Dubai is a destination in the Middle East that is flocked to by those looking for jobs in the Middle East for various reasons. The salary is much higher than what an expatriate can receive in their country of origin. Dubai is one of the most open cities in the Middle East. Located in the United Arab Emirates, the city of Dubai is a cross between Las Vegas and the world of Disney. Since most other places in the Middle East are much more conservative with laws prohibiting the use, import or purchase of alcoholic beverages, Dubai has many nightclubs and bars that one can go to if they want to relax on the weekends. of the week and have a few drinks You can do almost anything you could do anywhere else in the world, from enjoying the nightlife to skiing on the indoor ski slope. However, all of this comes at a price. Dubai has a higher cost of living than most places an expat will find work. Their apartment prices are some of the highest in the world and some landlords expect you to pay your full year’s rent in advance instead of paying month to month like most other places. If you are going to take a job in Dubai, make sure you don’t go into debt because if you lose your job and still owe money to a Dubai business, they will put you on a no-fly list and you will be stuck in the country until you can pay it off. off.
apartment prices
Many companies that will hire you to work in Dubai will place you in company housing or give you a housing allowance. With the price of apartments so high in Dubai, I would not suggest taking a job with a company that does not provide you with a cost of living or housing allowance and a vehicle allowance. A furnished one-bedroom apartment will run you between $7,090 and $3,950 and an unfurnished three-bedroom apartment will run you between $4,930 and $2,880. UBS’s price and earnings report for 2009 has $2,160 as the normal amount locals pay for rent. The most affordable homes in Dubai will be the smallest apartments and can cost the same as a larger place in a Middle Eastern country like Kuwait where you can get a three bedroom villa with a huge second bedroom set up as an office for less than $ 1,800. The average price of a villa in Kuwait is around $1225 and you can find a two or three bedroom apartment for around $875 and the pay in Kuwait is usually higher than the pay in Dubai. With the high cost of an apartment in Dubai, if you are responsible for your own housing, make sure your salary is high enough to cover the cost of your apartment and that living in a more liberal country is worth the extra money. what will you spend live in dubai
food prices
Dubai is ranked the 27th most expensive city to buy groceries in the UBS report which covers the cost of living in 73 cities around the world. It’s a lot cheaper than Tokyo, which is ranked the most expensive city in the UBS report, but it’s still a bit on the high side compared to places like Brussels, Toronto, Sydney, and Bangkok.
Clothing
The cost for a women’s outfit including shoes is about $510 and a men’s outfit is about $720 including shoes. These costs are a bit above the global average according to the UBS report, so if you have a cost-of-living allowance that covers more than your apartment and car costs, you should make up for any difference in the cost of clothing and food prices.
Wages
The average salary in Dubai is around $10.10 an hour, but with the cost of living in Dubai, you’ll need to earn much more than that if you want to be able to build up your savings or pay off debt and still have a comfortable standard of living. . Having a cost of living or housing allowance from the company and a company car is pretty much a must if you’re going to take a job here. The tax ramifications of working here are great with no local income taxes, but there are plenty of added costs to services in Dubai.
Services
The cost of services in Dubai is higher than in any of the other cities in the UBS report which surveys 73 cities around the world. This cost can hit you quite a bit once you put in all the services you’ll use on a monthly basis, like cable, DSL, haircuts, dry cleaning, and other similar services you’ll use on a monthly or weekly basis.
Electronics and Appliances
When it comes to electronics and appliances in Dubai, the price of these items is likely to be considerably cheaper in Dubai than where they are from. Unless you are from Mumbai, Jakarta, Bogota, Sofia, Santiago de Chile, Doha, Bucharest, Shanghai, Barcelona, Lisbon, Bangkok, Los Angeles, Delhi or Miami, these items will be cheaper in Dubai than in your home country. source. .
Transportation
The cost of transportation in Dubai is very low compared to most places in the world. A popular car, the Honda Civic, costs around $17,400 and an annual registration fee of around $136 makes owning your own vehicle in Dubai manageable. With the low cost of $0.40 per liter of gas, if you can maintain your own vehicle, gas prices will be significantly lower than what you’re paying in your home country or most other countries you choose to live in. . for that matter.
Public transport is as cheap when it comes to getting around Dubai as the price of gas is if you’re filling up your own vehicle. With a bus ticket that only costs you around $0.73 for a 10km ride or at least 10 stops and a taxi ride that will take you about 5km within the city limits for around $4, 27 Dubai is at the low end for transport costs in the list of 73 cities in the UBS report.
View from an expat
With your ability to earn net gross income, the lack of income taxes increases the value of your salary compared to other countries in the world. If you can get your company to cover your housing and vehicle costs, Dubai wouldn’t be a bad place to work if you’re making money in the Middle East. You should beware of companies trying to get you to work in Dubai for less than what you are worth. Dubai may be a more liberal country where you can pretty much enjoy the same things you can enjoy in your home country, but you are still in the Middle East. If you are looking to work in the Middle East so you can have a big paycheck and be able to live without alcohol and night clubs, Kuwait may be a better option for you. You will most likely earn more money in Kuwait and the cost of living will be a bit lower. If you can get a good job in Dubai, make sure you don’t go into debt as mentioned at the beginning of the article. Dubai is not a place to go into debt when you lose your job. Stick to credit cards from your home country and don’t take out loans that you can’t pay back in cash if you had to. If you take out a car loan and lose your job halfway through, you better be able to pay off the rest or you may find yourself on a no-fly list.
