Free relocation calculator
Should you move from here to there?
Tax delta × cost-of-living × five-year wealth path × visa friction. Modeled across 30+ destinations. Pick origin, destination, your income — the full analysis renders below as you type. No signup.
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Tell us about yourself
0 ≈ cash. 3% = mixed/conservative. 5% = balanced (working default). 7% = equity-heavy.
Live verdict
Elite · Tax Arbitrage Jackpot
London → Dubai: 42 pts of tax savings at 195% lifestyle coverage.
Annual after-tax delta
$105k
5-year wealth delta
$680k
Coverage in destination
195%
Tax delta
+42pts
Housing in Dubai
Rent · $49k/yr
Healthcare in Dubai
$6k/yr (+$2k vs London)
Effective tax · 42% in London → 0% in Dubai. Wealth compounds at 5.0% real. Tier: upper-middle.
The answer first
So what?
Top-line verdict + the three reasons that drive it. Detail follows.
Elite · Tax Arbitrage Jackpot
London → Dubai: 42 pts of tax savings at 195% lifestyle coverage.
01 · Tax arbitrage
42 pts of savings — destination keeps materially more of every dollar earned.
02 · Lifestyle headroom
195% coverage in Dubai — the same income buys a meaningfully bigger life.
03 · 5y wealth delta
+$680k accumulates over the horizon vs. staying — the compounded gap.
Detail in the sections below
Decision stackTax waterfallWealth pathCost basketRisk matrixVisa pathwaysHealthcareCitizenship path
The destination scorecard
How the destination grades
McKinsey-style scorecard across 8 dimensions HNW clients evaluate. Each cell is graded on a 1–5 scale; the Δ column flags where the destination beats or loses to origin.
Executive summary
The decision stack
Five-dimension portfolio-manager view. Each row gets a traffic light; the verdict above is the weighted call.
The tax math
Where the money goes
Same gross income, two destinations. The slice taken in tax vs the slice you keep.
Annual cash flow · Dubai
How $250k of gross income decomposes once the destination tax + lifestyle burn are taken out. Green = kept, red = paid out, gold = annual savings to invest.
The math
The numbers
London · if you stay
Effective tax
Dubai · if you move
Effective tax
99%
London coverage
195%
Dubai coverage
London · if you stay
99%
0%100% — fully funded250%
Dubai · if you move
195%
0%100% — fully funded250%
Annual after-tax delta
$105k
Per year, on the same gross income.
5-year wealth delta
$680k
Compounded at 5.0% real, savings reinvested.
The path
The 5-year wealth path
Year-by-year accumulation in both scenarios. Both start from the same wealth and add net annual savings (after-tax income minus burn), compounded at 5.0% real. The shaded gap is the story.
The lifestyle
What the same money buys
Side-by-side everyday costs for London vs Dubai. Bars show what changes by category; the detailed table follows for line-by-line lookup.
LondonDubai
Housing (rent)↓ cheaper
$7,600/mo
$6,000/mo
Food↓ cheaper
$1,995/mo
$1,249/mo
Transit↓ cheaper
$210/mo
$82/mo
Utilities↓ cheaper
$342/mo
$275/mo
Lifestyle (gym)↑ pricier
$58/mo
$85/mo
The reasons
Brutal insights
Rules-based observations the engine looks for in every scenario. The matrix below separates dealbreaker from paperwork; the cards expand each.
✓
42 percentage points of tax savings
The same gross income produces materially more take-home in the destination. Over a 5-year horizon, the compounded difference is meaningful — that's what's driving the verdict.
✓
0% personal income tax in destination
Every dollar of salary is take-home. This is rare — only Dubai (UAE), the Bahamas, Monaco, and a handful of Caribbean CBI states share this profile.
✓
Lifestyle expands to 195% coverage
After-tax income comfortably exceeds the destination cost-of-living target. Buys back optionality — bigger apartment, more travel, household help where culturally relevant — without strain.
✓
5-year wealth delta of $680k
Compounding the after-tax savings at 5% real, the move puts the client meaningfully ahead by year 5. Past year 5, the gap typically widens further.
◆
Income assumption: holds across cities
The model assumes the client earns the same gross income in destination as origin. True for most senior finance, tech, and consulting roles where comp scales with seniority not geography. Less true for sales (commission rebases), partner-track (book of business doesn't move), or industries where local language is a barrier.
◆
Capital gains treatment in destination
No personal CGT.
!
Annual wealth tax exposure
None.
◆
Inheritance / estate tax
No UAE inheritance tax (Sharia or private law applies to distribution).
!
Forced heirship rules in destination
Sharia inheritance applies to Muslim residents by default; non-Muslims since 2020 can register a will under DIFC Wills Service Centre to override Sharia and apply foreign succession law. Mandatory if you have UAE assets. If your client has a non-traditional family structure, a complex will, or significant philanthropy plans, this constrains who can inherit what. Address with a will registered under foreign-law before the move, where available.
✓
Escapes inheritance tax exposure
Origin imposes inheritance tax (40% over £325k nil-rate band); destination does not. For estates >$5M, this can be the dominant financial reason for the move — often outweighing tax-on-income arbitrage.
!
Air quality + climate concerns
Brutal summer heat (Jun–Sep, 40–45°C / 104–113°F). Dec–Mar is genuinely beautiful (22–28°C). Most HNW families do summers in Europe. Indoor lifestyle from May to October. Average AQI ~110. Material consideration for kids, asthma, long-term health.
◆
No realistic citizenship path
UAE citizenship is by Presidential decree only — not a path most expats can plan around. The 10-year Golden Visa is the long-term play (renewable indefinitely) and effectively functions as permanent residency. Plan-B passports typically come from Caribbean CBI (Saint Kitts, Antigua) layered on top. Destination is residency-only; if a Plan-B passport matters, layer Caribbean CBI (Saint Kitts $250k+, Antigua $230k+) on top.
The execution
Visa & residency pathways
Available residency tracks in Dubai. Difficulty is rated open. Best path: Golden Visa — 10-yr for investors ($545k+ property) or $272k annual salary.
Remote Work Visa
1yMin income · $42k/yr
$3.5k/mo income proof.
Employment Visa
2yEmployer-sponsored. Free zone company possible.
UAE Golden Visa (property)
10yMin capital · $545k
AED 2M in real estate. Renewable.
UAE Golden Visa (salary)
10yMin income · $272k/yr
AED 30k/mo salary or higher.
golden visa
UAE Golden Visa (property)
AED 2M in real estate. Renewable.
Duration · 10yMin capital · $545k
golden visa
UAE Golden Visa (salary)
AED 30k/mo salary or higher.
Duration · 10yMin income · $272k/yr
skilled worker
Employment Visa
Employer-sponsored. Free zone company possible.
Duration · 2y
self support
Remote Work Visa
$3.5k/mo income proof.
Duration · 1yMin income · $42k/yr
The tax
Tax detail · Dubai
Regime
No personal income tax in the UAE. 9% corporate tax on profits above AED 375k (2023+).
Capital gains
No personal CGT.
Wealth tax
None.
Inheritance / estate
No UAE inheritance tax (Sharia or private law applies to distribution).
US-citizen trap
No treaty. US still taxes you. But UAE is the cleanest backstop — no local tax, no forced global reporting beyond your US obligations.
Bottom line
Zero personal tax. Golden Visa for 10 yrs is the #1 wealth-preservation play for Americans willing to relocate.
The exit
Leaving London
What to watch on departure
UK Statutory Residence Test: ≥183 days = automatic tax resident. Domicile rules changed April 2025 — non-dom regime replaced by residence-based system. Capital gains on overseas assets may rebase on departure.
The execution timeline
What happens, in what order
End-to-end view of the move. Months on the x-axis; each band is one workstream. The overlap between visa, exit-prep, and tax filings is where most relocations get expensive — plan for it.
The healthcare
Healthcare & insurance
Quality of public system, what private cover costs, and what HNW families actually do for specialist access.
London
Public system quality
4/5
Private cover · adult/yr
~$3.5k
Dubai
Public system quality
3/5
Private cover · adult/yr
~$5.5k
What HNW families do in Dubai
Public DHA system is improving but expats invariably go private. Top hospitals (Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Mediclinic, King's College) are world-class but cash-pay. Mandatory employer-sponsored insurance covers basics; HNW families typically layer on Bupa Global / Cigna for evacuation + global access.
The estate
Estate, inheritance & succession
For HNW families, the estate-planning treatment often dwarfs the income-tax arbitrage. Forced heirship, trust recognition, inheritance/estate tax — all material to the move-stay decision.
Forced heirship rules
Sharia inheritance applies to Muslim residents by default; non-Muslims since 2020 can register a will under DIFC Wills Service Centre to override Sharia and apply foreign succession law. Mandatory if you have UAE assets.
Estate planning in Dubai
DIFC and ADGM trusts are common-law-based and recognized. Estate planning for HNW families typically uses a DIFC will + foundation for global asset coordination. No probate friction at federal level for estates governed by registered wills.
The capital
Banking, investments & capital access
Whether your client can keep the brokerage they have, what private-bank options open up locally, and how exposed they are to FX risk + reporting.
Banking in Dubai
AED pegged to USD at 3.6725 since 1997. UBS, Julius Baer, Edmond de Rothschild, Lombard Odier all maintain DIFC/ADGM offices. CRS reporting active since 2018; FATCA IGA in place. US-citizen accounts increasingly subject to W-9 even at local banks.
The stability
Safety, stability & environment
Personal safety, rule-of-law, climate, and air quality. The factors HNW families weight as much as the financial math, especially with kids.
Safety
Origin
4/5
Destination
5/5
Political stability
Origin
4/5
Destination
4/5
Rule of law
Origin
5/5
Destination
4/5
AQI · Dubai
Dubai (destination)London (origin)
Climate in Dubai
Brutal summer heat (Jun–Sep, 40–45°C / 104–113°F). Dec–Mar is genuinely beautiful (22–28°C). Most HNW families do summers in Europe. Indoor lifestyle from May to October.
The family
Family, schooling & citizenship path
Spouse work rights, international school cost + capacity, and whether the move offers a real path to a second passport.
Spouse pathway
Family residency under primary visa-holder. Spouse can work with separate Emirates ID + employer sponsorship; or self-employ via DIFC / ADGM freezone license.
School strategy
Tier-1 schools: Dubai College, Repton, GEMS Wellington, Brighton College Dubai. Waitlists at the top tier are 2–3 years. Plan school admission BEFORE move, not after. Sibling priority + corporate seats matter.
Path to citizenship · Dubai
Standard: No realistic path
Citizenship reality
UAE citizenship is by Presidential decree only — not a path most expats can plan around. The 10-year Golden Visa is the long-term play (renewable indefinitely) and effectively functions as permanent residency. Plan-B passports typically come from Caribbean CBI (Saint Kitts, Antigua) layered on top.
The other taxes
Hidden costs you'll actually pay
VAT, property transfer, vehicle tax, recurring municipal fees — the small print that adds up to 5–10% of a comfortable lifestyle in some jurisdictions.
VAT (5%)
Headline rate: 5%. Material on big-ticket purchases — cars, renovations, high-end services.
Property transfer
Dubai Land Department fee 4% one-time on property purchase. No annual property tax. Service charges on apartments/villas are real (typ. AED 12–25/sqft/year).
Vehicle import / registration
New cars VAT 5% + customs 5% on import. Luxury cars common — depreciate hard.
Recurring property + local taxes
Annual Ejari rental registration; municipality fee 5% of annual rent (added to DEWA bill).
The US-citizen reality
If your client is a US person
US citizenship + green-card status follow the person, not the residency. Engage US international tax counsel before any move.
01US worldwide income tax obligation continues — UAE 0% means you'll pay full US federal rates with no foreign tax credit offset.
02Foreign Earned Income Exclusion (FEIE 2024: $126,500) helps for salary income only — capital gains, dividends, interest get no exclusion.
03FBAR + FATCA Form 8938 reporting required on all UAE accounts >$10k aggregate.
04PFIC trap: most UAE-domiciled mutual funds and ETFs trigger punitive PFIC tax. Stick to US-listed ETFs in US brokerage.
05US estate tax exemption ($13.61M 2024) applies regardless of UAE residence. UAE-side: no inheritance tax.
06Section 877A exit tax kicks in only if you renounce US citizenship; rarely the right move for a relocation alone.
The fine print
Methodology
%
Effective tax rates
Blended estimate for senior professionals earning USD 200k–500k: income + payroll + state/local. Directional — verify with a local pro.
$
Lifestyle coverage
After-tax income vs the target tier's annual burn in each city. Six tiers modeled: lean → luxury.
↗
5-year wealth delta
Annual after-tax savings reinvested at 5.0% real. Income assumed to hold across cities unless overridden in the form.
!
Not modeled
Probabilistic visa outcomes, dual-income dynamics, spousal work rights, industry shocks. Friction sections flag the first-order risks.
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