Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Amman and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Amman: $1,158 a month against $1,568 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cape Town outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

57

Cost of Living Index in Amman
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Amman Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index

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Amman

🇯🇴 Jordan

$1,158

/mo nomad

Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,568

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Amman and in Cape Town

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Amman and in Cape Town actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,158 per month in Amman vs $1,568 in Cape Town, rent included.

Amman $1,158
Cape Town $1,568

A couple spends around $1,867 per month in Amman vs $2,438 in Cape Town, rent included.

Amman $1,867
Cape Town $2,438

A family of three spends $2,575 per month in Amman vs $3,307 in Cape Town, rent included.

Amman $2,575
Cape Town $3,307

Amman is about 26% cheaper than Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Amman sits 14% below the global median, while Cape Town is 17% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.21 JOD 5.11

$11.78 R 194

-38.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.3 JOD 50.5

$46.55 R 768

53.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.92 JOD 4.90

$5.96 R 98.4

16.11%

Cappuccino

$4.60 JOD 3.25

$2.47 R 40.80

86.23%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 JOD 0.43

$1.33 R 21.91

-54.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 JOD 0.42

$1.03 R 16.99

-42.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.49 JOD 6.01

$3.01 R 49.72

182.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.96 JOD 7.76

$3.66 R 60.4

199.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 JOD 1.16

$1.39 R 22.96

18.71%

White Bread (500g)

$0.66 JOD 0.47

$1.19 R 19.60

-44.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 JOD 1.11

$2.11 R 34.84

-26.07%

Eggs

$2.41 JOD 1.70

$3.01 R 49.58

-19.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.42 JOD 6.67

$8.96 R 148

5.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.32 JOD 4.48

$6.65 R 110

-4.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 JOD 8.92

$9.29 R 153

35.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.66 JOD 1.89

$1.83 R 30.13

45.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 JOD 1.45

$1.90 R 31.31

7.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 JOD 1.31

$1.75 R 28.83

5.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.85 JOD 0.60

$2.09 R 34.41

-59.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 JOD 0.68

$1.55 R 25.64

-38.06%

Onion (1kg)

$0.87 JOD 0.61

$1.49 R 24.53

-41.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 JOD 0.45

$1.30 R 21.41

-51.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 JOD 0.50

$1.16 R 19.19

-39.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.98 JOD 2.81

$3.71 R 61.2

7.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.78 JOD 14.71

$6.06 R 100

242.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.93 JOD 3.49

$1.39 R 22.85

254.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.12 JOD 3.62

$2.20 R 36.32

132.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 JOD 0.57

$1.51 R 24.98

-46.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.72 JOD 30.24

$61.0 R 1,006

-29.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.62 JOD 0.44

$0.63 R 10.33

-1.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 JOD 1.02

$1.53 R 25.29

-5.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.93 JOD 4.90

$4.81 R 79.4

44.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 JOD 1.23

$1.58 R 26.08

10.13%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$35.4K JOD 25.1K

$35.5K R 585.7K

-0.17%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$34.2K JOD 24.2K

$31.7K R 523.8K

7.73%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$130 JOD 92.2

$116 R 1,920

11.90%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$15.77 JOD 11.16

$28.37 R 468

-44.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.37 JOD 22.91

$40.69 R 671

-20.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 JOD 37.39

$48.85 R 806

8.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.03 JOD 25.50

$11.13 R 184

223.72%

Cinema Ticket

$11.13 JOD 7.88

$8.83 R 146

26.05%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$486 JOD 344

$261 R 4,314

85.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,833 JOD 6,959

$6,702 R 110.6K

46.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.5 JOD 44.22

$55.4 R 914

12.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$83.4 JOD 59.0

$32.27 R 532

158.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 JOD 87.3

$118 R 1,939

4.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.2 JOD 62.4

$107 R 1,766

-17.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$462 JOD 327

$1,015 R 16.7K

-54.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$243 JOD 172

$715 R 11.8K

-66.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$773 JOD 547

$1,801 R 29.7K

-57.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$423 JOD 300

$1,330 R 22.0K

-68.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,632 JOD 1,155

$2,331 R 38.5K

-29.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,024 JOD 725

$1,513 R 25.0K

-32.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$768 JOD 544

$1,636 R 27.0K

-53.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

10.97

-37.92%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Amman: October 4, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Amman

$266 22.5%

Cape Town

$222 14.1% 16.3% $43

Accommodation & Living

Amman

$243 20.6%

Cape Town

$715 45.3% 195% $472

Eating Out

Amman

$203 17.2%

Cape Town

$174 11% 14.4% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Amman

$178 15.1%

Cape Town

$185 11.7% 4% $7.1

Clothing & Footwear

Amman

$161 13.6%

Cape Town

$141 8.9% 12.6% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Amman

$75 6.4%

Cape Town

$67 4.2% 11.4% $8.6

Getting Around

Amman

$54 4.6%

Cape Town

$75 4.8% 40% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $462 in Amman versus $1,015 in Cape Town. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 113% higher in Cape Town, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71.0 in Amman versus $47.00 in Cape Town. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $222 – making Cape Town the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇴 Amman

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🕒 Local time

06:18 6:18 AM

05:18 5:18 AM

1 h behind Amman

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,000,000 Capital

3,740,026 Capital

💱 Currency

Jordanian Dinar JOD د.ا

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

1 JOD = 1.41 USD

1 JOD = 1.26 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.06 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to JOD – Jordanian Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇯🇴 Jordanian Dinar (د.ا)

Jordanian Dinar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.708 JOD (1 JOD = 1.41 USD). 1 EUR = 0.794 JOD (1 JOD = 1.26 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 16.5 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.06 USD). 1 EUR = 18.5 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

USD to JOD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Amman Cape Town 7,550 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Amman
Cape Town

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Amman vs Cape Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 35% more than Amman, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,737 per month in Amman and $2,352 in Cape Town. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Amman, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 43% less in Amman. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $486 per month in Amman and $261 in Cape Town. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Amman, where all-in costs run around $1,158, than in Cape Town at $1,568. In Amman it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cape Town it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Amman costs $1,158 versus $1,568 in Cape Town. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Amman. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cape Town makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.