A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Doha vs. Qingdao for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Doha or Qingdao?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Doha and Qingdao can help. It includes a travel cost comparison in addition to other factors. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.

Where Should I go: Doha or Qingdao?

Doha

Doha is the capital city of Qatar, modern and rapidly developing with much construction underway. It is home to Doha International Airport, the main point of entry for Qatar, as well as many of the country's best museums and examples of cultural heritage.

Qingdao

Qingdao, China, located in the Shandong Province, is a very large city right on the Yellow Sea coast. The city, whose name means "The Green Island" due to it's gorgeous landscapes and interesting geography, was named China's most livable city in 2012. The city is rich in history, having almost become a German territory in 1897 and being occupied by the Japanese during WWI. Evidence of these occupiers is present in much of the architecture around the city, which includes a few Catholic and Protestant churches.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Cultural Tours in China, and The Best Luxury Tours to China.


Which place is cheaper, Qingdao or Doha?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in Doha is $200, while the average daily cost in Qingdao is $58. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Doha and Qingdao in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Doha $119
    Qingdao $26
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Doha $238
    Qingdao $52
Compare Hotels in Doha and Qingdao

Looking for a hotel in Doha or Qingdao? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.

Hotels in Doha


Hotels in Qingdao


Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.


Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Doha Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Doha $23
    Qingdao $12

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Doha

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Doha:

  • Sharing Arrival Transfer - West bay: $20
  • Sharing Arrival Transfer - West Bay: $20
  • Sharing Arrival Transfer - Pearl Qatar: $27
  • Sharing Arrival Transfer - Doha city: $14
  • Shared Departure Transfer in West Bay: $20
  • Shared Departure Transfer from Doha: $14
  • Shared Departure Transfer - Pearl Qatar: $27
  • Shared Arrival Transfer - Doha City: $14
  • Qatar: Private Airport Transfer From or To Doha Airport!: $59
  • Qatar Doha Hamad Airport (DOH): Transfer to Doha city: $175
  • Qatar Doha Hamad Airport (DOH) to Doha - Arrival Private Transfer: $66
  • Qatar Doha Airport (DOH) to Doha - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $144

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Qingdao

Also for Qingdao, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Private Departure Transfer: City Hotel to Qingdao Railway Station : $36
  • Qingdao Cruise Port Departure Transfer from City Hotels: $36
  • Qingdao Liuting Airport Transfer Service by Minivan: $86
  • Qingdao Northern Railway Station Arrival Private One-Way Transfer: $42
  • Qingdao Private Transfer from Qingdao Airport (TAO) to central Qingdao: $83
  • Qingdao Private Transfer from Qingdao central to Qingdao Airport (TAO): $83
  • Qingdao Railway Station Arrival Transfer to City Hotel: $36
  • Qingdao Railway Station Depature Transfer from City Hotels: $36

Is it cheaper to fly into Doha or Qingdao?

Prices for flights to both Qingdao and Doha change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.





Food
  • Food Meals for one day
    Doha $61
    Qingdao $20

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Doha

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Doha.

  • Private Dinner on Al Safliya Island: $76
  • Private Souk Waqif with Lunch or Dinner Tour: $96
  • Half Day Doha City Tour with Lunch or Dinner: $143
  • BBQ Dinner in the desert resort; Dune bashing & camel ride: $165
  • Doha Private Full Day Desert Safari Lunch | Dinner Included: $190
  • Full Day Desert Safari with Camp Access, Buffet Dinner,Camel Ride: $195
  • Doha : Full Day Desert Safari | BBQ Dinner | Inland sea: $197
  • Private Desert Safari with BBQ Lunch/Dinner at Souk Al Wakra: $202
  • Full Day Desert Private Safari with Lunch or Dinner: $214
  • Private Overnight Desert Safari, Dune bashing, dinner & Breakfast: $220
  • Full Day Desert Safari With BBQ Dinner: $234
  • From Overnight Desert Safari with BBQ Dinner: $240

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Doha $18
    Qingdao $20

Tours and Activities in Doha

Here are a few actual costs in Doha for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:

  • Doha City Tour And Dhow Boat Ride (Private Tour): $99
  • Private Express Doha City Tour: $165
  • Transit/Layover Tours from Doha Airport – Explore Doha City : $105
  • (Private) Quickie to the Desert Safari Experience - Inland Sea Visit: $100
  • 1 Hour Camel Ride Experience in Sealine Beach: $172
  • 3-Hour Kayaking Eco Adventure - Mangrove Purple Island : $70
  • 4 Hours-Doha City Private Tour: $74
  • 4-Hour Private Group City Tour in Doha, Qatar: $72
  • 4-Hour Private Group City Tour in Doha, Qatar: $70
  • 4-Hour Private Tour to Msheireb Museums: $100
  • 8-Hour Private Cultural Tour: $288
  • Arabian Sands Half-Day Adventure in Qatar: $140

Tours and Activities in Qingdao

For Qingdao, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • Private Qingdao City tour with Lunch and Qingdao beer: $175
  • Private Qingdao Historic architectural day tour with Tsingdao beer during Lunch: $190
  • Private Qingdao Laoshan half day tour with one bottle of Tsingdao beer as gift: $199
  • Qingdao private half day tour with Tsingdao Beer Lunch : $202
  • Qingdao Shore Excursion: Private Full Day Laoshan Mountain Sightseeing Tour: $207
  • Private Qingdao Essentials Tour: City Highlights and Beer Museum: $216
  • Laoshan Mountain Full Day Private Activity Tour: $224
  • Qingdao Private Day Tour to Laoshan Mountain with Lunch and Cable Car: $238
  • Private Qingdao Laoshan day tour with lunch& round way cable car: $240
  • Qingdao Discover Tour to the Mount Laoshan and Tasting Famous Local Beer: $248
  • Qingdao Private Tour: City Highlights and Laoshan Mountain with Lunch+Cable Car: $268
  • All-Inclusive Private Day Tour: Qingdao Highlights with Lunch: $285

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Doha $15
    Qingdao $14


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Doha and Qingdao, we can see that Doha is more expensive. And not only is Qingdao much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Doha is in Middle East and Qingdao is in Asia, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Qingdao would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Qingdao and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Doha would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Doha than you might in Qingdao.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Doha Expensive? and Is Qingdao Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Doha or Qingdao?

Qingdao has a larger population, and is about 5 times larger than the population of Doha. When comparing the sizes of Doha and Qingdao, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.