Is Singapore beating Hong Kong as the best city for expats?

In terms of salaries, the rival city offers more.

In the race to lure talent for global firms’ regional headquarters, Hong Kong and Singapore have long been neck-and-neck, according to Bloomberg. 

Bloomberg reported that 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.

The top salaries in Hong Kong for jobs in the financial industry are about 25 percent higher than in Singapore on average, according to data compiled by Bloomberg from the 2017 salary survey of recruitment firm Robert Walters Plc.

Check out the ultimate Hong Kong versus Singapore guide here.