The headline number everyone quotes is the minimum wage. The real cost of employing a helper is the wage plus a stack of statutory and practical items — some monthly, some one-off, and one big one that only lands when the contract ends. Budgeting all of them up front is the difference between a smooth two years and an unpleasant surprise.
The monthly core
- Salary — the Minimum Allowable Wage (MAW). HK$4,990 per month as of the October 2024 adjustment; the government reviews it every year, and contracts signed after each adjustment must use the new floor. Many employers pay above it — check the going rate for experienced helpers in your district.
- Food. Either provide food free of charge (what most families do) or pay a food allowance of not less than HK$1,236 per month (same adjustment cycle). This is contractual, not optional.
- Accommodation. Free suitable accommodation with reasonable privacy is a visa condition — a helper must live in. No cash substitute exists.
One-off costs at hiring
- Agency fees — typically HK$8,000–15,000 for an overseas hire handled end-to-end, less for a local transfer or a direct hire. Remember: agencies may only charge the helper up to 10% of her first month's wage; the placement cost sits with the employer.
- Visa and consulate paperwork — the employment visa fee, standard contract notarisation at the helper's consulate, and (for overseas hires) document processing in her home country.
- Arrival flight — the employer pays the helper's passage to Hong Kong.
- Pre-employment medical — commonly required and usually employer-paid.
Ongoing statutory obligations
- Insurance. Employees' compensation cover is mandatory — no policy, no legal employment. Most employers buy a comprehensive helper package (EC + medical + repatriation) at roughly HK$300–600 per year of cover.
- Medical care. The standard contract makes the employer responsible for the helper's medical treatment while in Hong Kong — insurance softens this, but the obligation is yours.
- No MPF. Good news: FDHs are exempt from MPF, so there are no monthly retirement contributions.
The end-of-contract bill
This is the part almost nobody budgets. Whatever way the contract ends — completion, resignation, or termination — the final settlement typically includes:
- Outstanding wages up to the last day;
- All untaken annual leave cashed out (a full 2-year contract banks 14 days — roughly HK$2,300+ at MAW);
- Return flight home plus a food and travelling allowance of HK$100 per day of the journey;
- Payment in lieu of notice (one month) if you terminate without full notice;
- Severance (⅔ × monthly wage × years) if you end or don't renew the contract because you no longer need a helper — about HK$6,800 after a full 2-year contract at HK$5,100.
Run your own numbers with the HelperDoc termination cost calculator before you sign or end a contract — it itemises every statutory line for your exact dates and salary.
A realistic two-year budget
For a typical overseas hire at MAW with free food: about HK$125,000–135,000 over the two years — wages (~HK$120k), insurance (~HK$1k), hiring costs (~HK$10–15k amortised), plus the end-of-contract flight and allowances. Meals, a growing grocery bill and goodwill extras (birthday lai see, a 13th-month gratuity some families give) sit on top. Plan for the full figure, not the wage line — the helper-employer relationships that go wrong are usually the ones that were budgeted too thin.