The cost of Living in Dubai

[Gnair77]

Originally Posted by Roshan

All the add ons are actually standard and not much of a deal. Incentives is a very dark issue and an employer can renegade on that. If he upped the offer, naturally you are in demand. Pull it to Dhs 20 K with everything and the incentives.

The job market is good and you wife should be able to get e fairly decent job. A lot would depend on your standard of living. But with the current conditions if your wife should get a job. Saving Dhs 9K I feel should not be a problem.

Ask for more is the first step - otherwise believe you me you are better of in India.

Regards

Roshan

hi Roshan,

I had reverted on their offer asking for 20k and this is what they have come back with.......

so was trying to see if this can be good enuff.....

wat say?

[Roshan]

Originally Posted by Gnair77

hi Roshan,

I had reverted on their offer asking for 20k and this is what they have come back with.......

so was trying to see if this can be good enuff.....

wat say?

20K is good for a start, provided you do not have high society living. If you wife starts working and she gets paid another 10 to 15 K you should be able to save 10 K every month.

Good luck.

Regards

Roshan

[dannytm85]

I have just received an offer a little below my expectations from a very reputable company. I have only just graduated so experience is not extensive in the field. Having lived as a student i can live on a budget but also hope to put some money aside. Anyway, here's my offer:

Basic 5,000 AED per month
1 bed flat shared accommodation furnished
2000 AED transportation allowance excluding petrol, with petrol card provided (what does that mean???!!!)
Regional medical insurance
Phone + sim and business usage
Ticet to dubai
1 round trip to city of origin per year
30 days leave

Any initial thoughts? Am i expected to barter for a better wage? Any help would be appreciated!

Many thanks

[tonz217]

Hi Roshan and Dubai guys,

I am a middle level executive in an American film company with an office in the Philippines. I earn the monthly equivalent of about 15,000 AED net of taxes here. A Dubai-based licensee
for the same American company I work for offered me a department head position to oversee operations covering KSA, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait.. I have submitted my existing compensation package and am awaiting a formal offer.

If I seek to rent a studio or 1 bedroom apt in an upper middle income location and live a moderate lifestyle (bars and dine outs only in the weekends) and save 10,000 AED a month to send home, what kind of compensation should I target?

Your coments woud help me decide and haggle a package. Thanks

[acassim]

Hi Tonz,
Rule 1 in Dubai - Your package is almost always determined by your nationality. Certain nationalities get paid much more than others for the same job. There is no upper middle income location per say in Dubai. If you will be based in IMPZ (I would presume since you are being offered a position at a Film Company), look out for properties around the area to avoid traffic. Studios go for around Dhs 80k per annum with 1 br at around Dhs 90-100k. The area is still under construction so be prepared. Alternatively, look at Discovery Gardens which is close enought and the prices are approx. Dhs 110k for a 1 br. You pay at least 50% of your salary in accommodation in Dubai.

[Roshan]

Originally Posted by tonz217

Hi Roshan and Dubai guys,

I am a middle level executive in an American film company with an office in the Philippines. I earn the monthly equivalent of about 15,000 AED net of taxes here. A Dubai-based licensee
for the same American company I work for offered me a department head position to oversee operations covering KSA, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait.. I have submitted my existing compensation package and am awaiting a formal offer.

If I seek to rent a studio or 1 bedroom apt in an upper middle income location and live a moderate lifestyle (bars and dine outs only in the weekends) and save 10,000 AED a month to send home, what kind of compensation should I target?

Your coments woud help me decide and haggle a package. Thanks

Hello there,

From what I can gather, in the Philiphines, your responsibilities were restricted to the country itself.

You are now going to a position which would that be of a Regional Manager covering not one but many areas.

A 1 BDR in upper middle market would be Dhs 120,000 per year ( 1 USD = 3.673 ).

A weekend dine out for me, a family of 4 comes to nothing less than Dhs 175. This is in standard restaurants and not five stars.

A beer would cost you anywhere between Dhs 25 to 35 per can / pint.

Hope you have not played into their hands by submitting your existing compensation package. I am not a recruitment agent but if I go by papers the salaries should be in the range of Dhs 30,000 to Dhs 40,000. Get an idea by going through the appointments section of Gulf News Gulfnews: Home

Mind you, the job market is very tight in Dubai, it's difficult to find good workers. You cannot find workers even if you are willing to pay. I feel you should take advantage of the situation. show that you are not interested in a package less then what you should actually get. Just tell them you are not interested below a certain level. Believe you me, they will come back with a revised package.

Regards

Roshan

[Roshan]

Originally Posted by dannytm85

I have just received an offer a little below my expectations from a very reputable company. I have only just graduated so experience is not extensive in the field. Having lived as a student i can live on a budget but also hope to put some money aside. Anyway, here's my offer:

Basic 5,000 AED per month
1 bed flat shared accommodation furnished
2000 AED transportation allowance excluding petrol, with petrol card provided (what does that mean???!!!)
Regional medical insurance
Phone + sim and business usage
Ticet to dubai
1 round trip to city of origin per year
30 days leave

Any initial thoughts? Am i expected to barter for a better wage? Any help would be appreciated!

Many thanks

A lot of companies now believe in getting graduates in and train them.

Putting aside would depend a lot on your life style. Nothing hot about the package. To survive and put something aside, I have my doubts.

Petrol card is a sort of a debit card, where the company gets the bills directly. You don't pay anything at a gas station.

I feel you should barter for more. Sharing accommodation could be uncomfortable at times and you would like to move out to your own place which can share with people with whom you gel. Can you in such cases negotiate for a housing allowance.

Conclusion : you should be asking for more.

Let me know if you require any help.

Regards

Roshan

[APals]

Very warm greetings to everyone over here. Like fellow posters who were eager to find out about an 'as true as possible' picture of Dubai's cost of living, so they know exactly what they're looking forward to, so am I.

I've got a fairly nice picture from the replies here by all my esteemed experienced members in this regard, but I would be grateful if my personal scenario is being answered as well:

I'm a 25 year old Airline Pilot from Pakistan. I've been offered a job position in the same capacity in Dubai by one of the leading airlines of that region. My offered gross salary, inclusive of all allowances, is approximately 60,000 Dhs. If I do move here, i would be doing so with my wife (no children). Some of the things that my company is gonna take care for me are: all educational expense (though not applicable to me), transportation to and from the airport, all utility expenses, and a number of insurances. Guaranteed significant salary increments will also occur every year.

What i'm looking forward to is a high lifestyle and a commendable saving for various purposes. I would be fairly satisfied with renting a luxurious 2 bedroom apartment but in a prestigious locality nothing less than Jumeirah or Marina; able to buy/lease such an automobile as a BMW 7-Series or Mercedes CLK, and live a high-life with a good saving ability. If these are fairly possible, then only would i consider for a move there, otherwise there's no point of me taking this step.

I would appreciate shedding some light on this query of mine. Thanks a lot.

[tonz217]

Roshan and Accassim,

Thanks for your honest and upright comments. It does put into perspective my approach to properly evaluating a compensation package offer. I have heard of so many stories of my nationals bowled over by the gross offer without considering the cost of lving in Dubai. They end up cramped in small rooms to make budgets fit and send money to their families here.

I am suprised housing may end up about 50% of average salary. At present I spend 15% only and I live in a middle income 2 BR loft condominium. I also found out inflation in Dubai is at about 12% in 2007 compared to 6% here. That does put things into a very different light also.

I will take that advice on seeking a minimum level and see how it works out. No use sacrificing my present lifestyle blinded by seemingyi higher gross numbers.

Thanks again.

[Roshan]

Originally Posted by APals

Very warm greetings to everyone over here. Like fellow posters who were eager to find out about an 'as true as possible' picture of Dubai's cost of living, so they know exactly what they're looking forward to, so am I.

I've got a fairly nice picture from the replies here by all my esteemed experienced members in this regard, but I would be grateful if my personal scenario is being answered as well:

I'm a 25 year old Airline Pilot from Pakistan. I've been offered a job position in the same capacity in Dubai by one of the leading airlines of that region. My offered gross salary, inclusive of all allowances, is approximately 60,000 Dhs. If I do move here, i would be doing so with my wife (no children). Some of the things that my company is gonna take care for me are: all educational expense (though not applicable to me), transportation to and from the airport, all utility expenses, and a number of insurances. Guaranteed significant salary increments will also occur every year.

What i'm looking forward to is a high lifestyle and a commendable saving for various purposes. I would be fairly satisfied with renting a luxurious 2 bedroom apartment but in a prestigious locality nothing less than Jumeirah or Marina; able to buy/lease such an automobile as a BMW 7-Series or Mercedes CLK, and live a high-life with a good saving ability. If these are fairly possible, then only would i consider for a move there, otherwise there's no point of me taking this step.

I would appreciate shedding some light on this query of mine. Thanks a lot.

With a Dhs 60,000 package you should be more than OK.

Getting a 2 BDR in Marina would be in the range of Dhs 150,000 per year.

A BMW or Mercedes could be got with a bank loan and fixed installments going out every month.

Pilots are in demand if I am not mistaken. Not happy - switch, the job market in Dubai is good.

Good luck.

Regards

Roshan