How Much Fans Can Expect To Pay At The Qatar 2022 World Cup

It might be on many people’s bucket list, but attending a World Cup isn’t a cheap vacation at the best of times. No matter where it is held, high demand pushes up prices to levels that would put off many potential visitors.

But with limited accommodation and a lack of alternatives to flying into Doha, plenty of fans will be priced out of attending the Qatar World Cup.

The current economic climate only adds to those difficulties. The Qatari riyal is pegged to the U.S. dollar, which is good for Americans, but not so great for everyone else.

Polish financial services firm Conotoxia says that not only are the ticket prices the most expensive ever, but travel and accommodation are also sky-high.

The cost of matchday tickets is the least of fans worries. Locals can get discount tickets, but for everyone else, group stage tickets cost between $70 and $220, and knockout matches between $600 and $1,600. Tickets are currently sold-out for most matches apart from a couple of group games.

Far fewer tickets are available for Qatar 2022 than will be available for United 2026. That’s because Qatar’s stadiums are close to the smallest allowed by FIFA’s criteria, with all but two stadiums having capacities of 45,000 or below. The stadiums in the USA are mainly huge American football stadiums with capacities of generally around 70,000, although some smaller stadiums are being used in Canada and Mexico.

That said, even with these smaller stadiums, the World Cup is going to push Qatar’s accommodation to the limit, with cruise ships being brought in to house visitors.

Conotoxia estimates that the cheapest a two-person 10-day trip for the group stages would cost is around $6,000. That’s based on flights from New York costing $1,600 each, $600 spent on tickets, around $1,000 spent on accommodation, $600 on car rental and $600 on food and drink.

While free public transport and the relatively compact nature of the Qatar World Cup mean that car rental is probably not necessary, some of these other expenses are likely to be much higher.

Accommodation can be found for as little as $50 a night in Doha outside of the World Cup period. But with hotels fully booked, staying on a cruise ship docked in the city might be the only option. Booking.com’s prices for a 7-night stay in Doha during the World Cup are around $5000 and availability is falling by the day.

Qatar’s official website has rooms on the MSC Poesia cruise ship available from $179 per night, but for most dates, the price of a room with a double bed is closer to $500 a night.

Landlubbers can stay at the fan village instead; the temporary en-suite portacabins there are available for around $200 a night and sleep up to two people. There are also glamping tents available for a similar price.

When it comes to non-soccer activities, Conotoxia says other tourist attractions also have lower availability and higher prices, with a safari in the desert and camel ride costing around $400 per person and a guided tour of northern Qatar coming to $700 per person.

With accommodation prices in Doha so high, it has been suggested that “commuting” to the World Cup from Dubai might be a better option. Conotoxia says that flights from New York to Dubai, then Dubai to Doha come out slightly cheaper than direct flights to Doha, and accommodation through regular channels is much cheaper in Dubai. But given the added travel time and inconvenience, it may not be worth it.

Going to the World Cup might be a once-in-a-lifetime trip, but for anyone going to Qatar, it won’t be a cheap vacation.