Indian expat shares reality of Dubai life 2 years after moving: ‘Rents would eat your salary alive’

Dubai is often ”sold as a dream” — glittering skylines, attractive salaries and a fast-paced lifestyle. But for one Indian expat, the story is more layered than the glossy Instagram posts suggest.The expat, who moved to the emirate two years ago, says he arrived with high hopes. (Instagram@doitlike_mo)“This is not a propaganda video against Dubai, but I’m gonna de-influence you from moving here,” he said in an Instagram reel that has struck a chord with many aspiring migrants.The expat, who moved to the emirate two years ago, says he arrived with high hopes. “All I knew was what the internet told me — the lifestyle, the exposure, the chance to do something better. And that’s all true,” he admits. “But no one really mentions the other part.”That “other part”, he explains, includes sending out endless job applications — “applying to 20 jobs just to be ghosted all of them.” He speaks of rising living costs where “rents would eat your salary alive,” and unexpected expenses — “just when you think you’re budgeting well, you’re slapped with a 200 dirhams parking fine.”There is also the emotional toll. “You’ll watch people casually spending your monthly income over one dinner, while you’re working full time trying to save some money,” he says. “You come home after a long day feeling like you haven’t done enough.”Yet the narrative does not end in despair. “Then there are days that make complete sense,” he reflects — days of “treating yourself to a nice brunch,” meeting people from “so many different cultures,” and walking safely at “2am with your family.”“You realise that there’s a price for growth, and the price is getting out of your comfort zone,” he concludes. “The pressure never really stops, but neither does the thrill.”