daniel0331

Ladies & gents,

I saw many discussion flying about Dubai but relatively less for Abu Dhabi.

How's the lifestyle in Abu Dhabi? Is AD as multi-cultural as Dubai? Are there many British expats there too?

I'm 27 years old from Leeds and considering moving to Abu Dhabi to further my career. I'm not much of a clubbing person but I enjoy activities such as golf, snooker, badminton, swimming... And I love exploring different food and culture, which means eating out at restaurants at least 3 times a week. I would like to have a second hand car for convinience.

I was offered 21'000 AED + 8'000 living allowance monthly. Is this enough to survive or perhaps live comfortably? I know the accommodation price is horrofic, :curse:what rental price shall I be expecting for a 1 bedroom apartment? What location is considered decent and safe? I will bring my wife too, issit safe for her?

I did a monthly breakdown as below. Can someone make some comment please?

1) Food & beverages: 2'000 AED
2) Car+Petrol+Insurance: 4'000 AED (What car shall I be expecting?)
3) Rental+bills+internet: 10'000 AED
4) Social: 3'000 AED

Cheers.

nonono

what company you going to work for? and which position?

fsazhar

Hi

I just moved to Abu Dhabi 7 weeks ago from London to work for British Construction Company.

AD is good place to live. As compare to Duabi, its same as Living in Birmingham rather than in London ( I moved from Derby to London 2 years ago).

There is something for everyone to do.

You will be struggling to get a place for 8k. May be better of sharing with one more person, then u can have decent place.

Other than that

Food: I eat lunch in works resturant 25 AED a meal and evening / KFC / Mc/Pizza Hut Express/ Cheap Pakistani resturant 10-25 AED per meal.If you drin Alcohol then its the same price as in UK (pint is approx 30-40AED), Entery to Nigh CLub Free to 125 AED, Good Resturants meal for two 100-150 AED

Cars: are 30% Cheaper, You can get 100% car loan at 4.5% APR after you get residance visa and have 3 payslips. e.g. Brand New Honda Civic 1.8 LXi will cost 55000 AED, then if you have full UK non claims, then insurance will be 3.75-4% of the total value of car. Fuel is approx 20p / litre.

Internet is expensive here 330 AED for 2 MB broad band / month, calls back home work out approx 34p / minute ( no calling cards)

Cloths are about the same price as in UK

Assuming if you have 4-5 years of work experience, then if would be looking for arround 35-40k AED per month for comfortable life style

Remember Rents here normally go up by 7% per year and Retail Inflation here is 10-12% per year.

twinkle-star

Most places are safe out here in Abu Dhabi. It is really hard to say if your breakdown is correct as I dont know you or your wife. What sort of apartment you expect. Your biggest budget will be for housing. That wage should be ok to live out here if you dont intend to eat out everynight and pizz your wages up the wall in bars and clubs etc...I'm sure your wife will soon put a stop to any of those ideas!

Will your wife be working out here? She will need a degree to get a company to sponser her no shop work here. Or she can get a job once you have sponsored her on your visa.

Have you been out here for a holiday. That is the best way to judge anything when you have a look round for yourself.

Loads of expats out here!

Blue Cat

rental, bills and internet - 10,000 Dhs - that obviously makes 120k a year, bit on the low side I feel

limiere

Really?

Shall I be expecting 15'000 Dhs??? 180k yearly?

daniel0331

Hi!

THank you for your reply. I guess I need to negotiate more on the living allowance. I'd prefer to stay without sharing as we appreciate more privacy.

Internet sounds expensive...hhmmm...

Cars... Looks like I will be renting cars for the first 3 months, or perhaps public transport. If I prefer a 2-3 year old second hand car, for 4'000AED per month, can I get a BMW or Merc?

35-40k per month... Gosh... I guess I'll need 4k more...

daniel0331

My wife has 2 Masters from Manchester Uni and studying the third. Her Masters are International Marketing, and Business Management. Currently studying ACCA. But she hasn't got any working experience. I guess this will be difficult for her to get a job? The initial plan was we go together, if she fancies the lifestyle there then she could work, provided if someone wants her.

I guess we need to go for a vacation soon.

daniel0331

I'm estimating 1 bedroom apartment to cost 120k per year.

Is this still too conservative? Shall I be looking at 150k? or 180k?

fsazhar

120k will get you good 1 bed or basic 2 bed but no parking.... and street parking is really really bad....! I mean really... so try to get place with undergroud parking. My company is renting 40 flats in brand new bilding in Electra area with 3 beds +maids room +car parking space and they are paying 165000 per year , contract up for renewal in November this year. So I guess if you go as an individual to rent a flat in this building, rent will be 185000 / year.

daniel0331

Goshhh...

185k is about 15k per month? £2.2k per month? This is scarry. Are we talking about city centre location? How about aprtments slightly away from city?

You'r lucky that your employer provide that discounted rate, but I don't think many employers do that tho. That 165k sounds amazingly attractive!!! 3bed+maid's room+parking space... I'm trying to imagine how luxurious it looks now...

twinkle-star

This last year the rents have gone crazy...Mines now 165kpa but we got it last year. A few months ago a simular apartment to ours was 185kpa Think its even more now!

My mates have a nice two bed near the tourist area which the company supplied for them all in with the package. Not many companies actually provide accomodation in with the package. It might be something they will have to consider or raise peoples wages in line with the rental. Doubt it but they will have to do something or they wont get the workers out here anymore!

busybee2

i think you wil be looking for 150k a year for a 1 bed place if you can find it, to get 3 bed place for 165 not now, and this is what certain 'goverment' cos are doing but the majority are not renting in bulk. insurance on cars are 4% and 5% on 4x4 and premium motors (which you would not be able to insure without previous history etc and they charge you a lot for certain types of cars here!) and public transport is only taxis, which are cheap but there are not enough of them here to cope.

daniel0331

Based on the Honda Civic you've mentioned, I've done a quick calculation on the monthly car expenses with 3 year loan.

Does that sounds about right?

Value Ins 4% 4.5% APR Petrol Loan Total
55000 183.33 206.25 230.40 1527.78 2147.76

busybee2

i would check the cost of car loan, for our ford its costing us over 7% per month for a 4 year loan i think