Whats the normal salary required in Kuwait to survive the inflation? I remember when i came back to Kuwait to start my working career in 1999. i used to get around KD 65 per month(Company took advantage since i was not a proper visa. i was on my dad’s visit visa,so hence the low pay). I was a network engineer / programmer then. The KD 65 used to suffice me for KD 30 as rent and 25 for food and the balance for bus transportation and entertainment.
Now a days its like 8 years from then … inflation has reached such high levels that expenses are reaching quite higher .. Some of my friends got jobs as secretaries and other admin related jobs .. they get around KD 200 to KD 300 and they say thats a great salary … i too used to think that it is simply cool … but im not too sure. With single bedroom rents touching KD 190 per month .. and food and everything else becoming expensive … what else is left to save… !
but then i wonder , what about the people still earning KD 15 to 80 salaries … how do they survive ? These days i have to interview people and when i ask them for salary expectations, The lowest these people said is Kd 525.000, Keep in mind that these people i interviewed dont even have a proper Visa , all on Visit Visas. They dont even have work experience.
So im confused??? whats a normal, basic salary to survive in Kuwait? whats the  line between being well paid and under paid?
Spent a big chunk of my Kuwait life earning less than 100KD .. its a dogs life … either you should be educated or should have good wasta …
Just a point : My haras earns more than me .. or may be more than you , he has employes two guys to work for him .. so F##k inflation , its just the luck !
Grey : You may have a point! … my harass gets 10 KD per month(baaalash). he says its for the garabage removal .. and we have 22 apartments in the building . so its like KD 220 per month his salary which he gets from the landlord… free accomodation .. he’s got a life!!!
Luck does have role in determining many people’s salary .. but my question is for those who really work hard. who have gone through amazing shitty times. i know how it is to earn below 100 and live life. Its crazy ..!!!
This question is something I have pondered upon for year now. We have all gone through times that have required minimal spending, eating our of cartons and taking public transportation. The standard of living for everyone in Kuwait in general as wel as for each one of us in particular has risen over the past decade. What was ocne considered a luxury in 1997 (like a mobile phone) is an absolute necessity in 2007! For most of us however it is more about living within one’s means. If you make KD 100, you learn to live within KD 100 and if you make KD 1000, you learn to live within that amount! Human beings are never satisfied with what they have and so the moment their standard of living has risen, their expectations are on the rise as well! Fact of life!
Personally I think it is all about converting opportunity into reality. If you see an opportunity to advance in your career and make more money, you should take it; like the haaras you’re referring to. I don’t see anything wrong in him making the money he makes - the fact is that apart from luck, he was smart enough to realize the opportunity that lay before him and milk the cash cow so to speak! Like a saying I like repeating to myself every once in a while - Work smart, not hard!
Low salary people, are either
1- Not saving, and thus you don’t see many of those nationality coming
2- Their salary is mostly theirs, like housemates.
3- They depend on side money more. This is why so many annoying workers are down the street and at the airport jumping infront of your nose for some tip. Honestly I hate it and don’t give them. Those category should figure out it’s not paying off and leave. I can’t pay for what companies are doing to this country to become rich.
I am mainly with Barry on this one.
You gotta be lucky AND smart.
AND educated.
Well, you saw the ramble on my blog, I could type down a whole book, but I need more coffee and might try it another day.
Now, about those job interviews…..!
There’s no such thing as a “normal” or “good” salary. Human beings are highly adaptive and we can be comfortable with a salary that may seem pittance to others.
When I first came to Kuwait more than 15 years ago, I was earning a few hundred dinars and thought it was pretty good as I could afford to buy things, make a decent saving, and even manage to support my family back home.
Now I earn what would be considered amazing salary by most people, but I don’t see my life changed in any way.
errr. except that I can now afford to buy the most expensive camera equipment
Wow … im surprised to get quite major reponses .. on this.
i wil respond in a while when i reach home.
Sorry , i had issues with the host in the morning , but it seems fine now.
BarryUno : I agree with the fact that “Work Smart and not Hard” works out to be perfect motto, which everyone “must” or “is supposed to” follow. But for a country like kuwait, where wasta, red tape , “passing the buck” defines how you work, how you get paid, or how you are finally treated. Thats where “Grey’s” theory of having luck could apply … or if you have Godfathers … its a whole different story.
BUt as you and Cajie clearly mentioned, “Human’s are never satisfied, and they also do tend to get adapted to current living and earning conditions. I know people , who take a lot of shit at work , but are happy as they know that they have mouths to feed back at home. About converting opportunities into Golden Eggs, i believe not everyone is into this. My Harris may have done that. But some prefer to lay back and live their current lives and let the opportunity pass . Infact most Christian Goans do that . its a sad situation.
End of the day … “Humans, do adjust with what they have and still do tend to crave or wish they had more”.. i feel its a contradicting statement… but i guess a fact of life.
Bashar : About the people on the streets . You may have a point, but sometimes i do given in and drop in some small tips to guys . Everyday i read the papers of cleaning companies not paying wages, or they living in some shity environmnet. So it makes me wonder , if these guys are in that same company … i really wonder what i do if i was in that situation, and uneducated to take up a career.. :-(.
What i like about maids and service related people is that the worries which come with accomodation, and food. is that they get toe svae 90 to 100% of their salary .. the worries of acquiring this isnt there for them … i know their sals are less.. its just that these un wanted worries which everyone else goes through isnt there.
Nicole :
yeah i feel i could go on writing on this . it would never end 
Cajie: Yeah thats the problem . i was trying to define a living. How do you define a living. Even though it cannot be define as every human is different , it must be defined. and i think is done every month .. by government economies. Coz through the cost of living, “inflation” is calculated and whether its bad or good for the country’s economy.
Having a extra stash , here and there does tempt you to buy more stuff…
i think i should visit amazon.com :p
The salary in kuwait is mostly based on luck, experience and luck
When i started working in kuwait as a network engineer I earned a couple of hundred dinars as salary. Although the salary has gone improved a little, the cost of living has skyrocketed in kuwait. I too sometimes think about the people who earn double digit salaries and wonder how they survive, but as Cajie said humans will somehow find a way. Some of us ’survive’ better than others.
dear friend I am gonna work at kuwait the next month but I am afraid of cannot save money I will have 450 kd per month did ther good to live in kuwait and if some body know about KDCC company profile could you feed me back please thanks to all of you
Shangi,
How is KDCC now that you have been there for 6 months? Is it a good company to work for? I am planning to apply as a Sales professional. Thanks
Akeel.
hi;
i just wanna know if it is okay to have a salary of 900 kd and live properly (i mean by that not in need)in a family including the man wife and a child (i don’t work. it is my husbands’ salary)
LANA ..it totally depends on your lifestyle. if you tend to be a spend thrift then i dont think KD 900 is enough.. but if you live like the average man, then it should be just fine. but as your kid grows older education will take a major chunk of the expenses like school, tutions , school accessories etc. you will also need to save for the kids future.
im not sure what are your savings plan, but you should be able to save something. a decent place nowdays cost around 280 and above, unless you are in an older apartment or a fine with the confinements of a small apartment below 200.
Hi Iam planning to join a company in kuwait as a accountant, I had been offered a salary of 300 kd. Is this salary fine for a average life and can i save anything out of this. Iam a bachelor and will be sharing my accomadation. Please let me know
KD 300 for a bachelor and having sharing accomodation, would be just enough to live in kuwait specially since the standards of living has increased in the span of 1 year. If this was 2006-2007 .. i would have said it is a great salary.. for you. But since life has changed it would be just enough. i say , you will be able to save around 60 to 100 KD per month, depends on your own standards of living. But if you have a family or plan to have one. its going to be difficult as rents alone would costs 190 and above , plus groceries about 50 to 80 ….