Cost of living in Dubai 2011 – Calculator
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January 27th, 2011
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Expatriate life in Dubai at http://crap-free.com/dubai-expat/
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Hi i want to know that school conditions i have one boy he 8 years and he goes primary school 1.class now in TURKEY. If we will come in abu dabi. which school we choose for him. My boy doesnt know eng lang but we want eng or american school. If know some school and prices i am very happy to your responce. We can pay max 30K AED. One question more : İn wich month school begins and finish. Thank you for your interest.
Selim / TURKEY
Hi Selim,
I don’t have kids so can’t help unfortunately but I would try to get your boy to learn a little English before you move. It will be easier for him.
Hi there,
I’ve taken up a job offer in Dubai for AED 4000/ Month plus incentives, with a Bank. My uncle is buying a flat for me in Discovery Gardens and my work place is in Jumeirah Lake Palace, which I guess is not too far from the flat.
I just wanted to know if after paying the utility bills, transport via metro, food, braodband, mobile bills, will I be able to save up some money?
Thanks for putting up such a great site.
Look forward to hearing from you soon.
Hi,
Given that you have accommodation, you should be able to save about 2000 if you don’t go out too often.
Thanks a lot. such a relief to hear that! happy savings
take care
Hi
First of all thanks for this blog. I am currently in discussion for a job in Dubia, Company is offering Accomdation & Travel For Me(currently Bachelor) and also family accomdation on marriage.
My current job is in Riyadh and i am able to save 8000AED
My Question is how much should i ask them so i can save about 13000AED.
I don’t smoke, drink, not a regular traveler, What is the other cost of living there? Is 1000 to 1500AED good enough for other expenses(other than accomdation & travel). Will a salary of 15000AED enough to save 13000AED (providing accomdation & travel)?
Hi Ali,
Well, we spend about 1000-1500 for food. So you should be alright to live on 2000 if you are a bachelor and don’t go out too often.
Hi,
Fantastic site! It has helped me a lot to get things into perspective.
I have been offered a manager position with a salary package of just under AED 21K/month. Breakup is as follows:
- housing = approx AED 6k/month
- Utility/transport allow = approx AED 1K
In addition to the above, annual air ticket and medical is provided.
My question is:
1. Is this a decent salary for a manager (I am single so no family to take care of)?
2. Would 6K be sufficient to get a decent 1 bedroom apt in the “expat” area (in JBR or somewhere walking distance to the Marina Walk)?
3. Would 14K be sufficient as a salary for other expenses (food, entertainment/partying/eating out, car, fuel etc), and most importantly how much would i be able to save per month out of this?
Thanks
Jonnie
Hi Jonnie,
1. It is indeed a good salary for a manager even for a multinational company.
2. Being perfectly honest, I don’t think you will get a place in JBR but you will definitely find a neat apartment in Marina for your budget.
3. Absolutely sufficient. If you don’t drink too much (this is damn expensive in Dubai!), you will be able to save about 8-10k depending on your lifestyle.
Excellent job
Allow me to share my knowledge about schools and Schools fees. It starts from 12,000 for nursery to AED 85,000 for year 13 British, 12 American and International baccalaureate. Unless you want to send your kids to the best boarding school (Repton Dubai) which is above 100,000 AED a year + AED 50,000 deposit but refundable. /www.reptondubai.org. Also you can check the ranking of schools by consulting KHDA latest ranking
Hi Medy,
Thanks for sharing!
I am getting a job in dubai for a salary of roughly 70000 us dollars.tell me what kind of a life do i get.i have a wife and a nine year old daughter
Hi Suman,
With 70,000 USD / year you will be able to live quite a comfortable life – nice apartment (not that luxurious though), good car, going out, etc. It is a good offer.
Hi there,
Apologies to add to the growing list of questions! I’ve been offered a job in Dubai on a monthly salary of 15,000. Being as the point of me coming over is to save as much money as i can and then repatriate it, is this enough to live on (small apartment, cheap car etc…) and still save a fair amount? I’m pretty used to cheap living in the UK so i know how to budget, and i don’t want to tie myself into a move and find i’m hardly saving any money.
Thanks for all your help – great site by the way – useful to thousands!
Cheers
Michael
Hi Michael,
You will be able to save at least 6-7 thousand living a pretty comfortable life. If you live in one of the remote areas like International City, you might save even more.
Thanks for that – sorry just to clarify though, is that 6-7 thousand english pounds, or dhs a month? I’m pretty good at being frugal, don’t drink much and I’m single, so i’ll be keeping costs as low as i can!
Cheers for all your help – it’s invaluable for so many people!
Michael
I meant 6-7 thousand AED provided your 15 thousand were also in AED… Sorry for the confusion.
Michael, as you can see there are no ads on this website. I don’t earn any money with it. When I moved to Dubai I couldn’t find any information. That’s why I made it up…
Well you’re an absolute legend – if i make it out there i owe you some beers!
Thank you for your help
Michael
Hi,
My husband has been offered a job for USD10,500 per month + insurances and trip for family back home. This is broken down to include USD2000 for housing and USD500 for car the rest USD8000 is salary for a total of USD10,500. We are a family of 4 with a baby on the way – so 5 all together. Is this wage sufficient for us considering that the new one will not start school for another five years? Can we live a comfortable middleclass life on this wage?
We are thinking of settling in Mirdif. Is this a good area?
Also, what are the Catholic Schools available? Is it mandatory that at private schools that kids have to learn Islam?
Thanking you in advance,
Debbie
Hi Debbie,
This salary is quite good, so you should be feeling comfortable, I wouldn’t be worried too much. However, it would be great if your 2 elder kids’ schooling was paid by the employer, this is a common practice for expats working for multinationals and would save you some money.
Mirdif is a good area for a family living and it is also not expensive and should fit your budget.
I am not sure about Catholic schools but I would have thought that international schools should respect the students’ religion and should not force to study Islam.
Hi we have been oferred 1600 Euro
a)insurance+housing+eletric,water. and We are a family of 4 one child is attending school. Is the salary enough to live in abu dhabi ( for middle standart life.
b) My wife job is grosmarket (at Migros) manager can she get a job such merkets in abu dhabi.
c) I will sell my car in our country and want to buy a car in abu dhabi. Can i buy a good ( especially toyota otomatic gear )car with 28000 AED.
d) how can i find house for rent 3+1 room ( web adrrs etc..) and how much AED is that aproximately.
Thanks for all
Hi Selim,
a) If I got you right, you have housing on top of that 1600 EUR? If so, you will be fine.
b) I think so. Keep in mind that the job market is pretty tough now but if she is a good professional, I believe she might get a job.
c) Yes you can buy a 1-2 years old car.
d) Try dubizzle.com, they have Abu Dhabi classifieds. I don’t know how much housing costs in Abu Dhabi, sorry.
hi!
first I must add my thanks to all the others for what is an invaluable web-site in terms of getting info prior to moving out to Dubai. I feel guilty asking another individual question as you’ve responded to so many, but am still trying to get my head around the finance side of things.
i’ve been offered 8600/month including accom, flights, medical card and a monthly allowance of 335 for transport; am I likely to be able to find transport for this and is the norm to have to put down a larger amount up-front rather than pay on monthly basis?
Given that my only real costs will be transport and food/drink, do you have any idea how much it’s realistic to expect to be able to save? Would 7000 UAED be realistic?
Many thanks,
Vanessa
Hi Vanessa. If you live a modest live, I would say it is realistic.
An inexpensive second hand car will cost you at least 5-7k. You can buy it for cash or put as much money up-front as you would like.
Great site – thanks.
2 adults + 3 kids (Primary age), What salary (AED) do you need to live comfortable normal family life in decent area – probably expat? How long does it take to commute to Duabi Mall area from, say, Mirdiff?
Hi Chenko, it depends on what comfortable is for you. I would say at least 15-20k + housing, car, schooling, insurance and air tickets provided by the company.
Mirdiff to Dubai Mall journey will take you about 20-25 minutes.
hi,
pleasant day to you!
my co, is planning to extend in dubai market, all related to cleaning products and equipments, made in italy, and was to investigate and get infos in the market as well as intruducing our products, i was hoping to get some answer to my querry regarding of my upcoming job,
1.do we have any consultant firm doing this kind of things?
2.how diff. to introduce your products to the market?
3.which business area are most appropriate to make office in the area?
4.how much the rental cost per sqft?
5.and also the how much approx accommodation cost nearby?
thanks,
jun
Hi Jun, my job is in transportation industry, I am not in position to answer your questions. You can try to ask them on an expat forum, one of which is http://www.expatforum.com/expats/dubai-expat-forum-expats-living-dubai/
Sir,
i got an offer from abu dhabi, monthly they are offering 7500AED.But no food and accomodation
i need to know how much is the cost of accomodation in abu dhabi(if it is a bachelour type)
For food how much should i pay
How much can i save per month?
waiting for your replay
waiting for your replay
Hi , Thank you for your great help.
I have an offer of 25,000 AED amonth ( salary + housing+ transportation) I will get medical insurance and I will get tickets for three of my family members.
I have afamily of seven ( 5 children all school age ) the company said that they deal with aschool where we will get adiscount on the fees. also thier is an extra bounous which i will reach , that will bring my package to about 30,000 AED amonth. Please do you think that is enough for afamily of seven ? for housing ,education , food etc
Hi,
I have been offered a salary of 10000 AED/month, appartment covered ( + electricity & water paid by the company), car covered ( + maintanance, insurance and fuel paid by the company), medical insurance provided, 2 return tickets/year.
Is it ok? How much money will i be able to save per month?. I don’t drink or smoke
Thank you very much for your help!
Hi,
Just a quick question.
My work location is in Trade center. Could you please recommend some “expat” areas where I could find accommodation? Also is Dubai marina too far from Trade Center (how long will it take during peak hour traffic?)?
Thanks
Congrates for the useful calculate developement!!!
I have offer of 16K AED based Dubai. break upp is Basic 10.4 K, HRS 4 K ,Travel allowance 1.6 K.
I am married but planning to relocate ony single for first 1 year. will it be okay since i need to send some mony back to india since family is dependent on me.
How much will i qable to save and send back to india. Also can u suggest me the area wherein i will be getting good residants for living.
Regards,
Sachin K
Hi, indeed a good site with valuable info, thanks for the same.. Well i am from India and planning to visit dubai this month on tourist Visa for 3 weeks -1 month to lookout for job oppurtunites. i would be trying in Customer service/BPO/Telecom industry. And my queries are: 1)Do you think this is enough time to get a decent job? 2)How much on an average will cost on daily expenses (food, travelling,etc)for 3 weeks? Thanking you in advance, awaiting your revert.
Hi Ilya,
I’ve been offered a job in Dubai, with a salary of 14,000 AED/mth. The employer said this is all inclusive i.e accommodation transportation, etc.. Not quite sure what the ‘etc’ includes – have not talked details with him yet.
It will be just me and my wife – no children. Right now we live in Canada/Ontario and we have a relatively higher standard of living. I was wondering if the salary mentioned above would be enough to keep the standard and, of course, to save some money too. We don’t go out to restaurants that often and do not drink excessively either (well, a beer is always welcome, of course).
From your experience, how much could we save, based on the information provided? – well, I understand that this is not a precise science and depends on a lot of factors. Also, is that salary a good salary for somebody with +20 yrs of experience in automotive? I have an university degree, in case that matters.
Many thanks for all your work – this is by far the best site for those searching for information regarding relocation to Dubai.
Yours,
Lawrence
In your opinion,
Hi ,
a informative site , hats off
I got a offer of 25.2K , and will be staying alone , is this s right offer ???
and still need to finalize , please advise
Hi!
I’m moving to muhaisnah 4 ghusais area with my hubby this coming 10th of june. I just want to know how much is the average dewa bill for a couple. Thank you so much
Hi,
First a fall, Its a great website started by you.
I have been offered 5500AED/month (accommodation,food,conveyance all included) by a company called Alinco Pipes. I am ready to share accommodation. Given a budget of 1500 AED for accommodation, what kind and with how many people will i have to share accommodation with and how far would it be from Jabel Ali Free zone where my office is.
Also i drink and smoke occasionally and have a very modest lifestyle. Please can you tell me how much will i be able to save.
Thanks,
Neil
Hi.
I am being offerred a job in Dubai by a retail giant @ 16000 AED + Insurance+ Travel + Annual Incentives.
We are a family of 2 adults + 1 child.
Would this money be enough to make a move ?
How expensive is Food + Primary Education + Accomodation+ Travel + Car in Dubai?
Is it saner to live in Sharjah / Somewhere else and commute to Dubai ?
I need some help in making my decision.
Hi, my wife has been offered 25,000aed a month for a job in Al Ain. We also get accomodation, utilities, a free flight home for both of us (to U.K.), medical insurance. We would be sending 5200aed home a month to cover uk mortgage.
Is this enough to live comfortably and save a lot?
p.s. good website, well done
Hello, Have had one brief talk with a potential employer re teaching in Dubai. Was told would be paid £1,300 per month which includes a housing allowance. Used a currency converter and worked this out to be 6,951 UEA. From what I have read this may not sound fantastic but as yet have not enquired about health insurance, re-location costs, visas and utilities etc. Do you think it unreasonable to expect some or all of these to be paid by the employer?
You have produced a very useful site with masses of information which has definitely provided me with important aspects of the package that I need to find out.
I am due to have another conversation on Sunday (13th) so would very much appreciate it if you could provide me with a response before then.
Thanks again
Hey man! u r providing an amazing site here, u deserve a medal for this!
Just wondering where you would recommend a british expat to live? I am single and will work in the DIFC building. I know the appartment rates are cheaper, so how much would a one bedroom or sutdio appt be say in downtown (close to difc) compared to Marina. Also when renting do rents include furniture/utilities and bills, or are they seperate?
Also how easy is it to find other expat lads to share with? I am looking to spend about 2500-4000 on rent, and hope this inlcudes utilities!
Any advice would be invaluable!!
thanks again.
Looking at possible positions in Al Ain Aerospace Cluster. Can you tell me how this area compares to Dubai with reagrds to living costs etc..
I am Accountant In Abu Dhabi accompanied by my wife no kids ( My total Package is 6000 ) I rented accommodation for 3300 AED/ month inclusive Elec & Water,Can u advice me that in remaining 2700 AED from my salary can i spend life here or not.My Wish is to Stay with my wife.
Hi, as sales excutive in Dubai, I’ve been offered AED7000 per month + Group Medical Insurance + air ticket every 24 months. Excluding accommodation, food or transportation,
Is it a fair salary package? Can I have any saving?
What is the rent for a single room ? AED1500?
Hi LLya,
Thank you very much for these valuable information. My company is offering me the opportunity to work at Dubai. We are currently discussing the expat package. We are a couple with 2 kids (3 and 5 years old) living in Paris.
The current package (as a starting point for further negotiation) include the following:
Base Salary: 34.000 AED/month
Car allowance: 2.700 AED/month
Relocation allowance: 34.000 AED
Medicare covering all family
Education allowance: full payment of kids school
Housing: 13.600 AED/month
Can you please advise me about the following questions?
1/ How much will I be able to save per month (considering that we would have some entertainment like skiing, restaurant, cinema, 4×4 tour in desert. My wife and I are smoking reasonably, and drinking sparsely)?
2/ What is the average cart cost in supermarket with imported products (French goods or brand essentially, I don’t know if there is any “Carrefour” supermarket in Dubai)?
3/ What is the current fuel cost?
4/ Can you please give an idea of average cost for a fast food menu, cheap restaurant, standard category restaurant?
5/ is it easy to obtain an “alcohol licence”?
Thank you in advance for your answers.
Very best regards,
Eric
Hi Administrator,
Many Thanks for helping people like me online,
can you comment on how much saving is possible with AED 18000 pm + schooling + housing + med insurance package. We are family of 4 incl. 2 kids aged under 10 years.
Although I did not discuss with my company – does schooling cost implies IB/IGCSE curriculum or companies usually pay standard fixed compensation towards school fees.
Cheers,
Girish.
Hi! Awesome info!
I have a question if i may. I have been offered a job in DXB. I hope to re-locate from the UK in a month. Salary is circa £30,000 with shared accomdation included. I would really like to re-locate with my partner and her son. We are not married (yet). She would really like to find a job but im unsure how we would achieve this. Id hate it for her to join me and then have to go home beacuse she cannot find employement. She is in her mid 20s (me, late 20s) but has no formal qualifications and spent most of her life bringing up her son with part time jobs in between… is there much avail for un un-skilled British potential ex-pat?
Its a big decision in my life, packing up and heading off…. i need to be sure
I have got job offer from one of the prestigious company which is offering AED 9000 + AED 60 (Mobile).
But i have to look for accomodation, food , transportation and other necessary expenses on my own.
Please suggest whether i’ll be able to save anything out of it?
Hello there, congrats on your very informative website.
A few questions to ask,
1. What’s the best place to live-in if your work is in Dubai Media City (prefer cheap but a decent one) and have access to public transport? can’t drive.
2.How much is the apt. rent (1-2 bedroom)for that area?
Thanks.
Hi,
I am joining my husband at sharjah on residencial visa by next month. His Company is providing the accomodation and related facilities. All i want to know is
1) how much money i need to take for my personal expense for 2 months.
2) is it better to convert INR to AED from India itself or on reaching UAE. If in UAE, then which is the best currency exchange service there.
2) i worked as administrator in India and guide me to the best possible ways to find a better job within 2 months.
Hi,
Wonderful effort on your part, thank you so much i learnt alot from your answers.
I’m being offerred 40,000 including allowances. Planning to come with wife and 2 sons, ages 7 and 8. Want to live comfortably, travel, and provide high end education for the children and save enough for the future. What is your opinion?
this is really use full………
thnx.
Hey thanks very much for taking the time to put this resource together on the web. I think the name says it all: crap-free. This is such a valuable source of on-the-ground intelligence.
I have just yesterday had an offer of a potential job in Dubai and had a few questions if you don’t mind:
1. I am in a very serious relationship with my girlfriend of three years, and there’s no way I would go to Dubai without her. However I am aware that technically it is against the law for us to cohabit, and I wondered how strictly that rule is applied there. We read stories of westerners being imprisoned for inappropriate behaviour in public so I do completely understand that the local laws and customs must be respected. But what is the unofficial view on cohabitation of unmarried people?
2. I assume my girlfriend will have to apply for her resident’s permit as a completely separate process from my own (as we aren’t married). Is she going to have trouble obtaining one of those without a job? Because I assume she can’t refer to me as her source of income or as the reason for wanting to move there, as the authorities will not allow that (following on from 1. above).
3. You haven’t mentioned the personal income tax rates over there in Dubai – are they pretty low?
4. We hear alot these days about how ‘the party’s definitely over’ in Dubai. How is the local economy doing? What’s the ‘vibe’ like? Are people becoming more hostile and intolerant towards westerners now that the money’s dried up?
5. How much do domestic servants and drivers cost (assuming I want to pay a fair wage, not the shameful slave rates you hear about)?
Thanks very much again.
hi
i am offered a job in dubai for a salary of 18000 aed + medical insurance, travel allowance, once a year ticket to india. we r a small family of 3. i want to know the rental situation as my salry s inclusive of this. and my son is in grade 2, si schooling is another aspect.
can u please enlighten me on the following details
1. good housing in a good and neat locality with all the necessary amenities. need to know the expectant rental for the same. (furnished?non furnished?)
2.good school in dubai and its expenses
3. is it possible to save minimum 5000 aed per month after all the necessary expenses
4. minimum living expeses for a small family with simple lifestyle (vegetarian)
5. is it worth taking a chance ( as I earn 10 lac/ annum in india now )
thanks
vas
Good content !! keep it up.. this looks lik one stop solution for all queries
i have been offered a job as sales executive in dubai. i can get 6500 AED and i should cover everything with that
or 4250 AED and the company covers housing & transp.
is the salary good? how much will i be able to save?
Hi,
This is certainly very informative site, and to help the expats further I would suggest they explore the web pages of the most favorite local newspaper http://www.gulfnews.com
They have the best classified for used cars, properties to buy and villa/apartments/offices for lease/rent. You can always get an updated information relating to rental rates, and should relieve the admin of repetitive questions relating to housing/office. And dont forget to check out a variety of listings to get the correct idea, since the rates vary a lot. Gud Luck !
Hi,
I have been offered a Job in Dubai with Fixed Salary of 9000 AED per month. Company will provide apartment and Car. Besides there will be annual Incentive to the tune of 75000 AED.
I have a Baby and wife is home maker. I like to shop a lot and also drink and eat Non Veg. Also likes to dine out on week ends as well as like to watch movies on week ends.
Will this package be sufficient for me.
Regards,
Bir
Hello!
This has been extremely informative.
In our case, my husband has been offered a job in Abu Dhabi. 25,000 Aed/monthly package + health insurance + annual home trip.
We (myself and our 2 year old daughter) will ideally like to join him in a couple of months and would like to get a minimum 2 bed (if not 3-bed) nice apt with pool, etc.
I believe rents in Dubai are much less than Abu Dhabi and living in Marina or JBR makes the commute for my husband doable. Please confirm if this is true.
Also is this enough of a salary given our child is montessori age and we do like an occasional night out here and there.?
A couple of months after the move, I too will try and line up a second income as I am an architect. We would hope to have that go into upgrading our lifestyle where we choose and savings. Till then we would need to live within our means on the 25k/month AED and would appreciate your feedback.
Looking forward to your response.
Regards,
ANJ
Hi! we got an offer from Dubai for a salary of AED 7,500 per month + family accommodation. we are totally 4 wife & husband and two kids studying I std and play home. with this salary how much I can save? we live in a normal life and not hi fly and vegetarian people. Can you please tell us how much really I can save with this offer.
Hello!
This has been extremely informative.
In our case, my husband has been offered a job in Abu Dhabi. 25,000 Aed/monthly package + health insurance + annual home trip.
We (myself and our 2 year old daughter) will ideally like to join him in a couple of months and would like to get a minimum 2 bed (if not 3-bed) nice apt with pool, etc.
I believe rents in Dubai are much less than Abu Dhabi and living in Marina or JBR makes the commute for my husband doable. Please confirm if this is true.
Also is this enough of a salary given our child is montessori age and we do like an occasional night out here and there.?
A couple of months after the move, I too will try and line up a second income as I am an architect. We would hope to have that go into upgrading our lifestyle where we choose and savings. Till then we would need to live within our means on the 25k/month AED and would appreciate your feedback.
Looking forward to your response.
Regards,
ANJ
Hi guys,
The info is quite impressive, however it seems quite limited to the subject of the expenses. I dont see any room to save.
I’m in the process of negotiating a sal between 10-15 K per month, however, after checking with a few friends there, it seems that I have quoted quite low.
Pleae bear in mind the company has not agreed to provide any housing allocawance over this.
I feel like I should be quoting a little higher, aprrox 16-19 K, and housing to be added over this.
(In respect to the job role, the pay would look decent)
In your opinion, how much would a single male, between 25-30, would require a sal?
Another question to the above,
Do companies normally offer a housing allowance?
Thanks
Ke
Hi, the info is great. Thanks for that.
I have been offered a job for 8000U AED per month. They will also provide share accomodation, a health card but not private insurace, transport to and from work, and end of year travel home, plus two months holidays paid. I am a calm person, no dring or smoke but like eating out. Iam concerned about being able to save money to send home. Will you think is a good deal? Can I save at least 2000US dollars? Thankssss.
sori
Hi There
Really great website which has been really helpful to me, thank you.
I’ve been offered a position 30K AED per month plus benefits, some help with relocation expenses etc, but no accommodation allowance after the first month. My husband is a car sales manager and whilst I hope he would be able to find a job, I am a little concerned because of the current job market. I would appreciate your view on how things are there at the moment and if you think it would be feasible for us enjoy the lifestyle and save a bit of cash on my salary. In terms of accommodation we would ideally like a 2 bed apartment in downtown area.
Thanks very much.