Relocating to Dubai | Cost of living in Dubai

Cost of Living
The cost the property you will be living in, if your company is not paying for it, the cost of schooling for your children, if you have any, and the cost of the utilities, telephone bills, and food.

Property/Real Estate
Once you entered in Dubai, you need a place to stay. If the company in which you are working for hasn't already arranged this, then you need to deal with this yourself. The cost of property will depend on which city and area of city you live in.

UAE landlords normally require that you pay the entire year's rent before moving in, or else with 2, 3, or 4 post dated checks. If you would prefer to own your own place rather than rent, you can own freehold property in Dubai.

Cost of Living in Different Parts of the City of Dubai is different. In Deira, the cost of accommodation is 27,000 Dhs. up to 65,000 Dhs. per year. The medium range is 30,000 Dhs. which is common range. Accommodations in Bur Dubai would range from 30, 000 to 150, 000 Dhs annually.

Health & Medical
To get a residency visa and labor card one must undergo a medical and blood test. Generally employers arrange for all the necessary paperwork and procedure for medical test.

As medical care is very expensive, if residents are not covered by a company or private medical insurance it is advisable to apply for a health card which entitles residents to low cost medical treatment at public hospitals and clinics. An application form can be collected from any public hospitals then submitted, along with the correct documents to the local Health Care Centre. The health card is valid for one year.

Documents required for getting a health card are as follows:

Driving License
Until you obtain full residency, most nationalities are able to hire a car provided they hold a valid driving license from their country of origin, or an International license. Foreign license are acceptable providing that you are the citizen or bona fide resident of the country that issued the license.

Temporary Dubai license must be obtained from the Traffic Police for private vehicles. Temporary Dubai license is valid for one month. A privately registered vehicle cannot be driven on an International license as the vehicle is insured for UAE license holders only.

Always carry documents with you at all time while driving. If you are stopped by the police and cannot produce your license you are liable to be fined. Individuals who have a driver's license from countries in America, Europe, a few other countries can transfer there driver's license to a UAE driver's license easily.

For more information for obtaining Driving License Click Here

Telephone & Internet
In order to get a residential telephone line, Mobile sim or Internet line, you will need to head down to the nearest Etisalat (UAE's only telecom company) office, with a copy of your passport & residence visa, and a copy of your tenancy contract. To own a telephone number a person must be of at least 21 years old in UAE

The cost of a phone line is approx. Dhs. 200. The same requirements required for obtaining a telephone line apply for getting a mobile number (GSM), but the cost of obtaining a number is Dhs. 320 and you will obtain your SIM card on the spot when you apply.

Banks & Credit Cards
Mostly all International banks have their regional headquarters in Dubai. They provide full commercial and personal banking services. However, Banks are generally open from 8am to 1pm except Friday but banking hours vary depending on bank Money exchange facilities are available all over Dubai. Hotels will usually exchange money and travelers cheques at a standard hotel rate.

Credit cards are acceptable at most shops, hotels and restaurants. Generally credit cards of American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard & Visa are acceptable. Some smaller retail shops prefer cash and will charge an additional 5% for processing credit card payments.

Water & Electricity
Property utilities like water, electricity, and gas are billed each month according to usage. Electricity in the UAE is 220/240 volts which means that US appliances will require an adaptor. In order to get the utilities connected to your apartment or villa, you will need to go down to the city's utility provider, with your tenancy contract and a refundable deposit of 1,000 or 2,000 dirham.

TV & Satellite
For home entertainment, your building may have an antenna, which you can connect your television to or else it will have a satellite dish, which you will need to connect to a decoder/receiver before connecting to your television.
More information on TV Channels in Dubai Click Here