Living as expatriates in the "World's Safest City".
It will be my 16th year here in the United Arab Emirates in a few weeks. I cannot really believe it, that after a decade and a half, I will still be here. I remember when I left the Philippines, I said, "I will just save up for a brand new car and then I will go back home." That obviously didn't happen. The car is now over a decade old and I am still here in this country, where I am now raising my own family together with my husband.
We now fondly call it "our second home". My children are more familiar here and are practically strangers to the Philippines. With the pandemic upon us, traveling back to the Philippines is also not yet in the equation.
A few months ago, I have written that Abu Dhabi, the capital city of the UAE, was named as "The World's Safest City" and in that, I mainly shared and broken down the cost of living here.
 | How Much Does It Cost To Live In "The World's Safest City"? |
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Living here is in many ways expensive than in other cities hence we have to be prudent with our choices and do not forget that we are expatriates whose stay here are overly dependent on job opportunities. One day, whether we like it or not, we have to go back to our own country. That is why saving and preparing for that time of settling back is really very important.
Since I have already covered almost everything regarding the cost of living in Abu Dhabi, UAE in the above post, I will try, as my entry to the OCD Community Boost Contest to compare the cost (quality) of living in the UAE, particularly in Abu Dhabi, as opposed to the Philippines.
Comparison between UAE and Philippines
Salary.
One of the reasons why Filipinos pack their bags and leave the Philippines is because they are able to earn a lot more in other countries compared to what they would get if they stayed back. A nurse, for example, cannot earn over PHP 100K ($2,060) per month in the Philippines, and that can be easily earned overseas.
Taxes.
Here in the UAE, there is no income tax, meaning whatever salary we have, that is what we will receive at the end of the month. In the Philippines, personal income tax is progressive - up to 32% for those with annual income of PHP 500,000 ($10,300). As overseas Filipino workers, we are exempt from income tax in the Philippines. We are basically not paying any taxes at the moment.
However, since 2018, the UAE government started to levy 5% VAT on some goods and services. Though it was not taken lightly by the residents at the start, we have soon come into terms with it and now barely take it into account. In the Philippines, VAT is 12%.
Standard of Living.
Of course, the standard of living between a developed country and a developing country like the Philippines is very different. Sadly, my children have a connotation that the Philippines is very poor, which I always have to say isn't really the case. There are lots of beautiful things to acknowledge in living in the Philippines, and I always try to plant seeds of patriotism in them whenever I can.
The cost of accommodation is always the one that breaks the bank. We live in a studio apartment around 5 kilometers away from the city center. The annual rent is AED 27,000 (USD 7,336) which is paid in 3 installments. Take note, this is still relatively cheaper if you were to compare it to flats in high-rise buildings. Our apartment is a part of a big villa so our water and electricity bills are already included in the rent. It is only the internet connection (16MBPS) that we have to pay separately which is AED 256 (USD69.56).
We live in a fully airconditioned apartment (this is a necessity since the weather can be extremely hot up to 50ºC during summer) without having to worry about our electricity bill. In the Philippines, we would have to be very prudent in using the airconditioning because that would mean that the electricity bill will be very high.
The same goes for food. We can still afford to buy decent food, fruits, and vegetables for a reasonable cost. I remember when I was in the Philippines, a small piece of carrot is PHP 30 ($0.62) while here, I can already buy a kilo of carrots for $1.
Healthcare.
The healthcare system here in the UAE is another thing that is very different from the Philippines. Here, all residents have access to decent healthcare because it is mandatory that each one has a medical insurance policy. The visa sponsor (mostly the employer) shoulders the cost of insurance for each employee. Those who have dependent spouses and children need to pay from their own pockets, but there are some who are lucky enough to have their families paid for by their employers too.
In the Philippines, there is a lot of politics and controversy going on in the government healthcare system (hint: corruption) and not all citizens have access to this system.
Entertainment and Leisure.
What I also appreciate living here in the UAE is the accessibility of lots of free family-oriented parks and entertainment.
We can enjoy parks and museums for free, which if you have been following my blogs, you will see that we utilize a lot in our homeschooling field trips.
Among others, we enjoy:
Al Gurm Corniche, Eastern Mangroves
Al Hudayriat Beach
The Corniche
Qasr Al Hosn
If the budget permits, the UAE also has lots of world-class amusement parks, like the Ferrari World Abu Dhabi and Warner Bros. at Yas island.
Transportation.
Owning a car in the UAE is almost a necessity because of the extremely hot and humid summers. The heat can be unforgiving and personally for us as a family it is not leisure. I chose an economy car, for the sole purpose of transporting us to and from work. I did not see the necessity of buying high-end cars that drink up lots of gas. I only spend AED 200 ($54.34) on gas each month.
However, most of the accommodations here do not offer free parking or do not have private garages. Hence paying for parking daily is necessary. Parking fee for 24H is AED15 ($4) so that equates to AED 375 ($101) per month for 25 days. Parking is free on Fridays and public holidays. Do not dare make the mistake of not paying for parking as this can equate to a fine of AED 200 ($54.34). Fines can be burdensome. Last year, I had to pay AED 1,875 ($510) on traffic fines alone (lots of parking tickets and an accident). That will definitely not happen again this year!
To save on parking fees, I park my car in the parking space of the nearby park which so far is free. I just need to walk 10 minutes though, to get to the parking lot. I do not mind this during these months when the weather is still pleasant but that may have to change soon as summer comes.
The public transportation system in Abu Dhabi (and the UAE as a whole) is very efficient and I cannot even attempt to compare that with what we have in the Philippines. Traffic is most of the time smooth-sailing in the city, we can always predict the time when we will arrive at our destination. Time is money, and if we can save the amount of time we spend on transportation, then we can be more productive.
There are only two methods of public transportation in Abu Dhabi - bus and taxi. When utilizing the bus network, then one must have a bus card that can be pre-loaded with AED 80 ($21.74) which is good for one month, unlimited rides. Otherwise one can load only for a minimum of AED 10 ($2.71) wherein each trip would cost AED 2 ($0.54). This are the rates for the bus network within the city. Off city rates are different.
Conclusion
I would say that living in the UAE is yes, expensive, but the quality of life in the Philippines does not compare to it yet. The lifestyle here is too comfortable and of course, with comfort comes additional cost.
We as a family try not to balance it out by not indulging too much in unnecessary things. Our children know that things that do not fall as basic necessity need to be saved up for. As homeschoolers, we DIY a lot at home. We even try to grow our own food by having our small vegetable garden. Anything that we can do on our own is to our advantage.
We will not be here in this country for the rest of our lives. Time will come when we will have to go back to our homeland, and we need to be ready for that.