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are not cheap and most technology, particularly computers, visual and audio are extremely expensive and mostly out of date and thats compared to the UK, let alone the States or the far east where new tech is even cheaper."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
"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.