# Dubai to Wellington



## Jubilee2017 (Apr 21, 2017)

My husband is considering a job offer in Wellington and we are trying to weigh up the pros and cons. There seems to be a lot of conflicting advice when it comes to cost of living etc. 

His current salary is high with benefits like medical,business class flights for both of us to the U.K. every year and a bonus that works out at 3 months salary. We know he won't get anything like that sort of salary but we are looking at a lifestyle change as his current job comes with a lot of stress. 

What would be considered a good salary for Wellington?
We own our current apartment in Dubai and would like to keep it for rental and we have another property in the U.K. And Mauritius that generate an income. Does NZ tax it's residents on outside income?


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## escapedtonz (Apr 6, 2012)

Difficult to say what is considered a good salary in Wellington. I suppose it depends on a number of factors.

Wellington has or recently had the highest average salary in the country at just over $82000 per annum which is liveable for a small family if you don't go mad on the weekly rent. Any more is obviously a bonus. 
If you earn $100k plus I think you're in the top 5% of salaries in NZ ?

NZ does tax it's residents on all income, however as a new migrant you don't need to declare overseas income for 4 years from the date of arrival. From the 4th anniversary you will have to declare all income and pay income tax......that is definitely true for people coming from the UK as there is a reciprocal tax agreement between the countries, but you coming from SA and earning overseas income from a number of properties in different counties I'm not so sure.
Always best to ask a professional in these matters so you are sure and there could be a legal way to avoid paying some or all of the tax ?

A very good friend of mine and his wife migrated to NZ from Abu Dhabi a few years ago (his wife is a Kiwi and wanted to come back home). They got so many ridiculous benefits it was a joke.....huge tax free salaries, medical cover, business flights each year, huge bonuses all as you say, plus a plush apartment all paid for...all they had to pay for was Sky TV and food.

My benefits are pretty good as I work for a National company owned by the government. We get Southern Cross Regular Care for the family, a few insurances that cover illness/critical illness, redundancy etc and that's pretty much it. We used to get an annual bonus but we were bought out with a one off pay rise instead. We get some preferential treatment on some goods and services through an employer scheme but in all honesty you'd manage to get those goods and services for the same price anyways. 5 weeks holiday per year as I'm a shift worker plus 10 days sick per year plus a few others like a recreation day, a volunteer day etc.


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## warlock (Jun 29, 2014)

Jubilee2017 said:


> My husband is considering a job offer in Wellington and we are trying to weigh up the pros and cons. There seems to be a lot of conflicting advice when it comes to cost of living etc.
> 
> His current salary is high with benefits like medical,business class flights for both of us to the U.K. every year and a bonus that works out at 3 months salary. We know he won't get anything like that sort of salary but we are looking at a lifestyle change as his current job comes with a lot of stress.
> 
> ...


Hey, honestly the work life balance in UAE is nothing compared to NZ (NZ being obviously a totally different level of awesome). If it is just the work life balance, then NZ is a must go place.

About two years back when I was doing my research about NZ (of course thanks to escapedtonz, who is really helpful and patience towards my mundane questions), I was also considering aspects like the economics of my job w.r.t the market size of NZ. I can definitely confirm that NZ is a much smaller market than Middle east or Europe or US, so depending on your work expertise this does matter a lot.

Travel aspect, traveling from NZ to UK is a nice long journey, in case you like going back home often. In your case it would be fairly longer than traveling from UAE to UK. But then again, you might endlessly fall in love with NZ as well.

If you are picky about Food, you might not get all the options you get in UAE, out here in NZ. But that being said, there are more healthier options and the Meat and Dairy in NZ is way better.

Just to sum it up, there are pros and cons.. and escapedtonz has done a good job outlining things for you.. but you would be the only person to weigh the trade-offs (and I suggest you do that to identy what best suits your and your family's lifestyle)


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## HoosierBoss (Apr 17, 2017)

Jubilee,

I am getting ready to do the opposite: Nelson, NZ to Dubai. 

Pros for NZ
Absolutely stunning scenery--snow-capped mountains, crystal clear lakes, pristine beaches, vast forests, beautiful 'bush.' Spectacular.
DoC trails and hut systems (if you are into tramping/trekking/hiking/camping). If hiking is your thing, welcome to Nirvana. (you may substitute mountain biking in here as well).
Work/Life balance. Work well, play hard.

Cons for NZ
Housing (I cannot stress this enough and I apologise to the Kiwis I may offend). The quality of housing here is TERRIBLE and the prices are ASTRONOMICAL--absolutely unreasonable. (you may substitute 'Clothing' for housing and you get the same idea). This is driving me away.
Convenience--Unless you are in an urban centre, availability and choices are limited.
Cost of Living--Rather than base prices on living on a pair of [remote-ish] large Pacific Islands, the cost of most items is based on importation to a remote colony on Mars.

These are my opinions but based on living here. Of course, there is a lot more to be said under both categories. Hope this helps.


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