The Cost of Hiring a Contract Maid Versus a Full-Time Maid in Dubai

Let’s face it, we’re all too busy running around getting things done to be able to give our homes the love and care they need. That is why we recommend you get a full-time maid in Dubai. Thankfully, there are plenty of options available in Dubai!

However, there are costs and other factors to consider before you decide to arrange for a full-time maid in Dubai. We talked to some of the most reputable companies that provide full-time maids on a live-in and a live-out basis and have created a checklist to help you decide!

Hiring a Contract Maid vs a Full-Time Maid in Dubai  

Services, costs, and salaries are different for live-in and live-out maids. Here’s all you need to know. 

Services 

Full-Time Live-in Maid: A full-time helper, who lives in your home will assist you with a variety of housekeeping tasks. Depending on your agreement, this may also include babysitting and cooking services.

Contract Live-out Maid: A maid who is contracted to your home with a set schedule, but lives in accommodation provided by her employer. These housekeepers assist with a variety of housekeeping tasks. Depending on the conditions of the agency, this arrangement may or may not include additional services such as babysitting. 

Costs and Deposits

Full-Time Live-in Maid: The initial recruitment cost is more than AED 15,000. 

The cost of a full-time maid in Dubai depends on Tadbeer, an established agency in the city. Through this company, residents of Dubai can apply for their maid’s visa. It charges a one-off finder’s fee, which includes the cost of finding the right person based on your requirements and flying them in. But if you’re looking for greater convenience, you can avail these services through ServiceMarket. This way you won’t have to be directly involved in complex processes like acquiring visas. 

Live-out Maid: The initial deposit you’ll have to pay is AED 3,000 – AED 4,500,

Some agencies ask for a refundable deposit to be paid as a form of commitment when signing annual contracts for full-time live-out maids. This deposit is paid back at the end of the contract.

Monthly Salaries and Fees

Full-Time Live-in Maid: The monthly salary is AED 2,000 – AED 3,500. 

Salaries are agreed upon between the employer and the to-be maid during the interview stage. The amount can vary depending on this agreement and additional benefits are usually provided.

Live-out Maid: The monthly fee is AED 3,500 – AED 6,000. 

Depending on the agency, type, and extent of services required (such as cleaning, babysitting, cooking, etc.), and the length of the contract, the monthly fee is paid either at the beginning or the end of the month.

Additional Costs

Full-Time Live-in Maid 

 They cost approximately AED 84,000 per annum. The additional costs of hiring a full-time maid to live in can be broken down primarily into the following categories:

Housing: You can offer lodging inside your home. However, if there’s no space, you can simply pay for your maid’s housing. 

Sponsorship: You will be required to apply for a UAE residence visa for your maid. To get this, you will be required to pay around AED 5,000 to AED 5,500 annually. 

Furniture, food, phone, and other expenses: The little things do add up to a few extra hundred dirhams (or more) every month.

Annual flights and medical insurance: For medical insurance, prepare to pay a sum of AED 5,000 to AED 10,000 per year. The annual flights will depend on your choice of airline and destination.  

Live-out Maid

They cost none of the above as lodging, food and other expenditures, medical insurance, flights, and sponsorship are all covered by the agency that employs the maid.

Full-Time Maid in Dubai: Pros and Cons

Pros

• Having a full-time maid in your home in Dubai means you will have more time for yourself. You do not need to worry about cleaning the house after a long day at work or doing any daily chores at all for that matter. You can relax and enjoy your day with your family or take care of other responsibilities instead of worrying about cleaning. If you value your time, having a full-time maid can be a great time saver!

• An added perk of having a full-time maid in your home is having some short-term child care which can save you quite a bit of money. While a full-time maid is not a nanny or a babysitter, she might be willing to look after your children while you run errands or if they come home from school before you return from work.

• If you entertain a lot of guests in your Dubai home, having a full-time maid may actually be essential. Having large parties of people entering your home and entertaining them is a lot of work and requires a lot of preparation beforehand and cleaning afterward. Having a full-time maid in the home will help you enjoy your time and entertain your guests without the stress involved in having to hire or schedule a part-time maid for certain events.

• Depending on how much you charge for the work you do per hour, saving time for more work without the stress of doing household chores is valuable, to say the least. You could use that time to check emails, write, do more freelance work, or give time to your side hustle.

Cons

• While having a full-time maid in Dubai may be more convenient for your lifestyle, you should remember that convenience often comes with a cost. The first of which is the financial burden that you will face when you hire a full-time maid.

• Another thing you need to think about when you hire a full-time maid is the responsibility you carry with you. Having a full-time maid means you must sponsor your maid and are responsible for what she does in Dubai. This responsibility also comes with a financial cost as you must pay for different benefits.

• Privacy is also another issue you will face when you hire a full-time maid in your Dubai home. You are bringing in a stranger into your home when you are away from it and this person has access to everything you own. It is essential to keep this in mind especially if you have children. Furthermore, there may be a financial cost here if items are misplaced.

Part-Time Maid in Dubai: Pros and Cons

Pros

• It is much cheaper to have a part-time maid in your Dubai home as you will not be paying for accommodation or flight tickets for the employee.

• If you do not have a large family or are a single person living in Dubai, then having a part-time maid will be sufficient for your cleaning needs. The house will be cleaned regularly and all you will have to do is small chores here and there. Financially, it also makes more sense as you would not be paying for daily services you won’t need.

• Having a part-time maid in Dubai is less responsibility and less stressful in terms of supplying the employee with benefits.

• You have a lot more privacy in your home when you have a part-time maid as there is always supervision when the maid is in your house and it is less likely that any items are misplaced or misused so there is no burden from that aspect.

Cons

• There will be no on-hand help with a part-time maid in Dubai. You will have to wait for things to be done when the maid’s next appointment is scheduled. Furthermore, part-time maids may be less reluctant to help with large parties which may require you to hire other staff for such events.

• Part-time maids may also be less reluctant to offer child care at any time.

What Should You Do?

If you want to consider getting a maid, evaluate your decision based on the costs. For a live-in full-time maid, the estimated total is AED 15,000+ as recruitment cost plus AED 84,000 per annum. As for a live-out maid, the total will be between AED 50,000 – AED 60,000 per annum (not including the refundable deposit).

As seen in the breakdown above, hiring a full-time maid in Dubai may be somewhat expensive for some. However, it comes with its own benefits. Depending on what your requirements are, ServiceMarket can help you book a full-time maid in Dubai.