Dubai Weekend Guide: Tour Around With Camels, Fairy-Tale Museums, AED2 Offers & Lot More!
Dubai Weekend Guide: Ramadan Festivities, Epic Desert Runs, Heritage Classics & Much More!
Fall In Love With Bread, Pastries, And More Near Burj Khalifa!
Loyal Lovin readers can support Lovin so we can continue to share the stories of all amazing cities
Minimum custom amount to enter is AED 2
By donating, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service
A Dubai Resident Shared Why He Thinks AED60K Is the “Most Dangerous Salary”
Is AED60,000 a month the dream… or the trap?
That’s the question Dubai resident Tarik Chebib sparked on LinkedIn this week after calling AED60K per month the “most dangerous salary.”
And, as always, the internet had thoughts.
Want instant updates? Follow Lovin on WhatsApp, and never miss a beat!
“It feels successful”
In his post, Tarik broke it down in a way that hit a little too close to home for many in the mid-high salary earning group.
AED60,000 a month feels like you’ve made it.
Nice apartment.
Private school.
A good car.
Two to three holidays a year.
Brunch without checking the bill.
You look rich.
But, he puts it this way – “you’re not free”
The lifestyle upgrades faster than the assets
Here’s where it gets real.
According to Tarik, at AED60K per month, your lifestyle can upgrade way faster than your assets do. Fixed costs quietly climb to AED40K–50K a month. Rent. School fees. Car payments. Insurance. The works.
And once that lifestyle locks in? Your risk tolerance drops.
You don’t take the leap.
You don’t start the thing you always wanted to.
You don’t reset.
Because the downside suddenly feels terrifying. The thought of not being able to afford what you can afford now becomes very, very real.
“You are earning well. But you are trapped well,” he wrote.
And that line alone had people pausing in thought mid-scroll.
“The salary that funds the image but delays the exit”
Tarik described AED60K as the salary that funds the image… but delays the exit.
Meaning: it gives you just enough comfort to stay put. Not struggling enough to change. Not free enough to walk away.
And he ended with the reminder: “Don’t settle. A life lived with regret isn’t worth anything.”
A lot of Dubai residents nodded along.
One commenter said this is exactly what needs to be taught to anyone moving to Dubai. It’s easy to get consumed into the lifestyle and forget why you moved in the first place.
Another commenter, Rashad Kabbara, said this is one of the most accurate takes on mid-to-high fixed salaries he’s seen.
Because the real question isn’t how much you earn.
It’s this: If your income stopped tomorrow, how long could you survive without massively downgrading your life?
Their collective advice?
“Avoid debt. Automatically invest at least 20% of your salary. Live off the rest.”
Simple, but not as easy.
Of course, AED60K depends on the person. For some, it’s more than enough. For others, it disappears faster than expected.
But the bigger point wasn’t really about the number.
It was about lifestyle creep. Comfort zones. And the illusion of security.
In a city that makes it very easy to level up fast, the real flex might just be building freedom quietly in the background.
Food for thought, fo’sureee.
Lovin Dubai Newsletter 