Qatar’s cost of living, based on consumer price index (CPI), increased slightly by 0.2% month-on-month in July due to higher expenses on food and beverages, recreation and culture, transport, and health, according to official figures.
Similarly, CPI inflation rose 0.2% year-on-year on increasing prices in transport, food and beverages, education, and health, the Ministry of Development Planning and Statistics said.
The index of Food and Beverages, which has a 12.58% weight, jumped 4.2% month-on-month this July and 4.5% on a yearly basis.
Recreation and Culture, which have 12.68 weightage on the CPI basket, saw its index grow by 0.9% month-on-month in July 2017 but fell 2.5% year-on-year.
The index of Transport, which carries a 14.59% weight in the CPI basket, increased by 0.6 month-on-month in July 2017 and 7.5% on a yearly basis.
Health, with a weight of 1.79%, saw its index increase by 0.2% month-on-month and 2.8% year-on-year.
Prices dipped month-on-month in Clothing and Footwear by 2.7%, Miscellaneous Goods and Services by 1.4%, Restaurants and Hotels (1.1%), Furniture and Household Equipment (1.0%), Communication (1.0%), and Housing, Water, Electricity and other Fuel (0.6%).
The other two groups, Tobacco and Education have remained flat at the last month’s price level. 
Prices dropped year-on-year in Clothing and Footwear by 4.3%; Housing, Water, Electricity and other Fuel by 3.6%; Miscellaneous Goods and Services (2.0%); Communication (1.1%); Restaurants and Hotels (0.8%); and Furniture and Household Equipment (0.7%).
No changes were recorded in the Tobacco group.
The CPI of July 2017, excluding Housing, Water, Electricity and other Fuel group increased by 0.4% when compared to the index of June 2017, and a 1.4% when compared to the CPI of July 2016.