cost of living uae
 

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!

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....

costs of moving to the UAE (house renting, bills, groceries....)
 

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

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

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

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:

wow...
 

...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....

You have got to be kidding me !
 

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 :=

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...

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

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.

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...

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

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?

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!

Bingo!
 

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! ;)

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?