Some were only told, while others were convinced personally that life in the UAE is quite expensive. Of course, wages here are significantly higher compared to other countries. Unskilled workers receive $1,600-2,000 monthly. The average salary is $3,500, above-average income is approximately $7,500-8,500. Good specialists can earn up to 80 thousand dollars a month.
But the cost of essential goods, such as food and clothing, is very significant. As well as prices for water and electricity. Let’s figure out how much locals spend on food, clothing, rental housing and other needs, and whether living in the Emirates really requires a lot of money.
Housing and utility bills
Buying your own home
The minimum cost of a residential square meter in the country is approximately $2,000. However, prices vary significantly. For example, if purchasing a “square” in Dubai in the Silicon Oasis area will cost $2,150, then in Dubai Marina you will have to pay $4,500 for it.
Apartment rental
Renting a home in Dubai is also not a cheap pleasure. The most affordable prices for expats in Deira. This is a neighborhood with old houses, where in most cases unskilled workers live. At the same time, you have to pay extra for furniture or buy it yourself. You can rent a studio apartment for 1 thousand dollars a month, and this is the cheapest option. In more prestigious areas, apartments already cost $2,500-3,000.
It is much cheaper to rent an apartment in Ajman; here you can find a one-room apartment by the sea for one person for only $600-800.
Payment of utilities
If you don’t save, then utility costs can hit your budget hard. Prices for electricity and water in the UAE are very high. They try to minimize the use of water and air conditioning even in unbearable heat. Otherwise, monthly costs may reach $1,000.
Payment is calculated based on meter readings. One resident of a studio apartment will pay approximately $70 per month for utilities. Two people living in a slightly larger home will have to allocate at least $120-150 for these purposes.
Also in the United Arab Emirates they charge a housing fee, calculated on the amount paid by the tenant for the apartment (5%). You will have to pay another $100 for home Internet. Thus, the total monthly utility costs for two people living in an apartment will be $300-320.
Food and clothing
Groceries
There are two types of grocery supermarkets in the UAE. Some are intended for local residents, others for tourists. However, their prices differ significantly.
The cheapest grocery stores in Dubai are located in Deira (an area largely populated by expats on low wages). As for the central part of the city and the areas that tourists like to visit, here prices increase 2-3 times compared to the outskirts.
We suggest that you familiarize yourself with the average prices for popular types of products in Dubai:
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- Milk – 1 dollar per liter;
- Chicken (breast) – 3;
- Butter (400 gram pack) – 4;
White bread (loaf) – 1;
- Potatoes (1 kg) – 1;
- Chicken carcass – 3-4;
- Sour cream (200- gram pack) – 3;
- Beef (kg) – 8;
- Rice (1 kg) – 1-2;
- Water (one and a half liter bottle) – 1;
- Beer – from 5 ;
- Sardines (1 kg) – 2.
Dubai food supermarkets also sell baked goods from local producers. It is quite affordable for everyone. In addition, you can also buy soup here, its cost is slightly more than 1 dollar.
Street food
It’s quite possible to have a quick and inexpensive snack on the street. At the same time, you can be sure that the food is of high quality, since the state strictly controls this issue. The price of a flatbread with filling is 1 dollar, shawarma costs one and a half, falafel costs 2, and a large pizza costs about 10 dollars. Eating in a cafe in a shopping center will cost much more (the cost of a cup of coffee is approximately 4.5 dollars, a burger – 8 dollars).
Cafes and restaurants
Indian cafes offer national dishes, the most popular and affordable is masala dosa (a type of crispy thin pancakes with potatoes and masala spices). In Arab cafes you can inexpensively order a dish of fried chicken with rice, vegetables and sauce.
In the center of the capital in a restaurant you will have to pay 8 dollars for a sandwich, a cup of coffee costs not much less (about 7 dollars), and dessert – 10-15 dollars. A coffee roll will cost a little less.
For dinner or lunch for two of three courses in a cafe, an average of 200-300 dirhams ($50-80) is spent.
That is, if you mostly cook on your own and sometimes have a snack in Arab and Indian cafes, then the expenses for food per month will amount to approximately 30 to 45 thousand rubles.
Clothing
The country has many shopping centers, which are mostly concentrated in Dubai. The most prestigious of them include Dubai Mall, Gold and Diamond Park, etc.
The best place to buy clothes and shoes are the stores of the Day to Day chain. They are popular with both locals and travelers. Those who like to bargain and buy cheaper are better off going to the Karama clothing market. Here you can easily buy a T-shirt for a hundred rubles, a sweater for around 300, inexpensive jeans, the cost of which does not exceed 550 rubles.
Large shopping centers offer an assortment for every taste and financial opportunity. It is practiced here to separate goods into price categories, each of which has an entire floor.
You can buy good clothes at competitive prices by visiting the Dubai Shopping Festival (it runs almost the entire month of January). Discounts reach 70%. Festivals with sales are also held during Ramadan (May-June), but the discounts here are lower.
Transport and communications
Travel by public transport
The cost of travel on the metro depends on the duration of the journey. To purchase a bus ticket you need approximately 100 rubles. They also sell monthly passes.
Taxi
Getting into a taxi costs 1.5-2 dollars (110-150 rubles), the cost of a kilometer is about half of this amount. If a taxi is stuck in a traffic jam or waiting for a client, then he will have to pay about 600 rubles for each hour.
The cost of travel from the airport to the center of Dubai varies from 750 to 2500 rubles. In case of crossing internal borders, that is, the borders of the emirates, you will have to pay 370 rubles.
Trips with your own car
Gasoline is inexpensive, about 44.5 rubles. At the same time, its consumption when traveling around Dubai and other large populated areas of the country is quite high. Standing in traffic jams and running the air conditioner to cool the interior have a significant impact. It should also be taken into account that roads in the country are toll (the owner will have to pay from 400 to 800 rubles for the arch). Don’t forget about the huge fines – those who exceed the speed limit will be forced to pay approximately 4,500 rubles.
Mobile communication services
In the UAE, two companies provide mobile communications key operators – Etisalat and Du. The cost of a SIM card for the first of them is $40, for the second – $15. For a minute of an outgoing call within the country you will have to pay 0.2 dollars, a minute of communication with a subscriber abroad will cost 1 dollar.
When purchasing a SIM card, you must present your passport. Top up your phone using a payment card, which is sold in all public establishments. When using the mobile Internet, you are charged per second, which comes out to approximately $3 per hour. However, you can use free Wi-Fi. Such points are everywhere.
What else is money spent on
Entertainment and sports
Trips to the gym or fitness center will cost from 7,000 rubles. per month. To go ice skating, you will have to pay 1 thousand rubles.
The cost of an excursion in Dubai on average is about 3,700 rubles, but for a walk through the Burj Khalifa building you will have to spend at least 11 thousand.
Those who want to enjoy the sights without spending money should visit the aquarium located in the city of Molle. You can also admire the colorful dancing fountains for free.
You don’t have to pay to visit the public beach either. But entrance to private beaches is paid, the price is approximately 100-150 rubles. It is worth considering that the price does not include payment for a sunbed and an umbrella (approximately 590 rubles).
Medical services
In 2014, the law on compulsory health insurance. The basic package costs $170 per year. This amount is quite affordable even for people receiving the minimum wage. At the same time, at the client’s request, the package may include additional insurance services.
The amount of coverage with the minimum package is slightly more than 3 million rubles. Moreover, each time visiting a doctor, the holder of such a policy is obliged to pay 20% of the cost of the service.
Insurance for people over the age of 60 is completely different and costs at least 50,000 rubles per year. It is important to know that during the first six months after the client enters into an agreement with the insurer, he is not compensated for treatment costs. However, after six months, insurance can even be used to cover the costs of treatment of long-term illnesses, including chronic ones.
Lack of insurance entails a fine of approximately 11,000 rubles per month, that is, obtaining a policy in a timely manner is much more profitable.
If you are planning to move to the United Arab Emirates for permanent residence, then you need to be prepared for the fact that Every month you will spend over 200,000 rubles on life. (based on two people living in a rented apartment, using public transport and having health insurance, cooking at home in most cases, only occasionally visiting cafes or entertainment events). A significant plus is that winter clothes and shoes are not needed here. The cost of living in a studio apartment in Dubai is approximately 150 thousand rubles.
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