Little Duck

Hi everyone,

I wonder if you would be able to offer me some advice. I am considering a move to Dubai (hopefully in September 08) but before I do anything else I need to work out if I can feasibly afford the move and I only have a very broad idea of what things in Dubai cost. Help!!!

I’m a qualified legal secretary and have been told by recruitment agencies that I could expect between 15-18,000 AED per month (plus various benefits). Is this a reasonable salary for Dubai?

My understanding is that rent is the most costly expense. I will need a furnished place and have been told that I should expect to pay around 8,000 AED per month for a 1-bed place, or around 5,000 AED per month sharing a 2-bed villa. Does this sound correct? I’m more than willing to share as I figure it will help keep costs down and be a good way to meet people as well. I’m also unsure of the most affordable/best places to live.

I’ve heard that most places are expensive as they have the use of a gym and/or swimming pool and some come with a cleaning service too. Is that right? Or am I being completely unrealistic?!

I have no idea how much things like food, gas, electric, water, etc. cost. Is this included in your monthly rent? Also, will it be necessary to own a car? I’m told taxis are very cheap and are the usual way of getting to work due to lack of public transport.

Any help/advice that anyone could offer would really be appreciated… though I realise now I’ve written all this down it doesn’t sound like I know much at all, does it?!?!!!

Thanks to everyone in advance.

Inselaffen

5-6000 per month will get you an en-suite room in a shared 4-5 bed villa. You should be able to get one with a pool, although the pool may be shared between 4-5 villas. that price may or may not include bills. but those should only be abot 4-500dhs a month max.

The shared areas of the villa will be cleaned, not sure about the individual rooms. They are not in mine.

lionheart

Taxis are reasonably priced if only you can get one to stop and pick you up.

Eeyore

Eh?

Whoever told you that was, er, wrong. Most people drive their own cars to work (hence the major traffic problems here). A car is pretty much essential here; relying on taxis gets old very quickly.

Taxis certainly are cheap, though.

As for salary, 15-18k will be crap if that's all-in (meaning that you have to pay everything, including your rent, out of that). It's not so bad if you're getting a proper housing allowance on top of that. If it *is* all-in, consider that you'll be paying more than 50% of your monthly income in rent, and remember that in Dubai, you don't pay rent monthly, you pay either six months or (more usually now) one year in advance, so you need to be able to come up with that lump sum. Some people's companies help them out with that, others don't, forcing them to take bank loans.

Coxy the Bear

I disagree, Including rent and car allowance I earn a fair bit less than that and have enough to be able to enjoy myself and live comfortably.

smilingcamel

I have regularly seen rooms for rent in Villas advertised on the notice board in Spinneys Supermarket in Uptown Mirdiff...about 5K-6k AED per month. Good area and most would be furnished with sharing facilities with other expats.
You would need a car in Dubai as things are spread out. Taxis can be difficult to get sometimes these days. I am about to move to Bahrain and have just sold my car.....paying 2K AED a month for a small Toyota Yaris on rental.

DeenDude

Hi Little duck,

A guy i work with here in Dubai rents a room at JBR (beside Marina) and he pays AED 5,000 per month. That is all in, pool, DEWA, internet etc and you can rent a small car for AED 1,650 per month. So i reckon you could manage on that salary. I mean thats leaving you over 1000GBP per month to live on. Well i could live on that no probs!

I did the taxi thing when i first got here coz i was scared stiff but it gets tiring and they are always really early/late so it's best just to be brave and hire a car.

I worked for a law firm for a wee while when i first got here and the secretaries there were earning over AED 20,000 per month but it was a good paying company.

ZJCOOPS

Hey there!!

I dont want to "gate crash this discussion" but I am in the same situation and thought it would be great to see how youre research is going?

Also am i allowed to ask for a bit of advice aswell??..... :0)

I am living and working in london and currently going through the interview processes to move and work out in Dubai. I work in sales in Media and exhibitions etc.
I am trying to weigh up the benefits of high rent out there compared to living in the UK.

I dont know what other peopole would suggest but I have quite alot of debts to pay off so if I am earning about 18000 a month, minus rent, bills, eating etc would I have enough to pay off £600 monthly payouts and still live comfortably? I was hoping to save more on top? or am i living in LA LA land!?!?!

Thanks xx

Any advice??

I would love to know how you are getting on little duck??

jrudofsky

Rent out here is not considerably hire than Zone 1-3 in London. Perhaps in London some of the flats are larger, because of the amount of converted victorian houses....but you are unlikely to get the pool thst you most likely will out here. IMHO

Eeyore

On the other hand, in London you will pay your rent monthly, not a year in advance. That makes a big difference to affordability if your company doesn't provide you with a proper upfront rent allowance (and many don't these days).

Depends on how you want to live. If you want your own place, you'll be looking at roughly 8000-10,000dhs per month for a 1-bed apartment (but as has been said, you actually pay a year's rent before you move in, so you need to get that lump sum together). £600 is currently about 4300dhs, so you'd immediately be down to just 4000-6000dhs to live on for the month. Plenty of people do live on much less than that, but it depends on what kind of life you want. If you're happy to scrimp and save while you're here, then you'll do OK on that.

If you're willing to share accommodation in one of the less popular parts of town then you could cut the above rent in half, which would obviously make a significant difference, but you're still not exactly going to be rolling in it.

Little Duck

Dear all,

Thank you all so so much for the advice. It's certainly given me a good idea of what I can expect money-wise and about living, etc. You've all be very helpful.

Thanks for the tip about renting a car. I can certainly imagine relying on taxis all the time does become very tiresome, very quickly.

Things are looking good here. Weighing up what you've all said and what I know from various people is an expected salary for what I do for a living I'm still planning the move. Working out my budget it all seems affordable... provided I don't try to live like Victoria Beckham!!!

I'm still looking to make the move around September 08 so no doubt prior to that I'll need plenty of advice about the best places to live. Don't want to end up in some dodgy place!!

Thanks again
Little Duck

Spugsy

I wouldn't agree that thats a crap salary at all, it may be slightly difficult if she's on her own, but its hardly crap.