Expat in Bahrain, advice on cost of living, etc.
Dec 31st 2015, 6:58 am
#16
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Re: Expat in Bahrain, advice on cost of living, etc.
Not really, I live in a predominately white enclave and its master and servant relationship with my Indians through work. How they discharge their intra and inter country racist vileness remains within their own communities into which I have no desire to venture given my previous exposure to it which was responsible for the formation of my views. I suspect those who display naivity towards this vileness of the Indians are those who have never had the misfortune of working in that cess pit.
Anyway we digress from the OPs posting, if you want to go to Bahrain on 1700 a month you will need to live with our brown brethren
Anyway we digress from the OPs posting, if you want to go to Bahrain on 1700 a month you will need to live with our brown brethren
Dec 31st 2015, 7:03 am
#17
"The Seeker"
Joined: Aug 2014
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Re: Expat in Bahrain, advice on cost of living, etc.
It's absolutely astonishing how Tockalosh hijacked the thread only to spew his disdain and aversion to Indians in general , there has to be an underlying cause for such blatant and unabashed display of racism and douchebaggery .
A decent human being can live in a racist place without becoming racist by osmosis , clearly , you are not the type .
A decent human being can live in a racist place without becoming racist by osmosis , clearly , you are not the type .
Dec 31st 2015, 7:19 am
#18
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Re: Expat in Bahrain, advice on cost of living, etc.
I didn't hijack the thread. If you look back You will see that I was the only one to give some figures to show how far out the lady was from her expectations.
I merely pointed out her only option would be to live and school her kids the Indian way which is shite. I don't want my kids saying vinter instead of winter and funnily enough neither do wealthy Indians who wouldn't be living with the middle and bottom end Indians like the OP had she not had the sense to ask the bored.
Anyway it's you who is in effect hijacking the thread with your total lack of understanding of india and Indians. Are you friends with Bipat by any chance ?
I merely pointed out her only option would be to live and school her kids the Indian way which is shite. I don't want my kids saying vinter instead of winter and funnily enough neither do wealthy Indians who wouldn't be living with the middle and bottom end Indians like the OP had she not had the sense to ask the bored.
Anyway it's you who is in effect hijacking the thread with your total lack of understanding of india and Indians. Are you friends with Bipat by any chance ?
Dec 31st 2015, 7:29 am
#19
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Re: Expat in Bahrain, advice on cost of living, etc.
not friends with anyone , I rarely check out BE ...
what you posted was eye brow raising , that's all .
as for the atrocious English , I agree with you on that specific point .
I would like to know your experience with Indians that lead you to have this intransigent aversion , feel free to PM me .
Regard to all and good luck to the OP
what you posted was eye brow raising , that's all .
as for the atrocious English , I agree with you on that specific point .
I would like to know your experience with Indians that lead you to have this intransigent aversion , feel free to PM me .
Regard to all and good luck to the OP
Jan 1st 2016, 4:04 pm
#21
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Re: Expat in Bahrain, advice on cost of living, etc.
Tockalosh has the sort of opinions on Race that you might expect in the Broederbond or one od the less enlightened branches of the Klan.
Back to the OP and the queries about work. If the employer is not paying school fees this is not practical. Even with school fees, accommodation and everything else a salary like this would barely support a family with a Western lifestyle.
Back to the OP and the queries about work. If the employer is not paying school fees this is not practical. Even with school fees, accommodation and everything else a salary like this would barely support a family with a Western lifestyle.
Last edited by scot47; Jan 1st 2016 at 4:09 pm.
Jan 1st 2016, 9:52 pm
#22
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Re: Expat in Bahrain, advice on cost of living, etc.
Tockalosh has the sort of opinions on Race that you might expect in the Broederbond or one od the less enlightened branches of the Klan.
Back to the OP and the queries about work. If the employer is not paying school fees this is not practical. Even with school fees, accommodation and everything else a salary like this would barely support a family with a Western lifestyle.
Back to the OP and the queries about work. If the employer is not paying school fees this is not practical. Even with school fees, accommodation and everything else a salary like this would barely support a family with a Western lifestyle.
When I say it, I am racist
Jan 2nd 2016, 2:17 pm
#23
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Re: Expat in Bahrain, advice on cost of living, etc.
You can do barain on the cheap but you wouldn't want to.
You'd be living with the lower paid Indians, your kids would have to go to a low end Indian school on Indian curriculum. You could put aside enough for a western club membership but you wouldn't be able to afford to eat or drink there.
Your family would be viewed worse than pikeys back in England.
The offerings from your prospective company are abysmally shite so I wouldn't even negotiate with them.
Villa in reasonable area 700 - 1200
St Chris used to be 3300 or 3500 a year for young ones, can't remember exactly
Food 400 a month
Beer from liquor store 100 month
Cheap small car 170 a month or 340 for 2 cars
Fuel maybe 40 a month, maybe a bit less
Plus phones, Internet, OSN TV, kids sports etc
Of course if you are of Indian decent and willing to slum it, you can do much cheaper on accommodation etc
You'd be living with the lower paid Indians, your kids would have to go to a low end Indian school on Indian curriculum. You could put aside enough for a western club membership but you wouldn't be able to afford to eat or drink there.
Your family would be viewed worse than pikeys back in England.
The offerings from your prospective company are abysmally shite so I wouldn't even negotiate with them.
Villa in reasonable area 700 - 1200
St Chris used to be 3300 or 3500 a year for young ones, can't remember exactly
Food 400 a month
Beer from liquor store 100 month
Cheap small car 170 a month or 340 for 2 cars
Fuel maybe 40 a month, maybe a bit less
Plus phones, Internet, OSN TV, kids sports etc
Of course if you are of Indian decent and willing to slum it, you can do much cheaper on accommodation etc
Happy new year. Thank u very much for taking the time to give me a detailed answer. I'm not of Indian decent. However, regardless of where I come from, I deffenetly can't live anywhere less than what I'm used to at home, somewhere decent & secured. we live a very comfortable life in London, I have a very good job, my kids attend all sort of music & sport classes. So I wouldn't want anything different for my kids. The break down of cost of living in Bahrain is extremely useful. As many people have mentioned already, it is not enough to live comfortably & provide the kids with everything they r used to at home. I forgot to mention that regarding school fees, it will be payed by my annual bonuses. We have already contacted St Christopher & the British school.
The whole move for me is to enhance my experience & career, it is short term 3 years max. You seem to be very realistic in term of cost of living, so after reading your comments & others. I'm rethinking about the move, & will do my best to push for better salary. If tgings worked out as I want & we decided to move, what do u think of Sarr? We r thinking of renting 2 bedroom apartment in very nice secured part of Sarr.
Again thank u very much for your time & help.
Regards
Last edited by Sally2411; Jan 2nd 2016 at 2:21 pm.
Jan 2nd 2016, 2:28 pm
#24
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Re: Expat in Bahrain, advice on cost of living, etc.
Thanks for sharing your prejudice about Indian ways of living there Tockalosh...
Bahrain is not cheap at all. That salary is paltry without allowances. It is not something I'd advise for a family of four.
Be aware that tax-free is misleading. Whether you are eligible depends on many factors and, at the very least, you need to be out of the UK for a full tax year which means, if you came now, you would not actually be able to return to live in the UK until April 2017 or you'd be liable for tax on all you earned here in the meantime. And if things don't turn out right here and you want to return, paying tax on that BD1,700 a month will make it even more ridiculous.
Bahrain is not cheap at all. That salary is paltry without allowances. It is not something I'd advise for a family of four.
Be aware that tax-free is misleading. Whether you are eligible depends on many factors and, at the very least, you need to be out of the UK for a full tax year which means, if you came now, you would not actually be able to return to live in the UK until April 2017 or you'd be liable for tax on all you earned here in the meantime. And if things don't turn out right here and you want to return, paying tax on that BD1,700 a month will make it even more ridiculous.
Thank you very much for your comments, especially about the Tax-free. Reading everyone's comments it became very clear that what I have been offered is not very good & it will not provide my family the same comfort I have at home.
Many thanks & happy new year
Jan 3rd 2016, 8:09 am
#25
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Re: Expat in Bahrain, advice on cost of living, etc.
Thanks Sally. Hope the new year is good to you too.
I live in a two bed apartment in Janabiya which is really just a western suburb of Saar. There are a lot of apartments here as there's a lot of construction going on. It's a decent area for your family because it's not too built up. Although it's convenient for schooling, the schools there are the better i.e. more expensive ones.
You can get unfurnished places for 2-300 BD a month, semi-furnished with white goods only for around 3-400 and furnished will be anywhere from 450 upwards depending on the size and facilities in the building. I don't know if you're aware but, if you rent a flat, you don't pay anything for utilities or any kind of tax. It's all included. Sometimes the Internet is good enough that you don't need to get your own subscription either.
You'd need at least one car, probably two if one of you needs one for work. There are buses to Manama along Budaiya Highway which, although cheap, are probably not very convenient.
I live in a two bed apartment in Janabiya which is really just a western suburb of Saar. There are a lot of apartments here as there's a lot of construction going on. It's a decent area for your family because it's not too built up. Although it's convenient for schooling, the schools there are the better i.e. more expensive ones.
You can get unfurnished places for 2-300 BD a month, semi-furnished with white goods only for around 3-400 and furnished will be anywhere from 450 upwards depending on the size and facilities in the building. I don't know if you're aware but, if you rent a flat, you don't pay anything for utilities or any kind of tax. It's all included. Sometimes the Internet is good enough that you don't need to get your own subscription either.
You'd need at least one car, probably two if one of you needs one for work. There are buses to Manama along Budaiya Highway which, although cheap, are probably not very convenient.
Jan 3rd 2016, 8:50 am
#26
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Re: Expat in Bahrain, advice on cost of living, etc.
Hello Tockalosh
Happy new year. Thank u very much for taking the time to give me a detailed answer. I'm not of Indian decent. However, regardless of where I come from, I deffenetly can't live anywhere less than what I'm used to at home, somewhere decent & secured. we live a very comfortable life in London, I have a very good job, my kids attend all sort of music & sport classes. So I wouldn't want anything different for my kids. The break down of cost of living in Bahrain is extremely useful. As many people have mentioned already, it is not enough to live comfortably & provide the kids with everything they r used to at home. I forgot to mention that regarding school fees, it will be payed by my annual bonuses. We have already contacted St Christopher & the British school.
The whole move for me is to enhance my experience & career, it is short term 3 years max. You seem to be very realistic in term of cost of living, so after reading your comments & others. I'm rethinking about the move, & will do my best to push for better salary. If tgings worked out as I want & we decided to move, what do u think of Sarr? We r thinking of renting 2 bedroom apartment in very nice secured part of Sarr.
Again thank u very much for your time & help.
Regards
Happy new year. Thank u very much for taking the time to give me a detailed answer. I'm not of Indian decent. However, regardless of where I come from, I deffenetly can't live anywhere less than what I'm used to at home, somewhere decent & secured. we live a very comfortable life in London, I have a very good job, my kids attend all sort of music & sport classes. So I wouldn't want anything different for my kids. The break down of cost of living in Bahrain is extremely useful. As many people have mentioned already, it is not enough to live comfortably & provide the kids with everything they r used to at home. I forgot to mention that regarding school fees, it will be payed by my annual bonuses. We have already contacted St Christopher & the British school.
The whole move for me is to enhance my experience & career, it is short term 3 years max. You seem to be very realistic in term of cost of living, so after reading your comments & others. I'm rethinking about the move, & will do my best to push for better salary. If tgings worked out as I want & we decided to move, what do u think of Sarr? We r thinking of renting 2 bedroom apartment in very nice secured part of Sarr.
Again thank u very much for your time & help.
Regards
A two bedroom apartment for all four of you, so the children share. That has to be worse than how you are living now?
A bonus is just that, a bonus, and not guaranteed. Your salary is equivalent to just GBP 36,000 so how does this move "enhance your career"? It's low for a Brit in the ME. Unless the school fees are being paid in full the move, in my opinion is a non-starter.
You also need to factor in the costs in relocating, both ways, as that is always more than anyone thinks it will be.
Last edited by Meow; Jan 3rd 2016 at 8:52 am.
Jan 3rd 2016, 1:50 pm
#27
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Re: Expat in Bahrain, advice on cost of living, etc.
A two bedroom apartment for all four of you, so the children share. That has to be worse than how you are living now?
A bonus is just that, a bonus, and not guaranteed. Your salary is equivalent to just GBP 36,000 so how does this move "enhance your career"? It's low for a Brit in the ME. Unless the school fees are being paid in full the move, in my opinion is a non-starter.
You also need to factor in the costs in relocating, both ways, as that is always more than anyone thinks it will be.
A bonus is just that, a bonus, and not guaranteed. Your salary is equivalent to just GBP 36,000 so how does this move "enhance your career"? It's low for a Brit in the ME. Unless the school fees are being paid in full the move, in my opinion is a non-starter.
You also need to factor in the costs in relocating, both ways, as that is always more than anyone thinks it will be.
Jan 5th 2016, 8:14 am
#28
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Re: Expat in Bahrain, advice on cost of living, etc.
Meow... are you assuming she's British? Sally hasn't mentioned her nationality yet has she?
But you're spot on about the costs of relocating.
But you're spot on about the costs of relocating.
Jan 5th 2016, 1:57 pm
#30
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Re: Expat in Bahrain, advice on cost of living, etc.
Hi Sally,
My pleasure to help. I used to live in janibiya in Arabian homes which was generally just outside tear gas distance from Saar in the good old days.
Being really honest apartment living with kids would be a little grim and one of the joys of family life in Bahrain was bbqs with the parents of kids from school. St Chris all the way by the way.
If you have a good life in London then stay and wait for a better position to come up which it surely will so you can enjoy the experience to the full
Good luck either way
My pleasure to help. I used to live in janibiya in Arabian homes which was generally just outside tear gas distance from Saar in the good old days.
Being really honest apartment living with kids would be a little grim and one of the joys of family life in Bahrain was bbqs with the parents of kids from school. St Chris all the way by the way.
If you have a good life in London then stay and wait for a better position to come up which it surely will so you can enjoy the experience to the full
Good luck either way