Groceries
Monthly groceries around 5000 for three adults including maid and two kids
Gas
I guess you mean petrol. Costs me 100 dirhams to fill a 60 litre tank.
School
This one is influenced by where. My kids are at Dubai International Academy and we pay 8000/month for the two. If you were to pay at say Dubai American Academy it is more like 11000/ month for two.
Internet/phone/skype
Du premier plus as well as a pinoy plus box for the maid, home line and 8meg internet is about 650/month. It is more now. Tip for those who have not done so, call Du and tell them you want your old price. They will have someone call you back within 3 days and try and talk you out of it but you won't catch the price increase.
Mobile phone if you bring your own, blackberry, 200 minutes 500mb data 99 dirhams and iPhone the same but 1gig data
Don't use skype often but it is free for computer to computer. Install it and a VPN before you come. Put the files on a flash drive to reinstall. Set up your iTunes account in your home country too.
Dressing
All ends of the spectrum. LuLu hypermarket way cheap all the way to 4000! Dirham t shirts at the usual suspects. No more expensive than the US.
Homemade
Sounds like auto correct but if you do mean maid, anywhere from 600 if you hire from certain countries and up. An agency maid will be about 2800 a month. I have a Phillipino that we pay 2200 as well as her yearly flight and visa/medical costs. All up about 3000 per month plus food. You get good ones and bad ones. Ours is exceptional and have employed her for years. Hire one with family in the country. They are a little more motivated.
Car insurance
Doing that as we speak. A 3 year old Pajero is 1400/ month. All depends on what you buy. 4% of value is pretty close. Some cars are a different category and cost more.
The extras are up to you. EPC is a must if you use the gym and don't have one at your accommodation. Great for golf and bars/restaurants. It is easy to get into the bar and brunch money pit without realising. The local booze shops MMI have a discount for EPC too. The premiums are charged for anything 'western' like sports teams, personal anything or anything remotely exclusive. Whatever pastimes you have, you can do them here if you are prepared to seek out the right groups of people who have worked out how to do it cheaply.
Drive what ever you drove, wear what you used to wear and do what you used to do in your country and unless you are from somewhere buzz are, it won't cost you any more. The trap is getting involved with the hype.
Last edited by Plazbot; 4th Nov 2013 at 14:16.