Living in Dubai vs. Australia? Opinions?

[mae2014]

Hey mumsnetters,

As a backstory, I'm 27 and have been offered to move to Dubai with my work with 3 other girls I work with - were all similar ages.

My dilemma is, I was initially thinking of jacking in my job and moving over to Australia on a working holiday visa.

Has anyone lived/been to both and can advise which is better? in your opinion?

For Dubai, Id be on 32,000€ a year plus commission (600–1000€ a month)—my boss will be paying the first 3 months of accommodation, and then I will be contributing 450–750€ a month towards my rent and ill be paying utilies, it will be a 2 year contract.

The alternative to this is to sell my car (about 8k) and head over to my best friend in Brisbane and travel the east coast for 2 months and then find myself a job.

Really torn in what to do, I've always wanted to go Australia and feel like the lifestyle is more me, but then feel like its more logical to go to Dubai,

Please please give me some helpful advice, i need to decide over the next few days as my boss would like an answer xxx

[Revelatio]

Personally I could never live in Dubai. The wage seems very low for Dubai, what would you be doing? Usually the reason people move out is to save money as their pay is 5x the amount back home.

[mae2014]

I'll be in sales, but ill be stepping up as a manager to move over there x

[mitogoshi]

That's a low wage for Dubai, it's very expensive I'm told. Are they covering healthcare? Flights home? How much are utilities? Etc the people I know there are earning £200k plus and still moan it doesn't go far enough!

[useitorlose]

What would your salary be in AED? That's the easiest way to know if it is worth it. Retail roles are generally taken by other nationalities so I'm guessing you mean sales of a different sort.

[Bansheed]

Have lived in both. I would say you need at least 20k aed a month in dubai, and even then it would be hard. I wouldn't do it for less tha 30k. If you are in sales, I would go to oz, get some more experience. However, I do not know what the job market is like there now. Have a look on job websites. I had an absolute ball there in my late 20s. I settled in Sydney and had great temping jobs. However, it did set my career back a couple of years. Wouldn't change it though!

[Kyogo67]

I agree wage is too low for Dubai.
You wouldn't be able to enjoy the lifestyle there on that wage

[useitorlose]

@mitogoshi

That's a low wage for Dubai, it's very expensive I'm told. Are they covering healthcare? Flights home? How much are utilities? Etc the people I know there are earning £200k plus and still moan it doesn't go far enough!

The employer has to provide health insurance, it is the law. You can certainly live on a lot less than £200k, especially as a single person. Rent could be 5000AED for a room in a shared villa including bills.

[mae2014]

Ill be on about 3,000 euro / 12k aed a month if that means anything to anyone?

rent and utilies will be about 1000 a month id say with my boss paying a large chunk,

ive never been before so i dont really know if thats any good?

[useitorlose]

It's a great place to live and you won't pay tax. Teachers are often on around 12-14k and they have their accommodation provided. If you're earning that salary, you will need the same benefits or you will have very little left over.

[GrimDamnFanjo]

No experience of either but I'd choose Australia. There just seems too many potential complications with the Dubai option.

[Bansheed]

I had teacher friends and they struggled. Yes they had accom and they had no travel costs as the accom was next to the school but they were a couple and had very little spare cash. Also had a boyfriend on 20k a month in dubai , a fair while ago, which he struggled with. Of course you can cut your cloth but I would go to oz and get more sales experience in a different culture where there is whole demographic on similar.

[Commonhousewitch]

you could do both can't you- go to dubai and still jack in the job in a couple of years- or is there a time limit for Australia?

[Wildehorses]

Friends out in Dubai earn 5,000 euro a month and get all their accommodation paid for … 3,000 euro a month is nowhere near enough, from what I am told ….

[FreeZor]

@mae2014

Ill be on about 3,000 euro / 12k aed a month if that means anything to anyone?

rent and utilies will be about 1000 a month id say with my boss paying a large chunk,

ive never been before so i dont really know if thats any good?

For the sacrifices involved in living there and the living costs this is WAY too low, unless they are paying all of your accommodation etc? People only tolerate going there because they get 5-8 times their UK salary and tax free (including benefits, so paid accommodation, regular flights home, private healthcare, private schooling for kids etc). I can't imagine why you'd consider it on that salary offer, which is less than an average UK salary.