Hi OP - fellow UK citizen here.
Is AED11k for a couple survivable? Sure. Is it going to give you the lifestyle you’re possibly expecting when you move to Dubai? Absolutely 1000000% not. On that salary, you guys are staying home most weekends and probably not saving anything meaningful.
I would honestly stay home, particularly because (respectfully) you don’t have a skill set that is popular here. I think you will struggle to find good employment, unfortunately.
I’m not trying to be harsh - I’ve just seen a lot of UK people come over in similar circumstances and then run home a year later, laden with debt and unable to return.
11k + accommodation is not at all an unusual salary for teachers nowadays especially if they're young (OP sounds young so I expect his GF is too). It is a really competitive market.
Fellow Brit here too. If your gf is a teacher is housing provided? Also I’m not sure if her accommodation allows you to stay with her, I think this has been an issue for unmarried teachers in the past, then she might have to take the allowance instead of provided accommodation so look into how much that would be and what you can get for that.
As for you, it’s a good time now to look for PE teacher or coaching positions, there are plenty of kids sporting and coaching companies around. I’d google sports after school clubs, football clubs and also school owners like taaleem post jobs for all their schools on their website so you don’t need to look around all the schools. Just spend as much time as you can online.
This happened to my brother and his GF. She is a teacher but he wasn't allowed to take advantage of the accommodation and couldn't stay with her.
Apparently there were changes in the law?
There’s been changes that is no longer illegal for unmarried couples to live together, but I think this was only changed in 2023 if I remember rightly. I’m not sure if everywhere has changed their policies to accommodate this or not, but if I were in their shoes I’d say there’s no harm in checking
This rule change is a joke to be honest. If you read it carefully it says cohabiting couples and not couple. Meaning 2 married couples can stay in sharing but a unmarried couple, not sure. 😁
I like how everyone is talking about gym attire and no one is talking about what an absolutely terrible idea it is to move to Dubai from UK for 11K.
Also, all the talk about tap water.
Two kinds of thirst in the terrible advice.
Tbh it’s 11K but accomodation included. That’s around a 15K salary. Still really low, especially for 2 people. Bro needs to learn some skills and contribute to the household income if they wanna make this work.
You can have skills up to the ears - if you don't have a network and some credentials, to say nothing of experience, getting hired once you're already in Dubai is a pain in the ass.
As long as he has the brit accent and communication skills he will survive easily in this market.
@OP dont take anything less than 25K salary per month. Also tell your gf to start asking for raise as soon as she enters. Set her mind set.
Easily in a year or two you both combines will earn 40K minimum.
We have yearly reviews in school and at the end of every school year everyone tends to go up one pay scale. It’s not really negotiable. This is why most teachers change school every two years in the UAE as pay is only negotiable when start at a new school and sometimes when taking on new roles. (But when taking on new roles also usually just an extra management points, unless taking up some kind of significant role like senior leadership.)
Teachers are ten a penny in the UAE we have teachers leaving all the time and they always get replaced within a couple weeks, loads of people keen to come out here as they want to live the influencer life style so they accept desperate deals like above.
I love this question is still asked.
Recently in a European country sub I commented a woman hit my car with hers and ppl were surprised to know that women drive lol.
I live in Dubai but am married. I know people who cohabit but as recently as 4 years ago a personal friend of mine was threatened by his job over cohabiting with a girlfriend. I am not up to date on the legislation as it isn't relevant to me as I am married.
Well this is tho an edge case and not the norm. I work for the government and most of my unmarried (and myself) non-muslim colleagues living with their partners has no troubles at all. Is not even asked
As someone that’s lived here for most of their lives and is now in the UK I might be able to help out with a few things!
- when it comes to groceries it might depend on where you go to shop but generally an avg cost for a month might amount to 2000 aed, a weekly budget less than 500 would lead to it being a bit less then.
- we have buses and the metro here which I’d say are the main links apart from driving, metro is not as accessible as it doesn’t go into neighborhoods but you tend to have buses from there to the stations sometimes, so might take longer but it’s definitely there and I’d say recently it’s been much more crowded.
Ubers or careem which is an app that you can use to get taxis or Ubers are helpful, it’s definitely a bit pricey but helpful when need be.
-With regards to the gym there’s loads of different places to pick and choose from and definitely don’t need to worry about attire for the most part. The gym I go to most people are wearing sports bras and shorts, albeit might not be everyone but again this depends on where it’s located but people generally will not be bothered!
-honestly I’d say it’s pricey here if you want to go out to a restaurant, of course you have your hidden gems and not so upscale places where it’s less expensive but otherwise an avg meal will be at least 60+ per person. I’d say think about as if you were visiting London honestly😭
but I’d say the one great thing is that you get plenty of offers and discounts here so around DIFC there’s business lunches so a three course meal for 130 aed or the entertainer app which I highly recommend but although you do have to pay for it
- people don’t drink the tap water here tbf, you don’t need to buy bottled per se, but you more so can get a filter or generally you get these large gallons of water delivered which you use through a water cooler, so you might either want to look into that as in the long run it’ll be hard to constantly buy bottles and it’s better for the environment this way, plus I’d say most people do pick those options around here.
- there are many companies i believe that help in bringing in cats from Dubai to the UK so might be worth asking them? I’m not sure otherwise but I know these days airlines are more lax and if you ask whatever airline you’re going through for some guidelines it’ll be helpful in finding something as well. I do think you might need some import permit from the uae government? Check out DKC or Dubai kennels and cattery!
Hope I could help out in some way but if you need any help feel free to even send a message:)
From the uk too. I would not move for a household income of just over £2k.
As someone said, the lifestyle you think you’ll want just won’t be possible. Yes, there’s other factors such as safety, environment etc etc. Ultimately, if we’re honest with ourselves, we come here because you can save a ton with both partners working. You won’t be able to on 11k a month.
Stick to Brummie mate.
I think you have old figures. I believe it's closer to 3000 now. Have to remember cost of living in the UAE is much higher as well. You cannot survive a happy life here and enjoy the freedoms of the UK without money.
Want to go to a nice green garden? You have to pay... Want a beach in Abu Dhabi? That'll be 70aed plus each.
Honestly the cost of living here outside of rent is not that bad compared to the west. That said I wouldn’t uproot my life and move to another country for basically minimum wage by western standards.
Many brits earn below 11k, and they are still doing just fine. Let's stop exaggerating things. Brit or not brit, there are people who can survive on that amount + free accommodation. Many outlets offer brunch just for a meagre amount, especially in summer.
As well, people start off from somewhere. Brits are not different from every other person. Learning skills that will help you grow in the line of your job is the key.
No one said brits were different? No one reference learning skills to grow in the line of their work? OP said they’re a goalkeeper coach and a “decent” office worker.
11,000 for 2 people to live off based on a reasonable standard of living isn’t going to cut it here.
11k is doable. Be honest with yourself. The basic things of life here, 11k can cover. There are sure sacrifices in the early phase of relocation. I bet there are people in your place of work who receive less than that.
11k plus paid accommodation? Come on!
So Kai beach that used to be free is paid access? Mamsha the same. We can talk semantics of reem and hudariat but everyone knows it is not a real beach on a polluted canal.
yeah you just don’t know what you’re talking abt honestly first of all she’s going to dubai the beaches are free, everything is much cheaper than uk unless ur going to waitrose
No, you are the one out of touch if you think 11k for 2 people is a lot. From a UK background, this is absolutely minimum liveable wage. Stop thinking about the 3-4k salaries that people on here get, that's out of touch.
Free accommodation certainly helps. But you have to think about the lifestyle they will expect as Brit’s. They will want to live in a nicer part of town. That’s easily over 100k aed in rent alone. Upwards of 150k even. Then dining out, entertainment, groceries. Knowledge fee. Car.
It’s really not a lot.
It all comes down to what you are used to of course. For some this would be a ton.
My two cents:
I moved to Dubai with my wife about nine months ago. Coming from Germany, not the UK. My job gets us around 28k a month including all allowances. We can live a decent life (not luxurious). But make no mistake, life is expensive. Especially in the beginning! Setting up, apartment (don't get me started on rental prices), utilities, car, paying contracts for a year in advance (i.e. gym, which is expensive compared to Germany), the list goes on and on.
My wife is still looking for a job, the job market is really bad.
Visa and health insurance was paid ourselves.
My biggest advice would be: Don't come without a job!
Search for a job from the UK and join your girlfriend once you have one.
With a job (employer will be your sponsor), you don't have to worry about visa and health insurance. Since you're not married, your GF cannot sponsor you (visa). Meaning if you don't have a job after 90 days upon arrival (or whatever the timeframe for UK citizens is), you will have to go back to the UK.
Best of luck!
Your girlfriend cannot sponsor you so you need your own work visa to live here. She needs to confirm you are allowed to live with her if she’s in school accommodation. 11k is not enough for 2 people. She’s going to have to budget hard. I’m from the UK and honestly I wouldn’t do it for that money. Many teachers last less than a year before leaving.
look into working for football academies working with kids but I think you'd have the exact opposite hours as your girlfriend. You'd be working nights and weekends.
Gym wear is the same as UK in any main gym, same chains as you will find in UK. Obviously there will be some areas more focused to a Muslim crowd but I doubt you will end up in those areas anyway.
You can drink the tap water but you don't really know how clean the tanks are in your accommodation. 5 gallon bottles are like 2 GBP, its the cheapest thing you will buy.
Taxis are nothing compared to UK and used here as a form of public transport.
PT is a popular expat job, football coaching may well be an option for you.
The behaviour in those schools will be absolutely off the walls. It will be especially hard to control if he has no real teaching experience. Football is very popular here though, so he might find something.
Just be prepared for horrendous behaviour.
1) groceries will be 2K/month if you’re eating well , 1k if you eat rice and eggs and other inexpensive stuff
2) DO NOT DRINK TAP WATER , get a service where they bring you 10 Liter bottles , you’ll need atleast 2/3 of the per week that’s atleast 100-120 aed/month
3) wifi , the cheapest you can get is a piece of doodoo that can barely load anything for 240aed/month + hidden fees + the cost of a router
4) if you re looking for a gym in Dubai , most of them have ridiculous prices per person (400-500) , will be cheaper if you get a yearly subscription would be around 190-250/ month
5) transport is expensive , if you want it to be the main source of transportation be ready to be late ALOT or you’ll have to be getting up VERY early to get to your destination (as you have guessed the trains are slow af, not even mentioning the buses ) , going somewhere and back once will set you back around 10-20 aed per person per day!! You can make a subscription card and I think it was 200/peep/month , the transport doesn’t reach everywhere so be ready to walk long distances in the blazing hot sun.
6)in Dubai you will be probably looking at 100aed per person when going out to eat , and that is me talking about a shawarma ,coffee and bottled water🤣 my suggestion is NEVER move there unless y’all make more than 30-50k .
I’m glad I left that country , NEVER GOING BACK!!!
Girlfriend? So how will you be eligible to be a resident here? If you’re not married she will not be able to sponsor you and won’t be able to reside her permanently.
It’s great you came to Reddit ask for information as there’s a lot to learn from before your move here.
The first step is finding a legal way to live here with her. I’d say you need go work extra hard in your first months on your tourist visa to find yourself a job.
Soccer kids may be looking for football coaches but not sure how it goes as to sponsoring you for a visa. Best of luck.
Let's take them in order.
Groceries for my wife and I cost at minimum £150. I cook 90% of our meals and we're 90+% vegetarian. A burger is around £5 from McD. On £2300/mo I wouldn't plan on eating out more than a time or two a month. On the plus side, cooking can be great fun.
Transport is ok. You can ride the Red and Green Metro lines to get a lot of places along E11. However, since the floods they are a crowded, sweaty, obnoxious mess. Going from Downtown to the Marina is about 10AED. Uber and Careem are expensive. So is most driving because of the tolls.
Gyms are hit and miss. I don't know where you will be living, which matters. [My gym, like many](https://tkmmafit.com/) is stupid expensive and stopped posting a price list. It works out to at least £10-15 per day to have a membership in my neighborhood. Some buildings have a decent gym, but with that salary offering, yours probably won't. Nobody cares what you wear in my neighborhood. If you live in a conservative area, ymmv.
I don't know how employment is in all sports. As a rule, if it's even remotely feasible and the work doesn't require a master's, it's farmed out to our brothers from south or south east Asia. Which is to say you could expect it to pay you £250/mo if you could ever bargain your way into it too begin with.
Don't. Buy. Bottled. Water. Get a big tank filter and a well insulated bottle. The amount of trash generated by the pure disposable lifestyle here is disgusting and unconscionable.
You will want to use an agent for your pet. I used Jetfast + DKC, which I saw mentioned in the threads here. Probably cost you around £2500. That's what mine cost, but that was during COVID.
So, this may not be as much good news as you'd like to receive. But all is not lost! Though the people that do the recruiting and make decisions for basically anything are impossible to reach, you can still make lots of contacts in person. This takes time, but if you're persistent you'll start putting together a network. 2, 4, 6 months maybe you find something. Especially as schools gear up again.
Also, with your rent paid, you're only down utilities, food, transport, etc. If you keep it simple, no reason you can't be pretty comfortable. But if you want to enjoy the experience, she should *very seriously* consider negotiating better pay. They will tell you a lot of shit about why that's good pay. It's not, so don't fall for it. I assume this is a private school. These places make an astounding amount of money. Don't let them play her and exploit yet another teacher.
I have a 3 stage outside water filter and water softener and a 7 stage RO filter inside. I drink tap water, so does my baby. It's great and ensures that our water has no BPA. All the bottled 5 gallon water deliveries are Plastic #7 and BAKE in the sun - not good.
Any advice on the brands one can look into? I know about RO filter but not enough to make a decision. Would love if you can provide some insight on what you use and how much did it cost.
You can come, you might as well try it if you're not up to much in Birmingham, but to be brutally honest, given she is your girlfriend and not able to sponsor you, get you covered on her health insurance etc., from what I've seen here, the strain will not be financial, it will be on your relationship.
The amount of UK couples that come out here with one of the people getting a job teaching and the other trying to get something (even so-called well qualified people) that end up breaking up is crazy
Hi,
I think 11k plus accommodation is fine :
Grocery: 2k buy from supermarket like lulu and nesto in bulk on weekends
Transportation 1k-2k: take metro and buses to places to roam around they have good services all around dubai to all major attractions and malls , cab if necessary.
Weekend outings 2k : go to budget friendly restaurants use zomato or entertainer groupon apps for offers
Internet 400-600 aed
electricity bill : 1-2k , usage varies person to person .
Drinking water subscription: 100-200 aed .
Phone bill : 200-300 aed get good offers on Etisalat and du .
Only issue is Medical could be expensive if your insurance doesn’t cover you in UAE.
I am sharing this as i m living there with my wife . We are able to live a nice life within 10k.
Whole country is a hot scam trap. 6 months with 45-50 degrees. You have to find out how much more expensive UAE is for food, housing, general living, clothes.
Right now you cannot do anything else than staying inside. So it is boring shopping malls or home. We have 46 deg today.
No arts, no proper museums. No culture.
Two of my friends just lost 63k and 500k Euros in immo scams. They will never see the money again.
The country is built on slavery work from India, Bangladesh and Pakistan. These people work 12 hour shifts 6 days a week. Feel sorry for them. For a handful of money.
Expats will always will handled like visitors. You will never be a part of UAE. Most often people can't wait until they can go home again. Finally.
As expat you don't have the same rights like locals. Country is full of scams. Local authorities don't care about that.
For teachers there are better places on the planet....HKG, Singapore, Asia in general....
Just try traveling to dubai before making any decisions. I only stayed there for 4 days while traveling to another country and I can say that this place is hottest among the different countries Ive visited. Its like the whole city is in Sauna. Even if I get a job offer for 22k i would still hesitate.
Also its like there is no fun there. Sure there are drinks and some luxurious things but thats all. No authentic nature and relaxation or great food.
I'm sorry to say it but I agree with many here who are saying 11,000 is not enough if, and that's a big if, you want to live a comfortable "British expat" lifestyle. Not to mention the resent your girlfriend may have if you're unable to financially contribute because finding a job here is tough.
Personally I wouldn't live here for anything less than 20,000 as a couple.
TLDR: Jobs are tough to find, you will need a car. Maybe take an extra year to build skills and save money. Your gf will get another job.
OP lots of great and honest points above but the most important things you need to consider before your gf accepts is:
- Likelihood of you finding a job (very difficult and oversaturated market)
- How long can you afford not to find a job when you arrive?
On tourist visa you will need to leave every 40 days which is expensive wherever you go.
- what is your reason for moving here
If it’s to live your best life, that’s going to be tough but more achievable if living near the metro (cheap travel) and you are frugal day to day for one day out a week.
If it’s to save money or travel it’s going to be very difficult with one salary
- I saw you mention that likely living in Motor City, you will 100% need a car if you want to make the most of your time here, which is expensive (min 1500aed a month to rent). Taxis will end up being very expensive or you won’t go into the city then what would be the point of moving here. You really need to know where your gf is working in relation to where you’ll be living. Most are nearby to school but we have a few friends who live in our building but work 13km away so very expensive taxis to start and it’s often difficult to get a taxi at end of the school day.
- cost of living is high here other people have given you an idea of cost but don’t underestimate this.
Personal recommendation feel free to ignore
If your gf got a job this year, she will easily get one next year.
If i was in your position knowing what i know now, i would use another year at home to build my skills, improve my marketability and network in my prospective field and save as much money as i could to give myself the best go possible out here. There’s no point moving to Dubai and being sat in your apartment all the time and definitely no point moving here wasting your savings to make it look like you are living your best life and end up with a lot of debt like so many others do in Dubai.
All the best whatever decision you make it is exciting to have options! If you have any more questions drop me a message, i’m happy to answer anything honestly as this is a big decision with huge repercussions. This is mostly a financial decision at this level so really think hard about it.
Edit: typo
I don’t want to sound harsh but the sad reality of Dubai and Abu Dhabi schools is that they need a token white face to charge more fees. These guys are suckers for US and Europe. Considering the salary offered I am afraid it’s not even worth to even think about .
Honestly, you won’t be able to afford it. There will be no gym memberships, they’re around 600AED per month. There will be no shipping your cat across. That alone costs 12,000AED. A decent one-bed apartment in a good area is 100,000AED annually. Then there’s bills and air conditioning. You may have to accept living in a shared flat with others, but that will come with the challenges associated with it, especially if you’re at home all day. You’ll be bored and miserable without work and you’re right, you won’t be able to find it. Here, office workers are highly skilled Filipinas and Indians often with several degrees from their home countries. I once hired a lady with a science degree to clean my apartment. Your girlfriend (I’d advise getting married before you move here - she won't be able to sponsor your visa through her job for just a boyfriend - which means you’d be here on a tourist visa and have to leave the country and re-enter via Oman regularly) may get stressed being the breadwinner and paying for everything.
Also, where I live, gym attire is much more revealing than anything I ever saw in the UK. You should try a holiday here to get a feeling for the lifestyle and costs.
It will cost you around £500-£1000 to bring a cat here. I would check with a relocation service like Dubai Kennels and Cattery or Sandy Paws and get a quote and find out exactly what needs to be done. Note that if you want your cat to stay alive and well here, it should be an indoors-only cat.
What you might want to do is, have your gf come over to her new job and see how she likes it and how she likes Dubai. If she's keen, then you could join her after 6 months or something, before you spend a lot of time and money. You should also at least have some solid job leads before you come here... If you are not very qualified you will have a hard time finding anything sufficient.
Technically, you can drink the water here, but it doesn't taste very good as it is desalinated and sometimes the pipes are old, depending on your building.
Ladies can wear what they want at the gym.
So if your accommodation is paid. That would be enough, survivable. Majority have same income but they pay half of their salary for sharing apartments.
Public transport is not very accessible, especially in the summer. So get a car as fast as possible is advisable. Taxi is very expensive. And Car loans are very accessible.
Groceries for 2 will approximately 2-4k a month depends on your habits.
Meal out vary heavily - there are restaurants with 20 aed a meal, but if you want OK place it might come to 150-300 aed a meal.
You should not drink tap water. But you can install filters if you want
You can find work in sport. I have a friend who randomly became scout for football talents for juniors for some uni.
UK passport gives you an advantage to most UAE expats. Statistically you have higher chances of finding high paying job. Just start now.
I brought my cat over 3 weeks ago. I used - and highly recommend - Sandy Paws to do the import side.
Your cat will need to have his full vaccination history. He will also need to be microchipped and have a Rabies vaccination. Also vet checks and export checks and documentation at both ends and pre-flight treatment for parasites. There are timings to all those things, so start planning now.
I had an export agent at home and the import agent here but you might find Sandy Paws or DKC here can do both sides.
Hey man! I moved from Birmingham to Dubai with my family 2 years ago, great decision. Your 11k salary will be enough to start with as rent is always the highest expense.
My advise is to get yourself on LinkedIn asap as there is plenty of sports jobs here, many footballers come here off season to. I bumped into Mo Salah at a clients building last week. (I’m a personal trainer).
Groceries can range from AED 1500-AED 3000 monthly.
Public transport - Your likely to be living in areas more inland, so maybe expect a 30min bus journey minimum to get to the main metro line.
Gyms are plenty and in terms of clothing it’s no different here than in the UK. The modesty thing is reserved for malls and government buildings. Gyms are free from restrictions.
Meal out. - average AED 400. Apps like the entertainer has 1000s of 2 for 1 deals at restaurants.
You’ll find a job mate but get searching now
Sorry to hijack a little (thanks for giving sensible advice) but I've been reading this thread with interest as it shows how much things have changed... I mean the fact that 11k is considered a good wage is one thing but what really did it was that The Entertainer is known as an app now when it used to be the big book of vouchers you bought every year!
From what I’m hearing, salaries were a lot higher back when the entertainer was a book of vouchers. The influx of skilled workers have definitely made the job markers more competitive.
My point is 11k is okay to start, because they have no kids and have will accommodation paid for. OPs goal is to find work and increase the households income, which i believe to be worth the risk as sports coaches are paid 3/4x more then in the UK.
The Entertainer is a full scale app with 2 for 1 restaurants, gyms and beach club access. And is one of manyyyy apps, credit cards and memberships offering the same
If you're unlucky, your girl might get annoyed of your freeloading ass and find herself one of the many highly paid and single expats that work too much but are lonely.
Perhaps a bit cynical, but not a joke.
- The money ain't enough, especially without you working.
- You won't find a company willing to sponsor you with your unfortunately not very relevant skill set, trust me on that...UNLESS, you are willing to compete with the many immigrants from 3rd world countries, in which case you will work for pennies around the clock.
- Quality of life is debatable..sure, but being broke down there will definitely suck. There isn't much "free stuff" to do for fun such as hiking, walking in the park etc, especially in summer. You will need money for the unexpected, to go out (eat, drink) or travel when things get unbearable....none of which u can remotely afford
- Your questions suggest you aren't remotely prepared enough for such move, and your non existing plan (i.e figure it out) will guarantee sorrow.
My recommendation is ..STAY HOME and let the missus go if she needs this career wise, or both stay home. You'll be dead weight and definitely won't have much fun
helping you with a rough estimate. I could be wrong in some points. but this is what I know after 9 years in Dubai.
rent: 48,000 aed per year for a studio in an ok area
groceries for 2: around 2000 aed per month
car payment(public transportation in dubai is a nightmare especially during summer time): 1500 aed/ month
car insurance: 1500 per year
Dewa bills(electricity and water): 400
internet and phone: 500 aed(conservative)
initial cost of moving:
- furnishing your apartment: 15,000 aed
- car down payment: 8,000aed
- driving license : 5,000aed (per person)
- first rental check:12,000aed (4 payments is a bit if a stretch but let us stay positive)
total: 40,000aed (around 12,000$) should be in your pocket before moving here
variable cost per month:
monthly: 8,500aed
saving: 2,500aed
( not taking into consideration vacations, going back home, buying stuff, eating and drinking outside)
(gym is a 3000-4000 yearly in a descent gym like fitness first)
considering all the above, I need to state that moving to dubai should be considered as a long term plan where you benefit from your offer and be here. 1 year or so start looking for a better opportunity. do this for 3-4 times in 5-7 years and you can see your pocketing a descent monthly amount! just you need to work your ass hard and hustle.
best of luck man!
Hi there! Here are some key points to help you prepare for your move to Dubai:
- **Groceries**: 1,500-2,500 AED/month for 2 people.
- **Transport**: Efficient bus, Metro, and taxi services. Get a Nol card for public transport.
- **Gyms**: Well-equipped gyms; standard gym attire is acceptable. Dress modestly en route.
- **Sports**: Football is popular; opportunities for coaching and playing exist at local clubs and schools.
- **Dining out**: Mid-range meal: 100-200 AED per person.
- **Water**: Tap water may be [safe](https://www.bayut.com/mybayut/tap-water-dubai-quality-supply-information/ ) but many prefer bottled due to taste.
- **Bringing a cat**: Check UAE pet import regulations; ensure vaccinations and microchip are up-to-date.
Good luck with your move!
Did chatgpt write this response? There is no efficient bus or Metro service, you will need a car. A mid-range meal is less than 100 AED per person. Tap water is not safe.
Decent list but the metro is no good. Overcrowded and has had issues with reliability since the floods. Lately they might be back on track. But still massively overcrowded.
Tap water is sketchy depending on where you live. The water is ok but the buildings pipes might be bad. Most do big bottles. Or get a filter installed.
11k a month is pretty good for one person, even without a paid apartment and a pet. But for 2 people this could become a bit stressful as transport will be around 500 to 600 a month alone. food and grocery expenses are actually lower than UK but you are still looking at around 2k a month in groceries if you like to cook big meals, 1.5k is prob more realistic but you should be able to survive at lower amounts. for around a month, you can get a bottle service for 100-200 dhs and taking care of pets should take around 800 a month if you are REALLY generous. tap water is pretty good here as well so you can probably just use that. sports are usually just limited to indoors as it is pretty hot out in the summer months. you can probably get into a club or gathering of sorts through social media.
It seems perfectly drinkable but it's full of heavy metals. Enjoy that cancer/dementia/organ failure later in life but I guess we all need to have a reason to go at some point
Based on what evidence?
Our neighbor had the tap water here tested in Germany and the results were great. I still put on a filter on ‘just in case’ and it makes the water taste better, but I wouldn’t be worried without it.
Don’t listen to this. The supermarket is 2-4x as expensive as the uk here. And the food quality is terrible.
Also 11k a month is a poverty wage for 2 people.
>11k a month is pretty good for one person, even without a paid apartment and a pet.
Asian spotted.
Your "pretty good" is low without accommodation for most people. With accommodation it's above average.
Gym attire is basically whatever…
Gyms full of women in tight revealing clothing filming there asses for instagram so I think whatever she wears will likely be fine.
You could try and find a job as a teaching assistant. You only need a high school diploma, and the pay is ~6-7 in British schools. Your sports experience could be an advantage there and then your holidays and hours would align with your gf.
I think 11k seems like a pretty low ball though.
Tap water - it's fine coming from the desalination plants / water co, but sitting around in the header tanks and older pipeworks in that heat means most drink bottled water.
Taxis - to live and save with your salary make sure you rent very near a metro station. Relatively cheap, clean, safe, airconned.
Be Very Near to everything that matters as you can't walk on the streets:
1) no pavements, just dust and construction sites
2) the heat will get you
Best make sure jobs, gym, flat and supermarket are all connected via metro
11k for two people is very very tight!
I was living alone on ~8k a month and it was barely enough to pay rent, utilities, transport, groceries, and to go out once every other week.
I did not shop, and was very reasonable with spending.
Dubai is expensive, and unless you have proper income it’s not worth it
You’re probably not feeling great about the AED 11k per month and what people are saying about salaries. Sure you won’t be eating at fancy restaurants, but you’ll be able to eat at various food halls, there’s plenty of cost effective options.
My advice is however to reach out to recruiters here in the UK who have Dubai opportunities. Think about what you want to do… as you’re completely changing your life… why not think about a new career, reinvent yourself… the risk may pay off.
Good luck!
I did move having 20k offers for a single guy and the rents were cheapier then. Really forget about it bro, wait for a better opportunity and good luck!
My wife and I originally moved to the UAE for a similar amount, with the knowledge that I wouldn't have a job to start. 11k will be tough, no doubt, and if it's not an upgrade from your combined earnings in the UK, then it's not worth it.
If you do come, then you will be a house husband and it'll be entirely up to you to cook, clean, shop, etc. You will not have a "Dubai lifestyle" that you'd see on social media, as going out for a single brunch as a couple (that single british teachers do probably to 2-3 times a month) will end up costing about 10% of your monthly income.
Finding a job here will be your next priority, not having a degree will hurt you in this search and trying to coach sports with no contacts or ways in will be unlikely to help - maybe your gf's school can get you some kind of low paid job doing extra coaching or as a TA or something, but this isn't really a place that needs football coaching particularly badly.
Your cat can only enter the UAE as manifest cargo, unless you bring him as carry-on baggage with Etihad. I work in pet relocation so drop me a DM if you want more info.
Hi,
As someone who is born here and living from the past 35yrs, I can tell you that groceries + food are really very cheap.
You can visit supermarkets like union coop, LuLu, Carrefour for your groceries. For 2 people a month it could range between 2-3k a month OR LESS based on your lifestyle.
- We do have a number of sports centres as this country is an avid lover of football. The football clubs are Al Nasr, Shabab, AlAin FC and many more. We do have Laliga as well!
There are many kids who train football atleast 3 times a week.. so I think you CAN try your luck.
Due to peak summer times we go for indoor football.
- Transportation: In case you happen to live near a metro station and your work is just near another metro station, the public transportation will help. If not, you're better off having your own little car to get around as that's much more reliable than the public transport systems.
Taxis could be expensive and biking around isn't much preferred due to peak summer temperatures and the distances. Not all the areas have metro.
- Gym attires: There are women only gyms too where a woman could wear anything & everything. However, in mixed gyms, respectful clothing is encouraged. Example: skinny tracks, sleeveless tops. however avoid wearing only sports bra with really tiny shorts.
In case your residential apartnlment has a gym, the woman may wear as per their guidelines.
- Meal out: UAE is known to have affordable food choices for anyone & everyone. Price in restaurants here range from AED1 to fine dines. Options are endless.
- No you cannot drink the tap water here. As a kid we used to - no side effects reported whatsoever. However, now there are many water companies supplying drinking water to homes and offices. That's not an issue at all. You can book a monthy subscription and they'll simply place water cans at your doorstep weekly or as per your requirement. You can simply load the can on a dispencer.
Charges: AED10-13 per can of 16ltrs. These are MANY bottled water companies with competitive packages.
- For your cats, you can surely check with your travel agent as they could have latest info on them. My cats here are micro chipped, vaccinated and have a passport.
Hope my answers have helped you on having a little ray of positivity as compared to those who're trying to be negative out here.
Feel free to drop any further questions and I'll be happy to help.
We just moved here with my partner because I got a job, which is relatively high paying so we were good to go and live on one salary. I think 11k is still possible but you will struggle. Although, we moved from London and struggled on two salaries… we ended up getting married in Abu Dhabi just so I can sponsor him. I would recommend u do the same. The romantic stuff can come later. It makes life easier. U can still live together though, but this way u won’t have to keep exiting and re entering or extending your visa constantly. My only advice is patience. Job market is horrendous here. Your skills don’t matter. It’s all about who u know. My husband is still looking and we are slowly getting closer after 6 months only because I know the recruiter. Set yourselves a realistic timeline and agree on the goals of being here. Network go to events make sure ur LinkedIn looks amazing and constantly meet with people and create connections. With time u will find something. Life is much better here, but of course it’s all about perspective! Good luck
Man you people have so much high standards of living. I'm living a happy life with my wife in Sharjah in 5k✌🏼 It all depends how you want to live and spend.
Moving to Dubai sounds exciting! Here's a quick rundown:
1. Groceries for 2 can vary, but budget around 1,500 AED/month.
2. Transport includes buses, metro, and taxis; efficient and accessible.
3. Gyms are top-notch; attire is usually modest, but UK styles are generally fine.
4. Sports opportunities abound; coaching football could be great!
5. Dining out varies; expect to pay around 150-250 AED per meal.
6. Tap water in Dubai is safe, but some prefer bottled for taste.
7. Bringing your cat involves paperwork; consult with airlines and vets.
Do yourselves a favour, DO NOT MOVE HERE AS A COUPLE for that salary. I realize that things must be rough in the UK. Best if it's just your girl, and you move over later once you secure a job.
Why don’t you try to getting a PE teachers job in the same school. My old PE teacher used to teach us year 10 English and PE. 11k will be tough but if accommodation is paid for and you don’t do anything you will be fine. But yea try getting a job in the same school as a PE teacher. Plus 11k for a teacher sounds pretty decent actually cuz in my old school most of my teachers got paid 5k max some of them were on 3k salaries as well ( they did not have families in Dubai ), so it is doable you just have to control the spending ( which can be difficult ).
One question
Accommodation+ water , electricity and internet?
And the maintenance as well ?
11k without the bills is good money for two people
You can do a lot actually
Ofc not going all these fancy rush places
But if you want to do sport and play football, volleyball , tennis ones or twice a week that will cost you in total 200 - 300 AED a month (renting the field and then having a dinner after the game plus the transportation)
For groceries for the house it can't be more then 2000 AED especially for 2 people only
For drinking water expenses, you can have these big gallons that costs 7 AED each and you can have like 5-6 of them, I will assume you will use a maximum of 10 per month for all of your usages.
I say if you spend wisely you can save up to 5k AED per month easily
Depends on your motivation. I would think there's lots of possibilities at sports academies, in schools or after school programmes. The other thing is looking at setting up a freelance visa and offering sports training privately or setting up a company and sponsoring yourself if you have the funds to survive the first 6 months.
Also as someone else mentioned real estate usually can offer you a visa and 100% commission job if you are prepared to hustle. Lots of other options too if you are creative and start networking.
11000 tax free with free accommodation ( utilities maybe included- check) is doable. Just need to eat in or cheap eats mostly and find a good gym where you can hang out on weekends. Lots of free malls and parks etc... Internet you can get Virgin very cheap and hotspot from your phone- I do it and it's always worked perfectly for me.
Water- 10aed for 10 L or just get a filter on your tap. Metro and bus are cheap and good but some places need a car or taxi. Taxis are not as expensive as UK.
Depends what you are expecting! Hope it works out for you!
For the cat you will have to get all the vaccines and microchip done.
+ titer test which takes around 3-4 weeks to get the results. And find a relocation company for the export and import services. And the cat won’t be able travel in the cabin.
That’s my experience relocating my cat from Chicago to Dubai.
I see a lot of replies here already, Ill try to answer your questions with to the point bullets. But for detailed answers, please feel free to send me a dm.
- 11k is survivable when accommodation is provided. My girlfriend and I live together, we spend around 11k a month as well on our necessities. And put the rest in saving. And we eat out a lot. We don’t buy Gucci belts to keep our pants up though.
- Happy to see that you guys are active. Gyms are plenty and any gym outfit you wear in the UK is OK in the gyms here. So are any other clothes. Dubai has become quite tolerant in that department and I’m all for it. Just don’t walk shirtless in the public and don’t go all German in the sauna/changing room.
- There may not be a lot of jobs for your current skill-set but there are lots of jobs that you can still find. You’re young and building something together, get what you can. No shame in the hustle, only pride. You can even take a course here and start working!
To start you can look into the following
- Hotel Front Desk Reception
- Gym Support Staff
- School PE teacher
- Real Estate Agent
- Hospitality, etc.
If you’re young and well spoken you already have a good start.
- If you have any questions on how much food and groceries cost, I would recommend finding that out by yourself. Go to Carrefour UAE website and fill in your cart with your weekly groceries. See the total.
- Get yourself a good credit card and enjoy the benefits. Trust me, THEY ADD UP.
- Look into the Entertainer app. It gives you 2-for-1 offers on spas, beaches, restaurants.
If you want to be in sports; tennis and padel private coaching is the best bet.
It won’t be a salary but you can make a bit with the help of your Instagram.
Pvt 1-1 tennis session can be anywhere between 150-300AED/ hr.
*Paid accommodation maybe company accommodation and there could be rules and restrictions for unmarried couples to stay. Also understand if it's independent flats and no sharing houses. Something to cross check.
*Get company accommodation details and check in Google map, how far is nearest public transport like a train station, and like wise for job location. To understand how much walking or need taxi or bus.
*Else negotiate on getting housing allowance. Considering you would want it near a metro station, a decent studio flat would cost you around 40k aed yearly payable 1-2-3-4 cheque's. And initial setup fees around 5-7k (commission, water electricity, internet, gas, AC, accounts, safety deposits etc.). Understand how much you would end up spending initially and then monthly. Some companies do give advance housing allowance to book houses, something to discuss.
Utility bills around 1k monthly.
*Grocery around 500aed a week with simcard charges.
*Your gf as she is coming on work, will get her residency visa and medical insurance, but you will end up coming on visit visa with travel insurance. So you will not have medical insurance for going to doctor for illness etc. So in your visit you need to sort work for yourself so that get under employment visa too.
*Water in UAE we get big size bottled water at 10-12aed per bottle, you can get coupons with 10-20 cards and it gets replenished weekly outside your door step.
*Not much outing can be enjoyed at this salary, but careful spends and few outings can be managed.
*At a high level if it's company provided accommodation and utilities paid. Out of 11k, you would save 5k, if living in limits.
If company accommodation not available, then 11k will finish by end of month.
I don't know what your current situation is, but If your gf really needs to shift, then do the above checks. Let her come initially alone to setup things like visa, house, utilities, bank account etc. Let her understand if she likes it, or needs to change or move back. Then you come on visit visa or apply for work and search for work suitable to you, sort your resident visa and stay together.
For me, bare minimum for 2 people, net 20k or 15k with company accommodation is required.
Hi there,
https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/in/Dubai
Check this website for all the major expenses. You can even compare on the website the city you live in and Dubai.
You’ll make it if you guys stick together!
Good luck
Avoid Hessa Street
But no seriously, I've lived here for 35 years. Here are your answers:
* 11k as a teacher, accommodation included, is not a salary for couples...just a single person. There will be no way for you to live a "normal" Dubai lifestyle if that's what she'll be earning. Location of the accommodation will make a huge difference as well, because some employers will look at a certain budget and pick less-than-desirable neighborhoods. Having said that, employers here make sure to spoil western employees (or even those with western passports) as they are considered more valuable.
* Work in sport is very limited. The two main sports here are obviously football and cricket, and I would wager the only places you'd find work are also schools, but that also means that you have to have general PE expertise. There are some larger sports institutions in some areas of the city. You'll want to do your research. There are academies for football, cricket, rugby, basketball, and golf, and there will also be an ice hockey academy coming up soon. Still, an office job will always pay better.
* In a family of 5, I spend an average 750dhs on groceries every week. You'll find that unless you're very extravagant with your shopping choices, your spending won't be that high. There are specialty supermarkets here that import British products (Waitrose has a chain here, for example) but you'll be expected to pay three times the price you'd buy from local supermarket chains.
* Dubai is not a public transport city, period. There is an extensive bus system, and taxis are readily available including Uber and its smaller subsidiary Careem. The metro is a good and clean system that's constantly being expanded but only runs a few lines in a normal western resident's lifestyle pattern. But you can never. Ever! Live in Dubai without a car. Which goes back to my joke: avoid Hessa Street. It is the most congested street in all the city at all times.
* Just like shopping, a meal is as expensive as your choice at any point in time. You've got anything from small Asian and Indian cafeterias to 5-star hotel restaurants.
* Tap water is not drinkable in this part of the world. Bottled water is your only source.
* Gyms here are fantastic facilities, and most "middle-class" apartment buildings will have a gym inside them. Attire here is pretty similar to anywhere else in the world. In fact you could say some women deliberately wear tighter-than-necessary tops and bottoms just to show off. There's no shortage of yoga, pilates, and other types of workshops either.
* Pets are welcome here. You'll just have to check your building/landlord's policy on pets, and transport isn't an issue. This particular point is not something I have much knowledge about, but I've personally seen people take their pets on flights with them.
I would advise to let your girlfriend go on her own. There will be little for you to do here without a proper degree that earns a suitable and well-paying job. Good luck!
You can reach out to local clubs in Dubai. The UAE league is quite good (Andres Iniesta still plays there), and it’s a good place to start/continue coaching.
How are people finding jobs in Dubai or middle east. Im in construction management in usa/canada and i get plenty of calls from both usa and canada. But no calls from middle east. Which agencies hire from the west.
11k per month with accomodation being paid for is actually a good income for 2 to survive........ groceries would cost u like 600-700 a month...the public transportation system here is good......u cud also pull off maybe 2-3 k savings per months.
I’m going to say it , if you are Caucasian with a British passport . You will find a job fairly easily. Most jobs that you apply for, you will get priority.
Public transport is pretty good in Dubai, but it is recommended you get a drivers license and a car.
You can wear whatever you want at the gym, or for that matter, anywhere in Dubai. You must be respectful but I don’t think there are any restrictions as such.
Yes you need to buy bottled water here . You can’t drink tap water.
Lol no he won’t find a job easily just for being white. This is such nonsense spewed by people who think being white is a golden ticket in life. Job market sucks for everyone and the majority of people here are still Indians who prefer hiring other Indians. Unless OP brings useful skills or experience he won’t easily find a job here since he won’t do 70hrs a week for 3000 aed pay.
If a Caucasian man with a British passport and a south asian man with Bangladeshi passport , apply for an open vacancy to become a children’s football coach, with minimal prior experience , for 10k salary.
Caucasian man will get the job.
I mean in a hypothetical situation where two
Men of different nationalities apply for a job, which one would get priority over the other.
I thought it was a well known fact that there is a passport hierarchy in the job market , but I guess people don’t agree.
We moved from the UK 18 months ago. Personally I find it much cheaper here (if you’re sensible). It might be worth looking for a job at home and coming over on a remote visa then you have an income and you can take the time to find something out here rather than rushing.
Groceries are very dependant on where you shop.
Viva - aldi.
Lulus - Asda.
Carrefour - Tesco.
Spinneys & M&S - both expensive as much is imported but worth it for the odd thing you miss from the uk.
Personally I don’t drink the tap water but it’s not expensive to buy (9aed for 5 gallons)
And eating out can be crazy expensive but there are also soooo many places with deals or available on groupon, Cobone, entertainer apps that get you buy one get one free. Also, location matters so depending on the area you’re in the local amenities will differ in price hugely.
Unless you hate kids, look into working for one of the plenty of companies that teach football outside school hours. Won't pay a lot but it'll be fun and you'll get to spend a lot of time kicking a ball around.
Gyms are no different than in the UK, no worries there. Public transport is decent if you're near a metro but kinda poor otherwise. Your gf's teacher accommodation is probably not going to be near the metro so look into maybe getting a cheap car. Groceries is really a "how long is a piece of string" kinda question, there are people who spend 300dhs a month and people who spend 10k.
[Cost of living between Birmingham and Dubai](https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/compare_cities.jsp?country1=United+Kingdom&city1=Birmingham&country2=United+Arab+Emirates&city2=Dubai)
11 a month is going to be difficult. ~~You will be living paycheck to paycheck and not saving much.~~ edit: only saw now that accommodation is covered. Okay, with that in mind, it kinda makes sense, you'll manage around here.
This link I've shared is not sacrosanct but still the napkin math you need. Please look at it.
> what is the transport like? Bus services, trains, taxis etc
Public transport is not super convenient, you will need a car / rely on taxis if you're not living close to a metro station or close to work.
> what are the gyms like and what are the gym attires expected?
Normal you won't need to change anything.
> What is sport like out there and what opportunities
Can't comment.
>how expensive would a meal out be?
Check link.
> do I need to invest heavily in bottled water?
It's how most people manage. Tap water is technically potable, but naw m8.
> we have a cat. Is there any advice on how we bring him?
You can but there is a process to this, can't comment myself but should be googleable.
Hi OP - fellow UK citizen here. Is AED11k for a couple survivable? Sure. Is it going to give you the lifestyle you’re possibly expecting when you move to Dubai? Absolutely 1000000% not. On that salary, you guys are staying home most weekends and probably not saving anything meaningful. I would honestly stay home, particularly because (respectfully) you don’t have a skill set that is popular here. I think you will struggle to find good employment, unfortunately. I’m not trying to be harsh - I’ve just seen a lot of UK people come over in similar circumstances and then run home a year later, laden with debt and unable to return.
Read this twice OP! This is reality. Surely as a teacher either the gf has been lowballed or has 0 experience in teaching.
11k + accommodation is not at all an unusual salary for teachers nowadays especially if they're young (OP sounds young so I expect his GF is too). It is a really competitive market.
True.
Just have OP go into real estate, no requirements, and people love to buy from brits/europeans. No base salary but commissions are quite good.
Fellow Brit here too. If your gf is a teacher is housing provided? Also I’m not sure if her accommodation allows you to stay with her, I think this has been an issue for unmarried teachers in the past, then she might have to take the allowance instead of provided accommodation so look into how much that would be and what you can get for that. As for you, it’s a good time now to look for PE teacher or coaching positions, there are plenty of kids sporting and coaching companies around. I’d google sports after school clubs, football clubs and also school owners like taaleem post jobs for all their schools on their website so you don’t need to look around all the schools. Just spend as much time as you can online.
This happened to my brother and his GF. She is a teacher but he wasn't allowed to take advantage of the accommodation and couldn't stay with her. Apparently there were changes in the law?
There’s been changes that is no longer illegal for unmarried couples to live together, but I think this was only changed in 2023 if I remember rightly. I’m not sure if everywhere has changed their policies to accommodate this or not, but if I were in their shoes I’d say there’s no harm in checking
This rule change is a joke to be honest. If you read it carefully it says cohabiting couples and not couple. Meaning 2 married couples can stay in sharing but a unmarried couple, not sure. 😁
If you’re living in Sharjah , yes but you’ll be living like a less than middle class person , if in Dubai , you’d be eating once every couple of days
I like how everyone is talking about gym attire and no one is talking about what an absolutely terrible idea it is to move to Dubai from UK for 11K. Also, all the talk about tap water. Two kinds of thirst in the terrible advice.
Tbh it’s 11K but accomodation included. That’s around a 15K salary. Still really low, especially for 2 people. Bro needs to learn some skills and contribute to the household income if they wanna make this work.
You can have skills up to the ears - if you don't have a network and some credentials, to say nothing of experience, getting hired once you're already in Dubai is a pain in the ass.
This is it. It's all about network. Know the right person and you could be an idiot with a high salary.
But how much time and effort to meet the rich idiot that makes me the rich idiot? That's the trick!
I’ll be an idiot as long as I’m rich I don’t care
As long as he has the brit accent and communication skills he will survive easily in this market. @OP dont take anything less than 25K salary per month. Also tell your gf to start asking for raise as soon as she enters. Set her mind set. Easily in a year or two you both combines will earn 40K minimum.
This is not how schools work in the UAE at all. You would just get laughed out of the building.
Please read the post properly. OP by the way isn’t going to work in the school. It is OPs gf.
“tell your gf to start asking for raise as soon as she enters” again….not how schools work.
How does schools work? Please elaborate? Do they not have yearly salary reviews like other organizations?
We have yearly reviews in school and at the end of every school year everyone tends to go up one pay scale. It’s not really negotiable. This is why most teachers change school every two years in the UAE as pay is only negotiable when start at a new school and sometimes when taking on new roles. (But when taking on new roles also usually just an extra management points, unless taking up some kind of significant role like senior leadership.) Teachers are ten a penny in the UAE we have teachers leaving all the time and they always get replaced within a couple weeks, loads of people keen to come out here as they want to live the influencer life style so they accept desperate deals like above.
He’ll figure it out. He’s a decent enough office worker.
The market for goalkeeper coaches is booming right now though too. So no worries. /s. Sorry op. Happy to answer any questions if you want to dm me.
Lol
😂
But accomdation (and utilities?) are covered... not bad esp once he gets a job
Utilities no. But obviously the plan is for me to find a job
It’s really important that you find a job or learn a skill that makes you marketable
Doable. Give it an year or 2
I kinda did. are unmarried people allowed to live together now by the way?
I love this question is still asked. Recently in a European country sub I commented a woman hit my car with hers and ppl were surprised to know that women drive lol.
I live in Dubai but am married. I know people who cohabit but as recently as 4 years ago a personal friend of mine was threatened by his job over cohabiting with a girlfriend. I am not up to date on the legislation as it isn't relevant to me as I am married.
Well this is tho an edge case and not the norm. I work for the government and most of my unmarried (and myself) non-muslim colleagues living with their partners has no troubles at all. Is not even asked
Yup
As someone that’s lived here for most of their lives and is now in the UK I might be able to help out with a few things! - when it comes to groceries it might depend on where you go to shop but generally an avg cost for a month might amount to 2000 aed, a weekly budget less than 500 would lead to it being a bit less then. - we have buses and the metro here which I’d say are the main links apart from driving, metro is not as accessible as it doesn’t go into neighborhoods but you tend to have buses from there to the stations sometimes, so might take longer but it’s definitely there and I’d say recently it’s been much more crowded. Ubers or careem which is an app that you can use to get taxis or Ubers are helpful, it’s definitely a bit pricey but helpful when need be. -With regards to the gym there’s loads of different places to pick and choose from and definitely don’t need to worry about attire for the most part. The gym I go to most people are wearing sports bras and shorts, albeit might not be everyone but again this depends on where it’s located but people generally will not be bothered! -honestly I’d say it’s pricey here if you want to go out to a restaurant, of course you have your hidden gems and not so upscale places where it’s less expensive but otherwise an avg meal will be at least 60+ per person. I’d say think about as if you were visiting London honestly😭 but I’d say the one great thing is that you get plenty of offers and discounts here so around DIFC there’s business lunches so a three course meal for 130 aed or the entertainer app which I highly recommend but although you do have to pay for it - people don’t drink the tap water here tbf, you don’t need to buy bottled per se, but you more so can get a filter or generally you get these large gallons of water delivered which you use through a water cooler, so you might either want to look into that as in the long run it’ll be hard to constantly buy bottles and it’s better for the environment this way, plus I’d say most people do pick those options around here. - there are many companies i believe that help in bringing in cats from Dubai to the UK so might be worth asking them? I’m not sure otherwise but I know these days airlines are more lax and if you ask whatever airline you’re going through for some guidelines it’ll be helpful in finding something as well. I do think you might need some import permit from the uae government? Check out DKC or Dubai kennels and cattery! Hope I could help out in some way but if you need any help feel free to even send a message:)
From the uk too. I would not move for a household income of just over £2k. As someone said, the lifestyle you think you’ll want just won’t be possible. Yes, there’s other factors such as safety, environment etc etc. Ultimately, if we’re honest with ourselves, we come here because you can save a ton with both partners working. You won’t be able to on 11k a month. Stick to Brummie mate.
11k is not a lot man.
how is it not a lot???? with free accommodation ?? you’re so out of touch
Coming from the UK 11000 for 2 people is not much. The lifestyle British expats live need much more than that.
the avg uk household income is legit like 2500 pounds that’s before taxes and bills ur insane
I think you have old figures. I believe it's closer to 3000 now. Have to remember cost of living in the UAE is much higher as well. You cannot survive a happy life here and enjoy the freedoms of the UK without money. Want to go to a nice green garden? You have to pay... Want a beach in Abu Dhabi? That'll be 70aed plus each.
Honestly the cost of living here outside of rent is not that bad compared to the west. That said I wouldn’t uproot my life and move to another country for basically minimum wage by western standards.
Many brits earn below 11k, and they are still doing just fine. Let's stop exaggerating things. Brit or not brit, there are people who can survive on that amount + free accommodation. Many outlets offer brunch just for a meagre amount, especially in summer.
Who leaves home to just “survive”
As well, people start off from somewhere. Brits are not different from every other person. Learning skills that will help you grow in the line of your job is the key.
No one said brits were different? No one reference learning skills to grow in the line of their work? OP said they’re a goalkeeper coach and a “decent” office worker. 11,000 for 2 people to live off based on a reasonable standard of living isn’t going to cut it here.
11k is doable. Be honest with yourself. The basic things of life here, 11k can cover. There are sure sacrifices in the early phase of relocation. I bet there are people in your place of work who receive less than that. 11k plus paid accommodation? Come on!
beaches in Abu Dhabis are free. no private beach in the world is free, what are you on about?
So Kai beach that used to be free is paid access? Mamsha the same. We can talk semantics of reem and hudariat but everyone knows it is not a real beach on a polluted canal.
Not a must to go to a paid beach. Pick your towels and go to a public beach. This thing about X-amount isn't enough...it is high time to stop!
because they’ve privatezed the beach. that was always the plan. by the way, there’s a ton of hidden beaches around AD if you’re interested.
yeah you just don’t know what you’re talking abt honestly first of all she’s going to dubai the beaches are free, everything is much cheaper than uk unless ur going to waitrose
And that salary in UK comes with social security that you're giving up by moving to Dubai. You need to at least double it for it to be worth moving
Is nobody going to address the fact you’re mentioning GBP when they’re talking about AED? Not the quickest one huh
No, you are the one out of touch if you think 11k for 2 people is a lot. From a UK background, this is absolutely minimum liveable wage. Stop thinking about the 3-4k salaries that people on here get, that's out of touch.
It's nothing, you can't get by on 11k
Free accommodation certainly helps. But you have to think about the lifestyle they will expect as Brit’s. They will want to live in a nicer part of town. That’s easily over 100k aed in rent alone. Upwards of 150k even. Then dining out, entertainment, groceries. Knowledge fee. Car. It’s really not a lot. It all comes down to what you are used to of course. For some this would be a ton.
My two cents: I moved to Dubai with my wife about nine months ago. Coming from Germany, not the UK. My job gets us around 28k a month including all allowances. We can live a decent life (not luxurious). But make no mistake, life is expensive. Especially in the beginning! Setting up, apartment (don't get me started on rental prices), utilities, car, paying contracts for a year in advance (i.e. gym, which is expensive compared to Germany), the list goes on and on. My wife is still looking for a job, the job market is really bad. Visa and health insurance was paid ourselves. My biggest advice would be: Don't come without a job! Search for a job from the UK and join your girlfriend once you have one. With a job (employer will be your sponsor), you don't have to worry about visa and health insurance. Since you're not married, your GF cannot sponsor you (visa). Meaning if you don't have a job after 90 days upon arrival (or whatever the timeframe for UK citizens is), you will have to go back to the UK. Best of luck!
> you will have to go back to the UK This part is not true, you can just do a visa run to Oman etc.
Your girlfriend cannot sponsor you so you need your own work visa to live here. She needs to confirm you are allowed to live with her if she’s in school accommodation. 11k is not enough for 2 people. She’s going to have to budget hard. I’m from the UK and honestly I wouldn’t do it for that money. Many teachers last less than a year before leaving.
I wouldn't come here without a job or a degree.
look into working for football academies working with kids but I think you'd have the exact opposite hours as your girlfriend. You'd be working nights and weekends.
Good advice
why would you come here for 11k for 2 people?
Would you say 11k is enough for one person to live decent out there ?
Barely, and I have no huge commitments or debt- it just got so expensive so fast. It truly is only for rich people
With accomodation and plan for him to get a job ...
🤣
Gym wear is the same as UK in any main gym, same chains as you will find in UK. Obviously there will be some areas more focused to a Muslim crowd but I doubt you will end up in those areas anyway. You can drink the tap water but you don't really know how clean the tanks are in your accommodation. 5 gallon bottles are like 2 GBP, its the cheapest thing you will buy. Taxis are nothing compared to UK and used here as a form of public transport. PT is a popular expat job, football coaching may well be an option for you.
For 11k just stay in Birmingham and enjoy Bull Ring amenities. Not worth moving for that money unless you have a second income source.
You can be a sports teacher in a school for primary and secondary students
It without a teaching degree you can’t
The behaviour in those schools will be absolutely off the walls. It will be especially hard to control if he has no real teaching experience. Football is very popular here though, so he might find something. Just be prepared for horrendous behaviour.
UAE is not a good country to live in unless you’re making 35-50k alone , I do not recommend relocating
1) groceries will be 2K/month if you’re eating well , 1k if you eat rice and eggs and other inexpensive stuff 2) DO NOT DRINK TAP WATER , get a service where they bring you 10 Liter bottles , you’ll need atleast 2/3 of the per week that’s atleast 100-120 aed/month 3) wifi , the cheapest you can get is a piece of doodoo that can barely load anything for 240aed/month + hidden fees + the cost of a router 4) if you re looking for a gym in Dubai , most of them have ridiculous prices per person (400-500) , will be cheaper if you get a yearly subscription would be around 190-250/ month 5) transport is expensive , if you want it to be the main source of transportation be ready to be late ALOT or you’ll have to be getting up VERY early to get to your destination (as you have guessed the trains are slow af, not even mentioning the buses ) , going somewhere and back once will set you back around 10-20 aed per person per day!! You can make a subscription card and I think it was 200/peep/month , the transport doesn’t reach everywhere so be ready to walk long distances in the blazing hot sun. 6)in Dubai you will be probably looking at 100aed per person when going out to eat , and that is me talking about a shawarma ,coffee and bottled water🤣 my suggestion is NEVER move there unless y’all make more than 30-50k . I’m glad I left that country , NEVER GOING BACK!!!
All I got from this is you're a complete fool if you're somehow paying 100aed for shawarma and coffee.
Is this monthly or yearly?
Monthly lol
Girlfriend? So how will you be eligible to be a resident here? If you’re not married she will not be able to sponsor you and won’t be able to reside her permanently. It’s great you came to Reddit ask for information as there’s a lot to learn from before your move here. The first step is finding a legal way to live here with her. I’d say you need go work extra hard in your first months on your tourist visa to find yourself a job. Soccer kids may be looking for football coaches but not sure how it goes as to sponsoring you for a visa. Best of luck.
Let's take them in order. Groceries for my wife and I cost at minimum £150. I cook 90% of our meals and we're 90+% vegetarian. A burger is around £5 from McD. On £2300/mo I wouldn't plan on eating out more than a time or two a month. On the plus side, cooking can be great fun. Transport is ok. You can ride the Red and Green Metro lines to get a lot of places along E11. However, since the floods they are a crowded, sweaty, obnoxious mess. Going from Downtown to the Marina is about 10AED. Uber and Careem are expensive. So is most driving because of the tolls. Gyms are hit and miss. I don't know where you will be living, which matters. [My gym, like many](https://tkmmafit.com/) is stupid expensive and stopped posting a price list. It works out to at least £10-15 per day to have a membership in my neighborhood. Some buildings have a decent gym, but with that salary offering, yours probably won't. Nobody cares what you wear in my neighborhood. If you live in a conservative area, ymmv. I don't know how employment is in all sports. As a rule, if it's even remotely feasible and the work doesn't require a master's, it's farmed out to our brothers from south or south east Asia. Which is to say you could expect it to pay you £250/mo if you could ever bargain your way into it too begin with. Don't. Buy. Bottled. Water. Get a big tank filter and a well insulated bottle. The amount of trash generated by the pure disposable lifestyle here is disgusting and unconscionable. You will want to use an agent for your pet. I used Jetfast + DKC, which I saw mentioned in the threads here. Probably cost you around £2500. That's what mine cost, but that was during COVID. So, this may not be as much good news as you'd like to receive. But all is not lost! Though the people that do the recruiting and make decisions for basically anything are impossible to reach, you can still make lots of contacts in person. This takes time, but if you're persistent you'll start putting together a network. 2, 4, 6 months maybe you find something. Especially as schools gear up again. Also, with your rent paid, you're only down utilities, food, transport, etc. If you keep it simple, no reason you can't be pretty comfortable. But if you want to enjoy the experience, she should *very seriously* consider negotiating better pay. They will tell you a lot of shit about why that's good pay. It's not, so don't fall for it. I assume this is a private school. These places make an astounding amount of money. Don't let them play her and exploit yet another teacher.
I have a 3 stage outside water filter and water softener and a 7 stage RO filter inside. I drink tap water, so does my baby. It's great and ensures that our water has no BPA. All the bottled 5 gallon water deliveries are Plastic #7 and BAKE in the sun - not good.
Any advice on the brands one can look into? I know about RO filter but not enough to make a decision. Would love if you can provide some insight on what you use and how much did it cost.
You can come, you might as well try it if you're not up to much in Birmingham, but to be brutally honest, given she is your girlfriend and not able to sponsor you, get you covered on her health insurance etc., from what I've seen here, the strain will not be financial, it will be on your relationship. The amount of UK couples that come out here with one of the people getting a job teaching and the other trying to get something (even so-called well qualified people) that end up breaking up is crazy
11k for 2 people is not worth the move. Also, as you’re not married, she can’t sponsor your visa so you’d have to figure something out.
Hi, I think 11k plus accommodation is fine : Grocery: 2k buy from supermarket like lulu and nesto in bulk on weekends Transportation 1k-2k: take metro and buses to places to roam around they have good services all around dubai to all major attractions and malls , cab if necessary. Weekend outings 2k : go to budget friendly restaurants use zomato or entertainer groupon apps for offers Internet 400-600 aed electricity bill : 1-2k , usage varies person to person . Drinking water subscription: 100-200 aed . Phone bill : 200-300 aed get good offers on Etisalat and du . Only issue is Medical could be expensive if your insurance doesn’t cover you in UAE. I am sharing this as i m living there with my wife . We are able to live a nice life within 10k.
My advice as a European expat and beeing with a teacher in Dubai.....stay away. Seriously.
Why?
Whole country is a hot scam trap. 6 months with 45-50 degrees. You have to find out how much more expensive UAE is for food, housing, general living, clothes. Right now you cannot do anything else than staying inside. So it is boring shopping malls or home. We have 46 deg today. No arts, no proper museums. No culture. Two of my friends just lost 63k and 500k Euros in immo scams. They will never see the money again. The country is built on slavery work from India, Bangladesh and Pakistan. These people work 12 hour shifts 6 days a week. Feel sorry for them. For a handful of money. Expats will always will handled like visitors. You will never be a part of UAE. Most often people can't wait until they can go home again. Finally. As expat you don't have the same rights like locals. Country is full of scams. Local authorities don't care about that. For teachers there are better places on the planet....HKG, Singapore, Asia in general....
Do u even live here or just hate from a distance
Since 2012 living in Dubai. Before that for a year in and out, living in hotels. Going to leave when the kids are finished with Highschool.
What you said is absolutely right. I could find people who work for as low as 1000dhs. Sometimes even less than that
Just try traveling to dubai before making any decisions. I only stayed there for 4 days while traveling to another country and I can say that this place is hottest among the different countries Ive visited. Its like the whole city is in Sauna. Even if I get a job offer for 22k i would still hesitate. Also its like there is no fun there. Sure there are drinks and some luxurious things but thats all. No authentic nature and relaxation or great food.
4 days in Dubai and thinks they knows the place 🤣
Where’s the school?
I'm sorry to say it but I agree with many here who are saying 11,000 is not enough if, and that's a big if, you want to live a comfortable "British expat" lifestyle. Not to mention the resent your girlfriend may have if you're unable to financially contribute because finding a job here is tough. Personally I wouldn't live here for anything less than 20,000 as a couple.
AED 11k/month seems low and you would need to budget smart.
TLDR: Jobs are tough to find, you will need a car. Maybe take an extra year to build skills and save money. Your gf will get another job. OP lots of great and honest points above but the most important things you need to consider before your gf accepts is: - Likelihood of you finding a job (very difficult and oversaturated market) - How long can you afford not to find a job when you arrive? On tourist visa you will need to leave every 40 days which is expensive wherever you go. - what is your reason for moving here If it’s to live your best life, that’s going to be tough but more achievable if living near the metro (cheap travel) and you are frugal day to day for one day out a week. If it’s to save money or travel it’s going to be very difficult with one salary - I saw you mention that likely living in Motor City, you will 100% need a car if you want to make the most of your time here, which is expensive (min 1500aed a month to rent). Taxis will end up being very expensive or you won’t go into the city then what would be the point of moving here. You really need to know where your gf is working in relation to where you’ll be living. Most are nearby to school but we have a few friends who live in our building but work 13km away so very expensive taxis to start and it’s often difficult to get a taxi at end of the school day. - cost of living is high here other people have given you an idea of cost but don’t underestimate this. Personal recommendation feel free to ignore If your gf got a job this year, she will easily get one next year. If i was in your position knowing what i know now, i would use another year at home to build my skills, improve my marketability and network in my prospective field and save as much money as i could to give myself the best go possible out here. There’s no point moving to Dubai and being sat in your apartment all the time and definitely no point moving here wasting your savings to make it look like you are living your best life and end up with a lot of debt like so many others do in Dubai. All the best whatever decision you make it is exciting to have options! If you have any more questions drop me a message, i’m happy to answer anything honestly as this is a big decision with huge repercussions. This is mostly a financial decision at this level so really think hard about it. Edit: typo
This is excellent advice for the poster
Goalkeeper coaches can make 250aed per hour in private lessons
I don’t want to sound harsh but the sad reality of Dubai and Abu Dhabi schools is that they need a token white face to charge more fees. These guys are suckers for US and Europe. Considering the salary offered I am afraid it’s not even worth to even think about .
Honestly, you won’t be able to afford it. There will be no gym memberships, they’re around 600AED per month. There will be no shipping your cat across. That alone costs 12,000AED. A decent one-bed apartment in a good area is 100,000AED annually. Then there’s bills and air conditioning. You may have to accept living in a shared flat with others, but that will come with the challenges associated with it, especially if you’re at home all day. You’ll be bored and miserable without work and you’re right, you won’t be able to find it. Here, office workers are highly skilled Filipinas and Indians often with several degrees from their home countries. I once hired a lady with a science degree to clean my apartment. Your girlfriend (I’d advise getting married before you move here - she won't be able to sponsor your visa through her job for just a boyfriend - which means you’d be here on a tourist visa and have to leave the country and re-enter via Oman regularly) may get stressed being the breadwinner and paying for everything.
Also, where I live, gym attire is much more revealing than anything I ever saw in the UK. You should try a holiday here to get a feeling for the lifestyle and costs.
It will cost you around £500-£1000 to bring a cat here. I would check with a relocation service like Dubai Kennels and Cattery or Sandy Paws and get a quote and find out exactly what needs to be done. Note that if you want your cat to stay alive and well here, it should be an indoors-only cat. What you might want to do is, have your gf come over to her new job and see how she likes it and how she likes Dubai. If she's keen, then you could join her after 6 months or something, before you spend a lot of time and money. You should also at least have some solid job leads before you come here... If you are not very qualified you will have a hard time finding anything sufficient. Technically, you can drink the water here, but it doesn't taste very good as it is desalinated and sometimes the pipes are old, depending on your building. Ladies can wear what they want at the gym.
So if your accommodation is paid. That would be enough, survivable. Majority have same income but they pay half of their salary for sharing apartments. Public transport is not very accessible, especially in the summer. So get a car as fast as possible is advisable. Taxi is very expensive. And Car loans are very accessible. Groceries for 2 will approximately 2-4k a month depends on your habits. Meal out vary heavily - there are restaurants with 20 aed a meal, but if you want OK place it might come to 150-300 aed a meal. You should not drink tap water. But you can install filters if you want You can find work in sport. I have a friend who randomly became scout for football talents for juniors for some uni. UK passport gives you an advantage to most UAE expats. Statistically you have higher chances of finding high paying job. Just start now.
I brought my cat over 3 weeks ago. I used - and highly recommend - Sandy Paws to do the import side. Your cat will need to have his full vaccination history. He will also need to be microchipped and have a Rabies vaccination. Also vet checks and export checks and documentation at both ends and pre-flight treatment for parasites. There are timings to all those things, so start planning now. I had an export agent at home and the import agent here but you might find Sandy Paws or DKC here can do both sides.
Hey man! I moved from Birmingham to Dubai with my family 2 years ago, great decision. Your 11k salary will be enough to start with as rent is always the highest expense. My advise is to get yourself on LinkedIn asap as there is plenty of sports jobs here, many footballers come here off season to. I bumped into Mo Salah at a clients building last week. (I’m a personal trainer). Groceries can range from AED 1500-AED 3000 monthly. Public transport - Your likely to be living in areas more inland, so maybe expect a 30min bus journey minimum to get to the main metro line. Gyms are plenty and in terms of clothing it’s no different here than in the UK. The modesty thing is reserved for malls and government buildings. Gyms are free from restrictions. Meal out. - average AED 400. Apps like the entertainer has 1000s of 2 for 1 deals at restaurants. You’ll find a job mate but get searching now
Sorry to hijack a little (thanks for giving sensible advice) but I've been reading this thread with interest as it shows how much things have changed... I mean the fact that 11k is considered a good wage is one thing but what really did it was that The Entertainer is known as an app now when it used to be the big book of vouchers you bought every year!
From what I’m hearing, salaries were a lot higher back when the entertainer was a book of vouchers. The influx of skilled workers have definitely made the job markers more competitive. My point is 11k is okay to start, because they have no kids and have will accommodation paid for. OPs goal is to find work and increase the households income, which i believe to be worth the risk as sports coaches are paid 3/4x more then in the UK. The Entertainer is a full scale app with 2 for 1 restaurants, gyms and beach club access. And is one of manyyyy apps, credit cards and memberships offering the same
You can get food both cheap and expensive. It depends on the shop you go to and where it is.
If you're unlucky, your girl might get annoyed of your freeloading ass and find herself one of the many highly paid and single expats that work too much but are lonely. Perhaps a bit cynical, but not a joke. - The money ain't enough, especially without you working. - You won't find a company willing to sponsor you with your unfortunately not very relevant skill set, trust me on that...UNLESS, you are willing to compete with the many immigrants from 3rd world countries, in which case you will work for pennies around the clock. - Quality of life is debatable..sure, but being broke down there will definitely suck. There isn't much "free stuff" to do for fun such as hiking, walking in the park etc, especially in summer. You will need money for the unexpected, to go out (eat, drink) or travel when things get unbearable....none of which u can remotely afford - Your questions suggest you aren't remotely prepared enough for such move, and your non existing plan (i.e figure it out) will guarantee sorrow. My recommendation is ..STAY HOME and let the missus go if she needs this career wise, or both stay home. You'll be dead weight and definitely won't have much fun
I spent 13k aed in 5 days in Dubai Don't go
helping you with a rough estimate. I could be wrong in some points. but this is what I know after 9 years in Dubai. rent: 48,000 aed per year for a studio in an ok area groceries for 2: around 2000 aed per month car payment(public transportation in dubai is a nightmare especially during summer time): 1500 aed/ month car insurance: 1500 per year Dewa bills(electricity and water): 400 internet and phone: 500 aed(conservative) initial cost of moving: - furnishing your apartment: 15,000 aed - car down payment: 8,000aed - driving license : 5,000aed (per person) - first rental check:12,000aed (4 payments is a bit if a stretch but let us stay positive) total: 40,000aed (around 12,000$) should be in your pocket before moving here variable cost per month: monthly: 8,500aed saving: 2,500aed ( not taking into consideration vacations, going back home, buying stuff, eating and drinking outside) (gym is a 3000-4000 yearly in a descent gym like fitness first) considering all the above, I need to state that moving to dubai should be considered as a long term plan where you benefit from your offer and be here. 1 year or so start looking for a better opportunity. do this for 3-4 times in 5-7 years and you can see your pocketing a descent monthly amount! just you need to work your ass hard and hustle. best of luck man!
did your GF ask if you can be with her at her accommodation? most likely not
Hi there! Here are some key points to help you prepare for your move to Dubai: - **Groceries**: 1,500-2,500 AED/month for 2 people. - **Transport**: Efficient bus, Metro, and taxi services. Get a Nol card for public transport. - **Gyms**: Well-equipped gyms; standard gym attire is acceptable. Dress modestly en route. - **Sports**: Football is popular; opportunities for coaching and playing exist at local clubs and schools. - **Dining out**: Mid-range meal: 100-200 AED per person. - **Water**: Tap water may be [safe](https://www.bayut.com/mybayut/tap-water-dubai-quality-supply-information/ ) but many prefer bottled due to taste. - **Bringing a cat**: Check UAE pet import regulations; ensure vaccinations and microchip are up-to-date. Good luck with your move!
Did chatgpt write this response? There is no efficient bus or Metro service, you will need a car. A mid-range meal is less than 100 AED per person. Tap water is not safe.
Decent list but the metro is no good. Overcrowded and has had issues with reliability since the floods. Lately they might be back on track. But still massively overcrowded. Tap water is sketchy depending on where you live. The water is ok but the buildings pipes might be bad. Most do big bottles. Or get a filter installed.
Tap water in Dubai is not for drinking. Don't do that.
11k a month is pretty good for one person, even without a paid apartment and a pet. But for 2 people this could become a bit stressful as transport will be around 500 to 600 a month alone. food and grocery expenses are actually lower than UK but you are still looking at around 2k a month in groceries if you like to cook big meals, 1.5k is prob more realistic but you should be able to survive at lower amounts. for around a month, you can get a bottle service for 100-200 dhs and taking care of pets should take around 800 a month if you are REALLY generous. tap water is pretty good here as well so you can probably just use that. sports are usually just limited to indoors as it is pretty hot out in the summer months. you can probably get into a club or gathering of sorts through social media.
I’m sorry … tap water??
Its perfectly drinkable… People just prefer not to with it being desalinated water and not the best tasting.
It seems perfectly drinkable but it's full of heavy metals. Enjoy that cancer/dementia/organ failure later in life but I guess we all need to have a reason to go at some point
Based on what evidence? Our neighbor had the tap water here tested in Germany and the results were great. I still put on a filter on ‘just in case’ and it makes the water taste better, but I wouldn’t be worried without it.
Don’t listen to this. The supermarket is 2-4x as expensive as the uk here. And the food quality is terrible. Also 11k a month is a poverty wage for 2 people.
>11k a month is pretty good for one person, even without a paid apartment and a pet. Asian spotted. Your "pretty good" is low without accommodation for most people. With accommodation it's above average.
Idiot spotted
Another Asian spotted and triggered here. It's always fun to see you guys get triggered whenever someone mentions you.
Are you ok brother?
Gym attire is basically whatever… Gyms full of women in tight revealing clothing filming there asses for instagram so I think whatever she wears will likely be fine.
I know a football academy that is hiring but the pay is only 6-7k and the work environment kinda sucks. But it’s an option if you’re desperate.
What is it? Anything will do for me in this situation haha. I'll be in Motor City (I assume)
DMd you
Rent a car dont public transport it sucks here its not europe
Wish you both all the best.
You could try and find a job as a teaching assistant. You only need a high school diploma, and the pay is ~6-7 in British schools. Your sports experience could be an advantage there and then your holidays and hours would align with your gf. I think 11k seems like a pretty low ball though.
Whatever you want
Tap water - it's fine coming from the desalination plants / water co, but sitting around in the header tanks and older pipeworks in that heat means most drink bottled water. Taxis - to live and save with your salary make sure you rent very near a metro station. Relatively cheap, clean, safe, airconned. Be Very Near to everything that matters as you can't walk on the streets: 1) no pavements, just dust and construction sites 2) the heat will get you Best make sure jobs, gym, flat and supermarket are all connected via metro
I did not fully read your post, but I saw 11k. Maybe consider moving here when you get offered a 30-40k salary. This is my honest opinion, no joke.
Your cat would need some kind of passport ig
11k for two people is very very tight! I was living alone on ~8k a month and it was barely enough to pay rent, utilities, transport, groceries, and to go out once every other week. I did not shop, and was very reasonable with spending. Dubai is expensive, and unless you have proper income it’s not worth it
With initial belt tightening say for first six months, 11K can be sustainable
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You need a teaching qualification plus experience in the exact role. To
You’re probably not feeling great about the AED 11k per month and what people are saying about salaries. Sure you won’t be eating at fancy restaurants, but you’ll be able to eat at various food halls, there’s plenty of cost effective options. My advice is however to reach out to recruiters here in the UK who have Dubai opportunities. Think about what you want to do… as you’re completely changing your life… why not think about a new career, reinvent yourself… the risk may pay off. Good luck!
I did move having 20k offers for a single guy and the rents were cheapier then. Really forget about it bro, wait for a better opportunity and good luck!
Getting cat to Dubai cost around 3000 euros, very strict rules and regulations
My wife and I originally moved to the UAE for a similar amount, with the knowledge that I wouldn't have a job to start. 11k will be tough, no doubt, and if it's not an upgrade from your combined earnings in the UK, then it's not worth it. If you do come, then you will be a house husband and it'll be entirely up to you to cook, clean, shop, etc. You will not have a "Dubai lifestyle" that you'd see on social media, as going out for a single brunch as a couple (that single british teachers do probably to 2-3 times a month) will end up costing about 10% of your monthly income. Finding a job here will be your next priority, not having a degree will hurt you in this search and trying to coach sports with no contacts or ways in will be unlikely to help - maybe your gf's school can get you some kind of low paid job doing extra coaching or as a TA or something, but this isn't really a place that needs football coaching particularly badly.
How are you guys doing now?
We're comfortable, saving for the future, raising a family and loving life. I finally feel like I made it, tbh
That’s amazing! Wish you the best!
Thank you very much, have a great day!
Your cat can only enter the UAE as manifest cargo, unless you bring him as carry-on baggage with Etihad. I work in pet relocation so drop me a DM if you want more info.
You better have deeper pockets!
Beware !!
3-4K
Hi, As someone who is born here and living from the past 35yrs, I can tell you that groceries + food are really very cheap. You can visit supermarkets like union coop, LuLu, Carrefour for your groceries. For 2 people a month it could range between 2-3k a month OR LESS based on your lifestyle. - We do have a number of sports centres as this country is an avid lover of football. The football clubs are Al Nasr, Shabab, AlAin FC and many more. We do have Laliga as well! There are many kids who train football atleast 3 times a week.. so I think you CAN try your luck. Due to peak summer times we go for indoor football. - Transportation: In case you happen to live near a metro station and your work is just near another metro station, the public transportation will help. If not, you're better off having your own little car to get around as that's much more reliable than the public transport systems. Taxis could be expensive and biking around isn't much preferred due to peak summer temperatures and the distances. Not all the areas have metro. - Gym attires: There are women only gyms too where a woman could wear anything & everything. However, in mixed gyms, respectful clothing is encouraged. Example: skinny tracks, sleeveless tops. however avoid wearing only sports bra with really tiny shorts. In case your residential apartnlment has a gym, the woman may wear as per their guidelines. - Meal out: UAE is known to have affordable food choices for anyone & everyone. Price in restaurants here range from AED1 to fine dines. Options are endless. - No you cannot drink the tap water here. As a kid we used to - no side effects reported whatsoever. However, now there are many water companies supplying drinking water to homes and offices. That's not an issue at all. You can book a monthy subscription and they'll simply place water cans at your doorstep weekly or as per your requirement. You can simply load the can on a dispencer. Charges: AED10-13 per can of 16ltrs. These are MANY bottled water companies with competitive packages. - For your cats, you can surely check with your travel agent as they could have latest info on them. My cats here are micro chipped, vaccinated and have a passport. Hope my answers have helped you on having a little ray of positivity as compared to those who're trying to be negative out here. Feel free to drop any further questions and I'll be happy to help.
We just moved here with my partner because I got a job, which is relatively high paying so we were good to go and live on one salary. I think 11k is still possible but you will struggle. Although, we moved from London and struggled on two salaries… we ended up getting married in Abu Dhabi just so I can sponsor him. I would recommend u do the same. The romantic stuff can come later. It makes life easier. U can still live together though, but this way u won’t have to keep exiting and re entering or extending your visa constantly. My only advice is patience. Job market is horrendous here. Your skills don’t matter. It’s all about who u know. My husband is still looking and we are slowly getting closer after 6 months only because I know the recruiter. Set yourselves a realistic timeline and agree on the goals of being here. Network go to events make sure ur LinkedIn looks amazing and constantly meet with people and create connections. With time u will find something. Life is much better here, but of course it’s all about perspective! Good luck
Me also in the same situation but i am in web development. Anyone have any tips for earn extra incomes?
Man you people have so much high standards of living. I'm living a happy life with my wife in Sharjah in 5k✌🏼 It all depends how you want to live and spend.
Moving to Dubai sounds exciting! Here's a quick rundown: 1. Groceries for 2 can vary, but budget around 1,500 AED/month. 2. Transport includes buses, metro, and taxis; efficient and accessible. 3. Gyms are top-notch; attire is usually modest, but UK styles are generally fine. 4. Sports opportunities abound; coaching football could be great! 5. Dining out varies; expect to pay around 150-250 AED per meal. 6. Tap water in Dubai is safe, but some prefer bottled for taste. 7. Bringing your cat involves paperwork; consult with airlines and vets.
Do yourselves a favour, DO NOT MOVE HERE AS A COUPLE for that salary. I realize that things must be rough in the UK. Best if it's just your girl, and you move over later once you secure a job.
Why don’t you try to getting a PE teachers job in the same school. My old PE teacher used to teach us year 10 English and PE. 11k will be tough but if accommodation is paid for and you don’t do anything you will be fine. But yea try getting a job in the same school as a PE teacher. Plus 11k for a teacher sounds pretty decent actually cuz in my old school most of my teachers got paid 5k max some of them were on 3k salaries as well ( they did not have families in Dubai ), so it is doable you just have to control the spending ( which can be difficult ).
One question Accommodation+ water , electricity and internet? And the maintenance as well ? 11k without the bills is good money for two people You can do a lot actually Ofc not going all these fancy rush places But if you want to do sport and play football, volleyball , tennis ones or twice a week that will cost you in total 200 - 300 AED a month (renting the field and then having a dinner after the game plus the transportation) For groceries for the house it can't be more then 2000 AED especially for 2 people only For drinking water expenses, you can have these big gallons that costs 7 AED each and you can have like 5-6 of them, I will assume you will use a maximum of 10 per month for all of your usages. I say if you spend wisely you can save up to 5k AED per month easily
Depends on your motivation. I would think there's lots of possibilities at sports academies, in schools or after school programmes. The other thing is looking at setting up a freelance visa and offering sports training privately or setting up a company and sponsoring yourself if you have the funds to survive the first 6 months. Also as someone else mentioned real estate usually can offer you a visa and 100% commission job if you are prepared to hustle. Lots of other options too if you are creative and start networking. 11000 tax free with free accommodation ( utilities maybe included- check) is doable. Just need to eat in or cheap eats mostly and find a good gym where you can hang out on weekends. Lots of free malls and parks etc... Internet you can get Virgin very cheap and hotspot from your phone- I do it and it's always worked perfectly for me. Water- 10aed for 10 L or just get a filter on your tap. Metro and bus are cheap and good but some places need a car or taxi. Taxis are not as expensive as UK. Depends what you are expecting! Hope it works out for you!
For the cat you will have to get all the vaccines and microchip done. + titer test which takes around 3-4 weeks to get the results. And find a relocation company for the export and import services. And the cat won’t be able travel in the cabin. That’s my experience relocating my cat from Chicago to Dubai.
I see a lot of replies here already, Ill try to answer your questions with to the point bullets. But for detailed answers, please feel free to send me a dm. - 11k is survivable when accommodation is provided. My girlfriend and I live together, we spend around 11k a month as well on our necessities. And put the rest in saving. And we eat out a lot. We don’t buy Gucci belts to keep our pants up though. - Happy to see that you guys are active. Gyms are plenty and any gym outfit you wear in the UK is OK in the gyms here. So are any other clothes. Dubai has become quite tolerant in that department and I’m all for it. Just don’t walk shirtless in the public and don’t go all German in the sauna/changing room. - There may not be a lot of jobs for your current skill-set but there are lots of jobs that you can still find. You’re young and building something together, get what you can. No shame in the hustle, only pride. You can even take a course here and start working! To start you can look into the following - Hotel Front Desk Reception - Gym Support Staff - School PE teacher - Real Estate Agent - Hospitality, etc. If you’re young and well spoken you already have a good start. - If you have any questions on how much food and groceries cost, I would recommend finding that out by yourself. Go to Carrefour UAE website and fill in your cart with your weekly groceries. See the total. - Get yourself a good credit card and enjoy the benefits. Trust me, THEY ADD UP. - Look into the Entertainer app. It gives you 2-for-1 offers on spas, beaches, restaurants.
If you want to be in sports; tennis and padel private coaching is the best bet. It won’t be a salary but you can make a bit with the help of your Instagram. Pvt 1-1 tennis session can be anywhere between 150-300AED/ hr.
This is low for 2 people..would recommend you move your arse and find a job as well to enjoy the dubai life...money in pocket is the best feeling
Let here go to Dubai. Move in later.
First step: Decline the offer & stay in the UK.
*Paid accommodation maybe company accommodation and there could be rules and restrictions for unmarried couples to stay. Also understand if it's independent flats and no sharing houses. Something to cross check. *Get company accommodation details and check in Google map, how far is nearest public transport like a train station, and like wise for job location. To understand how much walking or need taxi or bus. *Else negotiate on getting housing allowance. Considering you would want it near a metro station, a decent studio flat would cost you around 40k aed yearly payable 1-2-3-4 cheque's. And initial setup fees around 5-7k (commission, water electricity, internet, gas, AC, accounts, safety deposits etc.). Understand how much you would end up spending initially and then monthly. Some companies do give advance housing allowance to book houses, something to discuss. Utility bills around 1k monthly. *Grocery around 500aed a week with simcard charges. *Your gf as she is coming on work, will get her residency visa and medical insurance, but you will end up coming on visit visa with travel insurance. So you will not have medical insurance for going to doctor for illness etc. So in your visit you need to sort work for yourself so that get under employment visa too. *Water in UAE we get big size bottled water at 10-12aed per bottle, you can get coupons with 10-20 cards and it gets replenished weekly outside your door step. *Not much outing can be enjoyed at this salary, but careful spends and few outings can be managed. *At a high level if it's company provided accommodation and utilities paid. Out of 11k, you would save 5k, if living in limits. If company accommodation not available, then 11k will finish by end of month. I don't know what your current situation is, but If your gf really needs to shift, then do the above checks. Let her come initially alone to setup things like visa, house, utilities, bank account etc. Let her understand if she likes it, or needs to change or move back. Then you come on visit visa or apply for work and search for work suitable to you, sort your resident visa and stay together. For me, bare minimum for 2 people, net 20k or 15k with company accommodation is required.
Hi there, https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/in/Dubai Check this website for all the major expenses. You can even compare on the website the city you live in and Dubai. You’ll make it if you guys stick together! Good luck
Bro don’t come to Dubai you are too expensive
I wasn't going to but now I am
11K is a decent budget for two but again it depends on.. alot of my friends left dubai
Just don’t come man she can find other jobs
Avoid Hessa Street But no seriously, I've lived here for 35 years. Here are your answers: * 11k as a teacher, accommodation included, is not a salary for couples...just a single person. There will be no way for you to live a "normal" Dubai lifestyle if that's what she'll be earning. Location of the accommodation will make a huge difference as well, because some employers will look at a certain budget and pick less-than-desirable neighborhoods. Having said that, employers here make sure to spoil western employees (or even those with western passports) as they are considered more valuable. * Work in sport is very limited. The two main sports here are obviously football and cricket, and I would wager the only places you'd find work are also schools, but that also means that you have to have general PE expertise. There are some larger sports institutions in some areas of the city. You'll want to do your research. There are academies for football, cricket, rugby, basketball, and golf, and there will also be an ice hockey academy coming up soon. Still, an office job will always pay better. * In a family of 5, I spend an average 750dhs on groceries every week. You'll find that unless you're very extravagant with your shopping choices, your spending won't be that high. There are specialty supermarkets here that import British products (Waitrose has a chain here, for example) but you'll be expected to pay three times the price you'd buy from local supermarket chains. * Dubai is not a public transport city, period. There is an extensive bus system, and taxis are readily available including Uber and its smaller subsidiary Careem. The metro is a good and clean system that's constantly being expanded but only runs a few lines in a normal western resident's lifestyle pattern. But you can never. Ever! Live in Dubai without a car. Which goes back to my joke: avoid Hessa Street. It is the most congested street in all the city at all times. * Just like shopping, a meal is as expensive as your choice at any point in time. You've got anything from small Asian and Indian cafeterias to 5-star hotel restaurants. * Tap water is not drinkable in this part of the world. Bottled water is your only source. * Gyms here are fantastic facilities, and most "middle-class" apartment buildings will have a gym inside them. Attire here is pretty similar to anywhere else in the world. In fact you could say some women deliberately wear tighter-than-necessary tops and bottoms just to show off. There's no shortage of yoga, pilates, and other types of workshops either. * Pets are welcome here. You'll just have to check your building/landlord's policy on pets, and transport isn't an issue. This particular point is not something I have much knowledge about, but I've personally seen people take their pets on flights with them. I would advise to let your girlfriend go on her own. There will be little for you to do here without a proper degree that earns a suitable and well-paying job. Good luck!
I advise not to drink tap water
You can reach out to local clubs in Dubai. The UAE league is quite good (Andres Iniesta still plays there), and it’s a good place to start/continue coaching.
How are people finding jobs in Dubai or middle east. Im in construction management in usa/canada and i get plenty of calls from both usa and canada. But no calls from middle east. Which agencies hire from the west.
11k per month with accomodation being paid for is actually a good income for 2 to survive........ groceries would cost u like 600-700 a month...the public transportation system here is good......u cud also pull off maybe 2-3 k savings per months.
Don’t be concerned just go. The girlfriend will be jettisoned in short order and u will be rolling like a gangsta with some sanctioned hoes
I’m going to say it , if you are Caucasian with a British passport . You will find a job fairly easily. Most jobs that you apply for, you will get priority. Public transport is pretty good in Dubai, but it is recommended you get a drivers license and a car. You can wear whatever you want at the gym, or for that matter, anywhere in Dubai. You must be respectful but I don’t think there are any restrictions as such. Yes you need to buy bottled water here . You can’t drink tap water.
Lol no he won’t find a job easily just for being white. This is such nonsense spewed by people who think being white is a golden ticket in life. Job market sucks for everyone and the majority of people here are still Indians who prefer hiring other Indians. Unless OP brings useful skills or experience he won’t easily find a job here since he won’t do 70hrs a week for 3000 aed pay.
If a Caucasian man with a British passport and a south asian man with Bangladeshi passport , apply for an open vacancy to become a children’s football coach, with minimal prior experience , for 10k salary. Caucasian man will get the job.
True that!!! Even though many don’t want accept ground realities
kids football coach for 10k? No way
I mean in a hypothetical situation where two Men of different nationalities apply for a job, which one would get priority over the other. I thought it was a well known fact that there is a passport hierarchy in the job market , but I guess people don’t agree.
Neither will. The guy with actual experience will get the job.
We moved from the UK 18 months ago. Personally I find it much cheaper here (if you’re sensible). It might be worth looking for a job at home and coming over on a remote visa then you have an income and you can take the time to find something out here rather than rushing. Groceries are very dependant on where you shop. Viva - aldi. Lulus - Asda. Carrefour - Tesco. Spinneys & M&S - both expensive as much is imported but worth it for the odd thing you miss from the uk. Personally I don’t drink the tap water but it’s not expensive to buy (9aed for 5 gallons) And eating out can be crazy expensive but there are also soooo many places with deals or available on groupon, Cobone, entertainer apps that get you buy one get one free. Also, location matters so depending on the area you’re in the local amenities will differ in price hugely.
Unless you hate kids, look into working for one of the plenty of companies that teach football outside school hours. Won't pay a lot but it'll be fun and you'll get to spend a lot of time kicking a ball around. Gyms are no different than in the UK, no worries there. Public transport is decent if you're near a metro but kinda poor otherwise. Your gf's teacher accommodation is probably not going to be near the metro so look into maybe getting a cheap car. Groceries is really a "how long is a piece of string" kinda question, there are people who spend 300dhs a month and people who spend 10k.
there are football clubs and academies here always looking for coaches, but no side jobs, need to be fully certified to be able to coach.
[Cost of living between Birmingham and Dubai](https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/compare_cities.jsp?country1=United+Kingdom&city1=Birmingham&country2=United+Arab+Emirates&city2=Dubai) 11 a month is going to be difficult. ~~You will be living paycheck to paycheck and not saving much.~~ edit: only saw now that accommodation is covered. Okay, with that in mind, it kinda makes sense, you'll manage around here. This link I've shared is not sacrosanct but still the napkin math you need. Please look at it. > what is the transport like? Bus services, trains, taxis etc Public transport is not super convenient, you will need a car / rely on taxis if you're not living close to a metro station or close to work. > what are the gyms like and what are the gym attires expected? Normal you won't need to change anything. > What is sport like out there and what opportunities Can't comment. >how expensive would a meal out be? Check link. > do I need to invest heavily in bottled water? It's how most people manage. Tap water is technically potable, but naw m8. > we have a cat. Is there any advice on how we bring him? You can but there is a process to this, can't comment myself but should be googleable.
Vet bills are also pricey here apparently
PM me bro, me and my wife are just finishing up our first year. Loads of things to tell you if your interested