Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Aqaba and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Aqaba: $907 a month against $1,586 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Aqaba
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Aqaba Living Index
77

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index

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Aqaba

🇯🇴 Jordan

$907

/mo nomad

Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,586

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Aqaba 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 Aqaba and in Cape Town actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $907 per month in Aqaba vs $1,586 in Cape Town, rent included.

Aqaba $907
Cape Town $1,586

A couple spends around $1,490 per month in Aqaba vs $2,425 in Cape Town, rent included.

Aqaba $1,490
Cape Town $2,425

A family of three spends $2,073 per month in Aqaba vs $3,263 in Cape Town, rent included.

Aqaba $2,073
Cape Town $3,263

Aqaba is about 43% cheaper than Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Aqaba sits 33% below the global median, while Cape Town is 17% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.78 JOD 1.97

$12.14 R 200

-77.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 JOD 49.11

$45.34 R 747

52.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.32 JOD 3.06

$5.88 R 96.9

-26.53%

Cappuccino

$4.39 JOD 3.11

$2.50 R 41.18

75.60%

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

$0.60 JOD 0.43

$1.27 R 20.94

-52.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 JOD 0.42

$0.98 R 16.14

-38.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.25 JOD 5.84

$2.99 R 49.33

175.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.75 JOD 7.61

$3.72 R 61.4

188.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 JOD 1.01

$1.30 R 21.40

10.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.51 JOD 0.36

$1.25 R 20.68

-59.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.59 JOD 1.12

$2.23 R 36.76

-28.70%

Eggs

$1.72 JOD 1.22

$3.11 R 51.2

-44.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.55 JOD 3.93

$9.06 R 149

-38.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 JOD 3.06

$6.92 R 114

-37.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.00 JOD 7.08

$9.30 R 153

7.53%

Apples (1kg)

$1.44 JOD 1.02

$1.84 R 30.25

-21.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 JOD 0.99

$1.96 R 32.29

-28.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.07 JOD 0.76

$1.67 R 27.45

-35.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.69 JOD 0.49

$2.17 R 35.70

-68.20%

Potato (1kg)

$0.68 JOD 0.48

$1.57 R 25.81

-56.69%

Onion (1kg)

$0.72 JOD 0.51

$1.48 R 24.45

-51.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 JOD 0.42

$1.30 R 21.41

-53.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 JOD 0.38

$1.13 R 18.60

-53.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.77 JOD 2.67

$3.60 R 59.3

4.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.23 JOD 12.20

$6.15 R 101

180.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 JOD 1.97

$1.38 R 22.66

101.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 JOD 1.79

$2.14 R 35.20

18.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 R 24.65

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 R 1,001

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.50 JOD 0.36

$0.59 R 9.71

-15.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 JOD 0.98

$1.50 R 24.65

-8.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.14 JOD 5.06

$5.11 R 84.2

39.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 JOD 1.02

$1.55 R 25.50

-7.10%

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

$30.8K JOD 21.8K

$36.2K R 596.5K

-15.05%

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

$31.6K JOD 22.3K

$31.2K R 514.8K

1.00%

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

$127 JOD 90.0

$114 R 1,883

11.20%

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

$15.73 JOD 11.14

$28.91 R 476

-45.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.46 JOD 22.27

$39.73 R 654

-20.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.1 JOD 45.41

$49.01 R 808

30.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.99 R 181

Cinema Ticket

$11.10 JOD 7.86

$9.15 R 151

21.31%

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

$486 JOD 344

$259 R 4,264

87.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,863 JOD 2,027

$6,794 R 111.9K

-57.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.70 JOD 19.61

$56.2 R 926

-50.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.79 JOD 30.29

$32.41 R 534

32.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$42.82 JOD 30.32

$121 R 1,987

-64.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.0 JOD 49.53

$108 R 1,781

-35.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$277 JOD 196

$1,021 R 16.8K

-72.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$211 JOD 149

$717 R 11.8K

-70.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$669 JOD 474

$1,824 R 30.1K

-63.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$459 JOD 325

$1,327 R 21.9K

-65.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,109 JOD 785

$2,391 R 39.4K

-53.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$572 JOD 405

$1,542 R 25.4K

-62.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$553 JOD 391

$1,639 R 27.0K

-66.26%

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 Aqaba: October 10, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Aqaba

$211 23.3%

Cape Town

$717 45.2% 240% $506

Groceries & Markets

Aqaba

$190 20.9%

Cape Town

$225 14.2% 18.4% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Aqaba

$174 19.2%

Cape Town

$183 11.5% 5% $8.7

Eating Out

Aqaba

$155 17.1%

Cape Town

$176 11.1% 13.3% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Aqaba

$86 9.5%

Cape Town

$67 4.2% 22% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Aqaba

$82 9.1%

Cape Town

$143 9% 73.1% $60

Getting Around

Aqaba

$7.4 * 0.8%

Cape Town

$75 4.7% 912% $67

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $277 in Aqaba versus $1,021 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 196% 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 $69.0 in Aqaba versus $45.00 in Cape Town. Groceries tell a different story – $190 in Aqaba vs $225 in Cape Town – so Aqaba wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇯🇴 Aqaba

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🕒 Local time

10:20 10:20 AM

09:20 9:20 AM

1 h behind Aqaba

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

140,000

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 = 6.07 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.708 JOD (1 JOD = 1.41 USD). 1 EUR = 0.796 JOD (1 JOD = 1.26 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

USD to JOD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Aqaba Cape Town 7,270 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Aqaba
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

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

Yes – Cape Town is pricier by about 75%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,360 per month in Aqaba and $2,379 in Cape Town. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $907 in Aqaba and $1,586 in Cape Town. That's a gap of about 75%.

Kindergarten costs $486 per month in Aqaba and $259 in Cape Town. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Aqaba, where all-in costs run around $907, than in Cape Town at $1,586. In Aqaba it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cape Town it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.

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 Aqaba. 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.