Allan
Working in Saudi Arabia
Monthly Earnings 223,000 baht
Q1. How much do you earn from teaching per month?
I teach in a vocational college in Saudi Arabia and I earn 6,700 US dollars, which is roughly 223,000 baht per month. I work one job, full-time which is more than enough. I've always believed a person should just find one job that pays well and enjoy their spare time free from the burden of work.
Q2. How much of that can you realistically save per month?
I save all of it due to living, housing and transport allowances that are more than enough. I do travel a lot though as I've exhausted what little tourism Saudi has to offer (it does exist if you enjoy archeology, desert camping, snorkeling or hiking). Worst case scenario, I would save 5,700 US dollars a month.
Q3. How much do you pay for your accommodation and what do you live in exactly (house, apartment, condo)?
Nothing, the company pays an allowance and I pocket the difference, which last school year was an extra $320 a month. I'm looking at the same again this year, which gets me a 90 square meter, one-bedroom serviced apartment.
Q4. What do you spend a month on the following things?
Transportation
Nothing as the company provides cars, drivers and minivans whenever needed
Utility bills
Nothing, it's included in my rent, as is hi-speed internet.
Food - both restaurants and supermarket shopping
My only real expense but again I receive an allowance that I rarely spend all of
Nightlife and drinking
Nights out in Saudi are cheap if you can live without booze or drugs, which I do. An evening of pool once a week is about $10. Weekend coffee with a friend is about the same. But again, I receive a living allowance which more than covers these things.
Books, computers
I bought a MacBookPro a few years ago and it's still a fantastic laptop; I buy books about once a year when home in San Francisco in the summer, which I budget at $200. My wife and I split a Netflix account with two other friends, so that's about $3 a month. I did buy a PS4 this summer and imagine I'll be spending a few hundred dollars a year on games just for the hell of it.
Q5. How would you summarize your standard of living in one sentence?
My standard of living is on par with, and in some ways exceeds, the standard I had when I lived in the US. Being married, nothing can beat the feeling of knowing that I can provide for my wife and family today and in the future. Instead of worrying about money like so many teachers in Asia seem to do, we plan our finances and look forward to retiring in our early 50s.
Q6. What do you consider to be a real 'bargain' here?
Cars and gas are extremely cheap, as one would expect. Surprisingly, so is good quality food from around the region and the world. A trip to the grocery store is an absolute delight for a fruit and veg lover. Honestly, everything is as cheap here as anywhere else, the key is find a quality employer that will provide proper living allowances.
Q7. In your opinion, how much money does anyone need to earn here in order to survive?
No one is here to 'survive'; everyone is here to make money. While I've seen jobs here going for as low as $3000 US, I wouldn't recommend working for less than $5000. An expat teacher, particularly an ESL teacher, needs to think like a mercenary = maximize your earnings with specialized, in-demand skills.
Phil's analysis and comment
"The key is to find a quality employer that will provide proper living allowances"
Well, it certainly sounds like you've managed to do that Allan. This survey proves the point that if you are willing to put up with the 'hardships' that come with living and working in The Middle East, you can make some very serious money.
As always, we would love to have your contribution to the cost of living section. But PLEASE don't send us just a list of figures. The figures need to be padded out with a few details. That's what really gets the readers' interest. If you would rather, you can always e-mail me the answers to the survey.
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