How much did I spend as a PhD student in Hong Kong?

Neil’s Estimated PhD Expenses in Hong Kong

Neil, a PhD student in Hong Kong, estimates that his stipend can support a reasonably comfortable lifestyle. The figures in the subtitles are somewhat unclear: he mentions a “HK$90,000” PhD salary, but his expense breakdown suggests a monthly income of around HK$19,000 and a surplus of roughly HK$7,000.

Estimated Monthly Expenses

• Tuition: About HK$42,000 per year, or roughly HK$3,000 per month.
• Accommodation: University dorms cost around HK$2,000–3,000 for a shared room and HK$3,000–4,000 for a single room. Renting a private room costs about HK$5,000.
• Food: He budgets about HK$4,000, including campus meals, restaurants, groceries, fruit, and snacks.
• Transport: Local metro commuting costs about HK$10 per day. Weekly trips between Hong Kong and Shenzhen add roughly HK$400–600 per month, bringing total travel costs to around HK$1,000.
• Other expenses: About HK$1,000 for electricity and phone use.

After covering these expenses, Neil estimates that he has around HK$7,000 left. He says PhD students need not worry excessively about money.

Speaker and locations: Neil; Hong Kong, including university accommodation and campus, and trips between Hong Kong and Shenzhen.