What can Dh1,000 buy for you?
Gulf News speaks to residents from different walks of life and different backgrounds on their living costs
1 Yara Ra’ed Abdul Fattah
20, Jordanian, student Lives in a university dorm in Sharjah
How far does your Dh1,000 go?
One week. My family lives in Abu Dhabi, so I drive home every weekend. Sometimes, I bring home-cooked food to last me a few days so I don’t waste that much money on eating out. A person who doesn’t do this will probably spend Dh60 on food per day.
What takes up a big chunk of your monthly allowance?
As a student, my allowance is Dh2,000 for one month. It’s enough. I’m a saver but if I have an outing, I make sure I don’t overspend. A lot of people can’t make do with Dh1,000. Living within our campus is more expensive than living outside, for groceries and services.
What do you do to stretch your dirham?
I cut out unnecessary stuff from my budget. I look out for offers like two-for-ones and other bargains.
2 Alia Al Shamsi
28, Emirati, senior executive for digital communications (public sector) Married with two kids, living with extended family
How far does your Dh1,000 go?
I can live on Dh1,000 to cover my basic necessities for one week — but if that’s just me.
Q: What takes up a huge chunk of your monthly income?
A: Food, groceries and petrol are my recurring expenses for the month.
Q: What do you do to stretch your dirham?
I don’t eat out a lot. Everyone is moving now to eating clean and healthy, so they eat at home. I go to work and come back home. I don’t run errands if they’re not necessary.
My travel experience says Dubai has become as expensive as a European city. But the salaries are higher now. So, if you co-relate salary and living expenses, it’s fine. You can save if you want to. It’s not a problem. I started saving when I started working.
3 Gautam Patel
Indian businessman, 65, married Lives in a gated community in Dubai; 10-member household, with four generations under one roof
How far does your Dh1,000 go?
For a big family like us, not even a day sometimes.
What takes up a big chunk of your monthly income?
Our groceries cost Dh5,000 a month. School fees per child would be Dh4,000 per month and they’re in middle school. The monthly electricity bill is Dh3,500 on average during winter and Dh6,000 in the summer months.
What do you do to stretch your dirham?
I think the cost of living has gone up substantially. You have to earn more or spend less. We are a big family, so we are not necessarily a benchmark. Not many here have families as large as ours.
How do you view the cost of living over the years?
I moved to Dubai in 1978. It was far easier to sustain our needs then.
4 Jasmin Mae Sacillano
31, Filipino, nurse, single Lives in Abu Dhabi
How far does your Dh1,000 go?
Three weeks, tops.
What takes up a huge chunk of your monthly income?
Housing takes up 25 per cent of my salary, followed by food, although I share my food expenses with my housemates. I travel to Dubai every weekend, so transport expenses could also add up since it’s much pricier in Dubai than in the capital.
What do you do to stretch your dirham?
I set aside savings as soon as I get set my salary. If I am eating out, I make sure the budget for the whole week is on track. I also have a side business that boosts my income and acts as my automatic savings. Cost of living has increased over the years. It is challenging but I’ve somehow managed to make it work through the years.
5 Sherry Panganiban
Office Manager, Filipina Lives with husband in JLT
How far does your Dh1,000 go?
It sustains the two of us for two weeks for our basic needs.
What takes up a huge chunk of your monthly income?
Utilities, housing, food and groceries, and transportation. Our budget for food is Dh2,000 a month. We chose to live here because it’s only walking distance from our office. Rent is cheaper now than before, but we’re paying for our comfort. It’s a choice.
What do you do to stretch your dirham?
We tend to eat out after work because we’re tired by dinner time but it’s value for money. For lunch, we stick to sandwiches that are Dh10 or less. I look for offers when grocery shopping and save money on essentials during sales and buy in bulk. The cost of living has increased over the years, but our salaries have also gone up.
6 Santhosh Prabhakar
45, Indian businessman Lives with wife, mother-in-law and two children in a flat in Sharjah
How far does your Dh1,000 go?
Every day I need roughly Dh500, so two days.
What takes up a huge chunk of your monthly income?
Housing, utilities, food/groceries are my top three expenses. Rent has gone down a bit in recent months. But it’s still comparatively high compared to five years ago. My expenses for the whole month are Dh15,000 for everything. Calculate VAT, that’s an additional Dh750.
What do you do to stretch your dirham?
We live in Sharjah and commute daily to save on rent. We’re also a double-income family. My wife works in a school where our kids also study, so their education is free. At present, we’re trying to save a little more for my son’s college education next year. For grocery shopping, we check out all hypermarkets and compare prices so that we can save.