PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Becoming an ex-pat or staying a national
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Old 27th Dec 2013, 22:02
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Bindair Dundat
 
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Europe
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This is such an individual question but two things...do you have a family? And are you ready for a 10 year plus commitment?
If you have kids, you will live a VERY average lifestyle on an FO salary and not likely put away much money (if any) until you see an upgrade which is stretching out to more like 5 - 7 years now at EK. Doesn't seem like a problem but you will be surrounded by expats who appear to be flush with cash and spend it at every turn. It is a hard place to live a frugal lifestyle with any quality of life and not feel like you are being shafted. Everything costs there and if you have kids...schooling and activities costs are through the roof and a lot of dubious quality there.
It's just not the great gig that it used to be.
As for weather, expect four months of near perfect conditions between November to mid-March. Once the end of April hits, you are in it...super hot, humid conditions for a solid five to six months without breaks. There are no fluctuation in the plus 40 degree range and very little do except spend the time inside the four walls of your villa or shopping mall. Totally different to a winter where the temperature can range from pretty lovely to brutally cold. Even in Canada I suspect you would be hard pressed to find a place that was solidly sub minus twenties for a four month stretch, unless you are talking extreme North.
Alot to consider but I wouldn't touch it if I had a family. Not a bad gig for a single guy though.
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