# 2 job offers: Muscat vs Doha



## 5iverlife (Nov 23, 2015)

Hi all - I would be a first time mover to the Middle East weighing up 2 offers between Muscat and Doha. I am 30-years-old, single male moving out to the region with a view of establishing my career there gradually.

The offer is about 58,000 pounds (all inclusive) for Oman, and about 69,000 pounds (all inclusive for Qatar). I am not too fussed on social outings, and obviously I would want a decent apartment and to rent a small sedan with that money.

I know Qatar is more expensive than Oman, but is the cost of living difference that high to justify the difference in wages? I am interested in making money, establishing my career. My social outings would simply be eating out with occasional drinking - not very socially focused at the moment.

The wage difference is over 15% - I have read that most people prefer Oman to Qatar. I imagine I would be able to live decently in either of the two places as a bachelor, but thoughts on wage differences vs cost of living would be very welcome.

Thank you for your consideration.


----------



## Stevesolar (Dec 21, 2012)

5iverlife said:


> Hi all - I would be a first time mover to the Middle East weighing up 2 offers between Muscat and Doha. I am 30-years-old, single male moving out to the region with a view of establishing my career there gradually.
> 
> The offer is about 58,000 pounds (all inclusive) for Oman, and about 69,000 pounds (all inclusive for Qatar). I am not too fussed on social outings, and obviously I would want a decent apartment and to rent a small sedan with that money.
> 
> ...


Hi,
I visit both regularly for business and all things being equal - I prefer Oman.
It's simply a nicer place to live and work in than Qatar.
If you can squeeze the salary up a bit - then Oman would be the better place to go to.
I think that I would still choose Oman, even with the 15% difference - but ultimately it is your decision. 
Before making a final decision - you really need to visit both to give you a better idea of both places.
Cheers
Steve


----------



## jjtraveler (Dec 20, 2015)

*Oman every time*

I have live in both. I would think you find Oman much better and slightly cheaper ....especially if you enjoy the outdoors..oman is fantastic...but try and increase your offer..accommodation is fairly expensive in both places.


----------



## Mr Podge (Dec 24, 2015)

I have to agree with the two previous posters that Muscat would certainly be my choice if I was in your situation, despite the lower salary. 

Although I haven't actually lived in either city, so can't comment on what they're really like long term, I have travelled to both Qatar and northern Oman quite a bit with work in the last year, and much prefer the latter myself.

To me, Oman feels a lot more authentic than Qatar (or indeed the UAE!), and does offer fantastic opportunities for outdoor pursuits if, like myself, you're that way inclined. The Hajar mountains are simply stunning in my opinion, as is the Musandam Peninsula, although this is a fair way from Muscat and is separated from "mainland" Oman by Fujairah and a few bits of Sharjah. However, if shiny skylines and modern malls are more your thing, then Doha has it beaten hands down.

Living in the Gulf isn't exactly cheap, so it would certainly be a good idea to try to get the offer up a bit if you can, whichever location you decide upon. 

I also agree with Stevesolar that a "fact finding" trip over to this part of the world, so that you can get the feel of these two very different countries, would certainly be advantageous if at all possible. Best of luck with whatever you decide!


----------



## bencooper (Mar 20, 2013)

5iverlife said:


> Hi all - I would be a first time mover to the Middle East weighing up 2 offers between Muscat and Doha. I am 30-years-old, single male moving out to the region with a view of establishing my career there gradually.
> 
> The offer is about 58,000 pounds (all inclusive) for Oman, and about 69,000 pounds (all inclusive for Qatar). I am not too fussed on social outings, and obviously I would want a decent apartment and to rent a small sedan with that money.
> 
> ...


I fully agree with other responders that Muscat is a much more amenable place to live than Doha, having worked in both countries within the last few years. I would say that you won't save much money on the all-inclusive salary you state for Muscat. If your salary is quoted in Sterling be aware also that Sterling is quite strong at the moment and could fall in the future relative to the Omani Riyal (my opinion). Another thing to consider is long-term prospects - depending on what your profession is, Doha is booming (certainly in engineering, dragging along other sectors) and you would have a better prospect of picking up a job if your current job fell through- Oman is notoriously difficult to find work especially from outside the country because it isn't as wealthy as Qatar and simply doesn't have as many job vacancies.


----------

