Moving Costs for USA Expats Relocating to Dubai
This paper seeks to determine the various costs that are incurred when moving from the USA to Dubai. In this article, American expats will learn what they should expect to spend on shipping personal items, as well as on settling into their new home.
1. Shipping and Moving Costs
Shipping Household Goods:
- Cost Estimates: The delivery charges may vary based on the number of products ordered as well as the preferred means of transport; air or sea. The price of shipping a container, especially a 20ft container from USA to Dubai is as low as $3.
- Air Freight: For the faster, but costly mode of transport, the air freight charges are extremely high and are based on the weight in kilograms. Depending on the package it can range from $5 to $10 per kilogram (AED 18 to AED 36).
Packing and Unpacking Services:
- Professional Movers: This is because when hiring professional movers to help in packing and unpacking the items, one has to dig deeper into his/her pocket. This service costs from $1,000 to $3,000 (AED 3,600 to AED 11,000) depending on the quantity of the items as well as the degree of service that is wanted.
2. Travel Expenses
Flight Tickets:
- Cost Estimates: The flight fare for one way economy class from the major cities of the US to Dubai is around $600 – $1200 (AED 2200- AED 4400) approximately.
- Business Class: The journey can be made a bit more comfortable with business class tickets going for as low as $3,000 to as high as $5,000 (AED 11,000 to AED 18,000).
Temporary Accommodation:
- Hotels and Short-Term Rentals: Because there is a situation when people have to live in one country but do not have their house there, and they might need a shelter for some period of time. The costs of hotels or short term rental properties range but a standard hotel will cost from AED 300 to AED 700 per night (USD 80-190).
3. Visa and Legal Fees
Residency Visa:
- Employment Visa: Usually, the employer bears this cost; however, for information purposes, the total cost could fall between AED 1,000 and AED 2,000 (
- Family Visa: If you are taking along relatives, there may be charges for the visa of these relatives. The dependents visa fee per each family member is about AED 700 to AED 1500 depending with the exchange rate this is about USD 190 to USD 410.
4. Initial Living Expenses
Rent and Security Deposit:
- Initial Rent Payments: Rent payment in Dubai can be done every three months or one year. The initial payments may be the first one or two months’ rent plus a security deposit, which is also equal to one month’s rent. One bedroom apartment in the city center will amount to about AED 7,927 (USD 2,160) in average.
- Security Deposit: Normally calculated to be the same as the rent for one month’s occupancy.
Furniture and Household Items:
- Furnishing New Home: In the case where furniture is not being shipped, buying new items in Dubai will increase the expenditure bill. The basic furniture for a one bedroom flat can be between AED 10,000 to AED 20,000 /USD 2700 to USD 5400.
5. Miscellaneous Costs
Car Purchase or Lease:
- Buying a Car: The price for a new car can be quite different from one another. For instance, one can now purchase a Toyota Corolla at a cost of AED 70, 000 (USD 19,000). We also provide leasing services that can also come with maintenance and or insurance.
- Car Insurance: Usually needed when buying a car, usually it is around 3 to 5% of the car’s value per year.
Insurance:
- Health Insurance: Health insurance per year ranges from AED 5,000 to AED 15,000 approximately USD 1,400 to USD 4,100.
- Home Insurance: Not always required, but usually recommended, the premium is between AED 1000 and AED 2000 per year (USD 270 to USD 540).
The cost include; shipping of items, fares for travel, visa fees, and food and accommodation for the initial few months in Dubai. This is because where one is sure of the costs to be incurred in the whole relocation process, then there is a high likelihood of the process being a smooth one. The following should be considered by expats and where necessary, one should seek the services of professionals to avert this when going for relocation services.