Qatar: Soccer fans could be unpleasantly surprised by beer prices at World Cup

As the World Cup approaches, fans from across the world are making their way to Qatar. Consequently, they want to figure out how much they are going to spend, as it is not necessarily a cheap affair, The World Soccer Talk reported on September 22.

Outside of plane tickets, lodging and the actual game tickets, food and drink is among a traveler’s highest costs. Fans could be surprised how high the beer prices are in particular at the World Cup.

Earlier in the month, World Cup organizers announced that they will relax their position on selling beer. While they will sell alcoholic beer in the area of matches, it will be a bit different than normal. Local bars do not sell alcohol. Fans looking to take in a taste of beer will need to find different avenues.

Hotels will provide beer around stadiums that host the matches. However, prices are not exactly ideal. A regular bottle of beer will reportedly cost between $10 to $15. Draft beer will be even more expensive. A half liter (about 17 ounces) of draft beer could set back fans up to $17.50.

Alcoholic draft cider is supposedly closer to $19. Standard cocktails, on the other hand, cost an average of about $25. These prices are all reported customary costs. Price gouging could hike these figures up even more.

Along with these hotels, FIFA also announced plans for a fan zone to serve a wide range of food and drinks. This celebration takes place in a park on the west side of capital city Doha. The fan zone area, however, will not sell alcohol until after 6PM local time. Beer prices for this specific area are not yet available. Nevertheless, they are rumored to be a bit cheaper than the hotel prices. Budweiser will be the only beer served in this area.

Some fans are choosing to travel in and out of Dubai, where alcohol laws a bit more like here in the United States. The capital of the United Arab Emirates is about a 75 minute flight away from Doha.

23 September, 2022