Dubai to Singapore Salary // Any advice ?

[kman97]

Hi All,

About me:
I am moving after 6 years in Dubai (settled etc) to Singapore. I am in Market Research and have around 10 years experience. I am keen to leave the Middle East for a more developed market.

Singapore Offer
I am likely to earn S$130K and I earn the same amount here in Dubai (Tax free).  I know the move would be difficult, but its time to get another experience. I read a lot of posts on good salaries, but am still unsure.

My Questions

1. Is 130K enough to live on (I have a wife, 2 kids (2.5Yrs & 1 month, 2. We will need a maid, have one parent living with. If not what should I aim for (I can always defer for some months till I get a good job)
2. Can my Wife work (she is the branch manager for a local bank here) and if yes, how soon
3. How much will I really save if 2 of us earn (I will not cost cut anywhere, though will take the metro, but will eat decent food, good education for kids, go out relatively for movies, shopping, international travel etc.)
4. Is Singapore more expensive than Dubai and how is it different (if anyone knows)


Thanks if you can help, and hey, if someone is coming to Dubai, then just ask me

[Gluzzaid]

Hey mate,

i may well be coming to Dubai - my offer would be 35-40k AED per month - i have 4 kids (coming this Oct!)
this is all-in-all - i.e. i would have to pay for accomodation, kids education etc out of this base.

what is your take - can i save on this?

btw - i am from europe if that helps

Cheers

[kman97]

Hey mate,

i may well be coming to Dubai - my offer would be 35-40k AED per month - i have 4 kids (coming this Oct!)
this is all-in-all - i.e. i would have to pay for accomodation, kids education etc out of this base.

what is your take - can i save on this?

btw - i am from europe if that helps

Cheers

35K - 40K is decent, but not great, though it al depends on your level. A good company would pay this to someone with around 10-12 years experience, so judge accordingly. Also depends on the industry e.g. Banks pay lousy but have a great Bonus, so ask for your bonus estimate as well
With 4 Kids, It will be difficult.. The best international school fees is around AED 32000 p.a. but an average and realistic good school is around AED 18000 p.a. House Rent is around AED 120000 p.a. for a smallish 2 bedroom and upwards of 180K for a 3Bed (which you may want). If you want a villa plan for 250K
You may have to stay a little far to manage e.g. Sharjah or Ghusais(outskirts of Dubai, but atleast 1 hr in traffic either ways). Rent there is approx half and the houses are bigger.
anyways, let me know if you need more info, and will be glad to help.

Out of curiosity and comparison, can you tell me your Sing salary?

[gluzzaid]

thanks

can i put my kids (4 in future) into a decent school, have a car etc & have a decent disposabel income / life?
with eating out etc at least once / week

Cheers

[gluzzaid]

btw - what bonus estimate would be "acceptable" - 3 mths ? 5 mths? more?
this is a prog mgr role

[kman97]

its a little difficult but you can manage as I said. Bonus should be around 3-4 months easily, but you should check

also, can you give me your singapore salary, since I am trying to match the levels

[gluzzaid]

10.5 k / mth base

[kman97]

ok, what does base mean. I am actually getting an offer to move to Sing for 10K before tax. so cant figure out if its good or bad. I have 2 young kids so will need a maid, good schooling etc.

[gluzzaid]

what do you do again?
base is the minimum - for you - minus ~ 12% out of your annual base & you have your after tax (take home) pay.

so on my dubai offer -> what do you mean "difficult" - can i pay the bills, feed all & still have some $ left over?

[lemonshark]

kman, 10k with kids in a an international school is not that great. rent for a 3 bed condo is 3500 (outskirts) to +4500 (central). Schooling is not cheap and most international schools now have waiting lists. A word of warning, if you are looking for a more developed market, SIN might not be the place, unless you work for a high end MNC. I'm currently thinking about moving to Dubai as I find the market there much more developed - at least it's run by Westeners - here you have to deal with locals and their constant 'Cannot' Attitude...

[gluzzaid]

lemonshark - what do you think on my dubai offer - doable?

[To Gluzzaid]

We're in Dubai now. I have to agree with the PP, it's a good salary but I'd think twice especially with four children and no housing/ schooling allowance. You have not mentioned their ages but I'd assume at least one or two are in school? International school fees vary. Around30-40k per annum for primary school. My five year old attends a British school with fees costing 38k per annum and it's in the mid-range.

You cannot find a decent family home for  AED 120k per annum as someone mentioned earlier. It would be if you're thinking of a one-bedroom apartment or wanting to live in another Emirate like Ras Al Khaimah. A villa would set you back at least 200k per annum. And be warned, rent here is paid in advance i.e. you pay the entire amount in one or two cheques. Some companies offer  interest-free loan for staff (like my husband's company) and deduct X amount from his paycheck every month. Others who are not so lucky, take bank loans. An apartment, slightly less. Google Gulf News UAE and check out the rental classifieds. I'm not making up these figures.

Good things about Dubai is, cars and petrol are affordable.  I struggle to come up with more.

[gluzzaid]

to gluzzaid - tks so much for that
30-40 AED = 11-14 k SGD..........that is more than what i pay in Spore

i dunno - it sounds exicting - but $-wise it seems challenging
how about lifestle vis-a-vis Spore?

appreciate any other insights

[To Gluzzaid]

I'm talking about schools that are comparable to the likes of Chatsworth, UWC and TT. I know of a  Canadian couple who send their boys to a British curriculum school minus the frills. They pay about about half our fees. Teachers aren't the most dedicated and facilities wise, like I said no-frills.  But that's all the could afford. At the extreme end of the scale you get Repton Dubai school where fees start at over 50K for foundation year!!

Lifestyle and cost of living is similar to Singapore. Malls. Brunches. Summer is brutal and if you have little ones (of course you do), you'd struggle to keep them happy indoors 4-5 months of the year. Alcohol is available but it ain't cheap and you need a licence to buy them. Internet and cable TV are expensive, at least 3x more than what we paid in Singapore. Drunk driving is an extremely serious offence, you'd be off to prison then deported, if caught. Traffic is horrendous and getting around is stressful.

I don't know what sort of lifestyle you're after and what you're getting in Singapore, but do your sums and think twice before taking that plunge. A lot of expats in Dubai who aren't getting the perks are struggling. Many have packed up to go home or to a better expat posting.
 

[gluzzaid]

ok ..update ...(thanks for your comments so far!)

42k base is the offer (wife & 4 kids in tow - 2 currently in primary school)

1. what sort of accom ($-wise) is realistic?
2. what % of saving can be expected on a lifestyle (with a few beers & a few meals out?)

there is a provident fund mentioned - is the %'s / set-up similar to CPF?

Thanks for your valued inputs - really appreciate it
Cheers