$55,000 USD good salary in DOHA?
Is this a good salary?
Basically I need:
1. living - 1 bedroom apartment western style. I need a full one bedroom not a studio. I don't need luxary (pearl) but decent, atleast updated. I think the university has housing but it's not part of the package. I would have to pay for it as part of my salary.
2. Transportation - I'm used to driving a car so I would like to have one when I am there. Unless having a car is not really necessary in which case would consider a taxi if its reasonable. I'm young, single and will want to go out and not be stuck in the house all day. In this case, I figure calling and paying a taxi everytime will not be reasonable. But then again its different everywhere.
3. Food - I don't really cook so I will want to go out to eat most of the time. Plus it will only be me.
4. Social life - I want a social life when I am there so I will need some spending money.
5. Saving - I would like to save some money. Maybe $2K-$3K USD a month.
I know this list in extensive but I want to see what I can get with high hopes :)
ADVANCED WELCOME . IM SURE U R GOING TO SAVE MORE THAN U EXPECT !
homeswitbahays - oh you just posted right before me thanks :)
Main draw of the job? Save money and use some of the money I save to pay my master's degree and student loans. But looks like I won't be doing much saving.
Career wise not a good move, in fact once I get my master's degree I will be somewhat changing my position God willing.
hmmm....maybe qatar airways will be recruiting for a health and safety specialist in the near future :)
If I did try to negotiate what would be an acceptable salary for me? Would 75,000 usd be enough?
Also, it's hard to find apartments on the internet (besides the pearl). Can someone give me a lump sum for updated accomodations in a good neighborhood (female safe) with utilities included? Also, how much can I expect to pay for food if I eat out 1-2 times a day? I'm tired of eating american food so I would like something that's somewhat homemade middle eastern or asian type.
Would it be wise to rent/lease a car for two years instead of buy? How much does maintaining a car cost (repairs, insurance, registration, gas, etc)
Another thing I forgot to add....How safe is Doha for an american women alone? As I said before, I do not want to sit in the house all day. I would like to go out and explore, otherwise why would I come since money is out of the question now.
What hasanb said is a typical package, fully-furnished, all-inclusive 1-bedroom flat in Doha. What Mandi said was a full-sized large flat way too big for one person (+ pricy), and is what most people normally sublet or rent out portions to others (trust me, there is zero profit in this unless you are NOT living there or have 10+ people staying with you = not an option).
Location is a HUGE part of selection for a Westerner, as some areas of Doha are male-heavy or rugged for any Westerner. Al Sadd zone, via personal experience, is in the exact middle of the city with numerous ways to get everywhere in
In short, no.
Another thing to bear in mind: you'll probably have to give your landlord post-dated checks covering a whole year, plus a deposit (usually a month's rent). Assume that you won't get the deposit back, and that you'll lose a month's rent if you leave before the contract expires.
What's the main draw of the job? If you think it's a good career move, then it's doable if you can accept that you're not going to bank a lot of money.
Bottom line is your salary package is peanuts minus all your expenses..Think twice. If you're getting that in your home country why come?
Update on the monthly rent, you can find a bedroom at Ezdan tower Westbay for QR4500. This includes:
1 bedroom and a bathroom
2 days a week room cleaning - free of charge
Internet & electricity included
State of the art GYM - free of charge
Olympic size POOL - free of charge
Covered parking
Fully furnished - Centrally air conditioned, LCD TV, table, chairs, fridge, cupboards, etc.
(http://www.qatarliving.com/node/3471211)
Open a bank account, and transfer your salary there ASAP, and get a car loan. With around QR1800/mo for 4 years, and the car is yours. Or save up for a few months, and buy a cheap (used/new) compact car for QR15K-QR50K in cash. Check QatarLiving classifieds for prices.
QNB, Doha Bank, CBQ are the top 3 banks in Qatar.
I think QR10K should cover your basic needs including phone bills (use Skype for international calls), car+gas, food, and social life.
Based on what you describe it is not enough. I'm surprised housing is not be provided directly for you.
You can rent a small car for something over 2000QR/mo. Gas is cheap. Housing (1 bedroom flat) should cost around 8000QR/mo. As a single woman you want to be in a safe place. Groceries and middle-range restaurant food is about the same as New York. High-end hotels for food and drinks are unbelievably outrageous. Remember that any raise or gratuity you will receive is based only on your 8000QR/mo. Airfares from the Gulf are expensive If you wish to do any traveling in the area but you will need an exit visa from your employer every time you leave the country. Clothes are about one and a half times the price in the US. Phones are cheap. Movies the same price as the US. Books are non-existent. Kindles work in Doha via your pc. Bring videos, there's nothing really to rent and satellite is expensive. Furniture is high-priced and awful! Appliances are OK but tend to fall apart quickly. Housewares are reasonable. Shipping and mailing is quite prohibitive and lengthy. Hmmmm, what else?
Mandi
This is where the $55,000 comes from (or atleast what the paper that they gave me says):
5000QR/single or 6000/married accomodation no utility allowance
Monthly salary of QR 9,000
-basic monthly salary QR 8,000
-Transportation allowance QR1,0000
other incentives include
air ticket, 35days paid vacation, and health insurance
55000usd is 200233QR (16,686/mo) so I think they did or I did something wrong with my calculations.
Anyways, I'm expecting the bottom line to be 55000USD.
Can some please give me a ballpark estimation of transportation/housing/food? I'm trying to research on the net but I feel like I'm still in the dark . Thanks!
It is customary for the universities in Doha to pay for employees' housing, transportation, flights, and health care. If this is not part of your package I would inquire very diligently as to why it is not. You really don't want to be on your own when it comes to navigating the basics here. You absolutely will need a car and one bedroom apartments tend to be generally in the lower-rent districts. You mention a salary of approx 16,000 QR a month. Most Americans working for US universities here are being paid more than that in just provided housing. Their salary would be on top of that. The rule of thumb is a competitive salary in the US plus 25% plus housing, transportation, health care, schooling for kids, etc.
Mandi