Dubai vs. Australia

RoseG · January 2015

Hi,

Just wondering if anyone here was able to reside for a long time in Dubai before migrating to Oz? Half-hearted na kasi tumuloy sa Australia kasi di daw namin kikitain Yung pera na kinikita n nmin dto sa Dubai because of the tax. Aside from that, cost of living in any state in Oz is more expensive compared to Dubai. One good thing in Dubai are all-year round sales which I don't think Oz can offer. There's no citizenship in Dubai but you take home your salary to yourself.

How can you compare Dubai to Australia?

wizardofOz · January 2015

I've never lived there, but I have relatives and close friends in Dubai.. and all of them seems to be living a comfortable life... at one point, I also considered moving there for all the opportunities and potentials, that booming country at that time offers…

Actually nabanggit mo lahat yung critical items to consider… it is tax-free in Dubai, cost of living in AU may be a bit higher, you can be a “Resident” in Dubai, but you will not get Citizenship thru residency as far as I know.

I think ang decision factor na lang siguro, in my opinion, is Short-term vs. Long-term… Short-term vs. Long-term Ipon, Trabaho, Competition, Standard of Living, Work-Life Balance etc..

Also, Long-term din in the sense na, in the future… would you like your family, and yours/family’s children, and yours/theirs children’s children to be living in Dubai as “Residents”, 20 to 30 years from now?.... Or as “Australian Citizens”.

Xiaomau82 · January 2015

Hi,

Just wondering if anyone here was able to reside for a long time in Dubai before migrating to Oz? Half-hearted na kasi tumuloy sa Australia kasi di daw namin kikitain Yung pera na kinikita n nmin dto sa Dubai because of the tax. Aside from that, cost of living in any state in Oz is more expensive compared to Dubai. One good thing in Dubai are all-year round sales which I don't think Oz can offer. There's no citizenship in Dubai but you take home your salary to yourself.

How can you compare Dubai to Australia?

Depends on your priority. Coming from Singapore, mejo same din ng worries mo. Mataas talaga tax sa Australia, mas malayo s pinas and cost of living is quite high din but the life style is way different. Long term wise, Australia can be your final destination unlike other countries, unless citizen ka, pwede kang mapauwi sa pinas anytime whenever they decide to change regulations and “unwelcome” foreign talents. Im not sure if you do have retirement benefit in dubai and how expensive hospitalisation costs, you have to consider that as well. Yung all year round sale, simple joys lang yan. Think about what you really want and then decide kung Australia ba or Dubai ang para sayo. 

ImB · January 2015

Hi @RoseG. Been living 7 years now in Dubai and like you part of me (and my wife) wants to stay here, mainly on account of the reasons you have mentioned already (i.e tax free, security, 1st class public amenities, pinoy friends and food, etc.) and I could go on and on sa positives about living in Dubai. BUT, like what they mentioned above, it all boils to how do you see yourself (and family) down the road - Long term.

Unang reason kaya kami nagaapply sa OZ is for our child's Ctizenship. Dito hindi magiging citizen ang anak namin. Sa OZ our child can get the benefits of being a dual citizen plus me accent pa sya sa ingles

Second, and for me very important is yung Education. Sobrang mahal ng tuition fees dito esp pag tumuntong na sa college ang anak mo. Yung mga bagong graduates na colleagues ko in audit before na nag aral sa mga top international schools here have paid at least php 2 million per year (AED 200K+). Even yung mga officemates ko dito sa bago kong work are paying more than that for their child per year. Sa OZ, at least me state schools na very minimal lang yung fee na babayaran up to HS. So me time ka para mag ipon para sa kanilang college.

Third and equally important is the cost of Medical. Kawawa ka dito pag wala kang insurance card tapos nagkasakit ka. Check up pa lang sa doctor para sa ubo at sipon eh AED 500 (Php 6K). Eh kumusta naman kapag matanda ka na at wala kang work. O well, hindi ka pala puede dito pag walang work pauuwiin ka nila hahaha.

One last thing pala, medyo kawawa din yung anak mo pag tuntong ng college. Karamihan ng mga bata dito sa ibang bansa kumukuha ng college. So yung mga friends ng anak mo sa elementary at HS eh mag aaral sa ibang bansa o uuwi ng kani kanilang bansa para mag college...except maybe for some.

Due to these willing kami isacrifice every good thing dubai has to offer including yung mouth watering - tax free benefit

goreo · January 2015

tama si ImB and the others above..
Long term benefits.. saka di natin alam ang mangyayari in the future sa UAE. Sobrang mahal na rin ng rent, school at saka sa Abu Dhabi nagtaas daw sila ng and water/electricity. Who knows, baka next na change sa UAE e magka-tax na rin sila..
and also when you become a citizen in AU, pede pa rin naman kayo bumalik sa UAE kung gusto nyo..upon arrival ang visit visa pag AU citizen.. pwede ka ulit maghanap ng work sa uae..

adelle_82 · January 2015

Hi!

Currently in OZ, husband ko worked in Abu dhabi for 6 years tapos ako almost 4 years.

We moved to OZ same reasons na namention ni IMB. At first, parang may feeling of regret kasi walang Glitz & Glamour na kagaya sa Dubai at yung feeling sa Dubai na magaling tayo sa Ingles d2 hindi na halos lahat may accent

but so far so good (1 year and half na kami dito) in the long run dahan dahan naming nakikita yung long term benefits like nung paunti unti na nabubuild yung superannuation acct. namin (employer contribution to) for retirement fund. Then yung anak namin medyo may accent na rin

) merong mga opportunities for him at 4 years old may soccer lessons, swimming lessons, piano lessons accessible yung mga books sa community library if low income may natatanggap na support sa govt pra sa kids and ang dami naming quality time. Although di kami mahilig sa shopping kahit nung nasa UAE kami, mas lalo na d2 di kami nkakapunta ng mall hanggang grocery lang sobrang busy sa mga extra curricular activities instead laging nasa playground, sa beach or road trip or bbq kasama mga new friends o tambay sa bahay. Kayang kaya mag rent ng 3 br house na walang ka share. Sa shopping talaga mas maganda sa dubai except sa Boxing day sale d2 every dec. 26.

It all boils down to what is your life's priority. Moving here opens a whole new opportunity maybe not for us but for the kids and next generation nila.

ImB · January 2015

@adelle_82 Hi. Parang naexcite naman ako lalong pumunta dyan sa sinabi mo hahaha. Natuwa ako dun sa outdoor life nyo at accent

goreo · January 2015

thanks din @adelle_82, hi @ImB, nakakaexcite talaga when we read this stories.. you know RoseG ,dati me and my wife had doubts and fears kasi its outside our comfort zone pero now iba na ang feeling namin, were excited na. we just need to prepare ourselves and plan ahead..

ImB · January 2015

Hi @Goreo. Pansin ko lang tagal nyo na palang me visa...mukhang pinaghahandaan nyo maigi yung big move ha.

goreo · January 2015

kelangan namin ng medyo malaki-laking baon, unang una wala kasi kami relatives sa OZ.. kaya nag-ipon muna para meron buffer..saka marami din kasi binabayaran sa pinas so nag-ipon muna din kami ng funds para dun while we are still looking for a job in OZ..
pero decided na talaga kami this year..mga June-July.. i think yun ang kagandahan ng PR visa kasi ang expiry nya is 5 years.. you have a lot of time to prepare and plan..

ImB · January 2015

@goreo, kami rin wala ring relatives sa OZ kaya mag iipon pa din. Yung EOSB nyo pandagdag din yun...

rolly04 · January 2015

i've never been to dubai, sana one day makapasyal ako dyan....sorry out of topic.

JCsantos · January 2015

From the post above ang nakikita ko lang benefit is long term security ... like you can live in australia for the rest of your life na hinde nag aalala , I mean if one day dubai government did not extend your visa then maiiwan kayo sa kawalan ... here in au you can have access to a lot of benefits .. yes you pay big tax pero ibinabalik din naman sa iyo ng government in terms of services and benefits ....

akino · January 2015

We lived in Dubai for 3 years, If you’re thinking of a long term plans and you’ve got family, then I would say Australia is way better than Dubai. Here are some reasons:

Permanent residency:
In dubai, we can have a resident visa only if may employer na mag sponsor sayo.. but once nawalan ka ng work, out ka na rin sa dubai unless na makahanap ka agad ng mag sponsor na company and the cycle goes on need mo ng employer to stay in dubai...Unlike here khit wala kang work basta permanent resident ka, you can stay indefinitely and after 4years you can apply for citizenship and enjoy the benefits of being a citizen.

Education:
We can access free quality education here esp if you have kids. And when your child goes to university, they have this “study now pay later” scheme wherein they can choose the course they want, and they will pay once they got a job thru tax deductions. Hindi parents ang nagbabayad ng tuition d2 pag nsa university na ang mga bata..
ang mahal ng tuition sa dubai, when my eldest is 4 y/o as pre-schooler there, we’re paying around 2500 dirhams per term + 600 school bus.. pano pa kaya pag nag highschool or university cia..

Salary:
Yes, in Dubai it’s tax free so you’re getting all your salary. But I don’t agree about sa sinasabi ng iba na hindi mo kikitain d2 ung kinikita mo sa Dubai, well of course qualifications and work experiences matters pa rin.. And also here in Australia your employer pays 9-12% of your annual salary to save in Superannuation Fund, it’s a saving scheme na maa-access mo lang once na nagretire ka na. so pag nag retire kayo may pera kayo aside from ung personal savings..thats why karamihan ng mga oldies d2 when they retire they can afford to travel and leisure.

Cost of living:
yes mas mura ang cost of living dyan, all the comfort in life nadyan like you can hire a nanny ng mga bata. But in terms of accommodation sa experience nmin, dyan we can only afford a studio type accommodation, unlike here na we’re living in a 3-bedroom house with big backyard..affordable fresh food and you can even grow some backyard crops na pede mo kainin..

HealthCare:
As a resident you have access to Medicare payment subsidised by the government pag nagkasakit ka..Nung nanganak c misis we didn’t pay anything for a 5-day stay sa hospital..and the midwife will visit you at home to check the bub and the mum kung ok cla.. In dubai nagrerely lang kmi sa health/medical insurance na bigay ng company, kung basic lang ung plan ng insurance cover, you can’t rely on that much.

Nature & lifestyle:
If you’re a nature lover, Australia has a natural beauty wherein you can enjoy nature at its best, sa dubai kc more on man-made / artificial development..The weather is good here with four seasons to enjoy (winter, spring, summer, fall depends kung san state ka nkatira thou)..lots of outdoor activities to enjoy and libre pa.. very relax ang lifestyle d2 though it varies pa rin kung san state ka nkatira..like for us in Canberra, laidback d2 and not stressful hindi uso ang OT..when 5pm strikes, naguunahan ng mag uwian. So you have more quality time with your family and do the household chores..hehehe!..

im not saying na life is perfect in Australia syempre may mga flaws din but generally life is good here in Australia..you can consider it “home away from home..” (justmytwocents)

:-*

goreo · January 2015

@ImB oo nga..big help din yun..1 month salary times number of years you worked.. parang super annuation din pero makukuha mo after ng service mo sa company..

@JCsantos, @akino, meron din bang end of service benefits sa australia bukod sa superannuation?

TasBurrfoot · January 2015

@JCsantos, @akino, meron din bang end of service benefits sa australia bukod sa superannuation?

wala...

goreo · January 2015

ahh ok na rin yun..i think parang pareho din naman ng super yun..

piglet24 · January 2015

joining the thread...we are currently living in Abu Dhabi and I must say medyo nakakalungkot isipin na iiwan na namin ang UAE soon. But the good thing though is that after we get that citizenship we can go back and perhaps not worry about visa thing anymore. Heck, you can visit UAE anytime you want if you have the moolah for the shopping bit. Pero kung raising a family its better in Australia. Though wala pa kaming baby, this is our long term plan.

Most Filipino kids here are stuck sa bahay lang. Lucky if you can afford an entire flat or one bedroom apartment maraming space na pwedeng mag run around ang mga kids. Kaya minsan mga bata nakikita mo sa mall or sa park parang nakawala sa kulungan kasi naninibago sa laki ng space na pagtatakbuhan. Usual place na pwede mo puntahan is park, beach and mall. Unless you have a car you can go to another bigger park, bigger beach and bigger mall. Madalang ang places na walking distance unless you live in the city.

Living in the city naman has its downs, walang parking space and mahal ang rent ng bahay.

Another this is staying in this country you would need a visa. Kung walang visa pauuwiin ka. Di ka namn pwedeng mag odd jobs dito just to survive.

But all of these and yung iba pa na di ko namention doesn't make UAE a bad country to live in. it still is good to live in and earn a living tax-free. Murang petrol, amazing man-made structures, possible celebrity encounters and the shopping. Which for us, is perfect for short-term plan lang.

RoseG · January 2015

Hi Guys,

Thank you so much for all the details. It really inspires me to pursue what we have started. Just a few questions:

1. Between Dubai and Australia, where can you save more money? Since Dubai is tax-free, we are able to save a big chunk of money monthly and invest it in different ways. If my husband will still earn the same salary that he is getting here in Dubai and with a monthly cost of living amounting to 900 AUD per week plus tax, it seems that we will only have a monthly savings of less than 800 AUD (which is far less than our current savings in Dubai). Is this the case for some of you here? Please correct me if I'm wrong. We are just a couple for now but planning to have at most 2 children when we get there.

2. Did you get the same salary that you had in Dubai or did it get bigger or smaller?

As you all said, it all boils down to the long-term benefits that Australia can offer which Dubai can't counter offer. However, I read from some blogs that even if salaries are competitive, people feel penniless due to tax and higher cost of living. Residents tend to have lesser buying power in Australia as they say.

Please let me know your thoughts. Your insights are invaluable!

RoseG · January 2015

Hi Guys,

Medyo magulo yung huling post ko. Here is the correction:

If my husband will still earn the same salary that he is getting here in Dubai and with a weekly cost of living amounting to 900 AUD (as one website cited), it seems that we will only have a monthly savings of less than 800 AUD (which is far less than our current savings in Dubai). Is this the case for some of you here? Please correct me if I'm wrong. We are just a couple for now but planning to have at most 2 children when we get there.

goreo · January 2015

900 AUD per week x 4 = 3600 aud per month plus 800 aud.. so mga 13k aed siguro monthly salary ni mr. mo.. ano ba ang work ni mr. mo? baka he'll be getting more in AU..

goreo · January 2015

parang malaki yata yung 3600aud na budget per month? based sa nakalap kong mga information about budgets here, mga 3000aud ang average..

RoseG · January 2015

@goreo, malaki ba ang 3,600 AUD per month? yun kasi sabi sa isang website. yes, 13k Dhs ang net pay dyan sa Australia kapag same pa din sahod nya. Binawas ko na kasi dyan ang tax na ikakaltas sa kanya. Pero kung nandito kami sa dubai, 13k + taxes ang take home pay nya. Kung baga, yung tax na napupunta sa bulsa namin as savings.

RoseG · January 2015

hi, @goreo, yung 900 AUD was cited by an agency in their website, approximately yan daw and weekly expense. Yes, 13k yung magiging net pay ng asawa ko pag same ang naging sahod nya dyan. Binawas ko na kasi yung tax na kikakaltas sa knya. Pero kung dto sa dubai, since walng tax, kami ang ngbubulsa ng lahat ng sahod. Goodluck sa big move sa June. Ilang years pla ang validity ng PR visa after ng Initial Entry? kasi parang sainyo, umabot ng 3 years, pde po pla yun.

@piglet24, @akino, @adelle_82, please let me know your thoughts!

Thanks!

goreo · January 2015

hi @RoseG, thanks..hoping na maging ok ang lahat sa decision namin magmove na this june..yung expiry ng pr visa is 5 years after ng grant. hindi po 5 yrs after ng ie..kaya kami umabot ng 3 years is nag-ipon muna kami ng baon..actually pede pa sana kami magipon kahit a few months before the expiry kaso baka mas marami na competition sa jobs..

nacheck mo na ba yung average salary sa AU ng work ni mr mo? how does it compare sa present pay nya?

RoseG · January 2015

@goreo yes, yaka yan! may alam ba kyo na website kung saan ko pwede makita yung average salary sa AU? Thanks.

retake · January 2015

Hello, hindi pa ako nag-work sa Dubai pero I came from Singapore na mga 2% lang ang tax. Like Dubai, napakarami ring sale sa Singapore, kasama na airfare sale! Marami ring mga pinoy na kasama.

Tax din ang concern ko nung una, dahil super mababa ang tax ko sa SG. Pero sa 3 months ko rito sa Sydney, may increase parin ako sa savings kahit 30% ang tax rito. Malaki rin kasi ang Base Pay, which is about 90k-130k per year para sa mga mid-level IT Professionals. Not sure sa ibang profession pero siguro, same range rin.

Pwede ninyo i-check sa www.paycalculator.com.au kung magkano ang magiging Net Income. May mga jobs rin sa www.seek.com.au na nag-papakita ng salary so pwede ninyo rin i-check at i-compute.

In terms of expenses, nabubuhay ako rito ng $1,500 AUD per month (food, 1-room rent, transpo, others). Medyo parehas lang yung gastos nasa SG ako. Pero single-living ito ah, wala pa ako family. Sa isang Investment Bank ako nag-work sa SG at maganda na ang rate ko dun, pero rito, nakakagulat na pwede pang tapatan yung kinikita sa SG and even mag 50%-80% increase or even dumoble yung NET income rito (especially kapag naka-Day rate) kahit malaki ang tax.

Lastly, yung for Long-Term security. Mahirap kasing maging OFW pang-habang buhay. Just like Dubai, nakatali rin yung work-pass sa Employer kapag nasa Singapore ka. At kahit yung Permanent Resident sa SG, eh may chance ma-revoke, unlike sa Australia na pwede mag-upgrade to AU Citizenship.

At the end of the day, depende pa rin sa inyong personal preference and decision.

tazmania · January 2015

kung ang hubby mo eh kumikita ng AED20K and up sa Dubai at malaking issue syo kung makakasave ka or hindi dito sa australia. Hwag nyo na lang ituloy. Dahil di lahat ng Pinoy dito eh nakakakuha ng same job na align sa profession mo. If you are after naman sa future ng family and kids mo consider nyo move dito.

RoseG · January 2015

hi @retake, thank you for your insights. Though you resided in SG, we had the same situation. My husband is also an IT Professional so when you said that the mid-level IT Professional's salary range from 90k-130k before tax, it inspired me to come to Oz. Tpos may naiipon ka naman kamo kaya parang okay pa din. Btw, ask ko lang, ilang months bago ka nakakuha ng work and what state? Thanks.

@tazmania, yes, bro, you got my point! Issue namin yung savings. Kung sanay kmi na may naiipon na pera tpos biglang mawawala pgdating namin dyan, malaki effect sa min emotionally and financially. Ayoko ulit yung feeling na pgkakita mo ng payslip mo, ang laki ng tax mo, just like in Pinas!

Siguro for 5 years na nasa ME kmi, reluctant n kmi mgbayad ng tax, ang sarap lang ng feeling na nauuwi mo lahat ng pinaghirapan mo at ikaw ang nagdedesisyon kung san mo ilalaan ang pera mo. Kung ano yung sahod na nakalagay sa contract mo, un tlga take-home mo. Like you said, ok na din sahod nya dito kaya nagaalangan na kami. Nung ng-apply kasi kmi, isa lang nasa isip namin - citizenship. Tpos on the process lang namin naisip yung tax and cost of living. Di pa nagsisink in sa min yung long-term benefits kasi wala pa kming anak. Bka magsisi naman kmi pag di kmi tumuloy.

retake · January 2015

@RoseG - hi Rose. 1 month ako nag-job hunting before ako na hire. Nasa Sydney (New South Wales).

Kung nag-e-earn na kayo ng 20,000 AED sa Dubai, mga 6,800 AUD net income ang conversion niyan rito. That's a good salary.

For mid-level or senior level IT professionals rito, mga 7k - 10k aud ang range ng net income sa Sydney. Higher kapag sa banks and financial companies. Depende ito sa industry at kung gaano ka-indemand ang skill (Java, .NET, Android/iOS etc).

Ang biro nga naming galing sa SG: kung nakaka-ipon kami ng 100k+ sa Singapore, eh rito sa Australia naman, 200k+ ang savings. Basta't mase-save lang ang 50%-70% (or even more) ng net income every month. Malaking bagay ito para mas malaki rin ang maiiinvest sa bullish Stock Market natin sa Pinas.

TasBurrfoot · January 2015

@RoseG - hi Rose. 1 month ako nag-job hunting before ako na hire. Nasa Sydney (New South Wales).

Kung nag-e-earn na kayo ng 20,000 AED sa Dubai, mga 6,800 AUD net income ang conversion niyan rito. That's a good salary.

For mid-level or senior level IT professionals rito, mga 7k - 10k aud ang range ng net income sa Sydney. Higher kapag sa banks and financial companies. Depende ito sa industry at kung gaano ka-indemand ang skill (Java, .NET, Android/iOS etc).

Ang biro nga naming galing sa SG: kung nakaka-ipon kami ng 100k+ sa Singapore, eh rito sa Australia naman, 200k+ ang savings. Basta't mase-save lang ang 50%-70% (or even more) ng net income every month. Malaking bagay ito para mas malaki rin ang maiiinvest sa bullish Stock Market natin sa Pinas.

Wow... 50-70% saving is wow!