The cost of living
Hi to all,
I am considering moving to Doha and have some very silly questions about living in Qatar.
1) I am a recent college grad, so my standards of living are pretty low as it is. What would be the cheapest living situation that I could expect (would prefer not to share a room since I wouldn' know anybody there). I am thinking about a flat or single bedroom. I would just like to have my privacy and I am not really looking for extravagance.
A) What do people mean by white goods?
B) And compounds? Are this just the equivalent of gated communities here in the US? Or does it just sound worse than it actually is?
C) Someone posted a classifieds link to look at places, I can't find it now? Are there any search engines I could use to get an idea?
2) I don't know Arabic, but it seems that people go by speaking english just fine. Is this just because whenever people post comments they are talking about specific western communities? I catch up languages pretty quick and I am not underestimating how difficult it would be to learn the language but would living in non-western neighborhoods be too much as a language emmersion experience?
3) I've read alot about the high rent prices, and I would be more than willing to give a high part of my salary towards rent for the experience. But what about other costs: food, transportation (is there a good public transportation system), dining. All the threads that I've read make it sound as if there is no room for saving at all.
4) Finally, I know this is something that you can't really say much until you are there. But what about traveling and just fun things to do. I plan to abide by all cultal norms (i am not a college frat boy, more of a nerd. i really don't have night clubs in mind); but what do young people do there? Does it just seem restrictive because of language, cultural, and religious barriers? ( I am just asking this because some one posted a comment about what housewives do there, but all the responses seem to center on the living "compounds' and not the actual city).
My comment on your query #3 on rents: Yes, you're correct. The costs for accommodation is the largest expense you should budget for. It can be anywhere between 15% (if you share) to 35% (if you live alone) or even higher of your gross earning. They say Qatar is a tax free country. From a personal viewpoint, I consider accommodation costs and the hefty traffic fines as "taxes".
Reading through your post here, I have no doubt that you will have a wonderful stay in Qatar. Welcome...
good to hear..
In that case...
1A) white goods means stove/oven, washing machine, fridge, etc..
B) Sorry cant compare with US, as i havent lived there, but compounds are very expensive even if you sub let..It would be cheaper to rent a room with others in an apartment, or rent a 1 bedroom flat ..
2) Every one understands English, so lanuage is no barrier, and those that dont understand English dont really speak much english anyway, so dont worry about learning Arabic unless you have a desire to, in which case there are places you can learn Arabic..
3)Saving here will depend on your lifestyle, its not that expensive and its not cheap, I guess compared to US, it might be a bit cheaper but again it depends on your lifestyle here..
Taxis are relatively cheap, but not very reliable, its always best to buy a car, petrol is very cheap..
4)Entertainment, theres plenty for you to do here, depending on your interests and friends you will make.
To move to a new country is a brave and exciting thing to do. Qatar is a very nice place to live in. English is very acceptable. To learn Arabic can only be a plus for you, the experience, your future. If you make the effort you can meet Arab people, it just depends on the effort you are willing to put into it. However my question would be do you have a job lined up or are you coming on the off chance?
Compounds are a group of houses in like a gated community. They are very common here as the usually have a clubhouse, pool etc for the residents to use. FYI all houses usually have walls around them anyway.
Classifieds you can see either here on QL - see for rent section, or go onto the Gulf Times newspaper website and check the classifieds. You should check out some of the other info sites on QL under Guide to Qatar heading.
Aisha-Taweela
there is a couple of positions i am being considered for and i am not planing to move unless i have a job. i am just looking a head and trying to get an idea of what to expect.
Unless you have family or friends, dont move to Doha unless you a have a job lined up. Rent is very high and unless you have heaps of money to sustain you until you get a job.
The pay will be better if you are sponsored with a package as opposed to finding a job locally, where benefits like accomadation expenses etc wont be included..