Job Discussion Forums

[yamahuh]

Hi all, I have only just started to peruse this forum and am a bit surprised by the lack of FAQ stickys. A couple of 'sticky' threads regarding cost of living, reasonable salary expectations and benefit packages in relation to education and experience would stop newbies such as myself from asking the same question over and over again ad infinitum.

Anyway, enough complaining; it's not a good way to start off is it?

I'm starting to get a bit of an idea for how things operate and what is considered a decent salary and benefits but it's kinda useless without knowing what the cost of living is like in KSA.

To put that in perspective; my wife and I make a combined income of about $4500 Cdn per month (at current exchange rates) in Taiwan; we pay our own rent and bills; had to buy a scooter to get to various schools; have only one week off with pay and pay for our own flights with no end of contract bonus.
BUT the cost of living is so minimal here that we still managed to save over $12K in our first 6 months here.

So if we came to KSA and were making a reasonable wage with paid accomodations, paid flights and vacation time, travel allowance, medical insurance, settling in allowance etc would it be reasonable to assume we could save half our wages?

Thanks guys.

[15yearsinQ8]

if you had the background to teach k-12, you'd be hired as a couple at one school and be able to save more

[yamahuh]

Well we have every intention of both working but I'm not sure what k-12 is. Care to elaborate?
What's with all the acronyms on the ME forums?


OK I guess what I was asking for was actual approximate costs for things that people usually require. Water / Electricity / Internet access / Cable per month, cost of an average meal at a restaurant (nothing outlandish just your regular family type place), cost of street eats, haircuts, gym membership, bread, etc...

Anything at all would be greatly appreciated and help me to get an idea of what we could expect to save.

[cmp45]

[yamahuh]

Not to be nit-picky but what does 'fairly reasonable' mean exactly?
(No offense intended BTW) I know how far a $ Cdn in local currency will go in China and Taiwan but have no idea how far it will go in KSA.

[cmp45]

well of course it depends upon your lifestyle... Personally, I have satellite TV and satellite internet which I pay total approx. 160 a month CAD. I spend aprox. 150-200 Riyals a week on food, but I rarely eat out, I prefer to cook at home. Water and electricty for me, averages about 50-60 riyals a month in the somewhat cooler months Nov to March... but shoots up considerably April to Nov. approx 150- 200 riyals a month.

as far as other things like haircuts, restaurants, etc...you can shop / eat at some very cheap local places or head to the 5 star venues and high end markets....bottom line is you can save as much or as little as you feel the need certainly if you were eaning 4,000 CAD a month you could easily save half of that a month, if not more...depending on how miserly you are.

I don't really bother with the costs of things and still manage to save over half my salary amonth, I also get extra in overtime pay as well which really boosts the salary.

[MyTrunkshow]

Absolutely you can.

I lived in TW for 4 years. I began here this semester. Quit at summer's beginning, took off from Yung Ho, went home to NS for the summer and am now here. I can relate to your question.

The cost of living is low here. If you saved half in TW, then you could at least save half here without penny pinching. The prices for western goods is lower than or equal to the west. Some things are great value but because accommodation is furnished, I haven't bought many big ticket items besides IKEA knick-knacks.

Prices were a surprise for me when I came here as to how inexpensive food was compared to other western and Asian Tigers where I have lived.
The exchange rate is fixed at 3.75riyals to the US dollar.


Some rough examples.......Riyals...................... Approx. US.

Cigs(20 pack cheap one)..5sr.............................$1.50
Gasoline(91 oct/gallon)... 1.8sr............................ $0.48 (12cents/litre)
Onions(1.5kg) - ..............1.5sr.............................$0.40
Key cutting......................4sr...............................$1.05
Haircut for man................5sr...............................$1.40
Underwear/t-shirts............8sr..............................$2.50
Striploin (choice) (kg)......37sr.............................$10.00
Chicken..(4 chests)........12sr..............................$3.50
Coke/all soft drinks...........1sr..............................$0.27
Restaurant 1/2 chix.........10sr...............................$2.70
Thick bath towels............25sr...............................$7.50
McD's Big Mac Meal.........15sr..............................$4.20
12 hr Int'l Bus ride.........135sr.............................$36.00
8 ball in nice cafe/hr........20sr...............................$6.00
Local city bus....................ha, ha, ha
HP Printer F4180.............210sr.............................$58.00
Arab News.....................2 or 3 riyal......................under a buck
Massage...1/hr ...............100................................$27
Starbucks big, big latte....17sr..............................$4.50
Small chix shawarma (Sandwich)....3-4sr.................$1
Car detailing..in/out..........10sr...............................$2.70

Some here claim to save 90% of their salaries...and I'm sure they do. I will too after setup costs are complete..and they almost are. I bought a car and have fixed up my place with nice lighting and some good pots/pans, even tho some were provided. Labor is done mostly by SE Asians or Sub continentals. Therefore, car repairs, transportation, and installing anything is quite low priced. One of the reasons for the low prices is the low cost of gas. It's dirt cheap to get something from here to there.

My car broke down and I was towed 300km yesterday. Cost was 250sr ($68us). Craftmanship on labor can be questionable though. Check that your tires have the bolts on tight. The mechanic didn't replace the radiator cap and now, I need to replace a cylinder or head gasket..don't know yet and hope it isn't much more.

Car insurance for a late model Nissa Sunny 450sr/year...$120us.
Drivers license for 10 years...just dropped to 150sr........$40us.
Speeding ticket...150sr to 500 sr for seriously over...(direct quoted from the policeman who drove me home yesterday. He told me that their 'official' unofficial policy is no tickets under 130km/hr on fast roads.) Yesteday while in his car, we clocked dozens of cars nearing 180km/hr and he didn't stop anyone....then he drove 180 at one point and squealed his tires. I shat.

Standards are loose here, so someone else will have paid a different amt for the same thing. My student paid 900 sr for his auto insurance one year and 500 the previous year and 800 the year before that. He had no accidents. Also prices vary.... haircut prices are likely more outside a small city, a latte in my school is 3sr, 8sr at the cafe and 17 at Starbucks.

All the above prices are current since my arrival in late October/2008.

You will find saving money is easy here if you have a fairly reasonable living standard. It is quite possible to spend 2000sr/person without watching your cost of living and get along very well. The rest is forwarded home.

Regards,
mts

[MyTrunkshow]

Ha...from the time I began typing, 5 posts were added! My initial comment of 'Absolutely you can.' referred to the ops final question.

pm me if interested yamahuh

mts.

[yamahuh]

MyTrunkshow, this is gonna sound weird but I was just talking to a guy I work with tonight who is from Nova Scotia.
He mentioned that someone who used to work in this town had gone home to Canada and then (for whatever reason) had relocated to KSA.

Which begs my question:
Did you ever work in Putzi, Chiayi County, Taiwan?

Thaks for the awesome informative post BTW (damn acronyms eh ... )

[MyTrunkshow]

I was working in Yung Ho, TPE Co. There are several who have recently made the jump tho. I don't know their home province.

mts.

[007]

[MyTrunkshow]

haircut for man.......5sr

The hairdresser isn't Bangladeshi or Pakistani.

5sr = 5 sr(i) lankans



The problem with the massage is it isn't like Thailand's. It's all in the hands **V

And go back a few months for Uncle Scotty. I believe, he's clockin in about spending 2000/mo if I recall..and he ain't doin any overtime.

But, allow me to add that with the correct mindset, this can be a satisfying gig. The right frame of mind and thorough research prior to coming can make or break this place. As johnslat once said... KSA teaches patience. Many things are questionable, but the locals do it and they seem happy enough. But happiness here has to do with personality as much as anything. Flexibility, adaptability, oneself as a primary resource, self-esteem, and control of reactionary outbursts are apparent to some degree in the experienced, settled and content expats here. At least, this is what I've picked up in 6 weeks of arriving and am doing the same.

mts

[Never Ceased To Be Amazed]

[Mia Xanthi]

The problem with saving in Saudi Arabia is that it is boring, and that most people have to spend money on little luxuries just to keep themselves happy enough to stay in the country. However, even the luxuries are not outrageously expensive. I spend 300 SR/month for upgraded satellite TV, and 300 SR/month for fast internet, and both are worth every penny.

For a small family, you can expect to spend 1500 SR/month on food at a minimum. Food is relatively cheap, and can be quite cheap if you stay away from imported, prepared foods.

In most average restaurants, two people can have a decent meal for 100 SR. You can get good Lebanese takeout for two for 50 SR.

The best deal? Movies and booze. Can't buy either, so it saves you a bundle.

Transportation gets expensive any way you look at it. Even a short taxi ride costs 15 SR, and most places will cost you 40 SR round-trip. This adds up, especially when you first arrive and need to get things set up. People who go out often may find it cheaper to have their own car - unless, of course, you are a single woman, in which case you have no option but to take taxis.

[MyTrunkshow]