Pay in Abu Dhabi, is it enough to support my family?

Hi Russell, the salary sounds pretty good on the surface, but once you break it down, the fact that they won't be providing accommodation means that a huge chunk of your salary will be going towards this, plus utilities, I would imagine, would also be for your own expense. Another thing you need to consider is transport - publc transport in the emirate is far from comprehensive, so you would also probably have to consider buying a car to get around. You should also enquire about healthcare, as your employer should provide some kind of private coverage package - they are required by law to finance expat health insurance.

I recommend you have a look at our Cost of Living in Abu Dhabi page for a breakdown of what you can expect to pay to live in the emirate. If you're still in the position to negotiate the contract terms, you can read our Expat Contract Negotiation page, which will give you some great tips about what to consider in trying to get the best deal you possibly can.

I visited AD for a day last year while transiting from Turkey to Asia. Oh good lord! You will definately need a vehicle!! It was like returning to the U.S. - everything was soooo spread out!! To get from the airport to the center of town in order to get a bus out to some town on the outskirts of the emirate was just ridiculous. Unfortunately, this ain't Europe you're going to. :(

I have recieved an offer to work in AD in oil & Gas industry. How much money do you think I should earn to live ok there...

Hey Anonymous - this all depends on your own lifestyle and personal circumstances - have a look at my comments above, which may help put a few things into perspective.

Hi everyone, I'm considering moving to Abu Dhabi in a Senior Manager position within my Hotel Company; we haven't negotiated all aspects of the contract but I was told that accommodation, transportation, utilities, and medical insurance will be covered by my employer. We didn't talk about education allowance for my kids (I have two in school age) but my biggest concern is that they told me that the budgeted monthly salary is 9000 AUD's (roughly 2500 usd) is this enough for a family of four??? For what I'm seeing here it seems a pretty low offer. Any advice

Hi Anon

If your package doesn't include an education allowance you will need to negotiate that as part of your contract - international schools in the UAE are very expensive, and you won't be able to send two kids to a decent school on your salary.

If the 9000 is simply for food and entertainment, then the question of whether it will be enough really depends on your lifestyle. Take a look at the cost of living in Abu Dhabi page and work out whether you'll be able to cover your day to day living expenses on your salary. It sounds reasonable to me, as long as you don't need to pay school fees for two kids out of that money.

A company offered me 55k USD per annum. Is this salary is fine for me to stay in there with a family of wife and my son. And the job is a local hired job. Please let me know as soon as possible. Thanks.