A woman who ditched the UK to embrace a life of luxury in Dubai has claimed that she regularly eats out for free and spends less on her food shop than she does in Aldi.
Rio Ellen, 30, from Oldham, Manchester, packed her bags and jetted off tothe Arabian Peninsula just five weeks ago to start a new job.
On social media, the influencer has shared her journey emigrating to Dubai, where hundreds of fellow Brits have made their base in recent years.
She paid just £150 for her flight, her new job have foot the remaining cost of the flight, which is typically just shy of £500.
Ellen now lives in a glamorous luxury apartment with her boyfriend, often sharing snippets of her new luxurious lifestyle on TikTok, including a list of things that surprised her when she first made the move to the UAE.
While many assume that living in Dubai costs a fortune, Ellen’s account suggests the opposite is true.
In a slideshow of pictures, she revealed the things that shocked her most about emigrating.
Her ‘biggest surprise’ was the cost of grocery shopping. In striking contrast to many other reports of eye-wateringly high living costs, Ellen insisted that ‘food shopping can be as cheap as Aldi?!’
Rio Ellen, 30, from Oldham, Manchester, packed her bags and jetted off to the Arabian Peninsula just five weeks ago to start a new job(Rio Ellen pictured)
She explained that she shops at Nesto,an Indian-Emirati multinational retail chain, as well as Viva, another UAE-based supermarket.
Describing Viva, she said: ‘Honestly, the same price as Aldi, it looked just like Aldi too lol it didn’t have branded food it was like their own produce.’
Not only that, but eating out also comes with an extremely affordable price tag, according to the British native.
‘Nearly everything can be free for women through apps and WhatsApp groups,’ she said, adding that it was the ‘best part’ of living abroad.
‘You can dine at Michelin star restaurants for free,’ she added, attaching a photo of a delicious-looking tomato pasta dish loaded with stracciatella cheese.
She explained that a number of restaurant owners and event promoters will use WhatsApp groups to find influencers to share pictures on social media in exchange for a free meal.
Groups that have since helped Ellen nab free dinners at Michelin-star eateries and relaxing days lounging at some of the city’s more glamorous beach clubs.
Dubai, which is known for its sizzling temperatures and blazing sun, is often met with criticism from Brits struggling to manage the heat. But Ellen insisted, ‘summer heat is not that bad.’
A woman who ditched the UK to embrace a life of luxury in Dubai has claimed that she regularly eats out for free and spends less on her food shop than she does in Aldi
Ellen now lives in a glamorous luxury apartment with her boyfriend, often sharing snippets of her new luxurious lifestyle on TikTok , including a list of things that surprised her when she first made the move to the UAE (Rio Ellen pictured)
She also claimed that ‘you get more for your money in apartments than you do in Manchester city centre or London’. Although she added that her new company has helped with her initial moving costs.
Unlike the UK, where a handful of locations have been branded ‘fat capitals’, Dubai is a haven for healthy food, according to the social media user, who said that eating well is ‘more accessible’.
Sharing a photo of a plate piled high with roast trimmings, she also claimed that’Sunday roasts are just as good as at home.’
Delivery services are also exceptional, she said. ‘You can order nearly anything to be delivered in 15 minutes.’
She also claimed that driving ‘is not as scary as it seems’ and that ‘weekends are never boring’.
Ellen’s optimistic view of Dubai living contrasts with accounts from other British immigrants who have described it as ‘unaffordable’.
Natalie Goodall, 32, a self-employed golf professional, now lives in Dorset after the Dubai lifestyle left her exhausted and struggling to take advantage of the country’s notoriously luxurious living standard.
The UK-native was first offered a sports coaching job in Dubai aged 18 after completing internships at a golf school there.
Natalie jumped at the chance, living with various family and friends before saving up to afford rent on her own apartment in Damac Hills.
She lived in the seemingly idyllic and luxurious city, which is now home to celebrities including Amir Khanand The Beckhams, for several years.
However, she soon found the reality of the Dubai lifestyle too much, with the golfer complaining thatcity’s ‘business model’ didn’t allow for ‘work-life balance’.
After years of working 80 hour, six-day weeks, Natalie moved back to the UK in 2019 and has settled down in West Parley, Dorset with her partner, Will Coan, 34, who she met in Dubai in 2017.
She is just one of a number of Britons who has made the move to the UAE, with The Telegraph estimating that a whopping 30,000 emigrated to Dubaiin 2021, a figure that rose to 35,000 in 2022 and 40,000 in 2023.
The 32-year-old insisted she is still fond of the country as a holiday destination, but is unlikely to relocate permanently.
As swathes of Brits opt to move out there with high expectations of luxurious living and endless fun, Natalie warned that Brits going with high expectations ‘may be disappointed.’
