philipz

Well I know that alot of the newcomers seem to ask the same questions again and again so I have compiled alot of things together and have them at

http://guide.theemiratesnetwork.com/...relocation.php

Many people seem to be asking how much it cost to live in Dubai, but unfortunately I dont have any figures. So all you guys and gals living in Dubai please help me out by reply to this post and giving the following information.

1. House rent, location, type (number of bedrooms).
2. Number of people in the house.
3. Cost of schooling per child, indicating which grade they are in.
4. Average monthly costs for utilities, telephone bills, and food.
5. Salary.

Hope this request isnt to personal.

I'm open to any suggestions about things which can be added to the article.

joseph.creative

Good idea....

If my stuff works then will be getting back to you ASAP with anything I can help with. Have to get all sorted over there first!

philipz

Any others?

Cherrypie

This is very helpful of you philipz

I'd happily oblige with information...but, ugh! where to start?

TA5

Dubai Marina, 1 br (1,300 sf), 75,000 dhs per annum
people: 1
no kids
utilites: cable and internet - 200 dhs per month
salary: enough

JMS1

Thanks for that and your reply on the other thread re. apartments.

Utilities: What about electricity? how much approx per month for your apartment - I believe it can fluctuate wildly!!

regards

TA5

i've only been in there a week but i'll let you know when i get my first bill

philipz

I thought Dubai Marina was all freehold? Why I had asked about salary was to indicate the relationship between the salary package and the money going out each month.

One thing I forgot to mention is to indicate whether your company pays for your accomodations.

TA5

it is freehold, i rented it from a lady from london who owns the unit. It was real easy, took about ten minutes after the incompetent broker was stupid enough to give her my phone number. We actually cut him out of the deal for the most part.

oh yeah, my company pays for my apartment, and my car, and pretty much everything save food and entertainment

philipz

Yep, thats the way to screw the brokers. Let say that your company didnt pay for your accomodations, how much do you think your salary would need to be.

TA5

I really have no idea, it would depend on how much someone wanted to spend as a percentage of their salary, how much they wanted to save, and how much they intended to spend on other items (car, etc.)

so if somebody only wanted to spend 33% of their salary on accomodation (standard in US), i expect they would need to earn 255,000 dhs per annum. That would leave a decent amount of money left over for saving and for a car and stuff.

However, if somebody was willing to spend a greater amount, 50-60% on housing, then they would only need to make 170,000 dhs per annum.

This is assuming that my apartment, after all is said and done (utilities, cable, etc.) will cost 85,000 dhs this year.

It's really in the eye of the beholder, there are plenty of cheaper places to live, there is no "magic salary" that says you can live in a certain place, it all depends on personal preference.

But to be honest, if I was paying for the apartment myself, i definitely would have lived somewhere more economical, and my salary is well above what i put down as "required" to live in the apartment, that's just my personal preference for savings though.

Face81

Hello all,

New to the forum. Face, 22 in this giant tourist resort, called Dubai. Wild historical roots have resulted in the genetic mocktail that is me! Some English and Irish blood in my veins along with some other stuff too! Lol

Having been born and raised in Dubai I would safely say that I am fairly familiar with all that one would need to know about this city-state.

An engineering student now at the American Uni, although I have done my A-levels at school.

I did warn you that I was confused. Lol. Love to travel and chat to anyone who wants to talk about anything really. I am known to be quite a chatterbox and am very knowledgeable on most subjects.

I love to play tour guide and I would be absolutely thrilled to help out anyone who needs any sort of help in Dubai. Just drop me an e-mail or a PM, or IM me on MSN Messenger and I will be more than happy to help out. Other than that, if you have any questions on Dubai, please do not hesitate to ask.

Glad to be a part of this wonderful online community.

-Face.

Cherrypie

Hi there Face

I'm sure a helpful chap like you will be very popular. Welcome to the forum!

Face81

JMS1........TA5 is absolutely right. Rents in Dubai can cater to anyones pocket. You could rent a one bedroom unit at the Greens (Just opposite the Internet and Media Cities) for 40K a year or a two bedroom for 55K a year. This includes the usual ammenities: community pool, kids play area, etc.

You could however chose to live closer to the heart of the city where rents can vary again. You could live in a 2 bedroom unit in a swanky skyscraper on the highway leading up to the Internet/Media Cities for 75 grand a year -This puts you about 15-20 mins drive from the Marina.

Then there is the heart of Dubai..... Two bedroom unit behind BurJuman or the Ramada should set you back about 60 K a year. This would be a 20- 30 min drive to the Marina depending on the traffic.

Hope this helps. Let me know if you need any more info.

-Face81

Face81

Thankyou very much for the warm welcome cherrypie. I look forward to hitting that 100 post mark soon. LOL. Thanks again.

-Face81