FIRE Number for Hong Kong, China

A very small studio or subdivided flat (200-300 sq ft) in Sham Shui Po, Mong Kok, or the outer New Territories. Eating mostly at dai pai dong street stalls and cha chaan teng cafes, which are cheap and good. Getting around on the MTR, buses, and ferries. Public hospital system for healthcare, which is affordable but has long waits. This is a genuinely tight budget for Hong Kong — housing is the major constraint, and you will need real discipline on spending. The food, hiking trails, and transit quality are the compensations.

A 2-bedroom apartment in Mid-Levels, Happy Valley, or a spacious flat in Kennedy Town. Regular dining at good restaurants — private kitchen restaurants, Michelin dim sum, cocktail bars in Central — without counting every dollar. MTR and taxis freely. Comprehensive private health insurance at hospitals like Matilda and Adventist. Weekend trips to Macau or across the border to Shenzhen. This is Hong Kong's sweet spot — genuinely comfortable, though the city's high costs mean even this budget requires some awareness.

A house on The Peak or a premium seafront property in Stanley or Deep Water Bay — among the most expensive real estate in the world, so housing alone absorbs a large share of this budget. Multiple live-in staff including a helper, cook, and driver. First-class international flights. Top-tier concierge medicine. Regular fine dining as routine. Hong Kong is one of the world's most expensive cities, so even at this level you are upper-affluent rather than unconstrained — but the city's energy, food, safety, connectivity, and position as Asia's crossroads are hard to replicate anywhere.