vik7

fossil dog really appreciate your comments after reading all the other negative ones. I have looked at the figures and i cant understand how these people dont think we cant survive on it. all we want is the experience being away, sunshine etc

In terms of visa what issues could we run in to? Do i not automatically go under her visa?

Can anyone recommend areas to live in Abu Dhabi?

After a quick google search the average expat wage is between 11-15k per month!

britexpat76

Just because they are not what you want to hear does not mean they are negative, they are realistic! The cost of living in far higher in AD than the UK. An average place to live will cost you 10,000 AED a month that leaves you 12,000 to live on before car (2k) and you buy groceries etc. Seriously take the blinkers off, we are trying to help. And the expat wage you quote will also account for other nationalities that earn peanuts and live 4 to a room - I know 1 person on that wage and they struggle to make ends meat every month, No fun out here. Either get an improved offer or find yourself a job before you come out.

Arcadia

Vik7.. Will the company be putting you both in a hotel or serviced apartment for a few weeks? This will give you chance to phone a few agents and see what they have.

Try Spinneys notice boards..its a supermarket located in Khalidia..all taxi drivers know the place, you might find a place in a villa at Khalifa for around 40,000dhs if your lucky.

For nights out make sure you buy the entertainer book..plenty of two for one offers in some good places.

For a good drinking session..lots of bars have ladies nights where your wife can drink champagne free all night.

Food shop wise..keep it local, stay away from Heinz beans and Kingsmill bread and go for the local stuff its much cheaper.

For furniture also look at the noticeboards in shops or log onto expatwoman.com they have a section with lots of stuff for sale.

A car isnt the most important thing straight away, i got by on taxis for 12 years.

Start up costs will be quite a lot..deposits for water etc so make sure you have enough money to get you by until your wife recieves her first months salary.

Good luck.

Fossildog

So even by overstating the rent at 120k a year it would still leave the OP with 10k a month, or say £1,600 a month for food? How much do you eat??? If you were to look at this purely as a scenario of living out here and not saving then the figures are doable. British teachers always seem happy out here and they get around 12k a month to live on (after accommodation).

Here are some realistic figures:

Rent in Reem: 75,000
Utilities including Etisalat: 12,000
Food: 26,000
Car hire: 24,000

So an annual total of 137,000 leaving 127k or 10,500 a month. So living carefully could still see the OP managing to save a little each month or enjoy life out here. Assuming of course no liabilities back in the UK. If they went for a place in Khalifah A then you could knock 30k off the annual rent amount.

Fossildog

Lots of expats on here are on huge salaries so a 22k salary seems very low to them. However, lots of young people, especially in Dubai, are on a lot less. You will also find British teachers out here are on around 12k a month but get accommodation provided.

Regarding visas only certain professions are allowed to sponsor their spouses but there would be nothing stopping you coming on a tourist visa and doing a visa run to Oman every few months (so just crossing the border and re-entering the UAE to get a fresh visa). If you managed to get work out here then your company would sponsor you. Work is different out here though in that most Westerners do highly specialised or upper management work. Most unskilled or manual work is done by different nationalities with wages and working conditions that Westerners would baulk at. Not that I am suggesting you are unskilled, but your line of work would dictate the likelyhood of you finding work out here. For instance, all trades out here are mostly done by SubCons so finding worthwhile work as a plumber, electrician etc would be virtually impossible.

You can choose to live on or off island. Off island is a lot cheaper, a 1 bed in Khalifa A would be around 45k, a 1 bedroom flat in Reef would be around 55k. However, these places are isolated and have very few facilities. I would recommend Reem Island, Khalidiya or Tourist Club. A 1 bed in the Tourist Club would be from 60 to 75k. Reem island is a brand new development where the buildings have gyms and pools and a 1 bedroom there would be around 75k. Tourist Club area is full of bars, cafes and shops but the buildings are mostly older buildings. Reem is around 10 minutes drive away and currently does not have many shops or places to eat open. Khalidiya is the nicer end of town, less bars but a nice place to live. You may get a 1 bedroom in an older building for 75k. Look on Dubizzle or PropertyFinder to get a feel for pricing and rental terms. Setup costs would be expensive, with rent normally paid in advance in two cheques. You would also need to leave deposits and buy furniture as well as pay agent commission. So say 38k initial rent payment, 6k deposits, 5k commission and 8k furniture costs so around 60k upfront costs!

Arcadia

I worked in a school where the young teachers salaries were around the 12,000Dhs mark, and believe me they had the knack of getting by.

They would have thier rent and utilties paid, catch the school bus free of charge, and live off cheesy bread and birthday cake.

Oh, and there was always one of us older teachers baking them a corned beef and tatie pie because we had lads and lasses thier age back home.

britexpat76

Also teachers are single. 10,500 to spend on themselves. Coupled with the fact they get up in the middle of the night to go to work they hardly have a mega social life and generally only go out at weekends where a swarm of pissed up horny blokes will gladly supply them drink. 10,500 a month between a couple is not a like for like comparison. A very valid point ref accommodation though, do they have the money for a deposit and agency fees on top on the months rent up front?

busybee2

in order for a woman to sponsor her spouse she can only be in certain professions such as lawyer, teacher, engineer, doctor. so if in it then the answer could be NO.

average wage well i wouldnt say that you have a lot of people yes, on that sort of money per month but they will be living in flatshares 10 to a room! and sending back money to their families in the philipines etc.

busybee2

yeh but the majority of the time you lived here it was the old gold and white taxis now its the more expensive silver taxis, no way could you compared same with same.

Patsy Stoned

I did mention that early on darling, but apparently we are being negative and not at all encouraging
So to the OP...Yes don't worry about a thing, you will be fine on that money, you will find a fabulous apartment, really cheap, close to all amenities and there won't be a problem getting your wife to sponsor you. You will be able to join the best golf club and go for lovely brunches at all the lovely hotels. You can join any of the beach clubs and just relax in the sun. good luck with your move!!

britexpat76

Don't forget all the great holidays they will be able to have and of course only business class. Oh and when the shit hits the fan they will have the resources to get themselves out of trouble.

busybee2

i know so did i..... but yes sometimes we tell "them how it is" because it "works differently in the uae" and only until you actually "experience" "life" "here" then the dirham will "click".

Fossildog

Without wanting to offend that seems a very narrow view of life here. I have never been to a brunch here yet, a place full of awful fat people stuffing themselves silly whilst caning the drink whilst slapping themselves on the back for living the dream. There is no need to join a beach club in AD as the public beaches are free and fantastic, with paid beaches still only 20AED. You don't have to join a golf club to play and a round is around 250 AED, or 95 AED for the sand course so is not unaffordable to most. With the weather being so sunny no need to join a gym, the Corniche is full of people getting fit on bikes, running, swimming, playing football or volleyball.

As mentioned you can get a very nice flat with facilities for 75k or one without for even less.

Life in the UK for the majority is pretty difficult at the moment. Most people I know are struggling to make ends meet, and would kill to have £1,000 plus disposable income left each month whilst living is a sunny climate.

The sneering at new people on here is quite something and comes across as occasionally patronising under the guise of trying to help. I manage to live quite happily on AED2,000 a month after rent and utilities. I eat well, keep fit and go out a few times a month. I would probably not be allowed to join the 'beach club' as perhaps my outlook is not aspirational enough although the ones with aspirations seem to be the ones with all the debt.

Kix

God you sound a right bore buddy....

britexpat76

Tell me how you eat healthily and go out on 66 chips a day please. I decided to eat healthy yesterday and I have my receipt in front of me :-

Tropical Juice 32
Grapes 22
Sprouts 20
4 peaches 16
4 Clementines 7
4 blood oranges 16
Raddish 5
Longans 22
4 Plums 19
Asparagus 28

Thats 187 AED for a few days worth eating healthy.........