For contracts signed from 3 October 2026, start with HK$5,220/month wages, plus free food or HK$1,236 cash food allowance. Wage plus cash food is HK$6,456. Across 24 months, that is HK$154,944, before insurance, service, travel and other costs. No monthly employer levy applies.
These new-contract illustrations use signing on or after 3 October 2026, HK$5,220 for the whole period, and either free food or HK$1,236/month cash food. Insurance, airfare and medical estimates are not Government charges. For existing contracts, use actual agreed wages; do not retroactively replace earlier wage records.
Hong Kong Labour Department — current MAW and food allowance (checked 21 September 2026)HK$5,220
MAW: contracts signed from 3 Oct 2026
HK$6,456
New-contract wage + cash food
HK$0
Monthly employer levy
One-Time Costs: Transfer and Overseas Routes
Route and nationality determine the processing steps. Private service prices are not statutory charges, and a package may already include government, medical or travel items.
- SeekHelpers Self Hire: HK$5,999 for a local Philippines case or HK$6,999 for an overseas Philippines case
- SeekHelpers Full Service: HK$13,999–16,999 depending on package and route
- Hong Kong Immigration visa fee: HK$330 under the fee schedule effective 8 September 2025
- Nationality-specific verification and deployment: confirm the live MWO or consular procedure and whether it is included in the selected package
- Medical examination and airfare: route-dependent planning costs; obtain a current quote rather than treating an online estimate as a government fee
- Indonesian overseas deployment requires an approved recruitment route; do not assume the Filipino direct-processing steps apply
Do not add every published fee blindly. Ask for a written inclusions list so the same visa, medical or flight cost is not counted twice. The old HK$706 Filipino-route figure used the former HK$230 Immigration fee; it is stale and was never a universal fee for every nationality or case.
Use the cost calculator to test salary, food and route assumptions, then confirm live package inclusions before paying.
Monthly and Recurring Costs
For a new-rate contract, cash wages start at HK$5,220 with free food, or HK$6,456 with the minimum cash food allowance. Insurance and variable expenses sit on top; these are not total hiring costs.
- Wage: at least HK$5,220 for contracts signed from 3 October 2026
- Food: provide free food or pay at least HK$1,236 a month; do not count both unless you voluntarily provide both
- Employees' compensation insurance: legally required; this guide uses an illustrative HK$800–1,500 annual range, not a statutory tariff
- Medical treatment: the employer remains responsible under the Standard Employment Contract even when a policy has limits or exclusions
- Work-related transport and household supplies: variable employer costs, not fixed statutory allowances
- Employer levy: HK$0; the former HK$400 monthly levy was abolished in 2013
First-Year, Second-Year and Two-Year Baseline
| Assumption | Year 1 | Year 2 | 24 months |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wage only (free food provided) | HK$62,640 | HK$62,640 | HK$125,280 |
| Wage + cash food allowance | HK$77,472 | HK$77,472 | HK$154,944 |
| Insurance planning range | HK$800–1,500 | HK$800–1,500 | HK$1,600–3,000 |
| Cash-food baseline incl. illustrative insurance | HK$78,272–78,972 | HK$78,272–78,972 | HK$156,544–157,944 |
These baseline totals exclude service plans, consular or immigration charges, medical examinations, travel and optional household spending. With free food, subtract HK$14,832 per year and add the household's actual food cost.
Flights, Medical Costs and Ending Employment
These obligations can create large, variable costs, so keep a reserve instead of relying on one headline total.
- The Standard Employment Contract requires free passage from the helper's place of origin to Hong Kong and return passage on termination or expiry, plus the prescribed daily food and travelling allowance
- The employer must provide free medical treatment during employment, including medical consultation, hospital maintenance and emergency dental treatment; insurance does not remove that duty
- Ordinary termination generally requires one month's notice or one month's wages in lieu, plus outstanding wages, accrued leave and return passage
- Severance payment and long service payment have different eligibility tests; do not automatically add both
- Renewal after the two-year term can require a new visa, nationality-specific processing, insurance and travel arrangements; check current fees when renewing
How to Budget Without Cutting Legal Duties
Reduce uncertainty and duplicate charges rather than cutting contractual protections.
- Choose the hiring route before comparing prices; local and overseas cases do not have the same processing or travel needs
- Compare written package inclusions rather than headline prices, separating private service fees from government and consular charges
- If providing free food, agree how meals and dietary needs will work and budget the real grocery cost
- Keep a reserve for medical treatment, early termination and return passage even with comprehensive insurance
- Recheck live government, consular and service fees immediately before filing because fees and procedures can change
Scenario Budgets That Add Up
| Scenario | Year 1 | Year 2 | Two-year subtotal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local Philippines Self Hire; cash food; insurance range | HK$82,831–83,531 | HK$76,832–77,532 | HK$159,663–161,063 |
| Overseas Philippines Self Hire; same recurring assumptions | HK$83,831–84,531 | HK$76,832–77,532 | HK$160,663–162,063 |
| Full Service; cash food; same insurance assumptions | HK$90,831–94,531 | HK$76,832–77,532 | HK$167,663–172,063 |
Each subtotal adds the published SeekHelpers service price to wage, cash food allowance and the illustrative insurance range. It excludes any item not confirmed as included in the selected package, especially airfare, medical examinations and nationality-specific charges.
Sources and Related Planning Tools
Frequently Asked Questions
Clear answers to the questions employers ask most about this topic.
What is the minimum monthly cost of a domestic helper in Hong Kong in 2026?
For contracts signed from 3 October 2026, wage is at least HK$5,220. Add HK$1,236 if cash food is selected, making HK$6,456 before insurance and other costs. Existing contracts use actual agreed wages.
Is there a HK$400 monthly domestic helper levy?
No. Hong Kong abolished the Employees Retraining Levy for foreign domestic helper employers in 2013. Current budgets should not add HK$400 a month or HK$9,600 over a two-year contract.
Do employers have to pay for a domestic helper's flights?
The Standard Employment Contract requires the employer to provide free passage from the helper's place of origin to Hong Kong and return passage on termination or expiry, plus the prescribed daily food and travelling allowance. Confirm whether a service package already includes any ticket before adding it again.
How much does a domestic helper cost over two years?
Assuming HK$5,220 wages and HK$1,236 cash food throughout 24 months, wage plus food is HK$154,944. Illustrative HK$800–1,500 annual insurance makes HK$156,544–157,944 before service, travel and other case costs. This is a new-rate illustration, not a package quote.
Is domestic helper insurance mandatory?
Yes. Employers must hold employees' compensation insurance. The employer also remains responsible for free medical treatment under the Standard Employment Contract, so policy limits and exclusions matter.
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