# 12000 AED enough to be happy on



## Hunnybunny (Feb 5, 2012)

Hello all,

I would love to hear some opinions. I will be living on 12 AED pm and working as a teacher. I was told 12k is a decent teaching salary for Dubai (some places offer A LOT less). This will include accomodation, yearly flights home, transport to and from school, most of the utilites (except internet and there is a small deduction for water and electricity(something like 40-60 AED to 100 max) All in all this will leave me with 11 900 to play about with. 

Peoples perceptions of money and how far it will go really interest me. 

Last time I was in the Emirates I was on less than half of what I am going on this time 5,600 (admitidly I was outside of Dubai) Yet I managed to save at least 2000 AED a month on average, went on 4 holidays, had weekly manicures and membership at the Hilton for some of that time. I never drove and that is a big money saver. I took taxis everywhere which were dirt cheap. Eating out was fairly cheap and I went to Dubai about 1-2 times a month.

This time my main expenses will be food, internet, taxis to the mall or Jumeirah at the weekends, 2-4 nights out a month, not to mention a few trips to Spinneys for booze :clap2: and a small number of trips abroad. I will have a pool at my complex so probably won t need hotel membership. I won t bother with a car unless I am doing a road trip. That does seem to be an expense that adds up.

Dubai is a good bit more expensive than where I was, I have no doubt about that. Taxis are a little dearer and there is more temptation to spend in the malls. However, this time round I have been there, done that for many things. I also heard that food in Carrefour would be the same price as where I was. I found the food dirt cheap (then again I am Irish so just about every country is far cheaper than where I am from ) Jumeirah used to have a very small charge in and I practically lived on that beach in Dubai. 

I also drink a lot less over there. Mainly because its not so readily available so that won t be a huge expense. I also wouldn t be a regular at Spinneys as it is so expensive.

In total my salary is around £2000 sterling which is far far more than is put into my hand in the UK (I live round London way ) In fact I toddle by on 250 a month spending money and save double that. 

My goal is to save at least half and use the rest to spend/ go abroad with. 
Even still 5.900 does seem like a lot of money to play around with (more than my old salary),

What makes Dubai so expensive and people so broke? Is it more down to lifestyle choices than cost? I d be really interested to know.


----------



## basc (May 18, 2011)

10,000 a month outside of accommodation costs is what I aim to live on and I think it will be doable, and with a nice lifestyle. 

But, that said, I've only been here a few months and there is a lot of upfront expenses in getting set up here so I am yet to "settle down" enough to stick to a budget - next month.... inshallah....


----------



## Engineer (Jan 13, 2012)

I think it's do able easy enough, I have a 10K living allowance and I party hard on that and still manage to not touch my wages.


----------



## Kawasutra (May 2, 2011)

If you are happy with the acco provided and do not need a car then 12k will be ok to live on...


----------



## Kawasutra (May 2, 2011)

Engineer said:


> I have a 10K living allowance .


What`s that...


----------



## Engineer (Jan 13, 2012)

Kawasutra said:


> What`s that...


10,000 AED allowance for living on. On top of my wages, which are paid into a UK account, which I never need to touch because 10,000 is enough for me. I eat very well and party hard as I can The company pays my rent and internet, my only out lays' are for food and beer, and nights out.


----------



## basc (May 18, 2011)

Engineer said:


> 10,000 AED allowance for living on. On top of my wages, which are paid into a UK account, which I never need to touch because 10,000 is enough for me. I eat very well and party hard as I can The company pays my rent and internet, my only out lays' are for food and beer, and nights out.


I was on a similar deal in Germany before I came here.... man I miss my per diems!


----------



## Kawasutra (May 2, 2011)

Engineer said:


> 10,000 AED allowance for living on. On top of my wages, which are paid into a UK account, which I never need to touch because 10,000 is enough for me. I eat very well and party hard as I can


Don´t get the sense of it, wage is wage, anyway your EOS will be lower.
Very inventive employer.
BTW in your case it is more a party allowance...


----------



## Engineer (Jan 13, 2012)

My wages I never need to touch, it is paid into my UK account and my ''party allowance'' is paid into a local account, and that is normal in my line of work.




> man I miss my per diems!


I would not be here if there was not any paid, why spend your own money to live on when the company can pay;-)


----------



## Jynxgirl (Nov 27, 2009)

So that person lives on 10k a month... Yowzers. 

I spend about 2500 dirhams a month at this point. Food though is covered at work overall, transportation and gas covered, and go out to eat at chilis/texas roadhouse/lowly non alcohol serving places once or twice a week and a few times at the cheap arabic type places. 
I dont drink overall and dont club/party/bar/etc. The first 12 months were 6/7k a month or so though and that was without drinking. Always seemed to 'need' something or other and the stuff to do was new and more.


----------



## Eng.Khaled (Feb 8, 2011)

I ate in restaurants twice a day. Go to cinema twice a week. have fine dinner once a week, along with other expenses... and I barely reach 3000 AED a month. considering I don't club or drink. Of course this is aside from Housing and DEW.


----------



## Engineer (Jan 13, 2012)

> So that person lives on 10k a month... Yowzers.


 They give it to me to spend, so thats just what I do!


----------



## Kawasutra (May 2, 2011)

Engineer said:


> They give it to me to spend, so thats just what I do!


If it is an instruction from your employer than you have to do it, no other choice I guess...


----------



## beaniebops (May 16, 2011)

I wish my company gave me a party allowance!


----------



## Hunnybunny (Feb 5, 2012)

Jynxgirl said:


> So that person lives on 10k a month... Yowzers.
> 
> I spend about 2500 dirhams a month at this point. Food though is covered at work overall, transportation and gas covered, and go out to eat at chilis/texas roadhouse/lowly non alcohol serving places once or twice a week and a few times at the cheap arabic type places.
> I dont drink overall and dont club/party/bar/etc. The first 12 months were 6/7k a month or so though and that was without drinking. Always seemed to 'need' something or other and the stuff to do was new and more.


++ Actually I can imagine spending a good few thousand dirham the first few months between booking flights in advance, new things needed for the appartment and that. After a while things settle. I do intend on making the odd trip to the Irish village though


----------



## Engineer (Jan 13, 2012)

> I wish my company gave me a party allowance!


It is normal in my line of work.


----------



## ccr (Jun 20, 2010)

Engineer said:


> It is normal in my line of work.


which is... ?

Just curious... Are you permanently in UAE, or on rotation ?


----------



## gemsy62 (Dec 23, 2011)

I hope it is enough to live off as its more than I was planning to spend! 

I've looked at a few budget calculators for cost of living in Dubai and I can't see any reason why a single person would need more than 12,000 to live off. Providing accomodation was provided on top of this.


----------



## TexasRanger (Feb 8, 2012)

Hunnybunny said:


> Hello all,
> 
> I would love to hear some opinions. I will be living on 12 AED pm and working as a teacher. I was told 12k is a decent teaching salary for Dubai (some places offer A LOT less). This will include accomodation, yearly flights home, transport to and from school, most of the utilites (except internet and there is a small deduction for water and electricity(something like 40-60 AED to 100 max) All in all this will leave me with 11 900 to play about with.
> 
> ...


What type of school do you teach at?


----------



## Hunnybunny (Feb 5, 2012)

TexasRanger said:


> What type of school do you teach at?


It will be a private British curriculum school. It gets quite good reviews and the salary seems to be decent or the best I have seen yet. In fact I was so shocked at the salaries offered by some of the well known Dubai schools I was led by others to believe that 11- 12000 AED is the absolute minimum. Yet some schools were offering 9 or 10000.


----------



## Engineer (Jan 13, 2012)

> which is... ?
> 
> Just curious... Are you permanently in UAE, or on rotation ?


I'm in oil & gas and on rotations, but the rotations are that bad I may as well be here permanently.


----------



## Hunnybunny (Feb 5, 2012)

TexasRanger said:


> What type of school do you teach at?


Though the salary I mentioned is primary. I heard TESOL at university level is a whole other ball game salarywise.


----------



## ccr (Jun 20, 2010)

Engineer said:


> I'm in oil & gas and on rotations, but the rotations are that bad I may as well be here permanently.


I thought you are on rotation, thus explaining your per diem allowance that you are partying with... 

You might be confusing people who are permanent since the rotation package is much different than permanent package.

Usually, it costs the company more to place permanent personnel instead of rotators (per person). You are probably staying in staff residence instead of a residence of your own choosing, no/very little additional benefits (i.e. foreign service pay, car allowance, school allowance, etc) based on the location other than per diem.


----------



## RedMac (Jul 25, 2009)

Hunnybunny said:


> Hello all,
> 
> I would love to hear some opinions. I will be living on 12 AED pm and working as a teacher. I was told 12k is a decent teaching salary for Dubai (some places offer A LOT less). This will include accomodation, yearly flights home, transport to and from school, most of the utilites (except internet and there is a small deduction for water and electricity(something like 40-60 AED to 100 max) All in all this will leave me with 11 900 to play about with.
> 
> ...



You will have no problem at all on that money HunnyBunny,
the cursed drink is the only thing you have to watch out for. Avoid the expensive Hotel bars except for ladies nights. ( I am assuming you are a lady with that 
name ) Ladies nights are surprisingly good value.
Lots of people have house/pool parties at week-ends.
The odd trip to Barracuda can't hurt either.
You have the metro also which is a HUGE saving even on relatively cheap taxi costs. 
Food ,cinemas, virtually free or free beaches ...taxis... metro ... roughly 500dhs a week... no idea of the cost of manicures.. but you def wont need a Hilton membership in Dubai...
With accomodation and flights paid you will have agreat time.
Enjoy!


----------



## Engineer (Jan 13, 2012)

> Usually, it costs the company more to place permanent personnel instead of rotators (per person). You are probably staying in staff residence instead of a residence of your own choosing, no/very little additional benefits (i.e. foreign service pay, car allowance, school allowance, etc) based on the location other than per diem.


Staying in serviced apartments of my choice and part of my allowance is for car also if I need one


----------



## hany.khorazaty (Dec 13, 2012)

As per my experience in Dubai I think that you can spend up to 3000 dirhams max which includes food, handouts , and having membership in a decent beach.. However if you will go for drinking it will be 4k max.. The proposed salary is fair enough for your title and you will definitely be able to save money and enjoy 2 to 3 vacations a year..


----------

