Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Amman and Dubai

For one person, living is cheaper in Amman: $1,179 a month against $2,896 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $20,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Amman
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Amman Living Index
140

Cost of Living Index in Dubai
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Dubai Living Index

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Amman

🇯🇴 Jordan

$1,179

/mo nomad

Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,896

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Amman and in Dubai

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 Dubai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,179 per month in Amman vs $2,896 in Dubai, rent included.

Amman $1,179
Dubai $2,896

A couple spends around $1,877 per month in Amman vs $4,384 in Dubai, rent included.

Amman $1,877
Dubai $4,384

A family of three spends $2,575 per month in Amman vs $5,872 in Dubai, rent included.

Amman $2,575
Dubai $5,872

Amman is about 59% cheaper than Dubai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Amman sits 13% below the global median, while Dubai is 115% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.14 JOD 5.05

$12.67 AED 46.55

-43.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.6 JOD 49.25

$81.7 AED 300

-14.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.86 JOD 4.86

$9.34 AED 34.30

-26.55%

Cappuccino

$4.37 JOD 3.09

$5.89 AED 21.62

-25.81%

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

$0.61 JOD 0.43

$1.69 AED 6.20

-63.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 JOD 0.42

$0.78 AED 2.86

-23.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.32 JOD 5.89

$13.66 AED 50.2

-39.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.05 JOD 7.83

$13.49 AED 49.54

-18.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 JOD 1.17

$1.84 AED 6.78

-9.78%

White Bread (500g)

$0.68 JOD 0.48

$1.50 AED 5.50

-54.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 JOD 1.11

$2.57 AED 9.45

-38.91%

Eggs

$2.32 JOD 1.64

$3.32 AED 12.18

-30.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.50 JOD 6.73

$12.60 AED 46.28

-24.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.39 JOD 4.52

$9.66 AED 35.46

-33.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.41 JOD 8.79

$12.78 AED 46.93

-2.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.54 JOD 1.80

$2.60 AED 9.54

-2.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.99 JOD 1.41

$1.90 AED 6.99

4.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 JOD 1.26

$1.91 AED 7.02

-6.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.84 JOD 0.59

$1.37 AED 5.02

-38.69%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 JOD 0.67

$1.13 AED 4.14

-15.93%

Onion (1kg)

$0.82 JOD 0.58

$1.01 AED 3.71

-18.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 JOD 0.45

$1.44 AED 5.30

-55.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 JOD 0.50

$0.67 AED 2.48

4.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.85 JOD 2.73

$5.88 AED 21.59

-34.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.04 JOD 14.90

$16.15 AED 59.3

30.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.04 JOD 3.57

$2.72 AED 10.00

85.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.95 JOD 3.50

$3.08 AED 11.32

60.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 JOD 0.53

$1.60 AED 5.87

-53.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.28 JOD 29.94

$76.0 AED 279

-44.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 JOD 0.45

$3.24 AED 11.91

-80.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 JOD 0.99

$0.71 AED 2.61

95.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.85 JOD 4.85

$7.96 AED 29.22

-13.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 JOD 1.20

$0.98 AED 3.62

72.45%

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

$36.0K JOD 25.5K

$27.4K AED 100.6K

31.28%

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

$35.3K JOD 25.0K

$22.0K AED 80.9K

60.13%

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

$129 JOD 91.0

$249 AED 913

-48.28%

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

$15.71 JOD 11.12

$54.4 AED 200

-71.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.12 JOD 22.74

$91.5 AED 336

-64.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 JOD 36.96

$103 AED 380

-49.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.02 JOD 24.80

$42.32 AED 155

-17.25%

Cinema Ticket

$11.21 JOD 7.94

$16.29 AED 59.8

-31.18%

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

$493 JOD 349

$844 AED 3,098

-41.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,733 JOD 6,891

$18.3K AED 67.1K

-46.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.4 JOD 45.62

$67.0 AED 246

-3.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$83.9 JOD 59.4

$57.9 AED 213

44.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 JOD 89.5

$102 AED 375

23.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.1 JOD 60.9

$98.7 AED 363

-12.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$469 JOD 332

$2,393 AED 8,788

-80.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$249 JOD 176

$1,533 AED 5,630

-83.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$775 JOD 549

$4,594 AED 16.9K

-83.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$421 JOD 298

$2,939 AED 10.8K

-85.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,642 JOD 1,163

$7,046 AED 25.9K

-76.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,008 JOD 714

$4,222 AED 15.5K

-76.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$756 JOD 535

$3,461 AED 12.7K

-78.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

4.54

50.00%

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

Last update for Amman: October 10, 2026

Last update for Dubai: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Amman

$265 22.5%

Dubai

$292 10.1% 10% $26

Accommodation & Living

Amman

$249 21.1%

Dubai

$1.5K 52.9% 516% $1.3K

Eating Out

Amman

$199 16.9%

Dubai

$305 10.5% 53.7% $107

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Amman

$176 15%

Dubai

$394 13.6% 124% $218

Clothing & Footwear

Amman

$162 13.8%

Dubai

$147 5.1% 9.7% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Amman

$75 6.3%

Dubai

$136 4.7% 82.2% $61

Getting Around

Amman

$53 4.5%

Dubai

$89 3.1% 68.5% $36

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $469 in Amman versus $2,393 in Dubai. 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 358% higher in Dubai, 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 $70.0 in Amman versus $82.0 in Dubai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $265 vs $292 – making Amman the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇴 Amman

🇦🇪 Dubai

🕒 Local time

00:44 12:44 AM

01:44 1:44 AM

1 h ahead of Amman

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,000,000 Capital

3,790,000

💱 Currency

Jordanian Dinar JOD د.ا

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

📈 Exchange rate

1 JOD = 1.41 USD

1 JOD = 1.26 EUR

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.242 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AED, USD, EUR to JOD – Jordanian Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇯🇴 Jordanian Dinar (د.ا)

Jordanian Dinar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.708 JOD (1 JOD = 1.41 USD). 1 EUR = 0.796 JOD (1 JOD = 1.26 EUR).

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.13 AED (1 AED = 0.242 EUR).

USD to JOD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Amman Dubai 2,030 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Amman
Dubai

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 Dubai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dubai costs about 146% more than Amman, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,768 per month in Amman and $4,344 in Dubai. 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 80% less in Amman. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $493 per month in Amman and $844 in Dubai. 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 $1,179, than in Dubai at $2,896. In Amman it covers expenses comfortably, while in Dubai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Amman costs $1,179 versus $2,896 in Dubai. 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, Dubai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.