The cost of living in Qatar or the Philippines depends primarily on your location and how you spend your money, among other factors. One thing’s for sure though: in Qatar, you don’t have to worry about certain government expenses such as phone lines, water, and electricity. Also, the only tax you will have to deal with is import tax.
In the Philippines, on the other hand, the cost of living is much cheaper compared to any Western country. In the country, you can choose from a wide variety of lifestyles. One of the implications is that you can choose to buy cheap or expensive food at any time.
Qatar and the Philippines’ Cost of Living
The following compares costs between living in Qatar and the Philippines. The first is all about restaurants.
Cost of Living for Various Restaurants
On average, having a meal at a cheap restaurant in the Philippines costs around PHP 150. In Qatar, that’s about QAR 25 or equivalent to PHP 353. In general, mid-range restaurants are also much more expensive in Qatar than in the Philippines. The same goes for beer and coffee prices. Softdrink beverages are cheaper in Qatar though.
Transportation
Being a country rich in natural gas and oil reserves, it is obvious that the price of gasoline in Qatar is much cheaper (47 percent cheaper to be exact) than in the Philippines. However, local transportation in the Philippines, which is the iconic Jeepney, is close to four times cheaper than the local transport in Qatar. Taxi rates are also cheaper in the Philippines than in Qatar. In the Philippines, one kilometer in a taxi is worth PHP 13.50, while in Qatar it is equivalent to PHP 26.83.
Monthly Bills
Basic monthly utilities for a typical apartment actually cost cheaper in Qatar than in the Philippines. These expenses cover garbage, water, cooling, heating, and electricity. On average, this is worth around PHP 5,800 in the Philippines while it is PHP 3,180 in Qatar. Internet connection, however, is more expensive in Qatar than in the Philippines; on average, it is close to two times more expensive.
Salaries
While Qatar is more expensive than the Philippines in general, workers in Qatar are paid way more in terms of average monthly net salary. In the Philippines, the average monthly income is a mere PHP 15,367, while in Qatar, it is Php 160,000 per month. That’s close to ten times higher!
This is just an overview of the cost of living in Qatar compared to the Philippines. At the end of the day, it’s all about what kind of lifestyle you are willing to live, and how you manage your expenses to fit that lifestyle.