cost of living uae [Archive]

Raffa

15th Apr 2015, 13:25

hey everyone!
maybe this is not the right place, but I was wondering if I could use your experience to let me know what are the costs of moving to the UAE (house renting, bills, groceries....) As we are planning to relocate.
My husband is a gulfstream pilot, and we would like to have some info to be able to negotiate and evaluate different job offers and deals.
Thank you for ur help!

SuckItUp

15th Apr 2015, 14:12

Living cost in the UAE is equivalent to any other 1st world country these days, except it isn't 1st world.

In the last 5 years costs, rents etc. have at least doubled, and if you are renting or buying real estate here, then you'd be safer and smarter to spend the money in your own country. These days it's not uncommon for rents to increase 15-20% a year. School fees are similar and pretty much at the whim of the school owners. There are "laws" to limit this thing, but no one seems to have to abide by them.

Here they will increase rent, school fees, medical etc etc whenever they get a chance, and you will never get any value here.

A contract here isn't worth the paper it is printed on.

If someone lies to you, and you buy it, too bad as you believed them.

Once you are here, you are considered " owned" .....its not racist......its cultural....

PositiveRate876

16th Apr 2015, 10:14

House Renting: 4 bedroom with a small garden in a good location..
€5900/month

Electricity/Water: €600/month

Groceries for a family of 4: €2000/month

Cost of maintaining sanity in a 3rd world country: Priceless

Mr Good Cat

16th Apr 2015, 13:22

Nah, stop exaggerating - you can rent a nice for only 5000 euros... bargain! :ok:

Other than that, unfortunately and scarily accurate. :sad:

BDiONU

16th Apr 2015, 15:40

"Is It Worth It" - a guide to costs vs income for the UAE & Qatar - British Expats (http://britishexpats.com/forum/middle-east-60/worth-guide-costs-vs-income-uae-qatar-762609/)

Mr Good Cat

16th Apr 2015, 17:07

"Is It Worth It" - a guide to costs vs income for the UAE & Qatar - British Expats (http://britishexpats.com/forum/middle-east-60/worth-guide-costs-vs-income-uae-qatar-762609/)

Pretty much sums it up.

If that guy in the last post can't afford to live on 60,000 dhs a month (over £10,000 or $14,000) then god help the rest of us!

I manage to send home quite a bit of money as a skipper but I have a very, very boring lifestyle :sad:

Raffa

18th Apr 2015, 10:56

...are you guys saying that a salary of around 14000€ is not enough to have a decent life and save up for a private pension? Has it become so expensive to live down there? I mean, in Europe, we can leave off 4000€ salary, paying bills, rent, loan, car.....2 pp....

HighLow

18th Apr 2015, 11:20

Mr Good Cat

18th Apr 2015, 14:28

Raffa,

let me put it to you this way, on holiday at the moment here in Dubai
and looking for necessary supplies:

a well known UK Food and Clothes retailer (M___ & S________)

3 boxers, 4 pairs of black socks, and 4 pairs of ankle socks.... 85 Euro :=
if that helps clarify cost of living here !!

I washed my existing supplies in the hotel sink !!

Regards,
High Low

Well, you can live much cheaper than that...

Just live in the labour camps and buy second-hand underpants on a layover in Calcutta.

Some people are such prima-donnas :=

ekwhistleblower

18th Apr 2015, 16:40

Raffa

19th Apr 2015, 08:51

Rafa,

Been here 16 years, you say I get 14000 euros a month?! Really?! I must check my bank statements more carefully.

Look at it from the other end. Ask what you could rent for 50,000 euros a year. Would it be a 4 bed roomed terrace house with no garden in a pilot village (labour camp)? In the US you could buy a house in 4 years with that number and then pocket the cash.

I work as a vvip handler agent, and my husband is a G550 captain, who s Interviewing for a private business jet comoany, so I think, more or less, that the salary I stated is about accurate (including the housing allowance, of course, but excluding per diem..)
So my question was whether it is a reasonable salary to be able to live down there, considering that he will have to take care of his own pension privatly. Ive been in Dubai may times, but I do know it is different when you live somewhere rather than being there on holidays..
My question is not about costs of restaurants or shopping...those things are extras, that can be cheap or expensive anywhere (we currently live in sweden, and these things are quite expensive as well)... I was more concerned about what we should make sure is included an provided on the contract...

ekwhistleblower

19th Apr 2015, 09:08

Of course it's enough to live! Rather than coming to a rumour site why not search the Internet? This was the first link I found, just stick in relocation Dubai and Google is your friend:

Cost of Living in Dubai, UAE | Moving to Dubai | Expat Echo Dubai (http://www.expatechodubai.com/category/new-to-dubai/cost-of-living/)

Vortac1

19th Apr 2015, 09:22

Agree with whistleblower, for 2 people with no kids 14,000 euro is plenty to live well in Dubai. Granted, assuming you dont have any massive debt back home, exwives demanding massive child support, etc.

It all boils down to how much you wanna spend away now on luxuries, entertainment, R&R, etc.

Raffa

23rd Apr 2015, 10:21

nawwww, we just want to be able to live decently with a regular time-to-time social nighout, an be able to save up for pension and savings...that is, if course, aside from paying what one HAS TO...rent, bills, gas, groceries....thats all...No luxury lifestyle...

Cyber Bob

23rd Apr 2015, 10:42

Just experienced 'Happy Hour' on a recent layover. Nothing 'Happy' about it and that's just beer were talking about

Keep smiling Guys and Gals

Raffa

27th Apr 2015, 10:46

ok, I read all your answers...based on your experiences, what should we ask for, or demand, to be sire to make it into a worthed experience?

silverknapper

27th Apr 2015, 12:51

Raffa

28th Apr 2015, 08:52

It's an interesting point the proposition of a Bizet job out there. I was offered one recently, for a good bit less than that. I just couldn't make the numbers stack up with kids etc. That and the intended destinations.

I do have a friend flying out there on a military/civil role. Just the two of them. Earn a wee bit more but find life very comfortable. They don't live in downtown Dubai though which is they key.

thanks for your message!
my husband got the Cpt job. we re waiting for the contract proposal now, which we should be able to reviews and discuss. The a/c is based in Abu dhabi, so I guess we ll start off by looking at rentals there. Ideas on which areas yo look at anyone? I know Dubai, but never been to Abudhabi, so I dont know which area would be good for a couple with no kids...nothing too wild, but still..no areas with just villas and schools...Any info would be well appreaciated!

BladePilot

30th Apr 2015, 15:14

Abu Dhabi is so much so a better place to live you'll love it. Best advice is to steer clear of this site and just Google for accom and expat sites for Abu Dhabi.
Lived there (in Abu Dhabi good old AUH) for a very longggggggg time and loved it. Like every other City in the world you make the choices.. Big Condo - small car / Big car - small condo!
Caution: be wary not to be caught in the Expat trap and spend all your money on things you'll never really need! Maintain control and send as much home as you can. Lots of bling to tempt you to part with your cash, you really don't need it! Avoid the Mall trap and the infamous Mall fever!
Best wishes and enjoy! ;)

glofish

19th May 2015, 09:06

Just wanted to renew the insurance for my vehicle with the preferred company for EK employees ......... only to hear that by mutual agreement the two companies increased the minimum annual fee by a whooping 25%!!!!! :yuk::yuk::yuk::yuk::yuk:

So much for any expectation of fair treatment for the pay review considering "negligible inflation" in the UAE.

More examples?

sluggums

19th May 2015, 10:06

Probably missing a point here, but does the €14,000 have an accommodation allowance added on? Or what about health care. If they're not included then you're not going to save much...

bigdaviet

19th May 2015, 16:08

I have had some joy with UAE based comparison sites.

They are not in the same league as Europe/UK yet but I have been able to get a cheaper deal each year.

Raffa

15th Jun 2015, 07:51

Probably missing a point here, but does the €14,000 have an accommodation allowance added on? Or what about health care. If they're not included then you're not going to save much...

Yes, there is a extra for house rental and health insurance for both of us, on top of the 14thousand....

sluggums

15th Jun 2015, 08:21

Then it's ok. It's about what I get and I manage to save a fair bit.

Remember when you listen to a lot of people over here, "a fool and their money are soon parted". A lot of people over here can't control their spending urges, much like the rest of the planet. But over here things can get very expensive, very fast...

gardenshed

22nd Jun 2015, 13:51

From todays National Newspaper.

The real cost of living in the UAE bearing in mind Ek only gave us a 3% increase on salaries, which wasn't as it was our increment that we were entitled to.

Dubai residents are feeling the effects of rising prices.

Dubai’s consumer price index rose 4.6 per cent annually last month, the highest since 2009, amid a surge in housing and utility costs.

The Dubai Statistics Center said the consumer price index increased 0.6 per cent month-on-month. Meanwhile, housing and utility costs, which make up about 44 per cent of consumer expenses, soared 7.8 per cent year-on-year and 0.7 per cent from April, the agency said.

The cost of food and beverages, which make up 11 per cent of the price index basket, increased 1.6 per cent from May 2014 while gaining 3 per cent from the previous month.

There is some hope however, economists say, that the UAE may have already gone through the worst of the price rises this year, as retailers typically raise prices ahead of Ramadan.

“Domestic inflation in Dubai is mainly driven by rising rents,” said Alp Eke, a senior economist at National Bank of Abu Dhabi. “With lower oil prices, foreign-origin inflation is expected to decline. The most recent housing sales and rental data indicates that rents are declining as well.”

“In my opinion, after the artificial price increase during Ramadan, inflation will be in a declining trend,” he said. “The downtrend, which is expected in the next few months, can be attributed to the appreciation of the US dollar against other currencies, the decline in oil prices and softening of property sales prices. Similarly, with lower global food costs, the contribution of food to foreign inflation will be lower.”

Dubai joins Abu Dhabi in reporting higher inflation. The capital registered a five-year high in price increases in April, but in May CPI inflation rose just 0.2 per cent from the previous month, suggesting to economists a steadying in rental prices.

Year-on-year, the Abu Dhabi inflation figure for last month was more or less unchanged at 5.2 per cent.

Housing rents in Abu Dhabi alone rose by 12 per cent last year and another 2 per cent in the first quarter of this year despite the crude oil retreat since last June, according to data from the property broker CBRE.

The rise in school fees is also causing frustration among residents.

Dubai’s Knowledge and Human Development Authority said last week that fees at Dubai’s 117 private schools could be raised by between 2.9 and 5. per cent.

Fees are among the highest in the region. A study last year showed that fees for top British-curriculum schools in Dubai were up to US$23,100 a year, the highest in the GCC.

Dubai and Abu Dhabi are also the most expensive cities in the Middle East for expatriates, according to the most recent survey by the cost of living experts Mercer.

Abu Dhabi and Dubai are the 33rd and 23rd most-expensive cities in the world, respectively, in large part because of a steep rise in rents for expatriates.

Abu Dhabi has moved up 35 places from last year’s Cost of Living survey by Mercer. The cost of living in Dubai has also risen – the city was 67th last year.

Economists estimate that the inflation figure is between three and six months behind current developments in the property market.

[email protected]

nakbin330

22nd Jun 2015, 14:00

Most of us are in company accom so rent and utilities are covered by EK. Those who aren't, moved out voluntarily. So, with those two taken out of the equation, where does that leave inflation?

gardenshed

22nd Jun 2015, 14:14

The cost of food and beverages, which make up 11 per cent of the price index basket, increased 1.6 per cent from May 2014 while gaining 3 per cent from the previous month.

Dubai’s Knowledge and Human Development Authority said last week that fees at Dubai’s 117 private schools could be raised by between 2.9 and 5. per cent.

Dubai and Abu Dhabi are also the most expensive cities in the Middle East for expatriates, according to the most recent survey by the cost of living experts Mercer.

Abu Dhabi and Dubai are the 33rd and 23rd most-expensive cities in the world, respectively, in large part because of a steep rise in rents for expatriates.

Abu Dhabi has moved up 35 places from last year’s Cost of Living survey by Mercer. The cost of living in Dubai has also risen – the city was 67th last year.

Enough said.

gardenshed

8th Jul 2015, 08:31

Guess what boys and girls it is about to get even more expensive to live in the dust bowl.
Article from Bayut recently, this along with a ZERO% pay increase this year just puts further nails into the coffin/ Sh*t bucket whatever your personal preference is.
Enjoy

VAT laws to be introduced in Q3, 2015Friday, July 03, 2015VAT laws to be introduced in Q3, 2015 The United Arab Emirates is seeking to augment state revenues and in order to do so, it is trying to complete the drafting of laws introducing corporate tax along with value-added tax in the third quarter of this year.

Ministry of Finance Under-Secretary Younis Haji Al Khouri said, “The draft of the corporate tax law and the value-added tax law has been discussed with the local and federal governments.”

He added that drafting was expected to be finished within the third quarter of the current year. However, it has been reported that the authorities are still evaluating the social and economic impact of the laws.

Al Khouri declined to comment on the precise date from when the new regulations were expected to take effect. He also refused to comment on the proposed tax rates.

The introduction of corporate tax and VAT in the UAE could prove to be a major shift in policy, and politically sensitive.

In the past that VAT was unlikely to be introduced before other countries adopted it, as the competitiveness of the UAE was in danger of being hurt and there could have been a surge in smuggling across borders.

Per a ministry report, the UAE cabinet has already approved versions of the two draft bills.