Moving to Myanmar

Post new topic

indyrah Member

Member since 01 October 2008

indyrahMember17 September 2015 01:36:38

Hello,

We are thinking of moving to Yangon and I know that foreigners have to leave the country every 70 days. Who pays for the trips? Do companies usually pay for airfares for the whole family?

Is it usual for companies to pay tuition for kids, as international schools are quite expensive.

What is a reasonable budget for housing (landed house with 4 bedrooms)? Is it reasonable to ask the company to pay for a separate house?

What is a decent salary in Myanmar for expats?

Many thanks!

rockingon123 Member

Member since 07 May 2011

rockingon123Member21 September 2015 13:11:48

Gosh, where to start? A 'decent' salary depends on your standard of living and lifestyle. Do you want to join the American Club or the Inya Lake Club and eat at expensive restaurants or live more modestly? If you want a Western style apartment, rents begin at $3,000+ a month but a 4 bedroom house (unfurnished) in a central location would probably be anything from $4-5,000 a month up, up, up. with 12 months payable in advance. As for visas; well connected companies can extend visas in-country and you don't have to leave every 70 days; otherwise it would be normal to pay for everyone in the family to leave as long as it is in your contract. International schools should be part of the package. as their fees range from around $7,000 to $21,000 per year and standards vary considerably. Expats often find the long rainy season a grind and the traffic congestion, due in part to constant road works. Good luck!

schweeter Member

Member since 20 January 2014

schweeterMember21 September 2015 14:37:49

Hi Indyrah,

You don't necessarily need to leave every 70 days.
most companies apply for a long term stay permit for their employees, which is the legal way of being employed (not the 70 days business visa), which means the employees don't have to leave the country every 70 days.

It all depends on which organization you work for.
Depending on industry and position, companies offer housing and tuition fee as part of the expat package.
International school fees vary widely depending on school, age. Anywhere between 5000 - 20,000 USD per year.
4BR housing in central expat area can go between 4000 and 7000 USD per month, 12 months payable in advance. Areas outside the main expat areas you can find same for 2000 to 3500 USD per month.
You can also find 3 and 4 BR apartments for 3500 - 5500 USD.
Different companies have different housing budgets.
Large MNCs, UN and Embassies staff generally have larger budgets than NGO staff and international school teachers

By the way, which company are you considering to work for in Myanmar?

if you need more info, please feel free to contact me:
Quentin van Meerbeeck
***************************