Cost of living in UAE
Discussion
It's looking likely that I'll moving out to Dubai or surrounding area in the near future so could do with some advice on the cost of living.
I was originally coming out alone, but it looks like I've finally got the good lady on side, so would more likely be coming out with the whole clan (wife and two young kids).
We don't need anything flash, just a normal 2/3 bed flat with parking for a couple of cars.
I have no idea of living costs at all so could anyone give me a rough idea (I know it varies for everyone) on accomodation, travel, food and bills for a family of 4 with no extravagent tastes?
We need to work out if we need to rent out our house here or not.
Cheers
EDIT: To update, I’ve just found this site.
Do the figures seem about right?
I was originally coming out alone, but it looks like I've finally got the good lady on side, so would more likely be coming out with the whole clan (wife and two young kids).
We don't need anything flash, just a normal 2/3 bed flat with parking for a couple of cars.
I have no idea of living costs at all so could anyone give me a rough idea (I know it varies for everyone) on accomodation, travel, food and bills for a family of 4 with no extravagent tastes?
We need to work out if we need to rent out our house here or not.
Cheers
EDIT: To update, I’ve just found this site.
Do the figures seem about right?
Edited by m3psm on Tuesday 17th June 20:58
Yorky did a good write up on Simons post last month.
yorky500 said:
I have been in Dubai for the last 3.5 years. It's true, the cost of living is forever on the up (no different to anywhere else), petrol is cheaper than drinking water (which you have to buy). Cars, esp the more top end range are relatively cheaper than buying in the the UK or Europe but you won't get the range you do there.
Ok, so to help you out: I will assume that you will be wanting say a 1 bed flat (just remember, you can not co-habit with your g/f here. Couples can only live together if they are married! but a lot of couples do live in "sin"!). These are pretty average costs
1 bed flat - AED90 - 110,000 per year to rent (may have parking/pool/gym)
2 bed flat - AED100 - 140,000 per year to rent (ditto)
2 bed villa - AED150 - 180,00 per year to rent (parking)
Utility bills (water/sewerage/elec) - for flats, average AED500-600 per month, 2 bed villas AED1,200-1,500 per month
Cable TV - AED400 per month
Internet - AED350 per month
Tel - depends on how many calls you make AED200 per month
Cars: to buy a Nissan 350Z/2.0l Audi TT (new) - AED150,000. Zero deposit and repayments over 4 years: AED3,688 per month
Insurance on cars: sports cars take 7% of the purchase price: AED10,500 per year,
Petrol: not really worth mentioning but is AED6.25/6.75 per imperial gallon,
Food per week for a single person: easily live on AED500 per week
Going out: tricky part (how long is a piece of string?)
A pint of lager will set you back AED20 - 30 (depends on timing i.e. happy hour)
Ciggies: feck me, these are cheap - AED6.00 per pack of 20.
w
es: if single, a must - Chinese & Far east, East Euro and African ladies are here in abundance and can be had anywhere from AED500 - 2000 per night (depends on where you go and what night. Weekends are more expensive)
Taxis are numerous and relatively inexpensive and is a must if out drinking.
Drugs: BIG NO NO.
There are NO income taxes here. Yes, there are taxes on booze and some other goods, but you don't see it.
Basically, what you get in your hand each month is yours to do with as you please.
Right, add all that lot up on a monthly basis i.e. multiply all the costs by 12, once you get a total, divide further AED7.2 to get you into pounds and that should give you what you can expect to spend on a monthly basis (remember to add a few extra pints in and some allowance for taxis (avg fare AED25))
Any further info, give us a shout.
Ok, so to help you out: I will assume that you will be wanting say a 1 bed flat (just remember, you can not co-habit with your g/f here. Couples can only live together if they are married! but a lot of couples do live in "sin"!). These are pretty average costs
1 bed flat - AED90 - 110,000 per year to rent (may have parking/pool/gym)
2 bed flat - AED100 - 140,000 per year to rent (ditto)
2 bed villa - AED150 - 180,00 per year to rent (parking)
Utility bills (water/sewerage/elec) - for flats, average AED500-600 per month, 2 bed villas AED1,200-1,500 per month
Cable TV - AED400 per month
Internet - AED350 per month
Tel - depends on how many calls you make AED200 per month
Cars: to buy a Nissan 350Z/2.0l Audi TT (new) - AED150,000. Zero deposit and repayments over 4 years: AED3,688 per month
Insurance on cars: sports cars take 7% of the purchase price: AED10,500 per year,
Petrol: not really worth mentioning but is AED6.25/6.75 per imperial gallon,
Food per week for a single person: easily live on AED500 per week
Going out: tricky part (how long is a piece of string?)
A pint of lager will set you back AED20 - 30 (depends on timing i.e. happy hour)
Ciggies: feck me, these are cheap - AED6.00 per pack of 20.
w
es: if single, a must - Chinese & Far east, East Euro and African ladies are here in abundance and can be had anywhere from AED500 - 2000 per night (depends on where you go and what night. Weekends are more expensive)Taxis are numerous and relatively inexpensive and is a must if out drinking.
Drugs: BIG NO NO.
There are NO income taxes here. Yes, there are taxes on booze and some other goods, but you don't see it.
Basically, what you get in your hand each month is yours to do with as you please.
Right, add all that lot up on a monthly basis i.e. multiply all the costs by 12, once you get a total, divide further AED7.2 to get you into pounds and that should give you what you can expect to spend on a monthly basis (remember to add a few extra pints in and some allowance for taxis (avg fare AED25))
Any further info, give us a shout.
yorky500 said:
1 bed flat - AED90 - 110,000 per year to rent (may have parking/pool/gym)
To think we complain here about rent! You would have thought one of the great things about a city built in a desert was having space to build 
.It does sound like a fantastic place to live (just as long as you are near an airconditioning unit once it goes above the mid 30's).
.Negatives:
-Laws are not the same for everyone,
-Costs are not the same for everyone,
-Cost of living is ever on the rise (same for most countries),
-very little to do except pubs and shopping (just how many times can you go into the desert!) and the more you go out, the more it eats into your wedge you are trying to save (not saying become a hermit, but .....),
-traffic is horrendous,
-standard of driving is fecking appalling,
-double standards/hypocritical society (see first point),
-constant construction site
-hygene standards suck,
-beaurocractic crap dealing with banks/Gov/Utility Companies etc,
-you are always a third class citizen, will never be classed as a UAE,
wish somebody else would chime in as well, feel a bit lonesome here hahahahahahahaha
Plus points:
-ciggies are cheap
-petrol is cheap,
-cars are cheap,
-good standard of living (depending on what you spend)
-not a bad quality of life providing you keep active
-sunshine 360 days out of the year (yes it actually gets boring)!
review the costs above also to get a feel for what you should be earning to make it pay.
-Laws are not the same for everyone,
-Costs are not the same for everyone,
-Cost of living is ever on the rise (same for most countries),
-very little to do except pubs and shopping (just how many times can you go into the desert!) and the more you go out, the more it eats into your wedge you are trying to save (not saying become a hermit, but .....),
-traffic is horrendous,
-standard of driving is fecking appalling,
-double standards/hypocritical society (see first point),
-constant construction site
-hygene standards suck,
-beaurocractic crap dealing with banks/Gov/Utility Companies etc,
-you are always a third class citizen, will never be classed as a UAE,
wish somebody else would chime in as well, feel a bit lonesome here hahahahahahahaha
Plus points:
-ciggies are cheap
-petrol is cheap,
-cars are cheap,
-good standard of living (depending on what you spend)
-not a bad quality of life providing you keep active
-sunshine 360 days out of the year (yes it actually gets boring)!
review the costs above also to get a feel for what you should be earning to make it pay.
I guess not everything that glitters is gold as the saying says !!!!
But at the same time I can't imagine there is much less to do within walking distance than where I am at the moment, and living in the center of things certainly appeals assuming work is close at hand (minimize commuting) and the rent is affordable.
Of course I would like to bring money back but I also see it as an opportunity to live in another country for a few years for the experience and use it as a base to travel from (when opportunity allows).
It does however seem vital to make sure you get the right deal agreed to make sure everything stacks up before stepping onto the plane.
If I hear of anything I'll let you know, what line of work are you in ?
But at the same time I can't imagine there is much less to do within walking distance than where I am at the moment, and living in the center of things certainly appeals assuming work is close at hand (minimize commuting) and the rent is affordable.
Of course I would like to bring money back but I also see it as an opportunity to live in another country for a few years for the experience and use it as a base to travel from (when opportunity allows).
It does however seem vital to make sure you get the right deal agreed to make sure everything stacks up before stepping onto the plane.
If I hear of anything I'll let you know, what line of work are you in ?
Rental costs in Abu Dhabi have recently gone through the roof and it's now probably more expensive than Dubai. Very little accommodation on the market at present - be warned if you're heading in this direction.
The beauracy is crazy, but you have to learn to see the funny side and see it as a challenge!
The death rate on the roads is 10 TIMES that of the UK. There are no driving standards and on my short commute I must see at least one accident per day.
Generally I think it's all been covered in the above. The sun has just disappeared here in Abu Dhabi and the world's turned orange.. very bizarre..
The beauracy is crazy, but you have to learn to see the funny side and see it as a challenge!
The death rate on the roads is 10 TIMES that of the UK. There are no driving standards and on my short commute I must see at least one accident per day.
Generally I think it's all been covered in the above. The sun has just disappeared here in Abu Dhabi and the world's turned orange.. very bizarre..
I've moved around a bit & there are always pros & cons where ever you go. I'd echo what the others have said it's not cheap here. You can have a wonderfull lifestyle but it costs. Like anywhere else in the world. I'm "fortunate" in that I live in the desert, so get all my costs covered & a weekend in Abu Dhabi is never going to bankrupt me!
It is relatively relaxed, & whilst there are several classes of citizen, generally the laws are applied to Westerners in a relaxed way. Woe betide if you come from the sub-continent.....
From an admin & beaurocratic perspective, yes it's bad, but the key is what your employer will or will not do for you. I'm working for a US company out here & they take care of everything. This means it's easy. If you have to do it all yourself it would be a nightmare. As anywhere else there are companies who are reasonable & those that are not. It is so much easier here for a bad employer to shaft you here....employment "rights" forget them.
The climate sounds great but is very opressive in the summer, it's not like a hot day in the Med. You can't go & sit outside because it's too damn hot. I'll come back into the office from a spell on site & will be soaked, and covered in sand. It's not pleasant.
It is relatively relaxed, & whilst there are several classes of citizen, generally the laws are applied to Westerners in a relaxed way. Woe betide if you come from the sub-continent.....
From an admin & beaurocratic perspective, yes it's bad, but the key is what your employer will or will not do for you. I'm working for a US company out here & they take care of everything. This means it's easy. If you have to do it all yourself it would be a nightmare. As anywhere else there are companies who are reasonable & those that are not. It is so much easier here for a bad employer to shaft you here....employment "rights" forget them.
The climate sounds great but is very opressive in the summer, it's not like a hot day in the Med. You can't go & sit outside because it's too damn hot. I'll come back into the office from a spell on site & will be soaked, and covered in sand. It's not pleasant.
I'm closer to clinching a deal out there now and could do with some info on what I need the company to sort out and how I get my salary a) from the employer into my bank, and b) how to get the money form my bank to the UK to pay bills here.
Accomodation and car are part of the package, as is medical insurance, but apart from a visa, do I need any other paperwork sorting before I go out there?
As for banking, would they be able to pay straight into my UK Barclays account, or do I need to open an account in UAE first and then transfer funds back home?
Not looking forward to getting cooked on a 28 story building site.
Cheers
Accomodation and car are part of the package, as is medical insurance, but apart from a visa, do I need any other paperwork sorting before I go out there?
As for banking, would they be able to pay straight into my UK Barclays account, or do I need to open an account in UAE first and then transfer funds back home?
Not looking forward to getting cooked on a 28 story building site.
Cheers
Ron Fellows said:
Yorky did a good write up on Simons post last month.
Found this cost breakdown as well: http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Cost_of_living_in_UA...yorky500 said:
I have been in Dubai for the last 3.5 years. It's true, the cost of living is forever on the up (no different to anywhere else), petrol is cheaper than drinking water (which you have to buy). Cars, esp the more top end range are relatively cheaper than buying in the the UK or Europe but you won't get the range you do there.
Ok, so to help you out: I will assume that you will be wanting say a 1 bed flat (just remember, you can not co-habit with your g/f here. Couples can only live together if they are married! but a lot of couples do live in "sin"!). These are pretty average costs
1 bed flat - AED90 - 110,000 per year to rent (may have parking/pool/gym)
2 bed flat - AED100 - 140,000 per year to rent (ditto)
2 bed villa - AED150 - 180,00 per year to rent (parking)
Utility bills (water/sewerage/elec) - for flats, average AED500-600 per month, 2 bed villas AED1,200-1,500 per month
Cable TV - AED400 per month
Internet - AED350 per month
Tel - depends on how many calls you make AED200 per month
Cars: to buy a Nissan 350Z/2.0l Audi TT (new) - AED150,000. Zero deposit and repayments over 4 years: AED3,688 per month
Insurance on cars: sports cars take 7% of the purchase price: AED10,500 per year,
Petrol: not really worth mentioning but is AED6.25/6.75 per imperial gallon,
Food per week for a single person: easily live on AED500 per week
Going out: tricky part (how long is a piece of string?)
A pint of lager will set you back AED20 - 30 (depends on timing i.e. happy hour)
Ciggies: feck me, these are cheap - AED6.00 per pack of 20.
wes: if single, a must - Chinese & Far east, East Euro and African ladies are here in abundance and can be had anywhere from AED500 - 2000 per night (depends on where you go and what night. Weekends are more expensive)
Taxis are numerous and relatively inexpensive and is a must if out drinking.
Drugs: BIG NO NO.
There are NO income taxes here. Yes, there are taxes on booze and some other goods, but you don't see it.
Basically, what you get in your hand each month is yours to do with as you please.
Right, add all that lot up on a monthly basis i.e. multiply all the costs by 12, once you get a total, divide further AED7.2 to get you into pounds and that should give you what you can expect to spend on a monthly basis (remember to add a few extra pints in and some allowance for taxis (avg fare AED25))
Any further info, give us a shout.
Ok, so to help you out: I will assume that you will be wanting say a 1 bed flat (just remember, you can not co-habit with your g/f here. Couples can only live together if they are married! but a lot of couples do live in "sin"!). These are pretty average costs
1 bed flat - AED90 - 110,000 per year to rent (may have parking/pool/gym)
2 bed flat - AED100 - 140,000 per year to rent (ditto)
2 bed villa - AED150 - 180,00 per year to rent (parking)
Utility bills (water/sewerage/elec) - for flats, average AED500-600 per month, 2 bed villas AED1,200-1,500 per month
Cable TV - AED400 per month
Internet - AED350 per month
Tel - depends on how many calls you make AED200 per month
Cars: to buy a Nissan 350Z/2.0l Audi TT (new) - AED150,000. Zero deposit and repayments over 4 years: AED3,688 per month
Insurance on cars: sports cars take 7% of the purchase price: AED10,500 per year,
Petrol: not really worth mentioning but is AED6.25/6.75 per imperial gallon,
Food per week for a single person: easily live on AED500 per week
Going out: tricky part (how long is a piece of string?)
A pint of lager will set you back AED20 - 30 (depends on timing i.e. happy hour)
Ciggies: feck me, these are cheap - AED6.00 per pack of 20.
w
es: if single, a must - Chinese & Far east, East Euro and African ladies are here in abundance and can be had anywhere from AED500 - 2000 per night (depends on where you go and what night. Weekends are more expensive)Taxis are numerous and relatively inexpensive and is a must if out drinking.
Drugs: BIG NO NO.
There are NO income taxes here. Yes, there are taxes on booze and some other goods, but you don't see it.
Basically, what you get in your hand each month is yours to do with as you please.
Right, add all that lot up on a monthly basis i.e. multiply all the costs by 12, once you get a total, divide further AED7.2 to get you into pounds and that should give you what you can expect to spend on a monthly basis (remember to add a few extra pints in and some allowance for taxis (avg fare AED25))
Any further info, give us a shout.
speedy_thrills said:
Found this cost breakdown as well: http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Cost_of_living_in_UA...
Cheers Looks like once accommodation and car are taken care of, not much is needed to survive and go out once a week.
The rest gets sent home and the cherry is the bonus which is where the benefit comes in.
Got another interview Monday. This time with a UK company, so will see how they compare.
Cheers.
Something that is easily forgotten, and we are not talking huge sums of money are the costs of getting things set up
Dewa (water & electrictiy) deposit 3000dhs
Telephone/cable etc. deposit 1000dhs
Agents fees if renting somewhere, need to check on this one, when I 1st got here and rented is was about 5% from memory, and make sure maintanence fees are included in the price you pay
If you get to the point when you are going to buy a property, make sure you ask exactly what you have to shell out, they like to spring little suprises on you
Im sure there are a few other things as well but just cant think of them at the moment
As I said not huge sums but enough to screw you up if you dont know about them
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