The housing allowance will get you a decent place but don't expect to save any of it (unless you are single and live in a apartment). Most 3-4 bedroom villas's will run you anywhere from AED 110,000- 160,000, depending on location and size. Ofcourse there are many that are much more expensive. DEWA (electric) bill can run AED 2000/month or higher during summer months. If you rent a car, expect to pay AED 1800-2200/month for a midsize. A compact will be a bit cheaper but once you see how people drive here, you will be running to find something bigger! The schooling allowance will NOT pay for the entire cost of education. I would say it will cover around 70% . A middle school (Grade 6) annual tuiton is around AED 60,000, while primary is around AED 48,000. As with all schools, there are plenty of extra charges.
Therefore, to accurately calculate your discretionary take-home pay, take the above factors into account. It will be a lot less than than the original USD 10,000 mentioned in the previous post. Dubai is an expensive place to live, and I would say compared to the U.S. groceries will run you 20% more, higher if you go organic! Almost everything is imported.
If you are an F/O at an established airline with command on the way, I would not recommend coming here. If you are a Captain in the U.S. or elsewhere taking home 6-7K a month, it's not worth coming here for an extra grand or two a month, in my opinion.
Last edited by NGFellow; 25th Jun 2013 at 07:31.