Job Discussion Forums

[nomad soul]

[izmigari]

[ajankows]

I smell some trolls. As a teacher who is currently going to the UAE in the next month. Could we please ask those who do know, what is the cost of living outside of Abu Dhabi.

[canadianUAE]

[peripatetic_soul]

Dear Ajankows,

It's true that housing varies considerably within each emirate. I'm still in touch with former colleagues teaching in various emirates so let us know where you will be headed.

What dragonpiwo said is also true that the entire year's rent must be paid in advance along with agent's fees and utility deposits.

You pose an important question--What happens to all that rent money if one does not pass probation or contract is terminated before the contract year ends? Those who leave under such circumstances rarely post here. Hopefully someone will fill us in. No one's position is secure which is a compelling reason not to buy property or take out a huge bank loan for a vehicle (as VS has discussed in former threads).

In years past, when some institutions such as HCT and ZU provided free housing and established contracts with various landlords, rents remained relatively stable. However, after a few years, there were increases in rental rates, but our allowances began to decrease. Now, although there is a housing allowance at HCT, contracted housing is not provided for up front so you are at the mercy of the landlord's quoted (and often changing) rates and potential lack of maintenance and needed repairs.

Another consideration to factor into savings would be food/petrol. While I was there, food costs typically increased 50-70% each year at markets such as Carrefour and Spinney's which is why I often shopped at the small, local shops. Of course, purchasing imports will hike up the weekly grocery bill. Hope this info helps.

Regards,
PS

[Geronimo]

Hello anjankows,

The dubizzle website has been recommended several times on various U.A.E. forum threads.
Have you visited it yet? If not, here's the link...
https://abudhabi.dubizzle.com/property-for-rent/residential/?price__gte=&price__lte=&bedrooms__gte=0&bedrooms__lte=12&places__id__in=Start+typing+here&places__id__in=&building__in=Start+typing+here&keywords=&is_basic_search_widget=1&is_search=1

If you use its dropdown listing of the Emirates in the 'Search' facility,
the regional differences in rent levels should soon become apparent.
Rents in Abu Dhabi city are significantly higher than in Al Ain, for example.
I reckon the difference per month would be in the region of around AED.3,000 for a 2 bedroom apartment.

Not all rental agreements in the U.A.E. are paid for by ONE cheque covering the total cost of the full 12 months.
In fact, in Al Ain at any rate, rental payment cheques for 6 month periods are quite commonplace.

EMKWAN explains the payment processes which are generally applicable for accommodation costs across the U.A.E. at the outset
of his "Finding Accommodation in Abu Dhabi" vlog episode.

Then he goes on to identify the current rental ranges for the various areas of Abu Dhabi city
where expats typically go in search of villas and apartments...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0623SVMI0Dc

Geronimo

[dragonpiwo]

The best bang for your buck in AD is Reem Island. 70-80,000 will get you a studio, pools, gyms and tennis courts. 2 or 3 malls nearby. 5 minutes and 10 DHS by taxi to Abu Dhabi Mall and about 15 to the Corniche beaches.

Setting up costs around 100k.

On Reem you don't need a car either.

You can go live in MBZ or KCA but they are miles out and inland. Yas is way outta most teachers' budgets. In TCA, the flats can be pretty old and not really my cuppa.

[izmigari]

[dragonpiwo]

If you lose your job, it depends on the contract you have re renting. Non-tawtheek and you could lose everything but if you have tawtheek, it's 2 months in my contract.

I have friends at ADEC and their gig seems to be pretty good. They get less cash but their 1-bed is paid for, so it works out better for the married guys. They also get home pretty early every day. Adveti's offer on the net just isn't enough in AD. 21k with no free housing will leave you with about 12-14k a month. You won't save much of