A Reddit post by an Indian backend developer weighing job offers from India and Dubai has sparked a lively debate in the r/developersIndia community about compensation fairness, cost of living, and long-term value.

The poster, with six years of experience and currently earning ₹23 lakh per annum in India, outlined two offers:

• Dubai Offer: AED 18,000 per month (about ₹50 lakh/year pre-tax), with health insurance (self), office commute coverage, and a flight allowance of AED 1,500 annually. No housing or dependent coverage.

• India Offer: ₹33 LPA with a hybrid work model, plus comprehensive health insurance for both family and parents.

“I’m leaning toward the Indian offer because of the better benefits and work-life balance,” the developer wrote, adding, “Is AED 18K/month fair for someone with 6 years of experience, or am I being lowballed in Dubai terms?”

Redditors respond

Several respondents pointed out that the Dubai salary was subpar. One user, claiming to work as a software engineer in Dubai, stated bluntly, “18k for 6 yoe is low. You can save up to 1.5L a month if you are single. But your true worth in Dubai based on yoe is 25-35k.”

Another warned about the downside of accepting a Dubai offer without accommodation. “If you are planning on moving to Dubai, I highly recommend you ask for accommodation. Otherwise, this salary will vanish in no time. India’s offer is better.”

A third user added a cautionary note: “Companies there know your work visa (ehkama) is sponsored by them, so you won’t be going anywhere else in Dubai anytime. So, they milk out all they can from you.”

One commenter broke it down by life stage: “If you are single you can live a decent life in ₹1 lakh per month or less in Dubai. In India after tax you will get somewhere around ₹2 lakh per month. Single – Dubai. Family – India.”

The post concluded with the original poster wondering whether the Dubai offer could be used as leverage to push the Indian company for a better deal, a tactic several users endorsed as fair game.