Cost of living in Dubai

[hopeful]

Its an individual thing at the end of the day isn't it. For a single guy or girl its easy to live cheaply anywhere but for a family its different. The childrens needs take presidence, healthy food, good schools, a good neighbourhood etc etc. I lived on nothing at Uni....most of the money went on nights out ;-) but priorities change when you have kids. The last thing any family wants to do is move thousands of miles across the world to struggle!

I read that one of the reasons Elphaba set up this site was to alert people to the fact that living costs in the UAE were not as cheap as people thought. I have to be honest but I thought that was very negative at first...I don't anymore and I thank her for it...

Some people are receiving fab offers but others aren't so great....some recruitment agents, probably all are ready to sell you down the river for their commision, if I hadn't of been prepared with a full budget because of what I read, our family would of been one of those up **** creek without a paddle!!

[meninaJANA]

I found two documents very usefull at that site. The Cost of Living and Typical salaries of 2006. It's very usefull! Thank for posting!

But.. does anybody know a place where I can find those data of 2008?

jana.

[bonk]

Previous post has data for 2008 (not salaries though) .

[Padyg]

Hi

I am considering a move to Dubai with my wife. A tax fee salary of $250k sounds nice but I have lived abroad enough (currently in Jamaica) to know that this means squat until you understand the costs.

Is this worth the effort of even considering?

[dubaibound1]

Originally Posted by Padyg

Hi

I am considering a move to Dubai with my wife. A tax fee salary of $250k sounds nice but I have lived abroad enough (currently in Jamaica) to know that this means squat until you understand the costs.

Is this worth the effort of even considering?

I took the spread sheet from the earlier post and converted them to US dollars, it is my understanding that the pricing is at par with the US cities if you live in the major metros, the housing may be different, it depends where you owned or rented a house.

If you compare california (LA, San Jose, SF) and Dubai the rents in Dubai are at par, the utilities are definitely cheaper in Dubai though. Compared to NY, London, Tokyo, Moscow and Hong Kong the Dubai rents are still below.

It all depends on the life style one wants to live. If you want champagne on a beer budget and eat lobster on a shrimp budget then no matter where you live the disparity will be quite evident.

Dubai's glitz and growth I'm assuming is like a flame attracting the moth.

Without knowing the strength of the flame do not approach it, lest you get burnt.

I'm considering moving to either Abu Dhabi & Dubai and this forum has helped me imensely in understaniding the situation in dubai from teh local perspective, they have assited me in negotiating my compensation package to fit my skills and expertise and life style I want to live.

Many in this thread have mentioned on numerous times, plan accordingly, research as much as you can, compare what you have and what you want, weigh the pros and cons.

Making a move to a different country is not an easy feat, I have worked around the world, my desicions are based on long term strategy rather than short term goals.

It will be a commitment to you and your family, everyone will be affected by your decision, so choose wisely, understand the culture, the economic impact, the long term benefits, geographical location and accessibility to your families...if you make a move unprepared you will be disspaointed. Dont make decision solely on economic compensation.

[MichaelJ47]

In my humble opinion it would be better to take the the costs as a factor of the total earnings or as a % of the total and compare on that basis to what you currently earn in the same way.

Trying to convert between currencies always brings up skewed results. Factor in the intense heat ( it was 48 deg C in July and dropped to 31 Deg C at night) and humidity here and the implications on your lifestyle in conjunction with the crazy driving.

Not to mention the settling-in costs and for an RE agent an additional AED2500 for the RERA course and exams without which you cannot operate. Earning % are also lower per deal

To make AED80K per month you will have to sell 4-6 apartments of AED4 Mill a piece per month which I am told is not difficult if you are a Pro.

[Shamus30]

You can get a pretty accurate estimate using a site Xpatulator Use your after tax salary in Jamaica and choose moving from Jamaica to Dubai. It will calculate the equivalent salary in Dubai given the difference in cost of living, hardship and the exchange rate, in the currency you choose. You can then compare the offer of $250k to see if it is higher or lower than what you are on now. Hope this helps.

[meninaJANA]

Thanks Bonk!

[Mars]

Hi every one..
My name is mars am a filipino and Iam working as Premier Customer service of microsoft based in philippines..am planning to move to dubai this october via visit visa..is it advisable to do that and are there some companies who accept and convert visit visa to resident visa?...

need you advise guys//positive or negative feedback will be just fine..

cheers!

[Maz25]

Originally Posted by Mars

Hi every one..
My name is mars am a filipino and Iam working as Premier Customer service of microsoft based in philippines..am planning to move to dubai this october via visit visa..is it advisable to do that and are there some companies who accept and convert visit visa to resident visa?...

need you advise guys//positive or negative feedback will be just fine..

cheers!

I personally would not advise to move Dubai without first having a firm job offer. Whilst there are companies who will be willing to employ you and get a proper visa for you, the fact of the matter remains that it is illegal to work on a visit visa and it is not as easy as some people would have you believe to find a job in Dubai. Accommodation is very expensive and you would need to have enough money saved to cover housing whilst you are in Dubai. Remember that an employer is under no obligation to provide you with a housing allowance and even if one is provided, it is very unlikely that it will be enough to cover your rent.

My advice would be to secure a job before you come out or at the very least line up a few interviews.

Best of luck!