‘Better off in India’: Man says high expenses in Dubai make it hard to save

He recalled how moving out of India had once been a dream for him.

“India se bahar aana ek sapna tha, jo sapna poora hua. Lekin yahan aane ke baad pata chal raha hai, apna India bahut achha hai (Moving out of India was a dream, and that dream came true. But after coming here, I have realised that our India is very good),” he said.

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Bala said Dubai may look attractive from the outside, particularly when salaries are converted from dirhams to Indian rupees, but the comparison can be misleading. Once rent, food and other daily expenses are taken into account, he claimed, the amount left for savings can be considerably smaller.

“Dubai rehna aasaan nahi hai (Living in Dubai is not easy),” he said, pointing to the city’s expensive lifestyle. “Yahan ke kharcha bahut zyada hai (There are many expenses here),” Bala added.

Bala pointed to everyday necessities such as food and water. He said a single meal can cost at least 10 dirhams (around Rs 260), an expense that can add up significantly over the course of a month.

Bala also compared a hypothetical salary of 2,500 dirhams in Dubai with earnings in India. He said the amount would be roughly equivalent to earning Rs 70,000 in India, but claimed that after covering expenses, a person in Dubai might be left with savings of around 1,500 dirhams.

His comments have struck a chord on Instagram, with several users sharing their own views on living and working abroad.

“Mehnat krte rhe ho dost, India se jyada kama logo. Kharche zaroor jyada hen but mehnat krke kamai bhi usse bhi jyada hai (Keep working hard, my friend. You will earn more than you would in India. The expenses are certainly higher, but with hard work, the earnings are even higher),” one user wrote.

Another argued that there are benefits to living in Dubai beyond the salary, commenting, “Breathing clean air, good roads and infra, unadultrated food, no crime and corruption are intangible benefits you probably missed. Keep working, 2500 will reach 25000(no tax) within 10 years if you work and you wont ever come back.”

A third user suggested Bala may simply need more time to adjust, writing, “Bhai 6 mnth reh sb normal lgne lgega uske baad bolega dubai hi best h (Brother, stay for six months and everything will start feeling normal, after that you’ll say Dubai itself is the best).”