Hello Ninja,
The accommodation issue will vary a lot depending on your status: if you are single, you can get a 1 bed flat in a nice location (west bay - Esdran towers or something like that) for Qr 8.000 per month. If you chose to live somewere else or share a flat, you may get something around Qr 4.000 per month (your part of the rent), for a 2 bedroom or Qr5.500 for a 3 bedroom....this is SHARING with someone else. If you have a family and sharing is not an option, then you will spend between Qr 11.000 to 16.000, depending on what you whant: 3 bed flats will cost around 11.000 (fully furnished) and villas in compounds (nice place with all facilities) will cost around 16.000Qr. It all depends on how long you do the rent contract and if the place is furnished or not, etc...As per now, Qr is not giving housing allowance, you will not have another option but to take the company accommodation; sure the guys that were already getting the allowance will continue to receive, but if you apply today for the allowance, the company will ask you to wait untill june (I do not know what is happening after june...). Company accommodation is OK, but you will get a 2 bedroom flat (no more 3 bed available) at Ain Kahlid gate compound. The waiting list for 3 bed accommodation already has 40 pilots, and the priority is given according to the number of children in the family. I know people who are waiting for nearly 1 year, and if you join today with a family of more than 1 children, you will be placed in front of these guys...no seniority for this issue. IMHO spending nearly 3.000 Euros per month in a rent in Doha is insane and unacceptable, but some people have no choice, once you have to provide a nice place for your family.
As far as I can remember, you only get the complete payment (block hours) after you are released to fly without the safety pilot. Untill that point, you only get the basic pay plus the meal alowance.