Ever thought about what it would be like to live in three completely different cities across the globe?
One woman, originally from Moscow, recently took to Threads to share her personal reflections after living in Moscow, Hong Kong, and Kuala Lumpur.
Her honest breakdown of how each city shaped her life from daily commutes to unexpected weather changes quickly caught the attention of netizens online.
From museum-like metros to ‘just take a Grab’
She began her post by talking about how each city differs when it comes to getting around.
In Moscow, she described the metro system as “like a museum”, clean, beautiful, and fast. But with the city being so massive, travelling from one side to the other could take over an hour, and the trains were always packed.
In contrast, Hong Kong’s public transport system stood out to her as one of the best in the world. The MTR is fast, reliable, and paired with the convenience of the Octopus card, getting around was a breeze.
Meanwhile, her experience in Kuala Lumpur was a little different. While trains do exist, she noted that most people end up driving or using Grab instead.
“I’ve only used the MRT twice. Not even joking,” she admitted.
Language
Language was another area where the cities varied significantly.
In Moscow, English wasn’t widely spoken, making Russian the only real way to get by. Hong Kong, on the other hand, felt much more international in that sense, English was everywhere, and communicating was easy.
Kuala Lumpur surprised her the most in this category.
She marvelled at how locals often mixed two to three languages in a single conversation, and yet everyone seemed to understand each other effortlessly. “It’s kind of magical,” she said.
The cold, the humid, and unpredictably wet weather
Weather-wise, each place brought its own personality.
Summers in Moscow were lovely, but the long, cold, and dark winters eventually took a toll on her mood.
Hong Kong offered a different kind of extreme, with hot and humid weather dominating most of the year.
“Then suddenly, it’s 10°C and you’re not sure why,” she added.
In KL, it’s hot all the time, but somehow it felt less humid than Hong Kong. What she didn’t expect, though, was how randomly the rain would appear and disappear.
Food: Who’s the real winner?
When it came to food, she had glowing praise for all three cities, but KL clearly stole her heart.
In Moscow, she found the food scene to be surprisingly good, not just traditional Russian cuisine but even supermarket fare. Everything felt high quality.
Hong Kong impressed her with its variety, but not so much with the prices. “Still not over paying HK$200 for a super average breakfast,” she wrote.
KL, on the other hand, was heaven for food lovers. “Food is literally everywhere. It’s cheap, delicious, and such a big part of daily life. You never go hungry here.”
Cost of living
Of course, cost of living played a huge role in shaping her experience in each city.
In Moscow, she estimated that while you could survive on $1,000 a month, living comfortably would require closer to $3,000.
Hong Kong, however, was a different story. “Painful,” she called it.
Everything from rent to food and even coffee was expensive.
Kuala Lumpur, by contrast, was the most livable. Not exactly dirt cheap, but the value for money made a huge difference. “One of my favourite things about living here,” she added.
What each city taught her
More than anything, though, she reflected on what each city taught her.
Moscow taught her how to handle extremes both in weather and in life. In Hong Kong, she learned speed, ambition, and how to make the most of limited space.
And in KL, she discovered how to slow down, enjoy the little things, and always say yes to good food.
The post ended with a little personal context: she’s originally from Moscow, holds permanent residency in Hong Kong, and has now been based in KL for a year.
Her reflections resonated with many people online.
One user asked if the people in Hong Kong were rude, and whether she could find Russian food like blini and borsh in KL.
To that, she replied warmly, saying, “In KL, it actually feels a bit like home sometimes. There are hidden spots where I can find borsh, blini, and more. Plus, I have a big kitchen here and I love cooking, homemade is always best.”
View on Threads
Another commenter, an Australian who had lived in KL, HK, Shanghai, and Singapore, chimed in to agree.
Now back in Sydney, they said KL still felt like their second home, and each city brought its own unique, unforgettable experience.
View on Threads
Read the original post here:
View on Threads
