Peculiarities 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 tells about the 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 work in sales at a detailing center. I have been living in Doha, the capital of Qatar, for over 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 to simply submit a lot of applications. Most vacancies are in the tourism and service sectors. The official language is Arabic, but English is quite enough to live here.

Some employers help with obtaining residency in the country, and some are looking for candidates with existing residency. Plus, since Doha is still a city of cars and drivers, many people ask for confirmation of a driver’s license when applying for a job. The employer also often takes on the issue of renting housing.

Based on my observations, average salaries here vary within 5000 QAR (~$1400), but of course, everything depends on the field of activity. In general, you can earn from 1000 reals to infinity. By the way, there is no income tax for individuals in Qatar. Only companies pay them — 10% of total income per year.

Note.

Average salaries in Qatar by category:

Source:  paylab.com.

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

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

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

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

It is interesting that Medical care in public hospitals in Qatar is much better than in private ones. This is due, among other things, 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) will cost $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 pays a deposit equal to the cost of one month’s rent. This amount serves as a guarantee in case the tenant decides to terminate the contract early. Rent is paid monthly, and utilities, if not included in the rent, are paid additionally.

One of the most popular types of housing in the country is a villa, a two-story house where the common areas of the kitchen and living room are located on the first floor and the bedrooms are 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, swimming pool and fitness center, available to all residents free of charge. In addition, there are traditional apartments and studios.

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

Migrants, Climate, Security

— Qatar is an amazing country, unlike any other. Among the Gulf countries, it is currently one of the strongest states, including in terms of the opportunities it offers. In Doha, for example, tourism is developing very actively, but it is mainly a city wherePeople come to work.

Overall, Qatar is a country of migrants, who make up about 85% of the total population. Most of the immigrants are from India and Pakistan. There are also many people from the Philippines, Yemen, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and even the UAE.

— I like that Doha forces you to lead a healthy lifestyle. For example, to afford alcohol, you need to be either very rich or just 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 plus is security, which is at some incredible level in Qatar. On the one hand, it is restrictive, but on the other, it provides absolute peace. Cameras are hidden everywhere, there are a lot of police everywhere.

That is, people feel protected here, no matter who it is — a local or an expat. Women are treated with particular respect and reverence in Qatar. This attitude is instilled here from childhood and is literally enshrined in law.

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 will tell you about the main disadvantages of life in Qatar, which I highlight for myself. I consider the 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. Starting from May, we did not leave the house before 10 pm, and the presence of fresh air could be felt only at 2 am. Winter is generally comfortable, but I am surprised by the locals’ habit of using air conditioners even when it’s cold. It’s completely illogical.

I also consider food and nutrition in Qatar to be a minus. Since it is a desert, nothing is grown there — almost all products come from outside. Yes, there are restaurants with good food, but most of it is artificial. Even when cooking, they usually use canned fruits instead of fresh ones. Plus, there is a lot of very spicy food. It is somehow not very pleasant and familiar. Regarding establishments, I can also note that I do not like Starbucks and KFC here at all.

Another downside for me is that everything happens very slowly. Life is too measured.

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