Features of Work, Real Estate and Cost of Living in Qatar. Personal Experience

You can move to Qatar if you intend to work or do business there. Alina Abdullina lives in Doha and talks about prices, salaries, climate, and attitude towards foreigners there.

Job Search, Prices, and Medicine

— My name is Alina, I am originally from Kazakhstan, and I am 30 years old. I do sales at a detailing center. I have been living in Doha, the capital of Qatar, for more than a year now. My sister moved here even earlier.

Moving to Qatar is not difficult if you prepare in advance and get a job offer. The key to success is simply to submit a lot of applications. Most of the vacancies are in the tourism and service sectors. The official language is Arabic, but English is sufficient for life here.

Some employers help with obtaining residence in the country, and some are looking for candidates who already have an existing residence. Plus, since Doha is still a city of cars and drivers, many people ask for proof of a driver’s license when applying for a job. The issue of renting housing is also often taken upon by the employer.

Based on my observations, average salaries here vary between 5000 QAR (~$1400), but, of course, it all depends on the field of activity. In general, you can earn from 1000 QAR to infinity. By the way, there is no income tax for individuals in Qatar. They are paid only by companies — 10% of total income per year.

Note.

Average salaries in Qatar for a number of categories: 

Source: paylab.com.

— I would not say that prices here are much higher compared to Kazakhstan — perhaps by 30 percent. One trip on the metro here costs 2 Qatari rials ($0.55). Gasoline, on the other hand, is a little cheaper.

But the services are indeed very expensive: for example, the lowest price for a manicure plus pedicure (of dubious quality) will be 400 rials (about $110). But on average in the market, based on my experience, such a set of services will cost 600–700 rials (about $165–$190).

I have not used medical services in Qatar, but I know from friends that without insurance, treatment will be very expensive*. Most employers provide insurance to specialists, and then prices will be lower.

For local residents, treatment in public clinics is free. Medicines and even operations that may be required abroad are paid for by the state.

Interestingly, medical care in public hospitals in Qatar is much better than in private ones. This is also due to the fact that these buildings are owned by the government or the royal family.

*According to Expatistan, a short visit to a private doctor (15 minutes) costs $80.

Note. 

Examples of prices for various types of products and goods in Qatar:

Source: expatistan.com. 

A rental agreement in Qatar is usually concluded for a year. When signing the contract, the tenant makes a deposit equal to the cost of a month's rent. This amount serves as a guarantee in case the tenant decides to terminate the contract early. Rent is paid monthly, and utility bills, if they are not included in the rental rate, are paid additionally.

One of the most popular types of housing in the country is the villa — a two-story house where the common areas of the kitchen and living room are located on the ground floor, and the bedrooms on the second. The villa can be rented as a whole or as a separate room. Townhouses are also common — complexes of several villas with a common area, a swimming pool and a fitness center, available to all residents free of charge. In addition, there are traditional apartments and studios.

Tenants often prefer to rent spacious 2-3-room apartments in prestigious areas and share costs with neighbors, which is cheaper than renting a separate studio.

Migrants, Climate, and Security

— Qatar is an amazing country, unlike any other. Among the Gulf countries, this is currently one of the most powerful states, including in terms of the opportunities it provides. In Doha, for example, tourism is developing very actively, but basically it is a city where people come to work.

In general, Qatar is a country of migrants, of whom there are approximately 85% of the total population. Most of the relocants are from India and Pakistan. There are also a lot of people coming from the Philippines, Yemen, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and even the UAE.

— I love that Doha forces you to live a healthy lifestyle. For example, to afford alcohol, you either need to be very rich or simply spend your budget unwisely. That is, alcohol is sold only in bars and restaurants at hotels. Or you need to get a license for alcohol and buy it in specialized stores. But again, even with this license, the prices for alcohol are very high.

Another big advantage is security, which in Qatar is at an incredible level. On the one hand, this limits, but on the other, it provides absolute peace of mind. There are cameras hidden everywhere, there are a lot of police everywhere.

That is, people feel protected here, no matter who it is — local or expat. Women are treated especially respectfully and reverently in Qatar. This attitude is instilled here from childhood and is literally enshrined at the legislative level.

The locals themselves are hot-tempered, their blood is hot, as they say. But at the same time, they are very patient and calm.
 

— Now I’ll tell you about the main disadvantages of living in Qatar, which I highlight for myself. I consider climate to be one of them. In summer, there is incredible heat and very high humidity (on average, +40 °C in the shade). July and August are considered the most unbearable in this regard. Since May, we did not leave the house at all earlier than 10 pm, and the presence of fresh air could only be felt at 2 am. In winter, it is generally comfortable, but I am surprised by the habit of local residents to use air conditioning even when it is cold. This is completely illogical.

I also consider food and food in general to be a disadvantage in Qatar. Since it is a desert, nothing is grown there; almost all production comes from outside. Yes, there are restaurants with good food, but most of it is artificial. Even when cooking, it is usually not fresh fruits that are used, but their canned counterparts. Plus, a lot of very spicy food. This is somehow not very pleasant and familiar. Regarding establishments, I can also note that I don’t like Starbucks and KFC here at all.

Other disadvantages for me are that everything happens very slowly. Life is too measured.

Overall, I would say that I am 99% comfortable living in Qatar. Therefore, if you are ready to work hard, move.