Abu Dhabi - Cost of daily living?
Apr 25th 2012, 1:35 pm
#1
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 39
Abu Dhabi - Cost of daily living?
Hi all and thanks.
In discussions regarding a position in Abu Dhabi and having zero experience of the location thought I would seek some advice on the daily cost of living etc.
How comparable cost wise to UK are the following:
Food
Household cleaning items
Car purchase / Car Insurance
Housing I will have provided - not sure what they will provide but will need something suitable for dogs so might have to upgrade.
Decent area to live - value for money and distance to work.
Dog Food - What is available?
Entertainment... Hic!!
I'm currently in Iraq and travel regularly to Dubai which I find very expensive is Abu Dhabi comparable to Dubai at all?
Monthly salary they are talking around AED40000 is this an adequate amount for the location. It is lower than my current rate but we will have the advantage of being accompanied, however we dont want to be blowing it all on the cost of living if the place is so expensive to live. I know we cant have it all ways so just trying to weigh up the pros and cons of moving (which is preferred) or staying put.
Just looking for a quick heads up to at least give us a bit of info to go on so thanks in advance.
In discussions regarding a position in Abu Dhabi and having zero experience of the location thought I would seek some advice on the daily cost of living etc.
How comparable cost wise to UK are the following:
Food
Household cleaning items
Car purchase / Car Insurance
Housing I will have provided - not sure what they will provide but will need something suitable for dogs so might have to upgrade.
Decent area to live - value for money and distance to work.
Dog Food - What is available?
Entertainment... Hic!!
I'm currently in Iraq and travel regularly to Dubai which I find very expensive is Abu Dhabi comparable to Dubai at all?
Monthly salary they are talking around AED40000 is this an adequate amount for the location. It is lower than my current rate but we will have the advantage of being accompanied, however we dont want to be blowing it all on the cost of living if the place is so expensive to live. I know we cant have it all ways so just trying to weigh up the pros and cons of moving (which is preferred) or staying put.
Just looking for a quick heads up to at least give us a bit of info to go on so thanks in advance.
Apr 25th 2012, 1:47 pm
#2
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Joined: Aug 2008
Location: Far from home!
Posts: 1,024
Re: Abu Dhabi - Cost of daily living?
Hi all and thanks.
In discussions regarding a position in Abu Dhabi and having zero experience of the location thought I would seek some advice on the daily cost of living etc.
How comparable cost wise to UK are the following:
Food
Household cleaning items
Car purchase / Car Insurance
Housing I will have provided - not sure what they will provide but will need something suitable for dogs so might have to upgrade.
Decent area to live - value for money and distance to work.
Dog Food - What is available?
Entertainment... Hic!!
I'm currently in Iraq and travel regularly to Dubai which I find very expensive is Abu Dhabi comparable to Dubai at all?
Monthly salary they are talking around AED40000 is this an adequate amount for the location. It is lower than my current rate but we will have the advantage of being accompanied, however we dont want to be blowing it all on the cost of living if the place is so expensive to live. I know we cant have it all ways so just trying to weigh up the pros and cons of moving (which is preferred) or staying put.
Just looking for a quick heads up to at least give us a bit of info to go on so thanks in advance.
In discussions regarding a position in Abu Dhabi and having zero experience of the location thought I would seek some advice on the daily cost of living etc.
How comparable cost wise to UK are the following:
Food
Household cleaning items
Car purchase / Car Insurance
Housing I will have provided - not sure what they will provide but will need something suitable for dogs so might have to upgrade.
Decent area to live - value for money and distance to work.
Dog Food - What is available?
Entertainment... Hic!!
I'm currently in Iraq and travel regularly to Dubai which I find very expensive is Abu Dhabi comparable to Dubai at all?
Monthly salary they are talking around AED40000 is this an adequate amount for the location. It is lower than my current rate but we will have the advantage of being accompanied, however we dont want to be blowing it all on the cost of living if the place is so expensive to live. I know we cant have it all ways so just trying to weigh up the pros and cons of moving (which is preferred) or staying put.
Just looking for a quick heads up to at least give us a bit of info to go on so thanks in advance.
Apr 25th 2012, 3:16 pm
#3
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Joined: Jun 2008
Location: Abu Dhabi by body and Sydney by soul
Posts: 1,841
Re: Abu Dhabi - Cost of daily living?
It is more expensive than Dubai to rent. Most of your money would go on that, i'd reckon. Minimum 120k but more like 200k for enough space with dogs. It gets cheaper the further out of town you go. To give you an idea many people rent in Dubai and travel along the incredibly mad/ dangerous Sheikh Zayed rd for 1.5hours to work in Abu Dhabi. However, there is more housing coming on all the time, namely apartments on the new islands such as Al Reem. There is a cheaper villa compound call Al Reef where 130 can get you a decent place but that is 40 mins outside town and smack next to the airport.
If you could get your housing fixed separately at 140k and then negotiate a fair salary independently you would be happier perhaps?
Cars are cheap, as is petrol. Eating out can be cheap if you don't want alcohol and a restaurant within a hotel can cost you between 200dhs to 1000 per head dependent on wine mostly! Most of them have their cheapest bottles around 200dhs.
Many people do live happily on 10-15k a month salary, if you don't have school fees etc as out goings.
If you could get your housing fixed separately at 140k and then negotiate a fair salary independently you would be happier perhaps?
Cars are cheap, as is petrol. Eating out can be cheap if you don't want alcohol and a restaurant within a hotel can cost you between 200dhs to 1000 per head dependent on wine mostly! Most of them have their cheapest bottles around 200dhs.
Many people do live happily on 10-15k a month salary, if you don't have school fees etc as out goings.
Apr 25th 2012, 3:34 pm
#5
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Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 39
Re: Abu Dhabi - Cost of daily living?
It is more expensive than Dubai to rent. Most of your money would go on that, i'd reckon. Minimum 120k but more like 200k for enough space with dogs. It gets cheaper the further out of town you go. To give you an idea many people rent in Dubai and travel along the incredibly mad/ dangerous Sheikh Zayed rd for 1.5hours to work in Abu Dhabi. However, there is more housing coming on all the time, namely apartments on the new islands such as Al Reem. There is a cheaper villa compound call Al Reef where 130 can get you a decent place but that is 40 mins outside town and smack next to the airport.
If you could get your housing fixed separately at 140k and then negotiate a fair salary independently you would be happier perhaps?
Cars are cheap, as is petrol. Eating out can be cheap if you don't want alcohol and a restaurant within a hotel can cost you between 200dhs to 1000 per head dependent on wine mostly! Most of them have their cheapest bottles around 200dhs.
Many people do live happily on 10-15k a month salary, if you don't have school fees etc as out goings.
If you could get your housing fixed separately at 140k and then negotiate a fair salary independently you would be happier perhaps?
Cars are cheap, as is petrol. Eating out can be cheap if you don't want alcohol and a restaurant within a hotel can cost you between 200dhs to 1000 per head dependent on wine mostly! Most of them have their cheapest bottles around 200dhs.
Many people do live happily on 10-15k a month salary, if you don't have school fees etc as out goings.
No kids just 2 of us and 2 dogs..
Just to clarify when your mentioning currency above i.e. cost of housing 200k and living happily on 10 - 15k per month are your talking local AED currency.
Poss a daft question but just wanted to clarify.
Also do most people have UAE accounts for wage deposits? Any real hassle there? Are Credit cards easy to obtain as I know from Canada it was difficult and you had to deposit a security bond of $1500 to get a $1500 limit with RBC as we didnt have PR at the time.
Cheers
Apr 25th 2012, 3:50 pm
#6
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Apr 2011
Location: Windscale....
Posts: 5,712
Re: Abu Dhabi - Cost of daily living?
It is more expensive than Dubai to rent. Most of your money would go on that, i'd reckon. Minimum 120k but more like 200k for enough space with dogs. It gets cheaper the further out of town you go. To give you an idea many people rent in Dubai and travel along the incredibly mad/ dangerous Sheikh Zayed rd for 1.5hours to work in Abu Dhabi. However, there is more housing coming on all the time, namely apartments on the new islands such as Al Reem. There is a cheaper villa compound call Al Reef where 130 can get you a decent place but that is 40 mins outside town and smack next to the airport.
If you could get your housing fixed separately at 140k and then negotiate a fair salary independently you would be happier perhaps?
Cars are cheap, as is petrol. Eating out can be cheap if you don't want alcohol and a restaurant within a hotel can cost you between 200dhs to 1000 per head dependent on wine mostly! Most of them have their cheapest bottles around 200dhs.
Many people do live happily on 10-15k a month salary, if you don't have school fees etc as out goings.
If you could get your housing fixed separately at 140k and then negotiate a fair salary independently you would be happier perhaps?
Cars are cheap, as is petrol. Eating out can be cheap if you don't want alcohol and a restaurant within a hotel can cost you between 200dhs to 1000 per head dependent on wine mostly! Most of them have their cheapest bottles around 200dhs.
Many people do live happily on 10-15k a month salary, if you don't have school fees etc as out goings.
Apr 25th 2012, 4:08 pm
#7
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 39
Re: Abu Dhabi - Cost of daily living?
Salary mentioned at 40000 pm and
Housing supplied as an addition.... What supplied means I am not sure at this stage as it is still early days.. Poss an allowance as mentioned by other posters and is good to know what you can get for your money if they come back with an offer.
Other items still need to be addressed such as med cover, relocation allowance, flights home etc.
Thanks
Apr 25th 2012, 6:26 pm
#8
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 5,125
Re: Abu Dhabi - Cost of daily living?
abu dhabi is more expensive, rents are more, but you do not pay housing tax in ad compared to dxb. yes things bought in an hotel they will add 16% on top. if you have an abu dhabi visa, then company have to provide medical insurance for your family including up to 3 children. (that doesnt mean that it will include everything though)
Apr 25th 2012, 6:36 pm
#9
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 39
Re: Abu Dhabi - Cost of daily living?
abu dhabi is more expensive, rents are more, but you do not pay housing tax in ad compared to dxb. yes things bought in an hotel they will add 16% on top. if you have an abu dhabi visa, then company have to provide medical insurance for your family including up to 3 children. (that doesnt mean that it will include everything though)
I dont suppose they will include Vets fees in Lieu of no kids...
Cheers
