Working in Saudi Arabia

Monthly Earnings 186,000

Q1. How is that income broken down? (full-time salary, private students, on-line teaching, extra work, etc)

First a little background: Hello from the sand dunes of Saudi Arabia.

In July 2017, I submitted one of these surveys to Ajarn.com and at that time I was still living and working in Bangkok for around 55K baht per month.

I believe Phil thought: bloody hell this girl lives on 20K a month in Bangkok. Now it is almost a year later, I find myself finishing up my first academic year teaching in Saudi.

A lot has changed from my time in Thailand and while the numbers are positive...it wasn't by any means an easy ride out here. I have one full time job working for an all female vocational college. It is actually my second position in Saudi and I am very happy here especially after my first experience in an extremely unsupportive and toxic work environment.

Q2. How much money can you save each month?

Mostly things are covered by the company I work for. I only spend on average 11,000 baht per month and so I can save 175,000 baht each month. Moreover, I'm also still technically living off my savings in Thailand which at this rate could last me another 5 years out here. But I will likely just leave the money there and reinvest it this summer when I return for a visit. Now that's a huge increase from my 35K baht from last year, as in 5 times more savings!

Q3. How much do you pay for your accommodation and what do you live in exactly (house, apartment, condo)?

The college provides housing for its employees. I have a one bedroom apartment with lots of natural light (a rare find in Saudi) and it is a cozy spot with which I am quite content at the moment. Best of all...no roommates.

Q4. What do you spend a month on the following things?

Transportation

The college provides transportation to and from the school as well as several trips to various food shops. We are also given a small transportation stipend for any other Uber trips we may want to take. I am in a small town and so there really aren't that many places to go, nor is anything really far away. Once I went to Riyadh by train and back for 1500 baht but these adventures are infrequent.

Utility bills

The college covers these as well. I only pay for roaming internet on my phone which is about 1,000 baht each month.

Food - both restaurants and supermarket shopping

Maybe 6.000 baht a month for supermarket shopping. There are restaurants here of course but I usually prefer to eat at home and here (unlike Thailand) it is the cheaper option.

Nightlife and drinking

Nope. Nada. Not here. The closest thing we have to nightlife is a good brisk walk around the block just for exercise.

Books, computers

Like most people these days, I tend to read on line and have just joined Scribd for 270baht per month. This should keep me swimming in literature out here in the desert for a long time to come.

Q5. How would you summarize your standard of living in one sentence?

Pretty good. I'd say Thailand was much more fun because of the freedom of movement and simply because there was so much more to do there. But Saudi has some undiscovered charms of its own and I am still into exploring it. All my needs are met and I have plenty of time to engage in activities that are meaningful to me such as writing, meditation and reading. So no complaints there as I remain cautiously optimistic about my future here.

People who choose to come to Saudi are generally an interesting bunch of folks. Sometimes though you meet some really strange ducks and that can have an impact on your standard of living. But if you are willing to look deeper, I think there are some gems to be found, all while striking it rich in an enjoyable career not normally touted as a cash cow. And yes, I have signed my contract for a second year with my current company.

Q6. What do you consider to be a real 'bargain' here?

I think the job itself is the best 'bargain' going. I get a real teachers salary with no tax and many of my costs are covered by the company I work for. I don't know anyone in Thailand or even Canada or elsewhere who has an opportunity to save as much as I can here. Plus I get two months off in the summer and more if I want to take unpaid leave. This leaves lots of time to travel. And there are long periods of lag time where the students are off; so teachers can prepare future lessons or work on their own projects. I really try to take advantage of this down time.

Food is still pretty cheap here. Not as cheap as Thailand but not as expensive as in Canada (my home country). Some things are taxed now but not outrageously so it isn't a big deal. Uber rides are also decently priced. What I do love is that more of my food favourites are accessible here. In Thailand it was always so hard to find Pringles Salt and Vinegar chips! But here I can get them easily. And best of all; they have hummus in a can here and it tastes just fine. As a major hummus lover this earns 5 stars.

Q7. In your opinion, how much money does anyone need to earn here in order to survive?

To survive the desert; it really isn't about the money. The money is good but to survive you have to remain flexible and adaptable to changes and difficulties from unpredictable avenues. People are here to save and that is clearly the main motivation. Culturally it is also a rather unique opportunity.

Plenty of jobs out here can offer you 100,000 baht which is amazing money for Thailand but that alone isn't enough money to make up for all the sacrifices you will have to make to be here. It's also important that you have administrative support, amazing colleagues and attentive students.

Also a side note here: Some people have posted jobs in excess of 200,000 baht a month and while I am sure there are a few jobs like that here in Saudi for highly experience and specialized teachers; they are not the norm. The average is much closer to 120k baht a month. However, right time, right place and you can land a job for more than that.

Phil's analysis and comment

Thanks Jessie for getting in touch again and doing another survey. Glad to hear that things are going well - certainly on the earnings front.

You have to make the sacrifices if you want to live and work out in the dunes, but of course, as we all know, it's all about the money!

You can read Jessie's first survey from July 2017 here.

Julio

17th May 2018

Working in Hokkaido, Japan

Monthly Earnings 72,800

Q1. How is that income broken down? (full-time salary, private students, on-line teaching, extra work, etc)

I get 72,800 from a private language school. Due to my small town, there isn't much apparent opportunity for private lessons outside of my main gig. Also, my contract strictly forbids me from taking outside work.

Q2. How much money can you save each month?

I save about 14.5K each month. I could save a bit more but I have a girlfriend. I also spend a bit of money on hobbies and traveling to Sapporo each month for a night or two.

Q3. How much do you pay for your accommodation and what do you live in exactly (house, apartment, condo)?

My accommodation is 15K each month. It's a one bedroom place that's arranged by the school. It isn't bad considering it's fully furnished and equipped with a decent kitchen. but it's a little old.

Q4. What do you spend a month on the following things?

Transportation

4K on a two way train ticket to Sapporo each month. It's a big chunk of my salary, but the happiness it brings me seems worth it. I live close to work so I use a bicycle or walk in my city.

Utility bills

5-6K a month! My city is in the northeast of Hokkaido and it gets real cold here during the winter. Between electric and a gas heater, this is one of my biggest expenses.

Food - both restaurants and supermarket shopping

Close to my same cost in rent, 11K. Japan is expensive and I love Sushi. I also love eating quality food in Sapporo.

Nightlife and drinking

4K a month goes towards a bottle of wine every night or so. This town is about as boring as it gets, and the booze also keeps me warm.

Books, computers

I bought an Xbox one when I got here. I use it to watch movies and Youtube. All my other reading is done through my computer screen for free.

Q5. How would you summarize your standard of living in one sentence?

Comfortable, but generally quite boring. Food is great, and while I enjoy my work and stress free lifestyle, there's plenty of greater things out there that I feel I should be doing. Considering it's only my second year teaching, it's not bad, but this kind of lifestyle should only be seen as a starting point in my opinion.

Q6. What do you consider to be a real 'bargain' here?

Healthcare. I had a procedure done here that cost me about 2K baht that would have been a fortune back in The States.

Q7. In your opinion, how much money does anyone need to earn here in order to survive?

One can survive day to day quite easily on what I'm making, however, surviving is precisely what you'd be doing. If you want a good life and some true comforts, you'd need 145K baht, or close to 500K Yen.

Phil's analysis and comment

Thanks Julio. It's not often we get a cost of living survey from Japan. It's a shame that your language school puts the block on earning extra money from outside work because I bet you get requests quite often. I don't really know how things work in Japan. Great place for a holiday though!

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Chris

25th April 2018

Working in Bangkok

Monthly Earnings 104,000

Q1. How is that income broken down? (full-time salary, private students, on-line teaching, extra work, etc)

I teach at an international school and make 104K a month after tax. I work Monday to Friday, and get the usual school holidays off. I also get paid a 13th month salary bonus as well as a return flight to the UK each year. I pay 20% of any health insurance claims that I make. (There is no housing allowance at my school.)

Q2. How much money can you save each month?

I save around 50% of my money each month. I should aim to save more really.

Q3. How much do you pay for your accommodation and what do you live in exactly (house, apartment, condo)?

We pay 21,000 Baht a month for a nice 1 bedroom/1 bathroom condo on a high floor. It's directly next to a BTS station. My girlfriend earns significantly less than me, so she contributes 7,000 Baht and I actually pay 14,000 Baht.

Q4. What do you spend a month on the following things?

Transportation

I spend around 300-400 Baht on the BTS each month, and around 140 Baht on gas for my scooter. (A full tank is 70 Baht, and I tend to fill-up once a fortnight.)

Utility bills

Not sure to be honest. Definitely less than 2000 Baht a month for everything including electric/water/phones/internet/subscriptions etc. I split every bill with my girlfriend 50/50, so I usually pay less than 1000 Bath a month on utility bills.

Food - both restaurants and supermarket shopping

I eat Thai food everyday for lunch, and have never paid more than 90 Baht for a lunch. I tend to eat a lot of Western food for dinner, but I rarely spend more than 400 or 500 Baht on a meal. I know some of my friends spend 1000's on brunches and fancy steaks, but I very rarely do that.

Nightlife and drinking

I'm a very light drinker, so I save a lot here. I can count the number of heavy nights out I've had over the past couple of years on one hand.

Books, computers

Gadgets and computer games are my downfall. I probably buy a new video game or a new electronic item once a month. Some of these gadgets can cost more than 10,000 Baht (but never more than 15,000). The most expensive thing I ever bought was my scooter (30,000), but that was a necessity.

Q5. How would you summarize your standard of living in one sentence?

Many people would say that I live a boring life, but I very much enjoy what I do. It's a very comfortable standard of living for me.

Q6. What do you consider to be a real 'bargain' here?

The cost of nice accommodation. Back home you'd have to pay double the price in order to get somewhere half as nice to live.

Q7. In your opinion, how much money does anyone need to earn here in order to survive?

My girlfriend takes home 32,000 a month, and she is not Thai. We split our bills/food costs 50/50, but she pays a third of the rent. Any less than 32,000, and I would definitely have to pay more of her rent share.

Phil's analysis and comment

Thanks Chris. I guess with you earning three times what your partner does, it's only fair that you pay the lion's share of the monthly bills but I've always found the whole idea of discussing 'who pays how much for what?' to be something of an awkward situation. It can be difficult for a couple to talk about money because it's often hard to decide how much is fair.

My wife and I have a system that seems to have just evolved. I pay the monthly utility bills. I pay for all the supermarket shopping unless it's something like cosmetics, which are specifically for her. When it comes to eating out, I'll pick up the tab probably 80% of the time. Whenever we travel, my wife will pay for her own flight and we'll split the accommodation costs 50/50. Once we get to a destination, I'll pay for all the food, transportation and entrance fees, etc.

Yet not once have we ever sat down together and said stuff like "well, actually I think I pay too much for this" or "you should contribute more to this", etc. 

It strikes me as a strange system at times - but it seems to work OK.

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Mark

21st April 2018

Working in Rayong

Monthly Earnings 124,000 Baht

Q1. How is that income broken down? (full-time salary, private students, on-line teaching, extra work, etc)

I work as a head of department in a mid-range international school that pays 124,000 per month before tax. They also pay a one month bonus at the end of each academic year. I occasionally do freelance writing but that's more for love than money.

Q2. How much money can you save each month?

I average 60K a month. There isn't very much to spend money on in Rayong.

Q3. How much do you pay for your accommodation and what do you live in exactly (house, apartment, condo)?

I have a one-bedroom bungalow next to the sea (the ocean is 5 metres from the back door at high tide). It's basic but beautiful, and at 10K a month I'm not moving anytime soon.

Q4. What do you spend a month on the following things?

Transportation

I drive to work and back daily in a car I bought years back. Petrol for which is about 2K a month.

Utility bills

Very little. Water and electricity are often less than a thousand baht combined.

Food - both restaurants and supermarket shopping

A lot, probably 20-30K. I see food as important and prepare good meals at home most nights. Quality cuts of meat can be expensive in Thailand.

Nightlife and drinking

Very little. After turning 40 I made an effort to stop wasting money and my health in the bars (there are a lot in this part of Rayong). I have a girlfriend now and more often than not we spend evenings in the garden just watching the sea change colour.

Books, computers

I own a computer but spend nothing on it. I usually buy books in bulk when I travel home so it's hard to decide on a monthly figure.

Q5. How would you summarize your standard of living in one sentence?

Right now life is great. Teaching might not be stress-free but international students in Thailand are a delight to work with. Then I go home and can literally leap from the garden into the ocean.

Q6. What do you consider to be a real 'bargain' here?

Despite the strengthening Baht, petrol, electricity and water are still a fraction of what you'd pay in Europe.

Q7. In your opinion, how much money does anyone need to earn here in order to survive?

Assuming you don't need to save for a pension, 60K a month is enough for a comfortable life. For everyone else, 100K would mean you can grow old worry free. Professionally qualified teachers should find such salaries easy to come by. Life must be very different for those (presumably unqualified?) teachers working for 30 - 40K a month.

Phil's analysis and comment

Thank you Mark. You've clearly made a very nice life for yourself (and your partner) down in Rayong. Sitting in the garden and watching the ocean change colour certainly sounds idyllic to this fifty-something. And there's nothing wrong with eating well if you've got the money to do so. 

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Peter

18th April 2018

Working in Hanoi

Monthly Earnings 210,000

Q1. How much do you earn from teaching per month?

190,000

Q2. How much of that can you realistically save per month?

150,000

Q3. How much do you pay for your accommodation and what do you live in exactly (house, apartment, condo)?

I pay 20,000 baht for a two-bedroom condo. School pays us a 40,000 baht housing allowance.

Q4. What do you spend a month on the following things?

Transportation

Petrol for my motorbike costs about 150 baht.

Utility bills

This is paid for by the school.

Food - both restaurants and supermarket shopping

15,000 baht

Nightlife and drinking

2,000 baht. I'm not really into either of these.

Books, computers

1,000 baht a month on books.

Q5. How would you summarize your standard of living in one sentence?

Very comfortable and I can save quite a lot for the future.

Q6. What do you consider to be a real 'bargain' here?

Housing.

Q7. In your opinion, how much money does anyone need to earn here in order to survive?

Maybe 35,000 baht. I've completed this survey as I saw you had only two Vietnam responses so thought another one might deepen the picture a little more. If you work in a top-tier international school you can do very well in Vietnam, particularly in Hanoi. Let's put it this way: what I've saved in nine years here is enough to give me a 50,000 baht a month salary in Thailand for the next 20 years. Have a think about that.

Phil's analysis and comment

It sounds like working at a top tier international school in Vietnam is not a bad gig at all.

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