Cost of Living Comparison Between The Pearl-Qatar and Boracay Cost of Living Comparison Between The Pearl-Qatar and Boracay

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,051 in The Pearl-Qatar versus $785 in Boracay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,303 in The Pearl-Qatar versus $1,413 in Boracay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,555 in The Pearl-Qatar versus $2,041 in Boracay.

Living in The Pearl-Qatar is roughly 289% more expensive than Boracay, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: The Pearl-Qatar is 128% above, Boracay is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.78 QAR 24.67

$3.13 ₱193

116.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.00 QAR 178

$21.30 ₱1,314

130.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.73 QAR 24.48

$4.91 ₱303

37.07%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.73 QAR 42.71

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.18 QAR 40.68

Cappuccino

$5.01 QAR 18.24

$2.36 ₱146

112.29%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 QAR 2.94

$1.23 ₱75.8

-34.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 QAR 1.12

$0.28 ₱17.46

10.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.30 ₱80.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 ₱130

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 QAR 6.54

$1.75 ₱108

2.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.58 QAR 5.74

$1.22 ₱75.1

29.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 QAR 7.94

$0.85 ₱52.4

156.47%

Eggs

$2.57 QAR 9.37

$2.64 ₱163

-2.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.61 QAR 27.70

$7.83 ₱483

-2.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.81 QAR 28.41

$4.30 ₱266

81.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.39 QAR 37.83

$7.49 ₱462

38.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.06 QAR 7.49

$2.98 ₱184

-30.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 QAR 5.66

$1.47 ₱90.6

5.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 QAR 5.51

$2.58 ₱159

-41.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.39 QAR 5.04

$1.43 ₱88.3

-2.80%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 QAR 3.46

$1.76 ₱108

-46.02%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 QAR 3.33

$2.62 ₱162

-65.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 QAR 4.77

$1.07 ₱66.1

22.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 QAR 1.79

$0.71 ₱44.01

-30.99%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$8.03 QAR 29.25

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 QAR 6.78

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 QAR 10.67

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.27 QAR 22.81

$3.81 ₱235

64.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.95 ₱491

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 ₱71.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 ₱121

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 QAR 1.96

$0.36 ₱22.51

50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.03 QAR 117

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.23 QAR 8.12

$0.81 ₱49.99

175.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 QAR 1.88

$0.22 ₱13.57

136.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.76 QAR 35.53

$2.19 ₱135

345.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.55 QAR 1.99

$1.26 ₱77.9

-56.35%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$15.7K QAR 57.1K

$26.4K ₱1.6M

-40.51%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$14.7K QAR 53.6K

$20.5K ₱1.3M

-28.16%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$93.2 QAR 339

$114 ₱7,039

-18.29%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$21.93 QAR 79.8

$8.80 ₱543

149.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.4 QAR 271

$38.04 ₱2,347

95.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$255 QAR 929

$52.2 ₱3,218

389.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.32 QAR 136

$4.52 ₱279

725.66%

Cinema Ticket

$12.47 QAR 45.41

$4.12 ₱254

202.67%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$801 QAR 2,915

$155 ₱9,537

418.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K QAR 37.7K

$3,962 ₱244.5K

161.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 QAR 218

$46.06 ₱2,842

30.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 QAR 200

$26.47 ₱1,633

107.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.7 QAR 334

$76.0 ₱4,689

20.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.6 QAR 330

$53.0 ₱3,269

71.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,247 QAR 8,180

$269 ₱16.6K

736.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,046 QAR 7,449

$174 ₱10.8K

1073.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,716 QAR 17.2K

$583 ₱35.9K

709.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,448 QAR 12.5K

$758 ₱46.8K

354.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,517 QAR 27.4K

$2,470 ₱152.4K

204.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,549 QAR 20.2K

$983 ₱60.7K

464.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,242 QAR 26.4K

$235 ₱14.5K

2987.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.94

6.67

-40.93%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for The Pearl-Qatar: June 2, 2026

Last update for Boracay: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,247 in The Pearl-Qatar and $269 in Boracay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

The Pearl-Qatar pays 2987% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $49.00 in The Pearl-Qatar vs $21.00 in Boracay. Groceries flip the comparison at $194 vs $201, with The Pearl-Qatar cheaper for home cooking.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

The Pearl-Qatar vs Boracay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

The Pearl-Qatar and Boracay differ by about 289% in total monthly costs ($3,051 vs $785 including rent). Boracay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

The Pearl-Qatar pays 2987% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,247 in The Pearl-Qatar versus $269 in Boracay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $801 in The Pearl-Qatar versus $155 in Boracay. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Boracay – a meal for two runs $21.00 versus $49.00 in The Pearl-Qatar. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $785 in Boracay versus $3,051 in The Pearl-Qatar, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Boracay but tight or insufficient in The Pearl-Qatar. The gap between the two cities makes Boracay the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, The Pearl-Qatar and Boracay are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Boracay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 289% less than in The Pearl-Qatar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.