Globetrottersx4

Morning all,

Brand new to this forum, so please go easy on me

My wife (Canadian), is a teacher and has an outlet to some job opportunities in Europe and the Middle East.

Bahrain/Abu Dhabi/Dubai are without doubt, a few of our more favoured options...

We are naturally trying to plan out destinations that we could slide into with relative ease - with minimal fuss and accommodate a lovely childhood for our two young children.

In terms of cost of living, does anyone on here recommend one of the above 3 over another? Could you perhaps give an idea as to rent costs, cost of living i.e. groceries milk/meat/petrol? Also are there areas of each to avoid (or focus towards living in)?

What would be considered a decent living wage? Or a fantastic one? I was quite frightened that in AD 12,500UAD per month isn't considered worthy of moving there fore...20,000+ at a minimum

As a non Arabic speaker myself, what is the Middle East like for employment opportunities? Or must someone have a certain level of Arabic language ability, even in a these large city environments - where hopefully the international business language holds more merit?

Many thanks in advance

Bahtatboy

Jobs for westerners requiring Arabic are extremely rare. And you certainly don't need it day-to-day.

As to your employability, it depends what you do.

DXBtoDOH

If you are already expressing shock that 12,500 AED isn't sufficient to live in Abu Dhabi, then may I suggest the UAE is not the place for you. I myself would not move here with two young children on anything less than 40K / month assuming they're not in school yet, and 50+K if they are in school.

As it is, your wife is a teacher. If she has a good offer from a school, it will include a decent apartment and free school places for her children (but not nursery). On top of this she'll receive a base salary between 12-15K a month. A family can live on that, not extravagantly, but doable. You find a job that pays around 20K a month, you can then live much more comfortably.

Of the three Gulf cities you mentioned, Bahrain is the cheapest. AD and Dubai are same-same. But the UAE is a much nicer place to live.

Millhouse

I don't think they can live that easily on that even with the school fees and accommodation covered.

The accommodation will be small, bills will need to be paid, cars rented etc.

iggle

Don't convert to $$, cost of living here is high. Convert and only use AED

For example a beer costs 45 AED here, in UK i would pay around GBP 3

It's just not relative, its like playing the monopoly here

DXBtoDOH

For once you and I are in agreement

Millhouse

Let's be clear though, he is still a cock.

DXBtoDOH

Does anyone dispute this

mission

for a family of 4, you need minimum of AED 35k p/m - excluding all other costs.

scrubbedexpat141

Where do you drink? Wetherspoo..............oh. It all makes sense now.

Bahtatboy

Last time a mate and I went for a few quick halves before dinner, it was £45 for 6 pints and some wasabi peanuts. In Yorkshire.

scrubbedexpat141

Even though it's up North beyond the wall, Yorkshire has some nice areas so I'm sure in a nice pub, with nice beer and nice surroundings you'd pay that happily.

Consider paying above 5 quid a pint on a shitty day in the wrong bit of Southampton and you start questioning your sanity.

iggle

Shut up, you'll never be the man your mother is

I haven't drank in UK since late 2013. Have the prices increased that much? From memory a Magners was 3.50!

iggle

Only 35 hookers a month? No way, not enough.

scrubbedexpat141

It was north of a fiver a pint in London back in 2007/8.

Depends where you go, obviously.