Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Aqaba

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.

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

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Aqaba

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

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

  • Athens $1,779
  • Aqaba $919

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

  • Athens $2,721
  • Aqaba $1,504

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

  • Athens $3,663
  • Aqaba $2,088

Athens costs about 94% more than Aqaba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Athens
Aqaba
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.83 €14.99
$2.90 JOD 2.05
480.34%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$66.0 €58.8
$70.5 JOD 49.93
-6.44%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.21 €9.98
$4.21 JOD 2.98
166.27%
Cappuccino
$4.08 €3.64
$4.43 JOD 3.13
-7.90%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77 €2.47
$0.65 JOD 0.46
326.15%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.54 €0.48
$0.54 JOD 0.38
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.70 €5.07
$8.54 JOD 6.04
-33.26%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.26 €5.58
$11.02 JOD 7.80
-43.19%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Athens
Aqaba
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.84 €1.64
$1.44 JOD 1.02
27.78%
White Bread (500g)
$1.43 €1.27
$0.51 JOD 0.36
180.39%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.67 €2.38
$1.55 JOD 1.10
72.26%
Eggs
$4.95 €4.41
$1.70 JOD 1.21
191.18%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.09 €13.44
$5.57 JOD 3.94
170.92%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.99 €9.79
$4.34 JOD 3.08
153.23%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.77 €17.60
$9.73 JOD 6.89
103.19%
Apples (1kg)
$2.12 €1.89
$1.45 JOD 1.03
46.21%
Banana (1kg)
$1.98 €1.76
$1.39 JOD 0.98
42.45%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.33 €1.18
$1.04 JOD 0.74
27.88%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.16 €1.92
$0.73 JOD 0.52
195.89%
Potato (1kg)
$1.06 €0.94
$0.74 JOD 0.52
43.24%
Onion (1kg)
$1.15 €1.02
$0.73 JOD 0.52
57.53%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.08 €0.96
$0.59 JOD 0.42
83.05%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.85 €0.75
$0.58 JOD 0.41
46.55%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.46 €4.86
$3.90 JOD 2.76
40.00%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.03 €8.93
$17.22 JOD 12.19
-41.75%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.04 €1.82
$2.75 JOD 1.95
-25.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.38 €2.12
$2.50 JOD 1.77
-4.80%
🚌 Getting Around
Athens
Aqaba
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.35 €1.20
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$30.52 €27.18
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.81 €3.39
$0.51 JOD 0.36
647.06%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.03 €0.92
$1.38 JOD 0.98
-25.36%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.49 €14.68
$6.93 JOD 4.90
137.95%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.34 €2.09
$1.46 JOD 1.04
60.27%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.8K €24.7K
$30.6K JOD 21.7K
-9.24%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.6K €23.7K
$31.3K JOD 22.2K
-15.13%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
Aqaba
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$202 €180
$136 JOD 96.6
48.22%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.81 €23.87
$15.27 JOD 10.81
75.57%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.49 €27.14
$32.17 JOD 22.77
-5.22%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Athens
Aqaba
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.1 €48.14
$63.2 JOD 44.73
-14.45%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$27.40 €24.40
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.44 €9.30
$11.25 JOD 7.96
-7.20%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Athens
Aqaba
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$568 €505
$544 JOD 385
4.23%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$15.2K €13.5K
$2,805 JOD 1,985
441.26%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Athens
Aqaba
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$90.7 €80.7
$27.97 JOD 19.80
224.10%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.32 €35.01
$42.90 JOD 30.36
-8.34%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$105 €93.7
$42.39 JOD 30.00
148.20%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$129 €115
$71.2 JOD 50.4
81.04%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Athens
Aqaba
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$742 €661
$281 JOD 199
163.96%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$648 €577
$211 JOD 149
207.13%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,271 €1,132
$683 JOD 483
86.18%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,122 €999
$453 JOD 321
147.63%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,999 €3,561
$1,108 JOD 785
260.78%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,281 €2,921
$561 JOD 397
485.22%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Athens
Aqaba
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,245 €1,109
$570 JOD 404
118.27%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.44
6.94
-36.02%

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

Last update for Athens: October 31, 2026

Last update for Aqaba: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Athens
$648
Aqaba
$211 67.4% $437
Groceries & Markets
Athens
$316
Aqaba
$190 40% $126
Eating Out
Athens
$272
Aqaba
$158 41.7% $113
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
$260
Aqaba
$184 29.1% $76
Clothing & Footwear
Athens
$164
Aqaba
$83 49.3% $81
Sport & Entertainment
Athens
$75
Aqaba
$86 14.4% $11
Getting Around
Athens
$45
Aqaba
$7.4 * 83.5% $37

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $742 in Athens versus $281 in Aqaba. 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 $66 in Athens versus $71 in Aqaba. Groceries tell a different story – $316 in Athens vs $190 in Aqaba – so Aqaba wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇬🇷 Athens
🇯🇴 Aqaba
🕒 Local time
12:58 12:58 PM
13:58 1:58 PM
1 h ahead of Athens
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,090,508 Capital
140,000
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

JOD, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.89 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

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).

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

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
Athens vs Aqaba: 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 $2,669 per month in Athens and $1,379 in Aqaba. 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 Athens and in Aqaba?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,779 in Athens and $919 in Aqaba. That makes Aqaba about 48% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $568 per month in Athens and $544 in Aqaba. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is Athens or Aqaba 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, Athens or Aqaba?
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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