One of the most common questions we get involve what basic things cost — clothes, your daily caffeine fix, etc. In November 2011, we went to Doha, Qatar, and checked out prices in the following categories — keep in mind, this is not an exhaustive list, but a sampling:

• Fast Food
• Coffee & Specialty Drinks at Starbucks
• Groceries
• Clothing & Accessories
• Cosmetics
• Entertainment
• Sports & Activities
• Baby Supplies
• Beauty Services
• Miscellaneous

Note: The exchange rate between the American dollar (US$) and the Qatari Riyal (QR) is US$1=QR3.64.

Fast Food

We all know one needs their fast food fix, especially when overseas. Here are the costs at some familiar American chains, although there are many more chains not listed below (e.g., Pizza Hut, TGI Friday's, Applebee's, Hardee's, KFC, etc.):

Burger King

• Whopper Meal – QR18 / US$4.97
• Double Whopper Meal – QR21 / US$5.80

Subway

• Italian BMT (6-inch) – QR15 / US$4.14

McDonald's

• Big Mac Meal – QR16 / US$4.42
• McArabia (grilled chicken on flat bread) – QR17 / US$4.70

Baskin Robbins

• Kid Scoop – QR7 / US$1.93
• Value Scoop – QR9 / US$2.49
• Double Scoop – QR13 / US$3.59

Haagen Dazs

• Scoop – QR12 / US$3.32

Coffee & Specialty Drinks at Starbucks

The monolithic Starbucks, of course, stands on its own. But if Starbucks isn't your thing, there are also numerous other coffee shops, including La Maison du Cafe, the Coffee Beanery, the Second Cup, Krispy Kreme, the Coffee Cottage, etc.:

Plain Latte or Cappuccino

• Tall – QR15 / US$4.14
• Grande – QR17 / US$4.70
• Venti – QR19 / US$5.25

Caramel Macchiato, Caffe Mocha, White Chocolate Mocha or Hot Chocolate

• Tall – QR17 / US$4.70
• Grande – QR19 / US$5.25
• Venti – QR21 / US$5.80

Caffe Americano or Brewed Coffee

• Tall – QR12 / US$3.32
• Grande – QR17 / US$3.87
• Venti – QR19 / US$4.42

Tea

Full-Leaf

• Tall – QR11 / US $3.04
• Grande – QR12 / US$3.32
• Venti – QR13 / US$3.59

Tea Latte

• Tall – QR12 / US$3.32
• Grande – QR13 / US$3.59
• Venti – QR14 / US$3.87

Frappuccino

Mocha, White Chocolate Mocha, Chocolate Cream, Caramel or Vanilla Cream

• Tall – QR18 / US$4.97
• Grande – QR20 / US$5.53
• Venti – QR22 / US$6.08

Mocha Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Chip Cream or Caramel Mocha

• Tall – QR21 / US$5.80
• Grande – QR23 / US$6.35
• Venti – QR25 / US$6.91

Food

• Muffin – QR10 / US$2.76
• Cookies – QR9-10 / US$2.49-2.76
• Croissant – QR10 / U$2.76

Groceries

For this search, we went to a Carrefours, which is an international supermarket chain based in France. It is somewhat like a Wal-Mart, selling groceries, electronics, and lower-end clothing.

• Honey Nut Cheerios (375 g box) – QR12.50 / US$3.45
• Kleenex Toilet Paper (16-pack) – QR24.75 / US$6.84
• Ruffles Potato Chips (28 g package) – QR2.25 / US$0.62
• Evian Bottled Water (500 ml) – QR0.75 / US$0.21
• Coke (330 ml can) – QR1.50 / US$0.41
• 6 Eggs (product of Lebanon) – QR9.25 - US$2.56
• Chicken breasts (450 g) – QR21.75 / US$6.01
• Steak (1 kg Australian) – QR73.75 / US$20.38
• Apples (1 kg Royal; product of France) – QR4.75 / US$1.31
• Apples (1 kg Granny Smith; product of France) – QR10.75 / US$2.97
• Tropicana Orange Juice (1 L) – QR6.00 / US$1.66
• Baguette (400 g) – QR2.50 / US$0.69
• Multi-Grain Loaf (300 g) – QR4.00 / US$1.11

Clothing & Accessories

We looked at sellers in the mid-range in this category, but one can also find very inexpensive clothes (e.g., at Carrefours, noted above) or very high-end stores (e.g., Prada, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Dolce & Gabbana, Dior, Burberry, Armani, etc.). For mid-range, there are also other American chains available (e.g., GAP) and European chains (e.g., Zara, Mango). And for the athlete, there are plenty of brand shops, e.g., Nike, Adidas, Reebok, and Puma, as well as The Footlocker and The Athlete's Foot.

La Senza

• Bras – QR99-179 / US$27.35-49.46
• Underwear – QR35-49 / US$9.67-13.54

Aldo

• Boots – QR720 / US$198.93

Massimo Dutti

• Men's Cotton Shirt – QR275 / US$75.98
• Men's Cardigan (Wool) – QR375 / US$103.61

Banana Republic

• Men's Dress Khaki Pants (Cotton) – QR295 / US$81.51
• Men's Non-Iron Dress Shirt (Cotton) – QR295 / US$81.51
• Women's Essential Tee – QR95 / US$26.25
• Black Pants (Wool Blend) – QR395 / US$109.13
• Jeans – QR295 / US$81.51
• Long Black Cashmere Cardigan – QR495 / US$136.76

GAP

• Men's Jeans – QR295 / US$81.51
• Men's Plain Cotton Sweater – QR175 / US$48.35
• Men's Crewneck Shirt – QR55 / US$15.20
• Women's Black Pants – from QR250 / from US$69.07
• Women's Jeans – QR150-325 / US$41.44-89.79
• Women's Favourite Crewneck – QR45 / US$12.43
• Women's Polo Shirt – QR95 / US$26.25

Cosmetics

The intrepid volunteer, Helen Ziegler, slogged through the malls of Qatar to find the prices for a range of cosmetic brands. Some salespersons refused to divulge information, thinking perhaps that Helen was a spy for a rival. Supermarkets also have typical brands sold in North American pharmacies (e.g., L'Oreal, Nivea, etc.).

The Body Shop

• Lipstick – QR62 / US$17.13
• Moisturizer (50 ml) – QR60-85 / US$16.58-23.48
• Mascara – QR50-70 / US$13.81-19.34
• Blush – QR65-110 / US$17.96-30.39
• Foundation (30 ml liquid) – QR90-100 / US$24.87-27.63
• Soap – QR20 / US$5.53

MAC

• Lipstick – QR86 / US$23.76
• Moisturizer (50 ml) – QR149 / US$41.17
• Mascara – QR87 / US$24.04
• Blush – QR98 / US$27.08
• Foundation (30 ml) – QR142 / US$39.23

Clarins

• Lipstick – QR105 / US$29.01
• Moisturizer (50 ml) – QR419 / US$115.77
• Mascara – QR112 / US$30.94
• Blush – QR176 / US$48.63
• Foundation (30 ml) – QR178 / US$49.18

Lancome

• Lipstick – QR156 / US$43.10
• Moisturizer (50 ml) – QR303 / US$83.72
• Mascara – QR161 / US$44.48
• Blush – QR198 / US$54.71
• Foundation (30 ml) – QR218 / US$60.23

Estee Lauder

• Lipstick – QR122 / US$33.71
• Moisturizer (50 ml) – QR464 / US$128.20
• Mascara – QR134 / US$37.02
• Blush – QR186 / US$51.39
• Foundation (30 ml) – QR204 / US$56.36

Yves Saint Laurent

• Lipstick – QR166 / US$45.86
• Moisturizer (50 ml) – QR264 / US$77.94
• Mascara – QR166 / US$45.86
• Blush – QR192 / US$53.05
• Foundation (30 ml) – QR192 / US$53.05

Guerlain

• Lipstick – QR181 / US$50.01
• Moisturizer (50 ml) – QR535 / US$147.82
• Mascara – QR188 / US$51.94
• Blush – QR241 / US$66.59
• Foundation (30 ml) – QR260 / US$71.84

La Mer

• Hand Cream (100 ml) – QR445 / US$122.95
• Moisturizer (60 ml) – QR1,295 / US$357.80
• Body Cream (200 ml) – QR740 / US$204.45
• Foundation (30 ml) – QR375 / US$103.61
• Lifting Serum (30 ml) – QR1,326 / US$366.36

Entertainment

Want to see a film? Perhaps listen to music?

Movie Theatre

• Adult Movie Ticket – QR35 / US$9.67

DVDs

• Dexter TV Series Season – QR250 / US$69.07
• Desperate Housewives Season – QR250 / US$69.07
• Big Bang Theory Season – QR150 / US$41.44
• Old Release DVDs (Top Gun, Kung Fu Panda) – QR45 / US$12.43

CDs

• CD – QR60 / US$16.58

Games

• Call of Duty PS3 – QR279 / US$77.08

Other

• Samsung Galaxy Tab (Smart Tab, WiFi + 3G, 16GB) – QR2,599 / US$718.08
• Samsung Galaxy Tab (Smart Tab, WiFi + 3G, 32 GB) – QR2,849 / US$787.15

Sports & Activities

Ice Skating (Villagio Mall)

• Whole Day Including Skates – QR100 / US$27.63
• Weekends (1 hour 45 mins) – QR35 / US$9.67
• Weekdays (1 hour 45 mins) – QR30 / US$8.29

Ice Skating (City Centre Mall)

• 1 hour 45 minutes (including skates ... but not socks! Bring your own, or pay to rent socks!) – QR35 / US$9.67

Baby Supplies

Relocating with a little one? Here are some costs to consider:

Diapers

Pampers Active Baby

• 70 pack, size 5, 11-25 kg – QR67.25 / US$18.58

Huggies

• Junior - 40 pack, junior size, 12-25 kg – QR49.25 / US$13.61

Huggies

• 4+ Valu Pack – 62 pack, 9-20 kg - QR63 / US$17.41

Sanita Bambi (foreign brand)

• 82 pack, 9-20 kg – QR40 / US$11.05

Formula

Nestle Nan 2

• from 6 months, 400 g – QR32.25 / US$8.91

Similac

• from 6 months, 400 g – QR32 / US$8.84

Baby Seat

• Chico Baby Seat – QR700-900 / US$193.40-$248.66
• Chico Fixed Baby Seat – QR1,498 / US$413.88

Beauty Services

Hair Salon

• Cut, Colour and Highlights (Best in Doha) – QR650 / US$179.59

Miscellaneous Items

• Christmas Ornaments – from QR3 / US$0.83