How to compare domestic helper agency fees in Hong Kong

The most useful agency price is not always the lowest number. It is the price for the right hiring route, with enough detail to show what is included, what is extra, and when the amount can change.

HelperIndex HK uses six rows: new hire from Indonesia, new hire from the Philippines, Indonesian renewal, Filipino renewal, local Indonesian direct hire, and local Filipino direct hire.

Start with the correct route

A new-hire package normally includes recruitment or introduction work. A local direct hire starts with a helper the employer has already selected. A renewal keeps the same employer-helper relationship. Those services should not share one comparison row.

Confirm the helper's nationality, present location, contract status, and whether the agency is finding the helper or only processing documents.

Read the qualifier with the price

Keep from, +, ranges, promotional conditions, and contract-status notes attached to the amount. A plus sign means the published number is not necessarily the final total. Quote required means no usable public price was found for that exact route; it does not mean the service is free or unavailable.

Compare package scope

Ask every agency for the same written breakdown:

• agency service and recruitment fees;
• Hong Kong and origin-country document processing;
• visa and contract-verification charges;
• airfare, airport tax, pickup, and temporary accommodation;
• medical examinations, insurance, and training;
• payment dates, possible surcharges, and expiry date;
• cancellation, refund, and replacement terms.

Do not subtract an estimated flight or insurance amount from a bundle. HelperIndex HK shows a derived comparison only when the agency publishes a usable line item or cap, and labels it as a comparison rather than a quote.

Use the directory as a shortlist, not a final quotation

Open the agency directory, select the right price row, and request the same written breakdown from two or three agencies. Read the pricing methodology before treating two amounts as comparable.