There are several reasons why Kuwait is one of the top go to destinations among Filipinos wanting to work abroad. For one, it has a solid job market and has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the world, which means there are many job opportunities for OFWs to work there.
Having said that, is Kuwait a good place to live in in terms of cost of living? Several OFWs seem to think so, including a certain Marriz Pagalan who shared her views through her YouTube channel. This article summarizes her information, advice and tips.
Disclaimer: The information posted here is based on the personal experiences shared by the OFWs in the video below. Please let this post serve as a guide only. If you have specific questions, you may ask the OFWs by commenting on their videos on their accounts.
What is the Cost of Living of a Typical OFW in Kuwait?
To learn more about the cost of living in Kuwait, visit Marriz Pagalan’s YouTube video. Check out her thoughts below:
Working in a Restaurant
Marriz started work as a service crew back in 2013 for a popular restaurant.
Back then, she earned 105 KWD, which is equivalent to 17,100 PhP.
Here are some of her benefits while working as a service crew:
- Free accommodation
- Free transportation
- Sometimes they get free food
Marriz says it’s a big thing that they get free accommodation, since now they don’t have to think about paying for rent.
The same can be said about free transportation.
As a service crew, you get free food through this scenario:
The food they serve is only good for serving for a set amount of time. Beyond that, they can no longer serve the food to the customers.
By that time, you can already ask for the food for yourself.
Marriz added that over time, you can increase your rank from service crew to higher positions. That means the salary also increases.
These are the higher positions available:
- Customer relation officer
- Crew trainer
- Swing Manager
- 2nd to 1st assistant manager
- Restaurant manager
Marriz said that when you become a C.R.O., your salary increases from 105 KWD to 145 KWD, which is equivalent to 23,610 PhP.
The restaurant manager is one of the higher positions you can attain, and it might take years before you achieve that status.
Transferring to Another Job
According to Marriz, the good thing about working in Kuwait is that when your first contract ends, you can apply for a visa to work for a new company.
In fact, Marriz now works as a sales associate earning 275 KWD or 44,800 PhP in the current exchange rate.
Here are some of her benefits as a sales associate:
- Free transportation
- Free ticket allowance (in cash) every two years.
- Tea allowance (3 KWD)
- One month vacation paid by the company every year.
The 275 KWD that Marriz earns as a sales associate is clean without deductions, and no tax. Her salary may be deducted, however, if she has absences or lates.
Here are her incentives:
- Achieving more than 100 percent of monthly target – 50 KWD or more
- Achieving daily target by area manager (e.g. 1000 KWD today ) – 10 KWD or more.
Monthly Expenses
Marriz breaks down her monthly expenses as follows:
- Apartment rent – 75 KWD per month.
- Internet – 9 KWD
- Food allowance – 20 KWD
- Personal expenses (going out, braces) – 20 KWD
- For family in the Philippines – minimum of 50 KWD
For a grand total of 168 KWD.
Amount left is a maximum of 110 KWD.
Other Expenses:
Marriz mentioned that she, along with her husband, is also paying for SSS, Pag-ibig, Philhealth, investments, etc.
There are emergency payments as well.
Extra Income
To add more than one income stream, Marriz and her husband did the following sideline jobs:
- Selling make-up and other items
- Participating in sporting activities for money
- Sideline jobs
Marriz has the following advice to OFWs who want to earn a lot and go back home to the Philippines as soon as possible: don’t spend too much, save money, and invest.
There you have it. Because of these information and more, Kuwait is definitely a good destination for Filipinos looking for overseas work.