Dubai move cuts taxes, nearly doubles living costs: British family

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Dubai move cuts taxes, nearly doubles living costs for British family

Editorial Team

July 31, 2026

Dubai move cuts taxes, nearly doubles living costs for British family — Byron Cole, 42, said relocating his family from Surrey to Dubai has saved him thousands of pounds in taxes, 2026. Photo: Screengrab/video/Cole’s YT channel/via DubaiDiplomacy.com.

Byron Cole says the move has been worth it, citing better healthcare, new business opportunities, and a brighter future for his son.

DUBAI,— A British businessman who moved his family from Surrey to Dubai says his monthly bills are now nearly double what they were back home, even though the Emirate charges no income tax.

Byron Cole, 42, relocated to the United Arab Emirates in October 2025 with his wife, an entrepreneur, and their two-year-old son.

The family shipped 138 boxes to make the move, and Cole says he has no intention of returning to Britain, the news outlet iNews reported.

Cole said becoming a father changed what mattered most to him. He wanted his son raised in a place that felt safe, well connected to the rest of the world, and full of opportunity, qualities he believed Dubai offered more than the UK.

He first traveled to Dubai in 2020 and soon began spending roughly six months of the year there. Over time, he grew convinced the city offered stronger business prospects and a more optimistic outlook than Britain.

He also pointed to healthcare, saying he had struggled with the UK’s public system and found Dubai’s private options quicker and easier to use.

The financial upside has been real. The UAE charges no personal income tax or capital gains tax, and Cole said the savings have been significant enough to help fund his new venture, Spotlight Global Media Group.

Businesses in the UAE do pay a 9% corporate tax, but only on profits above about £76,000, keeping the overall tax load relatively low.

Still, day to day costs have climbed sharply. Cole said his monthly spending in the UK averaged £5,450. In Dubai, it has risen to £9,300, according to iNews.

He said the jump largely reflects a different lifestyle. Things that were once occasional treats in Britain, such as domestic help, regular car washes, and delivery apps, are now part of daily routine. Housing makes up the largest expense.

He now pays about £5,000 a month to rent a five bedroom, six bathroom villa that includes separate staff quarters.

That is £3,000 more than the mortgage he paid on his seven figure home in Surrey, which had a pool.

He noted, though, that UK mortgage rates have risen well above the 1.99% deal he had locked in, narrowing the real difference between the two costs.

Despite the steeper bills, Cole said he does not see himself moving back to Britain. He called Dubai the right fit for this stage of his life, both in business and at home.

If he ever leaves the UAE, he said, it would be to try somewhere new, not to return to the UK.

Financial advisers say Cole’s experience is a reminder that anyone weighing a move abroad for tax reasons should look at the full cost of living, not just the tax bill, before making a decision.

(With files from inews.co.uk)