Thanks for the info. About how much is an average apartment? do most of the expats live generally in the same area? This is all pretty new to me on expat lifestyle and Dubai for that matter. My family will not be joining me in Dubai but will be making frequent visits as will I during my vacations back to the US. Them not joining me is the reason I would like to keep the cost down, since I will be paying for two places to live. Thanks again