Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Aqaba and Athens

For one person, living is cheaper in Aqaba: $919 a month against $1,779 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Aqaba, Jordan
Athens, Greece
Aqaba
🇯🇴 Jordan
$919
/mo nomad
Athens
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,779
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Aqaba and in Athens

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

A single person spends $919 per month in Aqaba vs $1,779 in Athens, rent included.

  • Aqaba $919
  • Athens $1,779

A couple spends around $1,504 per month in Aqaba vs $2,721 in Athens, rent included.

  • Aqaba $1,504
  • Athens $2,721

A family of three spends $2,088 per month in Aqaba vs $3,663 in Athens, rent included.

  • Aqaba $2,088
  • Athens $3,663

Aqaba is about 48% cheaper than Athens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Aqaba sits 32% below the global median, while Athens is 32% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Aqaba
Athens
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.90 JOD 2.05
$16.83 €14.99
-82.77%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$70.5 JOD 49.93
$66.0 €58.8
6.88%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.21 JOD 2.98
$11.21 €9.99
-62.44%
Cappuccino
$4.43 JOD 3.13
$4.08 €3.64
8.58%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.65 JOD 0.46
$2.77 €2.47
-76.53%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.54 JOD 0.38
$0.54 €0.48
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.54 JOD 6.04
$5.70 €5.08
49.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$11.02 JOD 7.80
$6.26 €5.58
76.04%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Aqaba
Athens
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.44 JOD 1.02
$1.84 €1.64
-21.74%
White Bread (500g)
$0.51 JOD 0.36
$1.43 €1.27
-64.34%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.55 JOD 1.10
$2.67 €2.38
-41.95%
Eggs
$1.70 JOD 1.21
$4.95 €4.41
-65.66%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$5.57 JOD 3.94
$15.09 €13.45
-63.09%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.34 JOD 3.08
$10.99 €9.79
-60.51%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.73 JOD 6.89
$19.77 €17.61
-50.78%
Apples (1kg)
$1.45 JOD 1.03
$2.12 €1.89
-31.60%
Banana (1kg)
$1.39 JOD 0.98
$1.98 €1.76
-29.80%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.04 JOD 0.74
$1.33 €1.19
-21.80%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.73 JOD 0.52
$2.16 €1.92
-66.20%
Potato (1kg)
$0.74 JOD 0.52
$1.06 €0.94
-30.19%
Onion (1kg)
$0.73 JOD 0.52
$1.15 €1.02
-36.52%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.59 JOD 0.42
$1.08 €0.97
-45.37%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.58 JOD 0.41
$0.85 €0.75
-31.76%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.90 JOD 2.76
$5.46 €4.86
-28.57%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.22 JOD 12.19
$10.03 €8.93
71.68%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.75 JOD 1.95
$2.04 €1.82
34.80%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50 JOD 1.77
$2.38 €2.12
5.04%
🚌 Getting Around
Aqaba
Athens
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$1.35 €1.20
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$30.52 €27.19
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.51 JOD 0.36
$3.81 €3.39
-86.61%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.38 JOD 0.98
$1.03 €0.92
33.98%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.93 JOD 4.90
$16.49 €14.68
-57.97%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.46 JOD 1.04
$2.34 €2.09
-37.61%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.6K JOD 21.7K
$27.8K €24.7K
10.18%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.3K JOD 22.2K
$26.6K €23.7K
17.83%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Aqaba
Athens
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$136 JOD 96.6
$202 €180
-32.53%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.27 JOD 10.81
$26.81 €23.88
-43.04%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.17 JOD 22.77
$30.49 €27.16
5.51%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Aqaba
Athens
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$63.2 JOD 44.73
$54.1 €48.17
16.89%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$27.40 €24.41
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.25 JOD 7.96
$10.44 €9.30
7.76%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Aqaba
Athens
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$544 JOD 385
$568 €506
-4.06%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,805 JOD 1,985
$15.2K €13.5K
-81.52%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Aqaba
Athens
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$27.97 JOD 19.80
$90.7 €80.8
-69.15%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.90 JOD 30.36
$39.32 €35.03
9.10%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$42.39 JOD 30.00
$105 €93.7
-59.71%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$71.2 JOD 50.4
$129 €115
-44.76%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Aqaba
Athens
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$281 JOD 199
$742 €661
-62.11%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$211 JOD 149
$648 €578
-67.44%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$683 JOD 483
$1,271 €1,132
-46.29%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$453 JOD 321
$1,122 €999
-59.62%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,108 JOD 785
$3,999 €3,562
-72.28%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$561 JOD 397
$3,281 €2,923
-82.91%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Aqaba
Athens
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$570 JOD 404
$1,245 €1,109
-54.19%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.94
4.44
56.31%

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

Last update for Aqaba: November 2, 2026

Last update for Athens: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Aqaba
$211
Athens
$648 207% $437
Groceries & Markets
Aqaba
$190
Athens
$316 66.6% $126
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Aqaba
$184
Athens
$260 41.1% $76
Eating Out
Aqaba
$158
Athens
$272 71.4% $113
Sport & Entertainment
Aqaba
$86
Athens
$75 12.6% $11
Clothing & Footwear
Aqaba
$83
Athens
$164 97.4% $81
Getting Around
Aqaba
$7.4 *
Athens
$45 505% $37

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $281 in Aqaba versus $742 in Athens. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Athens are about 2.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71 in Aqaba versus $66 in Athens. Groceries tell a different story – $190 in Aqaba vs $316 in Athens – so Aqaba wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇯🇴 Aqaba
🇬🇷 Athens
🕒 Local time
04:42 4:42 AM
03:42 3:42 AM
1 h behind Aqaba
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
140,000
3,090,508 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to JOD – Jordanian Dinar Converter

Jordanian Dinar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.708 JOD (1 JOD = 1.41 USD). 1 EUR = 0.795 JOD (1 JOD = 1.26 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.891 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Aqaba Athens 1,400 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Aqaba
  • Athens

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
Aqaba vs Athens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Aqaba cheaper than Athens?
Yes – Athens is pricier by about 94%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,379 per month in Aqaba and $2,669 in Athens. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Aqaba, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $281 there versus $742 in Athens.
What are total monthly expenses in Aqaba and in Athens?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $919 in Aqaba and $1,779 in Athens. That makes Aqaba about 48% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $544 per month in Aqaba and $568 in Athens. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is Aqaba or Athens more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Aqaba – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Aqaba or Athens?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Aqaba. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Athens makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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