Moving to Qatar from Kuwait

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What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Kuwait to Qatar — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Kuwait to Qatar, you would find that Qatar is 56.5% more expensive than Kuwait overall. A KWD23,199 salary in Kuwait would need to be roughly QAR393,036 in Qatar to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Kuwait to Qatar.

What does your salary buy?

KWD23,199 QAR393,036

To maintain the same standard of living in Qatar

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 0.9% less

Groceries

pay 19.0% more

Transportation

pay 6.9% more

Housing

pay 2.2 times more

Childcare

pay 2.6 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 80.8% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 KWD = 11.76 QAR (June 2026)

Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

Real numbers on people moving from Kuwait to Qatar, and how the trend has changed.

Living there in 2020
6,612 ↑ 2% vs 2015

people born in Kuwait live in Qatar · UN DESA

Who's moving to Qatar?

Top countries of origin for Qatar's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

How Kuwait and Qatar stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

per 100,000 people per year

KW
0.2
QA
0.1
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

KW
9.2
QA
7.3

Qatar performs significantly better than Kuwait across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

KW
$2,567
QA
$2,901
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2020

affects wait times and access to care

KW
22.9
QA
25.0

Kuwait generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Qatar leads in doctors per 10,000 people.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

KW
45.0
QA
91.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

KW
23.7t
QA
47.3t

Kuwait performs better than Qatar across all environment metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

KW
1.5
QA
13.6
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

KW
3850.5%
QA
431.0%

Qatar performs significantly better than Kuwait across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

KW
2.1%
QA
0.1%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

KW
$50,800
QA
$113,200

Qatar generally does better on employment & economy, though Kuwait leads in top income tax rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

KW
79.1 yrs
QA
79.8 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

KW
7.4
QA
6.6

Kuwait generally does better on family life, though Qatar leads in life expectancy.

Data: Ministry of Finance, Kuwait, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Kuwait City Rain: 4.6 in/yr (116 mm)
94° / 68°F

Avg. annual high / low

Doha Rain: 3.0 in/yr (75 mm)
91° / 71°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Kuwait City Doha
Jan–Mar 73°/51°F (23°/11°C) 75°/58°F (24°/14°C)
Apr–Jun 104°/76°F (40°/25°C) 99°/76°F (37°/24°C)
Jul–Sep 114°/84°F (46°/29°C) 104°/83°F (40°/28°C)
Oct–Dec 84°/60°F (29°/15°C) 85°/67°F (30°/19°C)
View all months
Month Kuwait City Doha
Jan 67°/47°F (19.5°/8.5°C) 71°/55°F (21.7°/12.8°C)
Feb 71°/50°F (21.8°/10.0°C) 73°/57°F (23.0°/13.7°C)
Mar 80°/57°F (26.9°/14.0°C) 80°/62°F (26.8°/16.7°C)
Apr 93°/67°F (33.9°/19.5°C) 89°/69°F (31.9°/20.6°C)
May 106°/78°F (40.9°/25.4°C) 101°/77°F (38.2°/25.0°C)
Jun 114°/84°F (45.5°/28.9°C) 106°/82°F (41.2°/27.7°C)
Jul 116°/87°F (46.7°/30.7°C) 107°/84°F (41.5°/29.1°C)
Aug 116°/85°F (46.9°/29.5°C) 105°/84°F (40.7°/28.9°C)
Sep 111°/79°F (43.7°/26.2°C) 101°/80°F (38.6°/26.5°C)
Oct 98°/71°F (36.6°/21.5°C) 95°/74°F (35.2°/23.4°C)
Nov 82°/58°F (27.8°/14.5°C) 85°/67°F (29.5°/19.5°C)
Dec 71°/50°F (21.9°/9.9°C) 75°/59°F (24.1°/15.0°C)

Data: Meteorological Department Meteorological Department, Qatar Meteorology Department Qatar Meteorology Department

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Kuwait and Qatar. To live, work, or study long-term in Qatar, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Qatar's immigration authority.

Kuwait passport

Kuwait passport holder visiting Qatar

Visa Free
Kuwait passport holders can enter Qatar without a visa.
Qatar passport

Qatar passport holder visiting Kuwait

Visa Free
Qatar passport holders can enter Kuwait without a visa.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Qatar than Kuwait?

Day-to-day costs in Qatar run about 44% higher than Kuwait on average; specific cities can swing further.

How much money do I need to move to Qatar?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a KWD23,199 comparable salary, that's around QAR98,259 in Qatar for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, deposits, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Qatar?

With 13.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Qatar can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Kuwait and Qatar.

Is Qatar safe for expats?

Qatar performs significantly better than Kuwait across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Qatar is 0.1 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.2 in Kuwait.

How is healthcare in Qatar compared to Kuwait?

Kuwait generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Qatar leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 25.0 doctors per 10,000 people in Qatar, compared to 22.9 in Kuwait. Qatar scores 76 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Kuwait: 78).

What's the weather like in Qatar compared to Kuwait?

The average high temperature in Doha is 91°F, compared to 94°F in Kuwait City. Doha receives around 3.0 in of rainfall per year, while Kuwait City gets 4.6 in.

What language do they speak in Qatar?

Both Kuwait and Qatar share the same official language: Arabic.

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At a Glance

KW QA
Population 3,068,155 2,508,182
Currency Kuwaiti Dinar (KWD) Qatari Rial (QAR)
Languages Arabic Arabic
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +965 +974
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 999