Cost of Living (All you need to know)

Salaam/Hello,

I havn't moved or been to Qatar yet ... but we will be relocating there in March.

I'd like to thank you MrQ for your site and blog. I'm been reading it ... finding somethings useful. But 2 things -- on the Cost of Living on your forum, the info is dated 2008 ... so its outdated or still current? And secondly, I'm reading a lot of Western comparing Qatar to their countries ... but not reading much info about " other people". I come from Algeria ... if I look at the prices on the list, they're really high compared to here ... BUT if you calculate in the salary differences I'm seeing Qatar is actually in many ways cheaper then my country. I think people are forgetting that countries like US or UK, everything is purposely cheaper so people spent MORE money. I doubt they're paying the REAL COST of things ... everything is substidized I know for instance in the US. So I don't appreciate the comparison. Reading on the negative comments on Qatar (how boring and not free it is) then also how expensive it is really discouraging ... luckily I'm a Muslim and I'll coming with my family ... so I doubt for me it'll be boring or not "free" enough LOL ... cost of living again I estimate will be a lot lower for my family than many Westerns since we don't usually eat out or need to buy expensive imported brands. I can "go native" LOL as I've read many times on here ... and we def won't be involved in drinking or partying .... so I "think" somehow we"ll manage. I wish some normal/average Muslims would give their opinions ... Anyway enjoying the forum and also your site/blog MrQ

thank you :)

Before starting, I'm not replying for the sake of it, I really do want to share another point of view.

"Recruiters are telling westerners that a western style lifestyle is available for them here. Whilst it is available (to some extent), in order to have it, it costs much, much more than in the west."

If people deceive people into coming here with false promises then I agree , thats not fair. I see no gain in deception because people will spend a day here and run back.

"Let's not even go into what the legalised slave labour is payed in this country and the conditions they live in. There is a price for no income tax and they pay it ... It makes me sick!"

This is kind of WAY of topic, but alright... there are those that get paid peanuts, but don't forget that most of their wages are taken away by their own country men. (see Al Jazeera documentary on that)

I personally work with the Human Rights Authority to ensure they are treated better. (see the charity on iloveqatar)

"I can't even get my camera gear here let alone be prepared to pay what it would cost if it was. Same with PC equipment. We can sell a second hand 2 year old Dell Inspiron for more than we paid for it in the US. Wii's and PS3's have not been available at all(I know theres been supply issues with Wii's but all my friends back home have got them, we ship stuff in)."

Thats two subjects, so 1) as Nadia mentioned, you can't get everything everywhere, each region has their own goods. When I was in the UK I couldn't even get Toshiba to replace any parts for my Satellite pro. At the time I didn't think "oh this country is backwards", I thought that it was just a regionall thing. What PC equipment is it that you are searching. I don't mean to be rude but I truely think that you don't know where to shop.

Now you say that Wii's and ps3's are not available at all. I'll challenge you, in fact, (even though it's against my religion), I'll be willing to bed you a million riyals that you can find a wii or a ps3 in any store.

Here are a few places to check, 1) The music store in the mall next to chilis, 2) Persian Games, 3) The production, 4) Saqr Music 5) Carrefour 6) Jumbo Electronics. The list goes on.

Seems like you are importing things that you don't have to. If I went into the subject of price, a PS3 is 420 pounds in England, it costs 320-350 in Qatar. I bought a limited edition WHITE PS3 the day that it was released (only in Japan I might add) for 380 pounds!

I bought a game with an eyetoy for 250 QR where in the UK it costs 350QR!

Finally you are then talking about resale value. In Qatar people don't like to buy used goods in general. You can't compare resale here because we don't have an ebay system!

Let me give you an example of mobile phones. I'll use the N95 as an example since it's well known.

When it was first released in England, it was 600 pounds! When it was released here it was 420. Now on ebay it was going for 350 pounds in the UK but you don't compare ebay prices with store prices.

"Many things are creeping past the cost of Dubai and the infrastructure, quality of life and available facilities over there are considerably beyond Qatar."

I want to know what these many things are....

"My local Shawarma restuarants were 3 now 5, spitroast chicken was 12 now 18 one of the best value options here I do love roast chicken and cheese bread. The Beijing, The Royal Tandoor etc etc really no cheaper cost than my local curry house or chinese at home. Be it Indian, Thai, Lebanese or whatever and if I want to sit in a licensed restuarant I have no choice but to pay WAY over the odds for both food and alcohol. Unfortunately our favourite local Thai and Lebanese places have recently been shut down =("

Local food is still cheap! That's the whole point. Foreign food (depending on the class) will ALWAYS be expensive in any country. As mentioned it costs me 4 pounds for a shawarma in london!

"I know quite a lot of people who have arrived here and been totally and utterly screwed over on rents and stuff. The life and needs and realities of an expat, particularly shorter term expatriates are not that of a locals and cannot be compared as such."

I agree, rents have been going up. As mentioned in another thread, the government said that it will intervene and set caps. They've already started.

It all has to do with the increase in population as well. Too much demand.

"One day broccoli can cost me 18QR KG, for a couple of months 10QR and then sometimes 30QR."

Because fruits and vegetables are season based in Qatar.

"I will ring round the hotels again and get new prices (if they have available places) and post what I have to pay in order to get to a gym/pool. At home I have the option of either paying "

Don't just ring hotels... ring actual gyms... call Gold's Gym, Dana Club and various other clubs.

On a side note, you cannot compare a council place with a hotel, they aren't related at all...

The reason why prices are increasing is because of the constant demand. If we win the olympics you definately know that more hotels and more apartments will be available which will fuell competition.

I agree, I do feel my wallet become lighter as time passes, however with some things I have to stay strong when I say that it is cheaper than many countries.

I remember for a can of Pocari sweat in England it cost me 2 pounds! In the US it cost me 1.30 and in Japan it cost 60p. Here it costs me 30p and I still feel it's expensive :P

So at the end of the day, I'm giving my opinion and giving people numbers so that they themselves can judge if it's worth it or not.

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"Let's not even go into what the legalised slave labour is payed in this country and the conditions they live in" There is no such thing as slave labour in any internationally approve country in the world as slaves are people who do not recieve a salary and not recieving a salary is internationally illegal (Go to the United Nations website to double check on what im saying)

"I can't even get my camera gear here let alone be prepared to pay what it would cost if it was." What is your camera model? It is a fact that not all models of technology are distributed internationally. For example I had a olympus camera that I bought 5 years ago and still have never seen it in Australia (because differen countries have different models and there are some models that are shared between most countries, so for example if Qatar had a certain model and the UK decided to never distribute it because the country's companies agreed to not import it does that mean that they are backwards? I wouldnt think so.

"Wii's and PS3's have not been available at all(I know theres been supply issues with Wii's but all my friends back home have got them, we ship stuff in)." I find this hard to believe because I have more than 100 cousins alone from my fathers side- half of which are males and Almost all of them have a playstation 3 (including two of my brothers and my sister)- none of them have mentioned that they found it hard to find or buy in Qatar. Also, my sister bought a wii more than a year ago and i was with her when she bought it0 i remember that they had it in pink and white.

"We have already covered the fact that Souk shopping for westerners does not yield the same prices" Its to do with the fact of bargaining, if you went with some good bargainers to the souk and learned some techniques from them then you would b able to get the same prices.

"I have been here over a 2 year period now and I've eaten in many different places. I have also watched the prices rise from what was "cheap" to what is very comparable with the US and even the UK." If prices are similar the US and the UK what is the problem? The US and the UK have taken more than 60 years to become the countries that they are today (some places in the US and the UK are sill not completely developed according to my standards). Qatar has become what it is today in approximately 6 years :) pretty amazing. Makes me wonder what Qatar will become in another 6 years.

"One day broccoli can cost me 18QR KG, for a couple of months 10QR and then sometimes 30QR." It's like that in Australia too very normal because it depends on the season and the availability of the product (prices of Bananas raised ridiculously to the extent it was put on the news for a couple of days in Brisbane because of the drought the were facing)

"love the life you live, live the life you love"- Bob Marley

@vegas, exactly. So that's why I put my point of view, and then numbers so that people can assess for themselves.

Finishing off some work then I need to reply to tootise :P

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You have to break it down by nationality and skill set...

Could get very complicated...

Good luck...

You can't teach experience...

I really do want to read this but it's become longer than a Harry Potter book. Will have to get to it in the morning.

but just a quick statement, you mentioned that westerners don't get the same 'discount' as locals do, but I have a western face... people speak to me in English too when they first see me. I still get good deals. However when I talk about prices, I'm talking about prices in general, without the bartering system.

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"As for the gym, it's odd to say, yes it's the same price as back home but with more facilities here, but at least back there I had a choice. This isn't about choice, it's about the cost of what we have. I wish we were as developed as the west. I wish we had more competition. I wish we had better prices but the issue is that alot of expatriates coming here expecting to live like Kings, when sadly it's just not possible. If yuo want to live a good life, then yes it is."

I think when it comes down to comparing the material standard of living you can have in one place compared to another it's not odd at all, it's exactly the point.

I will ring round the hotels again and get new prices (if they have available places) and post what I have to pay in order to get to a gym/pool. At home I have the option of either paying

1 .... 3 pounds (adult price) a session in a local council facility with pool, diving boards very well equipped gym centre and all kinds aerobic sports lessons, about 20 pounds a month for membership at council places. Clean and well equipped but certainly no luxury.

2 .... 25-35 pounds a month for a standard private club with no pool.

3 .... 45-60 for a high end club with spa stuff and personal trainers..

4 .... Anything up to 100+ a month for central london la-di-da places.

Here, Gyms range from about 45-120 the high end ones coming with fake beaches and if I cant afford that I simply have to go without.

I dont need a 5 star hotel to enjoy a workout session or swim once a week, therefore when making comparisons I have to conclude that for me to have my quality of life (not live like a king at all) what I want out of gym facilities I can get for as little as 12 pounds per month at home. Here I have to pay 50 pounds. See the problem??

Availability and competition are crucial in this discussion when one sits at home and weighs up what sort of quality of life they will be able to afford.

Right ... there is one big difference in all of this.

Recruiters are telling westerners that a western style lifestyle is available for them here. Whilst it is available (to some extent), in order to have it, it costs much, much more than in the west. I am not saying that it shouldnt, I'm just saying that is the way it is. Recruiters dont tell people that fact. They are being brought here under false pretences.

THAT is my problem, it is unfair to set peoples expectations incorrectly.

Personally we are not in that situation so dont think this is "jealousy" or any such thing, my partner earns a lot. He doesnt have a "normal" job though and can he only do it in 6 locations in the world.

If you said to potential western expats *especially with familes* that in order to live with the same costs you will have to "go native". 80% of them are going to put the phone down faster than you can say Insha'allah!

@ Nadia .. you are also failing to mention that as a personal assistant for example I can earn 20-40k pounds a year in the UK, here I can't get a job offer of that position for more than 8k QR a month and work 6 days a week (most people are offered half that) and yet I still have to pay similar prices. Salaries for locals may well have risen, I saw the 40% pay rise announcement but salaries for educated expats .. relatively speaking have been falling for years. Let's not even go into what the legalised slave labour is payed in this country and the conditions they live in. There is a price for no income tax and they pay it ... It makes me sick!

A lot of the Brits that go to Australia and NZ also moan that it's a bit "backwards" so I do agree with what you're saying there but as far as high end consumer goods and choice goes, you are wrong. I can't even get my camera gear here let alone be prepared to pay what it would cost if it was. Same with PC equipment. We can sell a second hand 2 year old Dell Inspiron for more than we paid for it in the US. Wii's and PS3's have not been available at all(I know theres been supply issues with Wii's but all my friends back home have got them, we ship stuff in).

It's hardly surprising, Doha is a city of 1.5ish million people, it has it's qualities, just don't make it out to be something it isnt.

We have already covered the fact that Souk shopping for westerners does not yield the same prices, neither does car rentals, quad rentals etc etc etc, so Im not going to argue that point again.

@ Amnesia

It IS improving here, and I can see that and I dont deny that but its got a long way to go before it lives up to the prices its demanding, particularly in rent. Many things are creeping past the cost of Dubai and the infrastructure, quality of life and available facilities over there are considerably beyond Qatar.

I have been here over a 2 year period now and I've eaten in many different places. I have also watched the prices rise from what was "cheap" to what is very comparable with the US and even the UK.

My local Shawarma restuarants were 3 now 5, spitroast chicken was 12 now 18 one of the best value options here I do love roast chicken and cheese bread. The Beijing, The Royal Tandoor etc etc really no cheaper cost than my local curry house or chinese at home. Be it Indian, Thai, Lebanese or whatever and if I want to sit in a licensed restuarant I have no choice but to pay WAY over the odds for both food and alcohol. Unfortunately our favourite local Thai and Lebanese places have recently been shut down =(

I do also know of places I can go in London that are far less expensive but I dont feel comfortable sitting in a restuarant as the only white person being looked at like what are you doing here??

I completely understand that you can live the way you want to in your own country for less than you can do it in provincial England. I would expect nothing different. But I dont see legal employers recruiting from the middle east promising a lifestyle that doesnt actually come off. By there very description expats are not locals it takes considerable time to adjust and learn where is good/bad or cheap/expensive. You also have to be honest with people about what the early months are going to cost. I know quite a lot of people who have arrived here and been totally and utterly screwed over on rents and stuff. The life and needs and realities of an expat, particularly shorter term expats are not that of a locals and cannot be compared as such.

I have just done a big shop at FFC and the MegaMart (I try to buy as little as possible there), in order to be helpful rather than just critical I just did a price comparison for goods of equal weight/quality with Tesco.com online. It was a mixed shop including what I feel a UK/US family would want to live on. Over 80% of what I bought was cheaper in Tescos. Not unexpected but information that needs to be available. I also find it depends when I shop, things come and go here, there doesn't seem to be many gauranteed supply chains or price points. One day broccoli can cost me 18QR KG, for a couple of months 10QR and then sometimes 30QR.

Winter is better for me here as vegetables and fruit can be produced for a short time locally come down to much more comparable prices. The shopping bill in the summer rises noticably.

I have also compared our last QDC receipt to the same or comparable products and everything is more expensive ranging from 10% on bottles of alcopops to 100%+. Garveys and the Rugby Club are similarish to pubs at home (inner city ones) but the licensed restaurant options are about 3-4 times the price. This is a Muslim State .. I do understand why it's more expensive but people need to realise what its going to cost them if they want to drink.

I will get the details down in a spreadsheet and send it to you if you like.

TOOTSIE

"Some stuff is much cheaper, services like cleaning and tailoring etc etc. Labour rates here are very low for some people."

I believe services such as cleaning and tailoring are very cheap for all people compared to many developed and developing countries around the world. It costs around 35 QR in Australia to have 3 shirts cleaned and the cheapest cleaning woman to come and clean my apartment costs 30 QR an hour as long as a buy the cleaning products (and I would like to add that the cleaning woman that I used to bring deliberately took her time and did not do a very good job at all).

"bakery products are the same as in the UK." Can you buy bread for 2 QR? I dont think so :)

"Electronics are not cheap and most technology, particularly computers, visual and audio are extremely expensive and mostly out of date and thats compared to the UK, let alone the States or the far east where new tech is even cheaper." I beleive Qatar is pretty up to date with technology and advanced in many products. There are HD flat screan televisions here with reasonable prices, and HD has JUST been introduced to Australia, they still go on about plasma tv's and all Australians are always amased by the prices I buy my mobiles, cameras, good name dvd palyers in the middle east when it takes atleast 6 months for the same model mobile to be released in Australia and all products there are ridiculously overpriced.

"yes I can buy tea-towels for 50p but they're crap" That's because ur not looking in the right places :) I bought a really nice towel that looked like I stole it from a 5 star hotel from the souq the other day

"to be honest I'm struggling to see where you think I'm saving money being here. Gym/club memberships are the same or more" if your trying to save maybe you shouldnt have a gym/ club membership?

"There really is no middle class in Qatar" yes there is, I come from a massive family with middle class members

"Qatar it seems to me, has decided it's going to charge rates based on what it might one day become - not what it actually is." prices haver raised in Australia, Singapore, Emirates, Bahrain and Saudi as far as im aware. Atealst in Qatar, Emirates and Bahrain the salaries have also raised to be able to cope with the rise in prices. Many people who I know who live in england "Brits" outside of london tell me its a struggle to pay rent because rent is also expensive there and friends I know who study in England complain about the price of chease?? I never found a problem with the price of chease in Qatar.

@tootsie, I haven't been to Africa, but I've lived in Tokyo, Shanghai, California, and Essex and what I write is in comparison to my lifestyle.

I also provide some general tables and there is a FULL downloaded spreadsheet with prices of items from stores, so I think people can easily judge prices by themselves.

You did repeat alot of what I've already said though. I requote though just to avoid confusion. "At the end of the day, nobody would travel to a foreign country except for the adventure or the salary".

You said there is no Middle Class, but there is. A middle class here might be considered upper class somewhere else. I can say for sure that I could never maintain my same lifestyle in London or Tokyo. However from the point of view of catering to that class, you are correct. I was discussing that exact thing with a few heads the other day.

As for the gym, it's odd to say, yes it's the same price as back home but with more facilities here, but at least back there I had a choice. This isn't about choice, it's about the cost of what we have. I wish we were as developed as the west. I wish we had more competition. I wish we had better prices but the issue is that alot of expats coming here expecting to live like Kings, when sadly it's just not possible. If yuo want to live a good life, then yes it is.

I want to tell you that there is more to life when it comes to food in stalls or hotels. There are many restaurants that you can find. Perhaps you haven't been adventurous enough. Once I've finished the Restaurants section on ILQ.net perhaps that will give you a few dining ideas.

Bottom line for me is, I can live 2 months in Qatar with the same salary I spent in London. (Again as I mentioned on my site, 'if you exclude accommodation')

If you'd like to rent a car I suggest Fast Car (call the Daihatsu dealership). Pay for 4 days and get 5 days free.

At the end of the day, you look at what Qatar used to be (nothing but a sand hole) and you look at it now and you'll see that it's developed than anywhere has ever developed. But you said it yourself, you have high expectations. I hope that someday, the country will meet your expectations.

I just want to highlight one more point that I mention on the front page of the site and in red.

"Note: All information on this site is based on facts and figures that are current to the date of publishing. Any information should also be understood that it is based on my personal experience, opinions, and perspective."

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Okay, I have lived in the UK and the States and travelled quite extensively through many different types of economies. I am generally quite aware of the price of basics in North Africa, India, Thailand, Australia and Northern Europe.

I am quite clear about the difference between first world, third world and developing economies and I'm catagorically telling you Qatar is NOT cheap and to describe it as such is utterly ridiculous.

That said .. I am also well aware that I as a single adult can live here for a lot less money than an expat family.

The reality for 99% of expats to this country is a financial one. People in general do not come here for the rich culture and glorious climate. If I upsticks 2 or 3 kids I cant suddenly turn their worlds upside down and remove all things familiar from them. That includes foods, activities and routines. The old time expat package to the ME provided by its very nature a large degree of continuity for families and the amount of money needed to ensure that continuity. That is no longer the case for many, many people.

There really is no middle class in Qatar and as such there is really no privision for that income band. Things are either at the low end of 10QR for curry and rice from one of the stands you are referring to or as expensive as at home or moreso (because the only option we have here is stupidly overpriced hotels).

Your gym example is classic of what I mean - the prices on many of the hotels is way above 45 pounds a month by the way, and again don't forget single costs compared to families. BUT I dont have the option of a 30-35 pounds a month gym here. Yoga classes etc etc, they all cost as much if not more than at home. I may not be in a 4 or 5 star hotel at home - but I have no other option here!

So do you see? I am forced to spend higher rates or not have the same quality of life.

Qatar it seems to me, has decided it's going to charge rates based on what it might one day become - not what it actually is. As Brits, we also have the issue that while Qatar itself may not seem so expensive because the pound is strong - at the end of the day the point is to take money home and there's been a 30% decrease in that amount.

So all in all, money left in the bank for the hassle and sacrifice of being out here just doesnt cut it for most people anymore.

I did look up Jazeera Air and I couldn't see flights from either Doha or Dubai. Are these airlines actually allowed to fly into these airports? I would also really, really like to know where I can get alcohol for less than in the UK and rent a car for 1300 a month, because I'll be right there =)

The simple fact is .. if Im going to be paying prices ANYWHERE near the United Kingdom (and I'm comparing west london counties - amoung the highest outside central London) then I expect a LOT more for my money.

I think that's more the problem to be honest. Nevermind the actual cost, the value of the cost of living here is a joke.

@hummer, absolutely ^_^ I'm not targetting british ex-pats though, its just that I've lived in England for 5 years so thats where I have experience, I did put price comparisons to Japan, US, and China on the site too.

It's sad that you're thinking about leaving though.

Yes prices are going up but there are certain things that the government is doing to help curb the increase. (It's not just words, I've actually seen drafts). That being said, if more foreigners leave it may work to an advantage and be an eye opener.

I do know that many of the organizations are increasing salaries these coming weeks (of course it doesn't apply to all though). I agree though, at this rate, if things keep going up, Qatar will never develop into what we want it to.

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Hi amnesia, I might do the same- write down every cent I spend for a week and send it to you....if you put it on your site, will I get my name on it?...lol

Considering your comparing prices in Doha to the UK, shouldn’t you add to your website that your cost of living section is aimed at British ex-pats? And it’s cheap for the Brits? For people coming from other western countries like Canada, New Zealand, Australia, US etc their currencies are weak next to the pound, so the things that you have listed may be cheaper for the Brits but not necessarily for other westerners. Do you get what I’m trying to say? For me the UK is crazy expensive, so when you compare Doha to prices in the UK, it's still very expensive for non Brits.

Your right about the hotel restaurants, I would never go to one in any country- but than again I can enjoy a cheap decent meal with a glass of red, in most countries, which you have to go to an expensive hotel to do here.

The reason why I’m into this whole cost of living thing is that we are seriously thinking about leaving Doha, which we don’t want to do, but with prices increasing all the time, we have no choice!

I really do think its good of you to dedicate so much time and effort into your site ☺

'Our freedom is but a light that breaks through from another world'

@tootise, the price of alcohol depends where you go and what you drink. If you search on many other expat forums you'll see that they have the same idea on pricing as I do.

Gym memberships are actually cheaper here than in England for a place with the same facilities. I used to pay 35 pounds a month for a standard gym, here it comes to around 45 pounds but I then get a sauna, spa, beach, pool, turkish bath (which cost me another 30 at least in the UK).

As for flights, sadly we're not close to europe, if you take an airline like Al Jazeera air or Arabiya you can get Ryan Air price flights, but if you take the QA you'd have to compare it to an airline of similar status. (Hopefully when the new airlines are granted easy licenses prices will drop)

As mentioned my salary is around 25k total with allowances and I don't have anything else, but it's still a great salary to live on. I've never found myself out of pocket.

But I'm sorry I have to disagree with you about the local diet. The page is to let expats know about life in Qatar. I don't go to China and complain that there is no arabic food, or argue if told about the price of a bowl of noodles.

At the end of the day, people bring in their culture and they're coming into a country where they have to adopt a different lifestyle. Hence the website...

Would you mind sharing your opinions in detail so I can add it to my site? I want to put a critical point of view as yours on it.

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Thank you Novi, that's exactly what I mean. Outside of the supermarkets and malls everything works on barter and not only are most westerners completely unfamiliar with the cultural process, in general we're not great at it either. I simply will not be offered the prices my Sri Lankan co-workers are.

On top of that I've just had a closer look at your numbers and tbh it's just not true. I pay anything from 2-4 times what I do in the UK for alcohol.

Basically: Energy is cheap - Brands that have licences to be produced in Saudi are cheapish - Labour based services are cheap - Chinese/Indian imported cack is even cheaper here than at home (yes I can buy tea-towels for 50p but they're crap) - Junk Fast Food is about 75% the cost of the UK - Locally grown produce is cheap compared to what you can get it for in Europe (ie fresh herbs)

Some OTC medicines are cheaper but usually I would have a prescription and not have paid to see my doctor at all. That said, as private medical care costs go, the docs do not charge a fortune here at all. Neither though, is there anywhere near the expertise or technology available here. Dentistry is as expensive as private care in the UK. If you have an NHS dentist its a lot cheaper.

To live a comparable standard of living, to be honest I'm struggling to see where you think I'm saving money being here. Gym/club memberships are the same or more, I can fly to many tourist destinations that are available from Doha for less money from Manchester or London. Please do tell me what I'm not seeing??

Hidden costs can be horrendous too. A wee anecdote for you :-

We bought an X3 off a departing expat. The day before he handed the car over and the registrations were changed which was 3 days before he left the country an uninsured Egyptian ran into the back of the X3 at C-ring ToysRus lights. The Egyptian did not go to the traffic dept for a week and then disupted the police report - the fault went from all his, to shared, to all the expats - basically because the driver was not here to argue the case and the sponsoring local would have had to pay all costs out of his own pocket as he allowed the driver to drive with expired insurance. To cut a long story short it took 6 weeks, yes 6 weeks for us to get a finalised police report so the insurance company would authorise work to be started. Eight weeks later we got the X3. That cost 8 weeks of car hire at 900 QR a week @ weekly rates. That's a thousand pounds out of our pockets because someone else drove into the back of our car!

Where on earth else do you wait for repairs?! Insurance companies cough up and then fight for who pays afterwards, its like that in every normal country in the world.

I'm comparing costs here to a small island with one of, if not the highest real estate prices in the world at a time when a record low dollar is giving Qatar a huge advantage in the price comparison arguement and it still comes out as expensive .. how the hell do you conclude it's cheap here?!?

So basically, unless you have a very, very good salary offer, its just not worth coming here.

EDIT: And cigs are cheap, which is just as well because everyone and their mother smokes out here.

That's the point isnt it - it USED to be cheap here and then it was worth the hassle and loss of quality of life (as most westerners view it). Now it's not unless the offer is upped and thats' the point Im trying to make.

FYI in a lot US companies Doha is paid as a hardship posting.

Yes, I agree it costs more to eat a non-local diet but you are making a web page aimed at NON LOCALS therefore you need to provide information on what they will see as essential.

It's a great effort and I dont mean to criticise so much but you are sending a message to fellow expatriates which I just dont see as true and fair.

@tootsie, sadly I couldn't compare every single price on the main page, but that is why there is the excel file with prices... or maybe you didn't read it? (didn't mean that in a negative tone).

As for electronics, I can't speak everything, but having lived in england for the past 5 years I can say that Qatar is alot cheaper, e.g. mobile phones (I own a mobile store in London) and laptops.

@hummers, thanks ^_^ Main point to remember is that I write everything in relation to my experiences. I'm not loaded, my salary is around 25k but I think I live very well. I'm thinking about adding a new section on it where I take note of every single thing I spend money on for a week. What do you think? I think it'll help people see how I go day by day and get a feel for it.

I hardly eat at hotel restaurants, no matter where I go in any country, they're always over priced :P

You are right though some expats are going back because it's not worth it to them. Back in the day, people would make ALOT e.g. 15k out of 25k in their pocket. Nowadays, people save maybe 7-10k out of 25k with that same lifestyle and it's not worth it for them. At the end of the day, its all down to persepective. I hope that through mine I can help.

I can only hope that with competition, prices will go lower.

@novita, it goes both ways though if you think about it.

What you eat in the UK would cost more here and what I eat here costs more in the UK.

For example, a shawarma here costs 3 QR but it costs almost 40QR in London.

But as you said, people have to compare everything to their own life style and their with what they get in their country. At the end of the day, nobody would travel to a foreign country except for the adventure or the salary :P

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Amnesia, groovy website, you have put so much effort into it:)

Just one thing- I think its very misleading saying that "Qatar is a very cheap country to live in."

As we know the UK is one of the most expensive countries to live in, so it's hard to compare the two...I know so many Brits who are leaving Qatar as they are finding it increasingly expensive and it's not worth it for them anymore.

I don't even eat at hotel restaurants anymore as the prices are so over the top for the quality....and I have to really watch what I buy at the supermarket as the prices keep increasing....and I'm on a good wage!

I'm not saying its the most expensive, but it definitely isn't "very cheap to live".

'Our freedom is but a light that breaks through from another world'

I understand what tootsie said completely. My husband always pay more if he goes to the souq. If i want to get something in the souq i have to go on my own to get the price down. If you eat the same stuffs with the UK ... you will have to pay atrocious prices over here. Fortunately we can get by with local food product

i guess everything is relative. You come here and compare the pro and cons. When there is more negative things happening your way then thats the time to pack up to go home or move somewhere else.

Everyone have different deal ... what good for you not always good for others. People who have housing paid by the company and wages in their home currency will make the most of it living in Qatar.

Petrol prices is great ... cheaper than water :D

Whilst a lot of that information may be factually correct .. the COL section as a whole is very misleading and does not reflect my experience as a western expat at all.

For example .. you need to realise that what it costs a Syrian or an Indian to buy or rent a car is NOT what it's going to cost your average white expat. I cant get a Tiida here for anything under 2,200 a month and that's after negotiation. If I wanted a new one it would be 2,400.

A western diet here (understandably, as its all imported a long way) is very expensive. Meat is only cheaper because it is currently subsidised, bakery products are the same as in the UK. Families bringing children will not want to, or be able to suddenly adopt a local diet. Therefore quoting prices for local foods is a, misleading and b, quite useless. Alcohol and going out and doing stuff is certainly not cheap compared to the UK and the States.

Some stuff is much cheaper, services like cleaning and tailoring etc etc. Labour rates here are very low for some people.

Electronics are not cheap and most technology, particularly computers, visual and audio are extremely expensive and mostly out of date and thats compared to the UK, let alone the States or the far east where new tech is even cheaper. High end consumer goods here are limited and very expensive, even some ordinary stuff is just not available.

I could go on, but I dont want to argue with you ... I just feel it is necessary to point out to people reading this that I can see that quite a lot of it does not really apply to westerners.

Qatar is not all bad by any means, but do not set false expectations or mislead people, it leads to stress, tears and unhappy people.

The comaprison is on goods and various random items, you look at the salary and what you have where you are and then compare to what you'll have here in qatar. That is the purpose of the list. So PEOPLE can compare for themselves.

@deji and mystica, thank you ^_^

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You cant compare this way..... the average salary is also very high in those countries compared to qatar .. here only Europeans get hefty salary so in a way this comparison is of no use to the majority of the expatriates

best insight i've seen on living in qatar,. keep it up.…...[img_assist|nid=61048|title=...|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=|height=0]TRUE BLUE

Very helpful site. keep up the good work!

It's great to be loved!

Just a little bump for some people since there are alot of repetitive threads.

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uh... I'm comparing to where I've lived.... of course I have to use the exchange the rate...

My point was I realized that I was greatfull for the prices we have, but also realized that it's all perception from where you live.

Common now, you can't go on and say "lets compare thirld world countries".

I was mentioning this for UK visitors.

I also made a little table on the website (if you click the link above) to compare random and general things. I'm trying to help make things visible...

@tilly, I'm glad to help

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thanks so much this is a great resource.

Mabrouk!

Amnesia if you are just going to compare the exchange rate and start comparing the prices you are not going to reach anywhere.

If thats the cas I suppose many of the third world countries may come out a lot cheaper than over here.

Just a little bump.

Also, I was in the store the other day and I was looking at my usual snacks and drinks.

I looked at the Pocari Sweat and saw it was 2 Riyals. In my mind I thought, 'expensive!!'. But then I remembered they're 9 riyals in the UK and 1.8 Riyals in Japan. Not so bad after thinking about it.

I then took a look at the Oronamin C. I love that stuff. The original Red Bull if you ask me. 2.5-3 Riyals, which beats the pants off of how much I bought them in the uk 11 Riyals!

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@Canarybird, many thanks for that additional comment.

I'm in the midst of also creating a 'personal opinions' section so that people can share their point of view. I'll be sure to add every single bit shared by people on the forum!

It would be a great honour if the German Embassy used the site as a reference. Many thanks again!

@sanmkumar, you can always negotiate with any company. QP is government owned though so it may not be as flexible as others. I cannot give you a range to negotiate with, but keep a satisfactory number in mind, and don't push it too far :)

@tucks, that is a very good suggestion! I will be sure to add a section of 'IMPORTANT NUMBERS' :)

@oryx, that's my intention, I have designed many many websites. Some are more elaborate than others, however I thought that a website such as this needed to be simple and easy to read.

As for flights, I want to recommend Jazeera Air and Arabiya for local destinations (GCC equivelant of Ryan Air and Easy Jet).

Also, buying tickets from travelocity.com (not .co.uk) can give you some amazing deals!

@qatarisun, thanks for sharing that link, perhaps we could share information and have a link exchange? Please send me amessage and let me know.

Many thanks everyone!

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I Love Qatar - http://www.iloveqatar.net

here is also very heplful and usefull site. And it's about to be developed dramatically very soon! please cheack it:

www.qatar.net

the best thing about your website is its great layout and easy to use format

well done!

its a valuable addition to Qatar info

cost of living depends on needs and tastes..

i have no kiddies and get accommodation with my job...so Qatar isn't expensive for me and i buy nearly all my clothes on the great sales.

Flights are very expensive here as you know because in the UK we get easyjet and ryanair etc.

again alf mabrook - valuable addition

I pass it on to my friends back home for references. God Speed!

I pass it on to my friends back home for references. God Speed!

maybe you could add a phone number directory in there as well, ive only been living in doha shortly and i know i always have trouble finding phone numbers for different places.

You have done a wonderful job to create that site and if you approve I would like to recommend it to the Germany Embassy as they are trying to get people well informed before coming out here.

As many members have iterated Qatar is not cheap, not if you are locally employed, and if you have low salaries where the majority are living from bread.

Expats. who are employed abroad receive many benefits which locally employed people don't and in general live a better standard of life than the multitude here.

Living quarters are now very high and there are a great many crooks at work inflating the "real estate market". A bachelor room now costs anything from QR 1.500, - QR 4.000 (with or without a bathroom and most often sharing). An appartment on the market at present (furnished as unfurnished apartments are hard to find) costs anything from QR 6.000 upwards depending where you are staying and the quality. To find a villa at QR 8000 would be everyones' dream but a 3 roomed villa starts at QR 10.000 (if this is still valid)upwards - some are even paying QR 30.000. To upadate your information take a look at "Gulf Times" you can find out all the rent information there and then you will also see where the crooks are at work.

A salary for a secretary (non Qatari) is from QR 3.000 - 4.500 even starting at QR 2.000. The Office Assistant in my office (was before a tailor until the municipality tore down the building) earned about QR 5.000 for a 15 hour shift. He now earns QR 1.500 and has to pay for his own accommodation and rides to work on a bicycle, so the price of 1 coca cola for him is QR 1. but in any case he would not worry about the comparison to Britain or Japan as he will never go there and he will not buy a coca cola(or whatever)anyway he will drink water.

Salaries for locally employed people are low in comparison to the Expats. employed from UK, Germany, Australia, and other countries so the cost of living is not expensive for them as most of their overheads are paid anyway.

Women are shy to go to have their hair done because the Salons charge to much irrelative of the products, however, there are now people coming into the home to do the job there and it is much cheaper.

The best time to buy anything in Qatar is when the sales are on and even before it is worthwhile to go around malls and markets and see what is on offer as there are often pre-sales sales which are not advertised. This is a good time to buy good clothing and furniture dishes or house hold items.

Again congratulations on the site and I loved the photos it is a very good link to send around the world and give others a chance to view Qatar how it is and what it offers.

Wishing you all the best on completion of your site and be sure I will look in often.

can you negotiate salary with Qatar petroleum?

if yes in what range?

Thanks all for the kind comments.

I'm half Qatari and half British myself so I guess I've seen the best of both worlds. I travel the world alot so I've been able to compare well with most countries.

As each day passes the sections will start to be completed and will start to be filled more.

I just wanted to make a site which people could use for reference.

To those who said they could help me with information I'd greatlty appreciate an email!

I thought I had numbers accurately as possible though. Utilities were based on my own bills and 4 other friends, telephone prices are official prices from the site as well as other facilities.

As for schools as soon as I get enough information to write average prices I'll put a nice little section there.

There will also be a 'schools' section on the left side which I want to include the Name, Location, Address, telephone number, and average price

Nice effort but I think you need to elaborate a little bit more, and there are also some figures that need some changes....however the most important result is that I DONT WANT TO LIVE IN THE UK AT ANY TIME SOON :D

Are you already living in Qatar? Are you an expat or a national here?

Your website is nice, but there are a couple of errors on the cost of living section.

I don't have time to explain now, but I'd be happy to write more, and maybe send you a comparison sheet for your research.

Well done though.......but you REALLY need to change a few details. :)

"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated." Mahatma Gandhi

it's been a lot of help for me as i will be moving to qatar next month. This has given a great idea of costs

Schools for kids is what i know a bit about.

American school is about 34,000QR a year i believe

Qatar Academy is about 14,000 a year.

Don't quote me on this but most repitable companies pay for schooling of kids, atleast for Western Expats

" if its not a good time, its a good story"

thank you so much for your input as I want to be as accurate as possible.

That's why I tried to put a general table of prices.

I will add in BOLD that the rent is something to watch out for.

On a side note,

I'll be building three villas once I arrive in Qatar and I'll tell you that I will NOT be charging extortionate prices! I want to encourage people to come, not run away! :p

However regarding eating out, usually people compare prices for local food. At the end of the day, you'll always find various prices. When I went to Japan everbody said "it's SOO expensive to eat", but I ate local food and spent not more than QR100 a day.

Do you have any information about pricing of education?

I'd like to add that to the table.

I assume you mean schools though and not universities right?

(I paid 11,000 pounds to study in England)

Thank you SOO much for your feedback! You see I have so many friends from all over the world that ask me questions about Qatar all the time. I get sad when they seem to compare it to Afghanistan when they don't realize how open and modern it really is :P

edit: I've now put it in a different colour that education and accommodation are things to look out for. :)

I appreciate all the info and set up nicely, however, to say its cheap to live in Qatar is a bit off.

Some of the highest rents in the world.

To eat out at alright returants is the same if not a bit more than my home town of Canada.

Education for expat children is steep if not paid by employer.

I could go on...but I'll sum up to any Canadians reading, its about 25% more over all but with the salary you should get and the perks you'll recieve, you will live very well indeed.

Its funny even though its true, many things are paid for us, as an expat from Canada, housing, education, utilities. You still seem to spend a lot. I think you spend the savings on eating out more, buying clothes and groceries. But still its all good and I wouldn't pass it up.

" if its not a good time, its a good story"