Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the United States and Qatar

Name: Qatar
Address: QA

For one person, living is cheaper in Qatar: $1,909 a month against $2,734 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $9,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

131

Cost of Living Index in the United States
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United States Living Index
92

Cost of Living Index in Qatar
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Qatar Living Index

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🇺🇸 United States

$2,734

/mo nomad

🇶🇦 Qatar

$1,909

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the United States and in Qatar

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in the United States and in Qatar actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,734 in the United States versus $1,909 in Qatar.

United States $2,734
Qatar $1,909

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,985 in the United States versus $3,082 in Qatar.

United States $3,985
Qatar $3,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,235 in the United States versus $4,256 in Qatar.

United States $5,235
Qatar $4,256

Internal cost variation is higher in the United States: monthly costs span $979 to $5,160, compared to $232–$2,633 in Qatar. City choice carries more weight in the United States.

Living in the United States is roughly 43% more expensive than in Qatar on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: the United States 101% above, Qatar 40% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.03 $20.03

$8.27 QAR 30.10

142.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.0 $80.0

$67.4 QAR 245

18.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.80 $11.80

$8.41 QAR 30.63

40.31%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.24 QAR 48.20

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.46 QAR 48.98

Cappuccino

$5.55 $5.55

$5.47 QAR 19.93

1.46%

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

$2.66 $2.66

$0.91 QAR 3.30

192.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$0.34 QAR 1.26

538.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.12 $6.12

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.94 $7.94

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$2.16 QAR 7.85

-51.85%

White Bread (500g)

$3.59 $3.59

$1.50 QAR 5.47

139.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$2.05 QAR 7.46

120.49%

Eggs

$4.28 $4.28

$3.05 QAR 11.08

40.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.22 $13.22

$9.50 QAR 34.57

39.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.60 $12.60

$7.61 QAR 27.70

65.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.60 $17.60

$10.03 QAR 36.50

75.47%

Apples (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$2.12 QAR 7.70

150.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.76 QAR 6.41

-3.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$1.63 QAR 5.94

172.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$1.26 QAR 4.57

278.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.97 $2.97

$0.93 QAR 3.37

219.35%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$0.94 QAR 3.41

235.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.20 QAR 4.36

83.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.58 QAR 2.12

305.17%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$10.39 QAR 37.82

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 QAR 7.44

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 QAR 11.03

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.98 $10.98

$6.47 QAR 23.56

69.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 $3.79

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 $1.94

$0.53 QAR 1.93

266.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.4 $59.4

$32.56 QAR 119

82.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 $3.58

$2.17 QAR 7.90

64.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.90 QAR 6.92

-1.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.84 $29.84

$8.44 QAR 30.72

253.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$0.54 QAR 1.98

88.89%

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

$28.8K $28.8K

$24.4K QAR 88.7K

18.06%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$21.5K QAR 78.3K

21.78%

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

$218 $218

$90.0 QAR 328

142.26%

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

$62.5 $62.5

$44.05 QAR 160

41.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.5 $74.5

$85.5 QAR 311

-12.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.86 $41.86

$167 QAR 607

-74.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.81 $22.81

$20.20 QAR 73.5

12.92%

Cinema Ticket

$14.70 $14.70

$12.13 QAR 44.15

21.19%

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

$1,489 $1,489

$733 QAR 2,669

103.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.3K $25.3K

$9,778 QAR 35.6K

158.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 $54.3

$55.8 QAR 203

-2.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.71 $42.71

$51.2 QAR 186

-16.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 $94.1

$95.3 QAR 347

-1.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$83.0 QAR 302

36.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,659 $1,659

$1,580 QAR 5,753

4.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,348 $1,348

$957 QAR 3,485

40.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,682 $2,682

$3,018 QAR 11.0K

-11.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,169 $2,169

$2,047 QAR 7,450

5.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,283 $3,283

$4,338 QAR 15.8K

-24.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,482 $2,482

$2,959 QAR 10.8K

-16.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,296 $4,296

$4,017 QAR 14.6K

6.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

5.22

25.48%

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

Last update for the United States: October 25, 2026

Last update for Qatar: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

United States

$1.3K 49.3%

Qatar

$957 50.2% 29% $390

Groceries & Markets

United States

$415 15.2%

Qatar

$204 10.7% 50.9% $211

Monthly Utilities & Internet

United States

$355 13%

Qatar

$220 11.5% 38.1% $135

Eating Out

United States

$328 12%

Qatar

$162 8.5% 50.6% $166

Clothing & Footwear

United States

$137 5%

Qatar

$128 6.7% 6.4% $8.7

Getting Around

United States

$80 2.9%

Qatar

$46 2.4% 42.1% $34

Sport & Entertainment

United States

$71 2.6%

Qatar

$191 10% 168% $120

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,620 in the United States, $1,393 in Qatar. Capital cities: $2,768 in Washington, DC vs $2,014 in Doha.

National salary averages: $4,549 in the United States, $4,162 in Qatar. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 16% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 29% more in the United States.

Public transport is 117% more expensive in the United States.

Good to know

🇺🇸 United States

🇶🇦 Qatar

🕒 Local time

19:57 7:57 PM

02:57 2:57 AM

7 h ahead of the United States

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

340,110,988

2,639,211

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Qatari Riyal QAR ر.ق

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

1 QAR = 0.275 USD

1 QAR = 0.245 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

QAR, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇶🇦 Qatari Riyal (ر.ق)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 30, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.893 EUR).

Qatari Riyal exchange rates as of October 30, 2026: 1 USD = 3.64 QAR (1 QAR = 0.275 USD). 1 EUR = 4.08 QAR (1 QAR = 0.245 EUR).

QAR to USD in detail →

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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

United States vs Qatar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,909 per month in Qatar and $2,734 in the United States, Qatar comes out about 30% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is cheaper in Qatar: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $1,620 in the United States and $1,393 in Qatar. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

It depends on what you’re after: Qatar wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.