Moving to Qatar from Nigeria

moving to

What to Expect

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

If you moved from Nigeria to Qatar, you would find that Qatar is 3.1 times more expensive than Nigeria overall. A NGN102,033,000 salary in Nigeria would need to be roughly QAR494,967 in Qatar to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Arabic.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

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

What does your salary buy?

NGN102,033,000 QAR494,967

To maintain the same standard of living in Qatar

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 65.5% more

Groceries

pay 3.1% less

Transportation

pay 9.0% more

Housing

pay 2.5 times more

Childcare

pay 8.5 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 4.8 times more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 NGN = 0.0027 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 Nigeria to Qatar, and how the trend has changed.

Living there in 2020
4,145 ↑ 2% vs 2015

people born in Nigeria 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 Nigeria 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

NG
21.7
QA
0.1
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

NG
17.2
QA
7.3

Qatar performs significantly better than Nigeria across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

NG
$260
QA
$2,901
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

NG
3.9
QA
25.0

Nigeria 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

NG
77.0
QA
91.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

NG
0.6t
QA
47.3t

Nigeria 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

NG
0.0
QA
13.6
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

NG
9.7%
QA
431.0%

Qatar generally does better on infrastructure, though Nigeria leads in water stress level.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

NG
3.1%
QA
0.1%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

NG
$5,700
QA
$96,600

Qatar performs significantly better than Nigeria across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

NG
61.3 yrs
QA
79.8 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

NG
56.7
QA
6.6

Qatar performs significantly better than Nigeria across all family life metrics.

Data: Federal Inland Revenue Service, Nigeria, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Abuja Rain: 48.1 in/yr (1221 mm)
91° / 68°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Abuja Doha
Jan–Mar 97°/74°F (36°/23°C) 75°/58°F (24°/14°C)
Apr–Jun 91°/69°F (33°/21°C) 99°/76°F (37°/24°C)
Jul–Sep 85°/66°F (29°/19°C) 104°/83°F (40°/28°C)
Oct–Dec 93°/64°F (34°/18°C) 85°/67°F (30°/19°C)
View all months
Month Abuja Doha
Jan 94°/69°F (34.7°/20.4°C) 71°/55°F (21.7°/12.8°C)
Feb 98°/78°F (36.8°/25.5°C) 73°/57°F (23.0°/13.7°C)
Mar 98°/76°F (36.9°/24.3°C) 80°/62°F (26.8°/16.7°C)
Apr 96°/76°F (35.6°/24.7°C) 89°/69°F (31.9°/20.6°C)
May 91°/67°F (32.7°/19.5°C) 101°/77°F (38.2°/25.0°C)
Jun 87°/65°F (30.6°/18.3°C) 106°/82°F (41.2°/27.7°C)
Jul 84°/71°F (29.1°/21.9°C) 107°/84°F (41.5°/29.1°C)
Aug 84°/64°F (28.9°/17.7°C) 105°/84°F (40.7°/28.9°C)
Sep 86°/64°F (30.0°/17.5°C) 101°/80°F (38.6°/26.5°C)
Oct 90°/71°F (32.0°/21.4°C) 95°/74°F (35.2°/23.4°C)
Nov 94°/60°F (34.4°/15.7°C) 85°/67°F (29.5°/19.5°C)
Dec 94°/60°F (34.6°/15.5°C) 75°/59°F (24.1°/15.0°C)

Data: Nigerian Meteorological Agency Nigerian Meteorological Agency, Qatar Meteorology Department Qatar Meteorology Department

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Nigeria 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.

Nigeria passport

Nigeria passport holder visiting Qatar

Visa Online (e-Visa)
Nigeria passport holders need to apply for an e-Visa before travelling to Qatar.
Qatar passport

Qatar passport holder visiting Nigeria

Visa Online (e-Visa)
Qatar passport holders need to apply for an e-Visa before travelling to Nigeria.

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 Nigeria?

Day-to-day costs in Qatar run about 81% higher than Nigeria 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 NGN102,033,000 comparable salary, that's around QAR123,742 in Qatar for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, 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 Nigeria and Qatar.

Is Qatar safe for expats?

Qatar performs significantly better than Nigeria across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Qatar is 0.1 per 100,000 people, compared to 21.7 in Nigeria.

How is healthcare in Qatar compared to Nigeria?

Nigeria 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 3.9 in Nigeria. Qatar scores 76 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Nigeria: 38).

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

The average high temperature in Doha is 91°F, compared to 91°F in Abuja. Doha receives around 3.0 in of rainfall per year, while Abuja gets 48.1 in.

What language do they speak in Qatar?

The official language in Qatar is Arabic. In Nigeria, the official language is English.

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At a Glance

NG QA
Population 225,082,083 2,508,182
Currency Nigerian Naira (NGN) Qatari Rial (QAR)
Languages English Arabic
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +234 +974
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 999