Housing: We live in an area called Al Hilal W which is closer to the airport. It's an area that's on the outer fringe of the happening scene. I think most Western expats tend to live closer to the downtown Doha area, or close to where Western schools or Embassies are located. We chose our location based on its proximity to our work. Traffic can be horrendous especially around roundabouts. Compound that by the sheer number of accidents that occur just about everywhere, you can imagine why we'd want to live close to work. Many gated compounds where expats live may include utilities. For instance, I heard that places like Le Mirage and Al Fardan (close to the Mall and the D ring) cost 21,000 QAR/month but that may include utilities. But if it's not included, I heard that it's about 200 - 400 QAR, total.
Savings: We'd estimated that we'll be saving a lot more money but the expenses have been a lot higher than we anticipated. We're saving, but not as much as we expected, about 60% of what we initially estimated.
Recreation: Sad to admit that my husband and I work entirely too much. Qatar touts itself as a family friendly country and as a result, there are many in-door playgrounds in many of the shopping malls, and outdoor picnic areas. You'll most likely be interested in playgroups formed among Western expats. There are many to choose from, from what I hear.
Shopping: There are many supermarkets around here: Carrefour, MegaMart, Lulu, etc. You can find just about anything--the catch is that you may not find everything you're looking for in one store. For instance, I have a dog. I can find only Purina dog food at certain stores (Carrefour, Lulu's) and Iams in others (MegaMart). Fresh vegetables/fruits are abundant and it looks like frozen food section is pretty good,too.
Let me know if you have any other specific questions.
Housing: We live in an area called Al Hilal W which is closer to the airport. It's an area that's on the outer fringe of the happening scene. I think most Western expats tend to live closer to the downtown Doha area, or close to where Western schools or Embassies are located. We chose our location based on its proximity to our work. Traffic can be horrendous especially around roundabouts. Compound that by the sheer number of accidents that occur just about everywhere, you can imagine why we'd want to live close to work. Many gated compounds where expats live may include utilities. For instance, I heard that places like Le Mirage and Al Fardan (close to the Mall and the D ring) cost 21,000 QAR/month but that may include utilities. But if it's not included, I heard that it's about 200 - 400 QAR, total.
Savings: We'd estimated that we'll be saving a lot more money but the expenses have been a lot higher than we anticipated. We're saving, but not as much as we expected, about 60% of what we initially estimated.
Recreation: Sad to admit that my husband and I work entirely too much. Qatar touts itself as a family friendly country and as a result, there are many in-door playgrounds in many of the shopping malls, and outdoor picnic areas. You'll most likely be interested in playgroups formed among Western expats. There are many to choose from, from what I hear.
Shopping: There are many supermarkets around here: Carrefour, MegaMart, Lulu, etc. You can find just about anything--the catch is that you may not find everything you're looking for in one store. For instance, I have a dog. I can find only Purina dog food at certain stores (Carrefour, Lulu's) and Iams in others (MegaMart). Fresh vegetables/fruits are abundant and it looks like frozen food section is pretty good,too.
Let me know if you have any other specific questions.