# Looking for some cost of living/moving advice pls for dubai



## AjAx30 (Aug 2, 2014)

Hey all, first time post here.

I am going to Dubai on the 13th of Aug for a final interview/medical for a Dubai based job. I have searched quite a few forums etc to see what the cost of living is compared to SA and have a rough idea.

What I would like to find out though, is what other South Africans who have made the move feel about living in Dubai and what their impressions are of the cost of living compared to back home. 

I currently live in Durban and earn a pretty good salary i think (clear R50k + p/m after tax). The salary on offer in Dubai will be AED41k p/m which includes a housing allowance of +- 13k and also an amount of +-8k depending on how much I work every month. That salary should go up to +- AED56k p/m in about 2 years after joining. School fees are covered up to 40k per yr per child for primary school and 60k per child for senior school.

I am personally very keen on the move to Dubai and I am married and have 2 young kids (5 and 2) with number 3 (and last...) on the way in December.. My wife is also keen on moving to Dubai but I want to make sure that we will at the very least be able to have the same, if not better, standard of living in Dubai. I am looking at Arabian Ranches at the moment for a place to rent, but see there is not much available for less than AED200k per yr. I am aware we will probably have to get a smaller house than we have now in South Africa but that is fine with me. Our kids future is also a big part of our decision to look at Dubai and try to give them a better starting point than if we stayed in SA.

What I would also like to find out is some expenses like general/car insurance that I cant really seem to find prices for online, as well as other "hidden" expenses not readily visible.

Thanks in advance for helping me make a difficult decision easier!


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## noriki (Jul 14, 2014)

welcome to Emirates easy money less work LOL
1st you must be ready to live in the hottest place in the world with no taxes no hidden cost 
your family will enjoy it more than you 
they can spend 9 month with you school months and 3 months in SA 
housing is expensive comparing with SA but i advise you to look for a house out of Dubai maybe in Shareqah 
all cars must have insurance say 1000-3000 AED per year petrol is very cheap where u can travel as you want without worries 
let me know if u need any more info


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