How Much Does It Cost to Live In Doha?
Doha is the capital of Qatar, and it’s such a modern and rapidly developing city that it’s only a matter of time when it will develop into one of the premier cities in the Gulf, especially considering the money being poured into its construction.
This city is very urban, filled with modern technologies and, rent aside, not to expensive to spend some time in.
However, if you have in mind moving here, then your best bet would be to find a job here because rents are some of the most expensive in the world.
Qatar : Cost of Living by City
RESTAURANTS
Eating out is definitely not as expensive as you would expect it to be in Doha, you can find many expensive places as well as the cheap ones. You can eat a decent meal at an inexpensive restaurant for around 7$, or have a three-course meal for two at a mid-range restaurant for around 50$. Don’t forget this is an expensive country, so expensive restaurants do exist but the prices are through the roof.
MARKETS
Groceries are free of tax in Qatar, so they are cheap compared to other areas of the world. A good piece of advice here is to go to Al Meera for fruits and vegetables, grains, bread, meat and dry goods. You can always buy fish from one of the central fish markets (don’t forget to wake up really early). Save the fancy retail stores like Monoprix for things like unpasteurized cheese and organic ice creams.
TRANSPORTATION
Basically, if you live in Qatar, you will need to obtain a car. Renting a car is not always cheap, so your best bet is to buy a second hand car, which sometimes you can find from the dealerships. Fuel, insurance, registrations, licenses, and so on will cost very little in comparison to the car itself.
It might be difficult to get around by bus because the routes don’t go through all the bigger parts of towns and are mostly unpractical. Public transport is very cheap here, though.
UTILITIES (MONTHLY)
Utilities are likely to be around 140$ per month at the most (which means – if you live in a large villa), unless you’re taking hour-long hot showers every night and running the AC all day long. Phone service is cheap and effective and internet works well. Basically, for an 85m2 apartment all basic utilities like electricity, water, gas and garbage services cost around 65$.
SPORTS & LEISURE
Though many people living in the city of Doha often say that there aren’t many fun things to do in this country, or numerous leisure opportunities, there are still cinemas here and there, and a ticket to watch a movie in one of them will cost you around 9$. And if you prefer to spend your free time in a gym or a fitness club, a membership in one of them will cost you a whopping 100$.
CLOTHING & SHOES
What has been said for groceries – applies to clothes and electronics, too. They are free of tax so and cheap compared to other areas of the world. The prices aren’t too high but you might want to wait for the clearance sales at the malls. You can buy quality jeans like Levi’s for around 60$ while running shoes are considerably more expensive, costing over 90$ a pair.
RENT PER MONTH
The most expensive thing in Doha is rent. Rent in Doha is more expensive than in most parts of the world! You can expect to pay around 15000$ at least for a good unfurnished studio. A bigger villa with 3 bedrooms and two stories will cost around 3100$ in Gharafa for example, which is right outside of Doha. If you’re planning on renting a place in the city center, you should double or even triple that number. Pearl Qatar is the most expensive place to find an accommodation in Doha.
Cost of Living Averages Table for Doha
*Note: All prices are indicated in USD.| Average Restaurant Prices | |
|---|---|
| Meal (Inexpensive Restaurant) | $6.87 |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 Liter) | $49.43 |
| Water (0.33 Liter) | $0.27 | Average Market Prices |
| Milk (1 Liter) | $1.70 |
| Loaf Bread (500g) | $1.41 |
| Eggs (12) | $2.71 | Average Transport Prices |
| One Way Ticket | $1.37 |
| Monthly Pass | $27.46 |
| Gasoline | $0.55 | Average Utilities Prices |
| Basic (Water, Electricity, Garbage, Heating, Cooling) | $65.89 |
| 1 min. of Prepaid Mobile Tariff Local | $0.17 |
| Internet (Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | $88.58 | Average Leisure Prices |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | $101.42 |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour) | $26.21 |
| Cinema, 1 Seat, International Release | $9.61 | Average Clothing Prices |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Comparable) | $59.32 |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, etc...) | $55.16 |
| 1 Pair of Adidas Walking Shoes (Mid-Range) | $92.90 | Average Rent Prices |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Center | $1448.59 |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Center | $1007.95 |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Center | $2737.88 |
How Does the Average Person Spend Their Money in Doha?
The situation in Doha, when it comes to spending money, is significantly different than in most cities of the world.
Here, the rent is so expensive that it takes up unbelievable 42% of one’s income.
That practically means that you have to save up half of your income and spend it on rent only!
The second big expense for the people of Doha is, naturally, all the food, though groceries are mostly cheap in this city.
Eating in restaurants is a necessity for people of Doha, it seems, while expenses for sports, fitness and leisure time follow.
Average Costs Breakdown
Doha: Average Salary, Minimum Wage & Mortgages
The average salary for a person living in Doha is high: 3300$ a month.
With that kind of income, even with the high prices in this city, people can cover all their basic expenses, and still have enough for traveling, furnishing their homes, buying new cars and clothes and even save up.
The standard of living in Doha is high, which is why it’s unusual that the minimum wage for workers in Doha is so low.
With such a high average salary, the low minimum wage of 206$ remains a mystery.
Still, in the near future, this state of affairs is bound to change and the workers will soon be introduced with a higher minimum wage.
Doha Safety Overview
READ THE FULL REPORT: Doha Safety Review
Safety Index:
- OVERALL RISK: LOW
- TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK: MEDIUM
- PICKPOCKETS RISK: LOW
- NATURAL DISASTERS RISK: LOW
- MUGGING RISK: LOW
- TERRORISM RISK: LOW
- SCAMS RISK: LOW
- WOMEN TRAVELERS RISK: LOW
