I can't give you specifics or tell you about the surrounding area but I can tell you that Hong Kong island is expensive. I've got two friends living there, both in small apartments, and they pay US $1800 and $2300 / month respectively.

I've heard that there might be cheap apartments in Tai Po, and even saw it on the map, but I have no clue how long it takes to get to civilization from there.

Anyway.. Are your friends wealthy, or just.. silly, for paying that kind of rents? :p

Yeah, I don't really know what's going on outside of HK island.

I can think of plenty of cities where you'll pay 2k a month for rent. Hong Kong might be a bit skewed upward vs salaries and quality of life though. If I'm going to pay 2k for rent I'd rather live in a Western city (food, music, space, etc).

Why China? If you're looking for low cost of living you can't beat Vietnam at the moment. If you want something a little more civilized you can check out Bangkok (where I live). Bangkok rent's are less than half of Hong Kong's and it is a great mix of Western and Asian cultures. If you're looking for work though HK's salaries are better for foreigners. (I've either contracted internationally or run my own business here so the lower salaries are a boon.)

Actually I've been hanging out in Chiang Mai for most of the last six months. In February I went to Vietnam, Hanoi, but it was uncomfortable (and surprisingly expensive!) so I came back.

Any idea about good places in China, by the way?

I've been living off of contract work for the past three years, and worked remotely since September, but now I need to find a new gig. But yeah, you wouldn't want to work for a third-world salary.

Hey, I missed this. If you check this again shoot me an email: matthew [at] ramenshoppe [.] com.