Cost of Living inZarqa, Jordan
Image credit: Hasanisawi
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; Zarqa-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.Zarqa 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 Zarqa, 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 Zarqa compared with the US?
Your money goes about 2.4x further in Zarqa 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 Zarqa cheaper or more expensive overall than New York City?
Zarqa is cheaper overall than New York City — overall living costs are about 61% cheaper than the global benchmark (New York City) for Zarqa. 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 Zarqa compare with New York City?
Rent in Zarqa 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 Zarqa?
Groceries in Zarqa 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 Zarqa
Zarqa is Jordan's second-largest city, sitting about 25 kilometers northeast of Amman and functioning as the country's industrial backbone with refineries, cement plants, and the Free Zone driving local employment. Population sits around 793,000 and includes a significant Palestinian-origin community plus Syrian and Iraqi refugee populations that have reshaped neighborhoods over the past decade. Relocators should weigh notably cheaper rents than Amman and a direct highway connection against weaker civic amenities, summer dust, and limited international schooling. Arabic dominates and English is functional mainly in professional settings. Most foreign residents commute to Amman jobs while housing here. Suits cost-conscious workers comfortable with a workaday industrial Jordanian environment.
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