London vs Doha

Welcome to Qatar... Enjoy.. :)

I would think that falling over and dropping things in London could also result in being robbed.

This is a good little thread. This time in two weeks I'll be on the plane on my way to start my new life in Doha! I have experienced life in the Middle East (and the middle of summer) so I think I am pretty prepared!

Talking of the tube, I would rather go on a ten minute jog in the middle of summer at 50 degrees than spend the same time on a packed tube! I was on it last week and as its been 25-30 degrees in London it was disgusting! You just feel so dirty when you get off!

Its not so bad here, it could be Canada....

After days of mourning and much melancholy filled forums your post actually made me smile. Good to know your first week wen't off so well. Hope your weekend is better. And do keep posting. QL is a great place to meet friends and acquaintances.

Cheers!

I agree with moza. You can't compare the two cities. Doha is a very new city and completely different to London. Expats should do their research before they move here. Every city has its advantages and disadvantages.

if your net salary in Doha and London is twice as much, then compare the food also the same way, i.e is the food twice as priced as in London, then it's just the same.

You can't really compare the two. London with over 2000 years of history and more things to do that can be completed in one lifetime and Doha a growing city with a history that starts in 1995......

However Doha will beat London in inflation over the next 15 years with nearly everything needing to be important and most sectors run by government sponsored monopolies. The lack of any real competition will hurt the pockets of many but probably not the Qataris as they spend their summers in London!

I would disagree. London is cheaper for groceries because you have a lot more choice. I would agree about the tube, but that is because the Brits are squally like that.

I like the remark of the author (Where the H is Doha?).

Prices for breakfast, lunch and dinner. London ranks at place 33.

1-Amsterdam $237/day

1- Paris $237

3- Osaka-Kobe $207

4- Copenhagen $199

5- Stockholm $197

6- Lyon $196

7- Barcelona $195

7- Frankfurt $195

9- The Hague $194

10- Brussels $191

11 - Oslo $187

12- Dublin $185

12- Tokyo $185

14 Luxembourg $183

15 Milan $180

16 Helsinki $177

17 - Geneva $176

18- Doha -$173 (Where the H is Doha?)

19- Dubai $171

20 - Madrid $167

http://www.fodors.com/community/europe/food-costs-in-100-international-cities.cfm

and London, that is the subject matter.

Coffee (1000g) is Euro 5.61 in Finland. I think that's a lot cheaper than here.

A whole chicken (1000 g) is between 2 and 4 Euro, flor, depending on which European country, They're cheaper in the Eastern countries.

what's the comparison. I seldom use milk here. More on chicken and eggs! Of course beef (in the supermarket, not on fancy restaurant).

Milk is cheaper in Europe. Average price for one liter is 0.85 Euro (about) QR 4.25. Here milk costs almost QR 6 per liter.

Maybe people in London would laugh and point if you fell or dropped your shopping,but in Devon people would also help you up or whatever..

I smile at people back home and would generally get a smile back,I haven't experienced that here been here 8 months..You smile at a man here,he gets the wrong impression..

I also think clothes shopping here is way more expensive,food yeah some items are cheaper,but the quality is pants and not much choice either..Although that depends on what you eat..

I would love to see how you feel in a month or two,

You better get used to the driving cos its mayhem..

I'm not bashing Doha,as i love it here also..Its a great place to live..But home is where the heart is! :)

"and on a bad day they point and laugh which sucks lol" .. ROFL

Well you have to balance it up but I do agree the food is good here.

in commenting, but you, you stick to the negative side, why?

Agree on yummy food and weight gain. I've been back and forth to Doha 3 times in the last few years and each time I am back I gain so much weight.

Welcome to Doha! Beware of over eating! Every fourth person gets diabetic coming to doha! Well abt the heat, wait until september beginning for the heat to subside , October to March is pleasant and cold for many pple here, ranging from 12 to 18 degrees! Learn to live indoors in summer inside malls or inside gym but donot forget to exercise to keep fit!

Your bank balance will make up for the heat!

It depends here. You can eat more cheaply here depending on what you buy but restaurants in the hotels have skyrocketed recently, you can find much better in London and slightly cheaper. Clothes vey expensive, stock up each time you go back. Booze, ouch, a night out for a few beers can cost a second mortgage.

Petrol cheaper than water so buy a big 4x4 and f@&k everyone else on the road. Actually don't do that or i might get out of my car and punch you. The locals want to meet god sooner than later so let them, takes them out the gene pool and we are all richer as a result.

well.... welcome to doha :) I have been here 3 years, also moved from london ..... as for ur comment on gasping for air when u stepped off the plane ahahahahahah well i can relate to that, i arrived on the 22nd of may at midnight wow :D was 30 C , was freezing in london that day :D I hope u will have a lovely stay here :)

Mine is avoid the malls at the moment just shop at your kiosk!!!!!!!!!..

Maybe you should sign up for Boot-Camp Qatar nice way to keep fit and lose weight but when i say nice i actually meant "tough and hard but totally worth it"....

As for the roads well your safety is all in your own hands....

@ londonh

welcome to Doha 'club'...you said is that Doha is hot than London; just for the records, actual high temperature of 44degC is not yet the highest!! expect more in coming month!! this is just to encourage you!

you said that food is cheap and very tastefully; keep in your mind 2(two) risk factors: a) due the hot weather you can't do jogging outside; b) without jogging you will become fat, as most of local young people!!! you said driving in Doha is crazy: don't worry! here cars are hitting each other, just for the pleasure of their crazy drivers, that's way they are smiling all the time...BTW 80km/h is for some of the limit of MINIMUM speed.....................

Hi guys and thanks for all of your replies,

I haven't been clothes shopping yet so I'm not sure about the prices, food is definitely cheaper.

Thanks Aiwa6 :)

Hi Uksully, ur right i need to be careful with how much I'm eating lol when and if u start the football club pleaseeee let me know i think il be in need of it by then lol :)

Thanks Anita for your reply very informative I look forward to settling in and adapting to Doha. if u have any pointers for settling in feel free to send me a message :) x

Dont worry we know the cost of living has shot up in London and am afraid fellow forum members that food shopping has indeed sky rocketed in the last year and yes if we compare like for like e.g. M&S, Next, H&M then yes its a bit more but for the equal quality to quality and daily shop in the UK, I don't think any of you have really walked into a supermarket and bought a weekly food shop.

I will easily spend about 30% more back home for the same quality of food shop and I know, as I was there doing exactly that in April and will be doing so again in London when I return for my two months summer back home in SW London. Then well take petrol they don't even sell the V8 Discovery Landrover in London anymore because people cannot afford the equivalent of 800QAR to fill your tank up once compared to the beautiful 65QAR it costs me here. Then there is parking ha ha, you try going to M&S in London and buy the same dress, it would cost me 150QAR just to park and not forgetting 70QAR to pay congestion charge so you have spent that before you have even walked into the shop. And if times money well I've lost 2hrs consultancy fee too in the journey alone. Probably explains why there were so many parking tickets issued to the lovely locals of Doha in London the last few years.....because they canot believe you have to pay for parking and as for the automated location sign system it takes Stepehen Hawkin to figure that out!

Holidaying is one thing living is another as we all know.

Sorry about the driving in Doha its so bad that the dangerous drivers don't actually realise how dangerous they are and some guy readin this is thinking hmmm I'm not dangerous because I know how to swerve ou the way really quickly. Well what if there are 3 of you all thinking the same thing and you all swerve, hey presto voila, major car accident. You see its when they are other invincible drivers on the road that it all goes wrong. But I find classical music (Mozart magic flute does the trick) helps calm me down as I traverse the racing tracks that some consider exist in Doha. As for those wonderful signals on a stick that exist just next to the steering wheel I actually watched a guy indicate right when he went left and left when he went right so for comedic value they are being used with the upmost value.

Its a wonderful place and after 3 yrs I continue to enjoy the country, people and experiences so welcome and hope you come to enjoy it as much and I dont miss the rain back home one bit and can assure you the majority of the year is great weather.

All the best and happy driving to you and god bless

Anita

Although I don't work here yet, my comments on your 1st week are as follows:

For starters this place is not cheaper than London, No way!!! I went shopping just now, and the Mrs walked into Mexx a shop I wouldn't even look at in London and the dresses are about £100, Gap had T-shirts for £50...come on no way cheaper...

I agree people are more friendly especially compared with the London tube. Something that I will have to put up with until I find a role here

The driving is crazy here, I've already been told I'm not allowed to drive...the good old road rage kicks in. I suppose I will have to get used to it...

Food, certainly the food is good, but watch out you don't put weight on...a good jog down the cornice will sort that out.... :)

Anyway when I do find a role, I was thinking of starting a Friday night kick around footie for expats....let me know if anyone would be interested

Welcome to Qatar. Hope you adjust well here soon, and have good experiences. Keep us posted :)

Much cheaper than London? Have you been sniffing the petrol here?

"...So its nice to smile and finally get a smile back instead of a weird look lol.."

hhhmmmm....