (The Gateway, Harbour City) - approx. 3,500 HKD/month for hot desk
- Best Cafe for Work
- Nespresso Boutique (K11 Musea) or Espresso Alchemy (Harbour City) - laptops welcome
- Networking Events
- Metta (nearby in Central) or General Assembly HK events
- Social Events for Expats
- InterNations HK monthly meetups; Knutsford Terrace bar crawls
Transportation
- Best Taxi/Ride App
- HK Taxi (App) or Uber (standard across the city)
- Bike/Scooter Rental
- Locobike (More common in New Territories; TST is too crowded for bikes)
- Best Beach Nearby
- Repulse Bay (25 mins via taxi) or Big Wave Bay
- Top Regional Airline
- Cathay Pacific / HK Express (Low-cost carrier)
- Top International Airline
- Cathay Pacific (Hub at HKIA)
- Highway Access
- Route 3 (West Kowloon Highway) and Cross-Harbour Tunnel (Route 1)
- Main Train/Transit Hub
- Tsim Sha Tsui MTR Station and East Tsim Sha Tsui MTR Station
- Public Transport Passes
- Octopus Card (Standard); Adult On-loan Octopus costs 200 HKD (incl. 150 HKD credit)
- Regional Travel
- Star Ferry to Central/Wan Chai (5 HKD); High-Speed Rail to Mainland (West Kowloon Station)
Health and Wellness
- Best Hospital
- Queen Elizabeth Hospital (Public) or Hong Kong Baptist Hospital (Private, Kowloon Tong)
- Yoga & Wellness Centers
- Pure Yoga (The Peninsula Office Tower); approx. 1,000-1,500 HKD/month
- Gyms & Fitness Centers
- Go24 Fitness (Official TST location); 24/7 access, approx. 600 HKD/month
- Laundry Services
- Sunshine Laundry (Multiple locations on Austin Rd); approx. 50 HKD/load
Business
- Dividend Withholding Tax
- 0% (No withholding tax on dividends)
- Tax System
- Territorial basis (Only HK-sourced income is taxed)
- Highest Income Tax Bracket
- 17% (Standard rate 15% often applies)
- VAT
- 0% (No VAT or Sales Tax)
- Controlled Foreign Company (CFC) Rules
- No (Hong Kong does not have CFC rules)
- Property Tax
- Yes, 15% of net assessable value of the property
- Property Transaction Tax
- Stamp Duty (Ad Valorem), varies from 1.5% to 4.25% for first-time residents
- Attractive Tax System for Digital Nomads
- Extremely high; 0% tax on income sourced outside Hong Kong
- Studio Purchase Price (City Center)
- Approx. 220,000 HKD per m² (e.g., 30 m² ≈ 6,600,000 HKD)
- Studio Purchase Price (Outside City)
- Approx. 130,000 HKD per m² (e.g., 30 m² ≈ 3,900,000 HKD in New Territories)
- 1-Bedroom Purchase Price (City Center)
- Approx. 250,000 HKD per m² (e.g., 45 m² ≈ 11,250,000 HKD)
- 1-Bedroom Purchase Price (Outside City)
- Approx. 150,000 HKD per m² (e.g., 45 m² ≈ 6,750,000 HKD)
- 2-Bedroom Purchase Price (City Center)
- Approx. 280,000 HKD per m² (e.g., 70 m² ≈ 19,600,000 HKD)
- 2-Bedroom Purchase Price (Outside City)
- Approx. 160,000 HKD per m² (e.g., 70 m² ≈ 11,200,000 HKD)
- Corporate Tax
- Two-tier system: 8.25% on first $2M HKD, 16.5% thereafter
Food and Drink
- Best Food Delivery App
- Foodpanda (widely used), Deliveroo
- Best Local Dish to Try
- Wonton Noodles at Mak's Noodle (Ocean Centre, Harbour City)
- Vegan/Vegetarian Options
- Veda (nearby) or Green Common (Harbour City)
- Best Dessert Spots
- Honeymoon Dessert (iSquare) or Lady M (Harbour City)
- Affordable Shopping Spots
- Ladies' Market (Mong Kok - 10 mins away) or Granville Road outlets
- E-commerce/Online Store
- HKTVmall (Local giant), Amazon Global
- Grocery Delivery
- ParknShop (HKTVmall also delivers groceries)
- Bar/Nightlife Area
- Knutsford Terrace (Local tiered street of bars)
- Local Brewery
- Gweilo Beer (found in most craft bars like The Globe)
- Wine Bars
- Scarlett Café & Wine Bar (Austin Avenue)
- Street Food Stalls
- Hau Fook Street (various stalls for curry fishballs and eggettes)
- Popular International Cuisine
- Din Tai Fung (Silvercord) for Taiwanese; Gaylord Indian Restaurant
Culture and Attractions
- Must-See Landmarks
- Avenue of Stars and the TST Clock Tower
- Museums & Art Venues
- Hong Kong Museum of Art (HKMoA) and Hong Kong Space Museum
- Historical Sites
- 1881 Heritage (Former Marine Police Headquarters)
- Religious Sites
- Kowloon Masjid and Islamic Centre (Nathan Road)
- Annual Events
- Chinese New Year Fireworks (Victoria Harbour); Hong Kong Rugby Sevens (April)
- Cultural Districts
- West Kowloon Cultural District (adjacent to TST)
- Theater Venues
- Hong Kong Cultural Centre (Grand Theatre)
- Local Markets
- Temple Street Night Market (approx 10 min walk north)
- Music Scene
- Ned Kelly's Last Stand (Jazz bar on Ashley Road)
- Street Art
- Art Lane (Sai Ying Pun is better, but TST murals are found near Granville Road)
- Cooking Classes
- Towngas Cooking Centre (Lee Theatre, nearby Causeway Bay)
- Art Galleries
- K11 Musea Art Foundation galleries
- Historic Buildings
- The Peninsula Hong Kong (Built 1928)
- Local Heritage
- The TST Promenade - center of the city's maritime history
Nature and Outdoor Activities
- Nearby Nature Escapes
- Kowloon Park (huge central park with pink flamingos)
- National Parks Nearby
- Lion Rock Country Park (accessible by 15 min taxi)
- Cycling/Walking Paths
- West Kowloon Waterfront Promenade (800m+ flat walking path)
- Scenic Viewpoints
- Sky100 Observatory (ICC Building) or TST Promenade at sunset
- Birdwatching Locations
- The Aviary at Kowloon Park
- Bonfire-Friendly Spots
- Shek O Main Beach (requires travel to HK Island)
Other Services and Amenities
- Parcel Delivery Service
- SF Express (Stations everywhere in TST for pickups/dropoffs)
- Tech Repair Services
- Sim City (Mong Kok) for cameras; Wan Chai Computer Centre for laptops
- Table Tennis Spots
- Kowloon Park Sports Centre (Public indoor courts)
- Language Classes
- Hong Kong Language School (Tsim Sha Tsui Branch)
- Libraries & Study Spots
- Tsim Sha Tsui Public Library (Fa Yuen Street nearby or City Hall)
- Community Centers
- Tsim Sha Tsui District Council Community Hall
- Gaming Lounges
- CGA eSports Stadium (Mong Kok - short MTR ride)
- Casino & Gaming Halls
- Forbidden in HK (Must take ferry to Macau, 60 mins from China Ferry Terminal)