Living Large in Asia -- Rent-Free

With salaries higher than their Western counterparts, unbounded entertainment options, killer sound systems and frenetic nightlife scenes, Asian 20-somethings are on the leading edge of urban chic -- if they don’t mind living with Mom and Dad.

Shanghai

Population: 17.4 million

Archetypal 20-something: Single, college-educated ad-agency rep calls parents’ house home.

Bounces to: Chinese mainland pop singer Pu Shu or Hong Kong celebs Eric Kwok, Edison Chen and Miriam Yeung. Also digs Taiwanese artists Jay Chou and May Day and American bubble gum: Britney, Justin, Christina and Backstreet Boys.

Channel surfs: State TV offers the usual “dynasty” fare, so prefers Korean and Taiwanese “soda pop shows” (all fizz, no substance).

Big screen idols: Chinese actors Zhang Ziyi (“Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” and “Rush Hour 2”) and Zhou Sun. Action stars Jackie Chan, Chow Yun Fat and Jet Li have cult status.

The sex scene: College kids date to marry, but culturally conservative Shanghai women still want commitment before shacking up. More women are delaying marriage, at least until their late 20s and even early 30s. Gay and lesbian nightclubs exist, but gays still live an underground existence.

Netizenship: Portal to the outside world used by anyone (a) with money and (b) educated and under 30. But beware the Internet regulations that locals call the Great Firewall of China.

Fashion faves: Worships Western haute couture and haunts the city’s new Armani, Marc Jacobs and Louis Vuitton stores.

Singapore

Population: 4.19 million

Archetypal 20-something: White-collar entertainment rep by day rakes in more than Western European counterparts (and pays lower taxes). Trendy bar-hopper by night. Arrives home to parents in the wee hours to watch “Real World” reruns.

Bounces to: Usher, Beyonce, Alicia Keys and Ashlee Simpson. Looks to Hong Kong and Taiwanese stars for regional celebrity-fill.

Channel surfs: Singapore-based MTV Asia; government recently lifted ban on “Sex and the City.”

Big-screen idols: Angelina Jolie, Jude Law, Brad Pitt and almost-local gal Aussie Nicole Kidman.

The sex scene: Tries online “speed dating,” or hangs out at nightclub Madame Wong’s. Then-Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong supported limited gay rights last year, and the local economy is turning shades of pink.

Netizenship: To chat or surf, that is the question. Online chat nearly as common as cellphone use.

Fashion faves: Outspends European and U.S. counterparts 5 to 1 on name-brand fashions. Hits the malls, Starbucks and Coffee Bean cups in hand.

Tokyo

Population: 14.67 million

Archetypal 20-something: Recent university grad making $50,000 at the national bank. Listens to Snoop Dogg and craves In-N-Out burgers from a year spent studying in the U.S. -- but will settle for karaoke, the video arcade and Shibuya district shopping.

Bounces to: Local pop stars A.Ra.Shi and W-inds. American faves include Alyssa Milano, Jennifer Love Hewitt -- yes, they sing -- Avril Lavigne and Eminem.

Channel surfs: Been there, chopped that with “Iron Chef.” Prefers “Spring of Trivia,” the latest slap-happy concoction from producers of campy samurai cooking show. Alternatively, watches “Road Rules” rip-off “Ainori,” or the South Korean melodrama “Winter Sonata.”

Big-screen idols: Craves action-packed adventure and anime, with a soft spot for Hilary Duff.

The sex scene: Sports the bishoujo (metrosexual) look. If straight, professional men seek that rare woman willing to marry and quit her job in her mid- to late-20s. If gay, doesn’t face moral opprobrium but won’t find a friendly face in mainstream culture.

Netizenship: Engaged in a 24-hour love affair with cellphone, using it to send up to 200 e-mail messages during endless commutes. May have forgotten how to use a PC.

Fashion faves: Worships the coif of pop icon Takuya Kimura, the male spokesman for the Tokyo Beauty Center. Shops local up-and-coming designers Malko Malka, Hisui and Dress Camp.

Seoul

Population: 10.28 million

Archetypal 20-something: Med school student speaks fluent English, yearns to own private practice. Shares an officetel (studio apartment) with a friend.

Bounces to: Korean pop stars, like Boa, gangsta rap, classical jazz -- as long as the sound system’s got bass.

Channel surfs: Heart-wrenching dramas “Winter Sonata,” “Lover in Paris” and “Do You Like Bears in Autumn Days?”

Big-screen idols: Total movie freaks crowd the Kangnam district a few times per week to catch either Korean or Hollywood flicks. Korean film stars include “Winter Sonata” regular Bae Yong Joon, Jang Dong Gun and Jeon Ji Hyun (“My Sassy Girl”).

The sex scene: Sex before marriage isn’t as scary as it used to be. But young people still feel pressure to marry before 30, and being gay is still a delicate subject.

Netizenship: Like every other urban student, consumes the Web like food. One in 12 play an online game called “Lineage,” in which medieval characters duke it out to control castles.

Fashion faves: Skinny is in, and plastic surgery starts early. Sports formal, designer wear (especially Armani, Vuitton and Ralph Lauren). Men want Rolies on their wrists, and anything Italian on their backs.

Sources: Dennis A. Smith of website J!-Ent, Stephan van der Mersch, Nanyang Technological University Student Survey, Japan Media Review, Esther Cho, and Prashun Dutt of MTV Networks Asia.

-- Compiled by Sarah Grausz