"I Live on 1100 Dirhams a Month": Dubai Accountant Reveals Surprising Cost of Living Reality, Video Goes Viral (Watch)

A 23-year-old accountant in Dubai has gone viral after revealing she spends around 1100 dirhams per month on living expenses. She shared her detailed budget including rent-free accommodation, groceries, transport, and lifestyle costs in a video.

A 23-year-old accountant working and living in Dubai has gone viral on social media after sharing a detailed breakdown of her monthly expenses. In a candid Instagram video, user @suryagayathry explained how she manages her finances while balancing work, lifestyle, and daily living costs in the city. Her transparent breakdown of spending has sparked discussion online about the cost of living in Dubai and how young professionals manage their monthly budgets.

In the video, she clarified that her expenses are based on her personal lifestyle and may vary depending on individual spending habits. She also highlighted that she is currently staying in company accommodation, which significantly reduces her financial burden by eliminating rent costs.

Company Accommodation Reduces Major Expense

One of the biggest advantages in her monthly budget is company-provided housing, which removes the need to pay rent. She described this as a major relief, allowing her to allocate her income towards other essential and lifestyle expenses.

Groceries And Food Form The Biggest Monthly Cost

She explained that since there are no restaurants near her residence, she primarily cooks at home and purchases groceries weekly. Her average grocery expense is around 100 dirhams per week, which totals approximately 500 dirhams per month, making it her largest recurring cost.

Internet, Transport And Daily Essentials

The user also shared that she pays around 200 dirhams per month for personal WiFi through Du. As she lives and works in the same building, her transport expenses are minimal. She recharges her Nol card for about 70 dirhams per month and occasionally spends around 35 dirhams on taxi rides, bringing her total monthly travel cost to roughly 100 to 110 dirhams.

Additional daily expenses, including utilities such as water and mobile data or “Noon Minutes”, amount to around 50 dirhams per month.

Lifestyle Spending And Personal Expenses

She added that weekend dining and occasional eating out cost around 100 dirhams per month. Personal shopping does not follow a fixed budget but is generally kept between 100 to 150 dirhams. She jokingly mentioned that she keeps this limit to avoid overspending.

Total Monthly Expenses Around 1100 Dirhams

Summing up all expenses, she revealed that her total monthly spending comes to approximately 1100 dirhams. However, she clarified that this figure is flexible and depends entirely on individual lifestyle choices and spending habits.

The video caption read: "Monthly expenses as a 23 year old Accountant working in Dubai."

Social Media Reactions

The video received mixed reactions online, with users commenting on budgeting habits and salary differences.

One user commented: " Accountants are good at living in low cost and controlling expenses so that they save efficiently."

Second user commented: "Same as you, but my salary is below 3500."