Cost of Living inAqaba, Jordan
Image credit: A1Cafel
Purchasing Power vs. United States
Based on GDP per capita (PPP). Jordan: $9,520/capita.
How Far Your Money Goes
Prices are 61% lower than the global benchmark (New York City = 100).
Using the country-level NYC comparison for now. We do not have a defensible city-level aggregate cost index for this city yet.
Income Category
Happiness
4.2 / 10
#123 globally
GDP per Capita
City Population
Child Education
Public-school quality + expat access, alongside international and private school cost — the two paths a relocating family weighs.
Public schools
Public-schooling rules are set nationally for Jordan; Aqaba-specific enrollment notes are still being verified.
Quality
Limited public-school fit
Expat access
Usually not practical for expats
not practicalInstruction
Arabic
Language fit is more manageable.
PISA / outcomes
Qualitative only
Using curated quality notes for now.
Why this quality rating
Jordan’s public system is not the route most expat families target when they want English-friendly schooling and predictable quality.
Why the expat-access rating looks like this
Arabic-medium public schooling is possible in some cases, but most foreign families realistically end up on the private-school path.
📋 Homeschooling
Legal with school enrollmentJordan allows homeschooling in exceptional circumstances through its Ministry of Education. Students must be linked to a school for assessment. More commonly used for students with disabilities or in remote areas. Expat families in Amman often use international schools.
Homeschool legality in Jordan — check current regulations before committing.
Source: User-curated family relocation research (initial seed) (2026-04-14)
International & private schools
Childcare & Domestic Help
Estimate-only country fallback for the family-support costs we track in Jordan.
Full-time nanny (5 days)
$600-$700
Estimate-only country fallback
Live-in / 24-7 nanny
$1,200-$1,400
Estimate-only country fallback
Source: curated family relocation research(derived country fallback)
Getting Around
Neighborhood mobility profiles are rolling out city by city.Aqaba is still missing a verified walkability, transit, airport, and rideshare profile.
Healthcare
System strength, outcome signals, facility coverage, and self-pay visibility in Jordan.
Method: country metrics come from public system indicators, facility coverage reflects mapped providers we can inventory, direct pricing only reflects observed self-pay pages, and relative care cost can fall back to broad cost-of-living healthcare indices. Sparse pricing does not imply sparse healthcare availability.
Healthcare system
MixedHospital capacity looks tighter weigh on this rating.
Public care
LimitedThis is an inferred read based on coverage, public spending, cost-sharing, and the public facility footprint we can see.
Private care
LimitedThe tracked private-style network still looks thin and self-pay pricing transparency is still sparse weigh on this rating.
UHC coverage
74/100
2023
Physicians
2.85/1k
2022
Hospital beds
1.41/1k
2023
Out of pocket
34%
2023
Outcome signals
Life expectancy
78.0 yrs
2024
Maternal mortality
31/100k
2023
Neonatal mortality
7.4/1k
2024
International patient readiness
LimitedPrice transparency is still sparse weigh on this rating.
Pricing transparency
LimitedPublished self-pay prices are scarce weigh on this rating.
Facility coverage
Self-pay pricing visibility
No verified self-pay prices are published for the tracked facilities in Jordan yet.
This usually reflects low online price transparency rather than a lack of healthcare providers.
Notable facilities
System metrics: World Bank WDI · Updated 2026-06-01
Safety & Governance
Street Safety
Source: Numbeo where a city row is matched; otherwise World Bank WGI and country-level safety context.
Political Stability
World Bank WGI scale: -2.5 to +2.5.
Wages by Sector
| Sector | Median |
|---|---|
| Administrative & Support Services | — |
| Agriculture & Farming | — |
| Arts, Entertainment & Recreation | — |
| Construction | — |
| Education | — |
| Finance & Insurance | — |
| Healthcare & Social Work | — |
| Hospitality & Food Service | — |
| Information & Technology | — |
| Manufacturing | — |
| Mining & Quarrying | — |
| Other Services | — |
| Professional & Scientific Services | — |
| Public Administration & Defence | — |
| Real Estate | — |
| Retail & Wholesale Trade | — |
| Transport & Logistics | — |
| Utilities | — |
2023 annual wages in Aqaba, Jordan · Source: ILO ILOSTAT (national)
Price Comparison vs. US
Visa Information (US passport)
Short-stay entry
US passport holders can obtain a visa on arrival.
Long-Term Visa Programs
investment
Jordan Investment Visa
Quick comparison FAQ
Structured from the deltas already shown on this page — no invented facts, no extra data sources.
How far does your money go in Aqaba compared with the US?
Your money goes about 2.4x further in Aqaba than in the US, based on the current PPP estimate. We are using the country-level cost index for Jordan here because a defensible city-level aggregate index is not available yet.
Is Aqaba cheaper or more expensive overall than New York City?
Aqaba is cheaper overall than New York City — overall living costs are about 61% cheaper than the global benchmark (New York City) for Aqaba. We are using the country-level cost index for Jordan here because a defensible city-level aggregate index is not available yet.
How does rent in Aqaba compare with New York City?
Rent in Aqaba is about 92% cheaper than the global benchmark (New York City). We are using the country-level cost index for Jordan here because a defensible city-level aggregate index is not available yet.
How expensive are groceries and restaurants in Aqaba?
Groceries in Aqaba are about 64% cheaper than the global benchmark (New York City), and restaurant prices are about 59% cheaper than the same benchmark. We are using the country-level cost index for Jordan here because a defensible city-level aggregate index is not available yet.
About Aqaba
Aqaba is Jordan's only coastal city, with about 95,000 residents at the head of the Gulf of Aqaba on the Red Sea, sharing the gulf with Eilat in Israel and serving as the country's principal seaport. The local economy combines port operations, tourism centered on coral reef diving and the nearby Wadi Rum desert, and incentives from the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority, which offers reduced tax and customs treatment. Arabic is the language of daily life, and English is widely functional in tourism, business, and government. The climate is hot desert with very hot summers and mild winters that draw seasonal visitors. Aqaba suits relocators with employment in the port, diving sector, or remote work needing reliable warm-weather coastal living within a stable Middle Eastern country.
See the full breakdown — free
No password needed. Takes ~30 seconds.