A British woman who moved to Dubai to escape the 'miserable' UK lifestyle has revealed she has to work six days a week to afford living in the 'luxurious' city.
Elbi Henshaw, from Barnet, North London, set off for Dubai in January after falling in love with the Arabian Peninsula while on holiday there.
Seeking a change, the 23-year-old personal trainer decided to give the famously glamorous destination a try.
She had previously spent a stint working in Saudi Arabia and believed she would score a better quality of life in Dubai - but soon found herself struggling to make ends meet.
With financial support from her parents, Elbi was able to afford the initial move earlier this year and quickly found herself a job in a gym full of 'high end clients'.
Elbi said she has now settled in the city where influencers flock for VIP treatment but admitted she misses British culture and pubs.
She has also struggled to fully immerse herself in the opulence touted by influencers online due to the high cost of living in the city.
Because of the exorbitant price of nearly everything - with even a pot of yoghurt costing £12 - she has been forced to pick up extra shifts at the gym and now works six days a week.
She described it as a 'dog eat dog' lifestyle, with many of her peers also having to work nearly the entirety of the week.
Elbi has now fallen in love with the city, but admitted felt 'lonely' at first after struggling to find a circle of friends in such a high-intensity environment.
'In the UK, I was so depressed and miserable and everyone is so sedentary - I wanted a more active lifestyle.
'Out here, everyone is happier and active and they all want to be the best versions of themselves.
'I work full time but it's hard not to just spend all your money - you'd need about £5k a month here to live comfortably.
'But you can pick up extra work quite quickly - at the moment I work six days but I'll probably end up working seven.
'Paying no tax is a perk but the cost of living out here is so expensive that it ends up the same as in the UK.
'But here, you get the sun and a much better lifestyle - although I miss the pubs.'
Because of the exorbitant price of nearly everything - with even a pot of yoghurt costing £12 - she has been forced to pick up extra shifts at the gym and now works six days a week.
With financial support from her parents, Elbi was able to afford the initial move earlier this year and quickly found herself a job in a luxury gym full of 'high end clients'.
Before moving, she lived in a studio flat in the UK; but has since moved into shared accommodation with two other young women in Dubai.
Once she arrived and after attending a local run club, Elbi got speaking to someone who connected her with a gym manager and secured her first job as a personal trainer.
She said she was initially overwhelmed by how much there was to see and do in the city - including dining at luxury restaurants and shopping at the famous Dubai Mall.
Because she was moving alone, Elbi said the first few months were tough getting settled and setting up the correct documents and bank accounts.
'The rent is more expensive than the UK and you have to pay big deposits on things like apartments and cars,' she revealed.
'Clothing is more expensive too - and coffee is like £7 minimum, sometimes as much as £10 a cup.'
'I’d say the average salary for a normal person here is like £3k a month but you want more like £5k to live comfortably if you want to go out for meals and buy new clothes.'
'I try to work, work, work so that I can enjoy Dubai - there’s lots of group chats and apps for companies to advertise weekend work.'
She described it as a 'dog eat dog' lifestyle, with many of her peers also having to work nearly the entirety of the week.
Before moving, she lived in a studio flat in the UK, but has since moved into shared accommodation with two other young women in Dubai.
Despite the high cost of living, she maintained that she is loving her new lifestyle and has now found a good group of friends.
When she's not working, she spends her free time going for walks around air-conditioned malls and often makes trips to Dubai's uber-luxurious cinemas.
She also visits pools and beach clubs such as Summersalt, loved by the likes of Molly-Mae Hague and Kady McDermott, and Twiggy club, loved by Paris Hilton.
But she said Dubai can be tricky as there is less of a 'sense of community' for young adults which can also make it difficult to find romance without the help of dating apps.
'It's so hard to meet guys, because there's no authentic meet-ups,' she recounted.
'People don't stand in the streets around pubs - you have to schedule it in.'
'And it's hard to date as everyone is so busy 24/7 that you never find the time.'
'I do miss the sense of community and pubs in the UK.'
'I love it but I can't really imagine meeting someone out here and it becoming serious.'
'People come out here who already have a partner or family, and the ones that are single are never looking for anything serious.'
'I could see myself building a life here but if I get to 27 and I'm not in a relationship, I'll move back to the UK as I want to start a family.'