Hong Kong vs. Singapore (crime rate, best, life, cost)
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Let the showdown between these two archrivals begin!
HK and SG, a tale of two cities that will go down in infamy! A rivalry as great as Athens and Sparta, Rome and Carthage, Venice and Genoa, England and France, London and Paris, California and Texas!
"It was the best of times" for London and Singapore, both enjoyed great prosperity.
"It was the worst of times" for Paris and Hong Kong, as both are/went through a revolution.
For me, it will be Singapore. I've been to both. Even though The Economist says Singapore is the world's most expensive city, that is mostly due to car costs. But you simply don't need a car in either Hong Kong or Singapore, so that is irrelevant. Singapore's real estate, by any measure, is far more affordable than Hong Kong's.
Singapore enjoys better air quality overall (there are some hazy days in the Fall, due to forest fires, but otherwise it's usually very clean air).
Singapore's also better planned and more upscale than Hong Kong. Everything is constantly being rennovated and renewed in SG. There's less traffic, less crowds, and larger apartments in SG than in HK. Historical buildings in SG are better preserved in SG than in HK.
Singapore has a lower violent crime rate than Hong Kong.
While I like Cantonese food, I enjoy Singaporean cuisine even more, because it features Hokkien, Chiu Chow, Hainanese, and Cantonese cooking, as well as Malay, Indian, and Chinese-Malay (Peranakan) dishes. There's simply greater variety.
While some may complain that Singapore is hot all year round, Hong Kong summers are at least as hot and humid as Singapore. What's more, Singapore has only gotten one typhoon in recorded history, while HK is much more prone to typhoons. Singapore's flat terrain means it's also breezier than Hong Kong, and that breeze eases the heat.
Singaporeans are also much nicer than their rude HK counterparts. HKers are too direct and blunt, like New Yorkers. At the same time, HKers are revolting against Beijing's tyranny, so it's understandable as to why they are ill-tempered.
Hong Kong these days is overrun with Mainland Chinese day traders; there's a shortage of consumer goods like baby formula because Mainlanders snatch up all the goods and sell them back in the Mainland.
Singapore may not be a democratic country. But at least it is self-governing and enjoys political stability. HK is a Beijing puppet and is a political tinderbox these days. Once HK is returned to China, HK will simply become another city where "Socialism with Chinese characteristics" rules. A place with zero property rights and zero religious freedom, just like Mainland China today.
Aww, two cities near and dear to my heart. I more or less agree with all of your characterizations. I would say that personally, I just LOVE Hong Kong more...it has more soul, more excitement and romanticism for me. From a practical level, Singapore is a bit more affordable, even safer, has fewer struggling poor, and wins for cuisine. But HK has my heart. That said, the short-to-midterm future is much brighter for SG.
Singapore is a better place to live in, but Hong Kong is more exciting overall. Hong Kong Island is fascinating to explore and I really love the double decker trams and Victoria Park.
Aww, two cities near and dear to my heart. I more or less agree with all of your characterizations. I would say that personally, I just LOVE Hong Kong more...it has more soul, more excitement and romanticism for me. From a practical level, Singapore is a bit more affordable, even safer, has fewer struggling poor, and wins for cuisine. But HK has my heart. That said, the short-to-midterm future is much brighter for SG.
I would say that Singapore wins for how ecclectic its cuisine is, while Hong Kong wins for the quality and nuances of the cuisine. To be sure, Singaporean food is also high quality while HK also features restaurants representing every country around the world. BUT what I'm saying is that Cantonese food, the staple of HK cuisine, is revered in China: 食在广州, or eat in Guangzhou, as the saying goes. The Cantonese are respected as the utmost gastronomes in China, a country already prided for its culinary tastes. Cantonese cuisine is indeed very intricate, subtle, and nuanced, even relative to other Chinese cuisines.
The fact that Singaporean cuisine encompasses Chinese (Chiu Chow, Hokkien, Cantonese, Hainanese), Malay, Indian, and Peranakan (Chinese-Malay hybrid) dishes makes its cuisine one of the most eclectic in the world.
In a nutshell:
HK cuisine--Predominantly Cantonese, highly nuanced and intricate
Singaporean cuisine--Eclectic and simpler than HK cuisine, but still very good.
Not being very distinguishing and gourmet in my tastes, I prize an eclectic cuisine above all else. So Singapore wins.
I like a little spiciness but don't have a very high tolerance for spiciness. That's why Singaporean cuisine is perfect for me. Most SG dishes are spicy, but only mildly so. It will not burn your taste buds like Indian or Thai cuisine can.
Like many others, you would prefer to live in one city but prefer to visit another. That's a common dilemma. I might think NYC, for instance, is more exciting than a smaller city like Austin, but I'd still prefer Austin for its slower pace of life, the better affordability, the more family-friendly atmosphere. But in my book, livability is much more important than tourist appeal. A city isn't made of its visitors; it's made of its residents.
Singapore is a better place to live in, but Hong Kong is more exciting overall. Hong Kong Island is fascinating to explore and I really love the double decker trams and Victoria Park.
I will give the thumbs up to Hong Kong for having many more mountains than Singapore, making it possible to have magnificent views from the Peak. HK also has a larger skyline (by many accounts has the largest skyline in the world, even ahead of NYC). HK also has better beaches such as Tai Long Wan. So when it comes to the natural scenery, HK beats Singapore.
HK also has a impressive built environment. The city is indeed an engineering feat, with more skyscrapers than any other city in the world. The vast network of tunnels and bridges traversing land and sea is endlessly fascinating--one side of the mountain can be rainy while the other side is in the rain shadow and is completely dry. However, HK's built environment, though impressive on one hand for its scale and magnitude, is at the same time unappealing in that it's very run down in many areas. Aside from some farming villages in the New Territories, there's really no quaint historical architecture to speak of. Nothing like the meticulously restored shophouses all over Singapore. And Singapore is hardly any older as a city than Hong Kong. I love how Singapore embraces its history and focuses on preservation. How well curated and promoted their heritage is whenever you visit their museums or other attractions. Changi's Terminal 4 even has an entire section where the shop facades are based off of the old shophouse architecture.
On top of that, Singapore is just much more eco-friendly and environmentally conscious than HK. The government has a massive green building program. And while Singapore is mostly flat, with some rolling hills, it is no slouch when it comes to the natural scenery. It even has some virgin tropical rainforest. I also love how all the expressways in Singapore feature extensive tropical landscaping--it's like driving into a theme park, like Disney World or a Hawaiian resort.
I just sense much more patriotism among Singaporeans than among Hong Kongers. You see entire HDB blocks with the Singaporean flag hung outside every apartment's balcony come national day. Of course, as with any city, there are Singaporeans who complain Singapore is too crowded, competitive, and expensive and leave for what they perceive as greener pastures in Western countries, like America and Australia. But as far as Asia goes, Singapore is the cream of the crop when it comes to quality of life. It may not be as exciting as Tokyo, but the quality of life it offers is on par, if not superior, to Tokyo, Osaka, etc.
I would say that Singapore wins for how ecclectic its cuisine is, while Hong Kong wins for the quality and nuances of the cuisine. To be sure, Singaporean food is also high quality while HK also features restaurants representing every country around the world. BUT what I'm saying is that Cantonese food, the staple of HK cuisine, is revered in China: 食在广州, or eat in Guangzhou, as the saying goes. The Cantonese are respected as the utmost gastronomes in China, a country already prided for its culinary tastes. Cantonese cuisine is indeed very intricate, subtle, and nuanced, even relative to other Chinese cuisines.
It should be noted though that Cantonese cuisine has been rapidly losing much of its "respect" and "reverence" in recent years. The newer generations of Chinese are vastly preferring other regional styles with much more spice and less subtlety. I am a fan of it all, but just an observation that has played out in my experience and has also been reflected in these forums as well.
Now for me, personally (granted as a Malaysian by heritage), my overall favorite food styles are Singaporean/Malaysian so that is indeed my preference. But I love all food lol
Even before the protests Singapore was ahead of Hong Kong in terms of quality of life. And the only reason Hong Kong could compete was because Hong Kong had advantages such as beautiful nature, varied seasons and an exciting street life. After the protest Hong Kong and Singapore are no longer in the same league. The economy is going to fall apart over the coming years as Chinese business move out and the overvalued currency will prevent new business from moving in.
In fact we might see people start leaving Hong Kong. Young HK people will try to leave to the west and asia, migrant workers will go home, recent Chinese immigrants will go back to China and old people will stay. A migration reversal combined with HKs low fertility rate will trigger a demographic nightmare for Hong Kong. Eventually the government will run out of money and will need to increase taxes. That will be the end of Hong Kong as a financial center.
To me, somewhat, HK has brain drained and hollowed out since the late 60s through emigration till the 1997 handover at the peak. I feel as if the biggest difference is the local population - the Singaporeans feel more progressive and have a higher skillset, the Hong Kongers on the other hand, the best are residing in the West or China now.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
