Features of work, real estate and the cost of living in Qatar. Personal experience

You can move to Qatar if you intend to work or run a business there. Alina Abdullina lives in He tells Doha how prices, salaries, climate and attitude towards foreigners are there.

Job search, prices and medicine

— My name is Alina, I come from Kazakhstan, and I am 30 years old. I am engaged in sales at the child care center. For more than a year now I have been living in Doha, the capital of Qatar. My sister moved here earlier. 

It is not difficult to move to Qatar if you prepare in advance and get a job invitation. The key to success is simply to submit a lot of applications. Most of the vacancies are in the fields of tourism and services. The official language is Arabic, but English is quite enough for life here.

Some employers help with obtaining residency in the country, and some are looking for candidates with an existing residence. Plus, since Doha is still a city of cars and drivers, many people ask to confirm their driver’s license when applying for employment. The decision on the issue of rental housing is also often taken over by the employer.

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

Note.

Average salaries in Qatar in a number of categories: 

Source: paylab.com .

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

But the services are really very expensive: for example, the lowest price for a manicure plus pedicure (and of questionable 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 it will be very expensive to be treated without insurance*. Most employers provide insurance to specialists, and then prices will be lower. 

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

Interestingly, medical care in Qatar’s public hospitals 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 kinds of products and goods in Qatar:

Source: expatistan.com . 

A rental agreement in Qatar is usually concluded for a year. Upon signing the contract, the tenant makes a deposit equal to the cost of the monthly rent. This amount serves as a guarantee in case the tenant decides to terminate the contract ahead of time. The 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 a villa — a two-storey house, where on the ground floor there are common areas of the kitchen and living room, and on the second floor there are bedrooms. You can rent the whole villa or rent 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 for free. In addition, there are traditional apartments and studios.

Tenants often 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 countries of the Persian Gulf, it 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 mostly it is a city where people come to work. 

In general, Qatar is a country of migrants, of whom about 85% of the total population are here. Most of the relocants are from India and Pakistan. Also, a lot of people come from the Philippines, Yemen, Oman, Saudi Arabia and even from the UAE.

— I like that Doha makes you lead a healthy lifestyle. For example, to afford alcohol, you either need to be very rich, or you just need to 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 specialty stores. But again, even with this license, alcohol prices are very high. 

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

That is, people feel protected here, no matter who it is — a local or an expat. Qatar treats women with particular respect and reverence. This attitude has been instilled here since childhood and is literally fixed at the legislative level.

The locals themselves are short-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 single out for myself. I consider climate to be one of those. In summer, there is incredible heat and very high humidity (on average +40 °With in the shade). July and August are considered the most unbearable in this regard. Already 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. It is generally comfortable in winter, but I am surprised by the habit of locals to use air conditioners even when it is cold. This is completely illogical. 

I also consider food and food in Qatar to be cons. Since this is a desert, nothing is grown there — almost all products come from outside. Yes, there are restaurants with good food, but for the most part, it is artificial here. Even when cooking, it is usually not fresh fruits that are used, but their canned counterparts. Plus, a lot of very spicy food. It’s somehow not very pleasant and familiar. Regarding the establishments, I can also note that I don’t like the same Starbucks and KFC here at all. 

Of the other disadvantages for me, 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.

Author

Yulia Yanukovych Editor-in-Chief

I am responsible for the work of the editorial office. I write expert interviews and guides.

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