Cheaper in the UK or Doha

Dear all,

I can only thank you again for your courteous, caring, warm replies. It does feel much better to see so many people positively contributing, even remotely to a total stranger wellbeing.

Regards,

ls

Welcome for when you get here Is, I only arrived last week....so still finding my feet. I do however think the electrical goods here are more expensive than they were in the UK.

Shame you weren't getting an allowance, the rental prices are really high but are definately starting to drop in some areas. It will hopefully mean I'll have even more money for myself!

I would second the advice about renting a car initially, I'm picking up a rental Mitsubishi Lancer 1.8 tomorrow and it's costing me QR1800 including the insurance. Once I know my way around the city I'll buy a used car.

Eating out is reasonably inexpensive but with your tax free salary you should be quids in anyway.

Don't expect to get too much organised until you have your permits sorted though. Having said that, it didn't stop me getting a bank account set-up.

Best of luck with your move.

Not boring if you have your family with you of course

Welcome Is.. Well cost of living generally is the same I would say for British Expat.. Food might be a bit cheaper.

Regarding the Laptop. like Baldrick said the keyborad is different. Plus since the pound is weak at the moment would recommen that you buy from the UK.

Accomodation provided by UDC I sure it would be nice..

It would be better to buy a computer in Qatar for the after sales service. Apple/Sony have English keyboard only if you specifically want it. I have had no problems with the Arabic lettering. Try to get furnished accommodation and lease a vehicle for the first few months. Second hand vehicles can be purchased cheaply if you have ready cash however you cannot fully insure a vehicle that is more than 5 years old. Repairs to cars takes forever and sometimes, spares are not available for months. There is very little job security in this place and some people are unlucky enough to be sent home for no justifiable reason. Avoid debt and try to arrive with 2 suitcases and leave in a similar way. Remember this will never be home and it is better to have no strings attached. Doha is changing rapidy and conditions can degenerate or improve quite quickly. The lifestyle you lead will dictate the amount of money you send home. Booze is expensive, housing unreasonably expensive but improving. Gasoline and cars are cheap but not much to see. In the beginning you will go to the desert and do some sightseeing but there is really not much to see. Traffic in Doha is terrible, drivers are crazy. The shops stock whatever you need at reasonable prices.....except pork.

Many thanks for your answers.

I am getting an accommodation not allowance. I was hoping for the second.

Now in the UK, Wales even with my good salary I hardly can survive the month plus the big possibility of redundancy.

I am hoping Doha will not be as lonely/ boring as we think, is it?

Bring it from UK

I don't know about prices, but some newbies find the Arabic on the keyboards a bit distracting.

It all depends if you have accommodation provided and get an allowance. My allowance covers my apartment.

I have a travel allowance which covers half the costs of my car rental. So I only have to pay 150 quid rental, which is for a brand new car, and fully comp insurance. Petrol is way cheaper here, 8 quid to fill a tank.

Food, you can eat out every night for about 5 quid for a meal, tell me where can you get an indian meal in the UK for less than a tenner.

I have only been here 4 weeks and I believe I can save at least 500 quid a month and put in savings!

In the UK, with everything I had to pay out, I could hardly save 50-75 quid a month!

Hope this helps!!