Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Az-Zarqa and Athens

For one person, living is cheaper in Az-Zarqa: $716 a month against $1,779 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $12,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Az-Zarqa, Jordan
Athens, Greece
Az-Zarqa
🇯🇴 Jordan
$716
/mo nomad
Athens
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,779
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Az-Zarqa 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 Az-Zarqa and in Athens actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $716 in Az-Zarqa versus $1,779 in Athens.

  • Az-Zarqa $716
  • Athens $1,779

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,083 in Az-Zarqa versus $2,721 in Athens.

  • Az-Zarqa $1,083
  • Athens $2,721

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,450 in Az-Zarqa versus $3,663 in Athens.

  • Az-Zarqa $1,450
  • Athens $3,663

Living in Az-Zarqa costs roughly 60% less than in Athens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Az-Zarqa is 47% below, Athens is 32% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Az-Zarqa
Athens
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.30 JOD 3.04
$16.83 €14.99
-74.45%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$24.92 JOD 17.64
$66.0 €58.8
-62.24%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.59 JOD 3.95
$11.21 €9.98
-50.13%
Cappuccino
$0.80 JOD 0.57
$4.08 €3.64
-80.39%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.44 JOD 0.31
$2.77 €2.47
-84.12%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.35 JOD 0.25
$0.54 €0.48
-35.19%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.16 JOD 2.95
$5.70 €5.07
-27.02%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$10.85 JOD 7.68
$6.26 €5.58
73.32%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Az-Zarqa
Athens
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.44 JOD 1.02
$1.84 €1.64
-21.74%
White Bread (500g)
$0.44 JOD 0.31
$1.43 €1.27
-69.23%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.54 JOD 1.09
$2.67 €2.38
-42.32%
Eggs
$1.78 JOD 1.26
$4.95 €4.41
-64.04%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$5.05 JOD 3.58
$15.09 €13.44
-66.53%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.33 JOD 3.77
$10.99 €9.79
-51.50%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.41 JOD 5.95
$19.77 €17.60
-57.46%
Apples (1kg)
$1.49 JOD 1.06
$2.12 €1.89
-29.72%
Banana (1kg)
$1.28 JOD 0.90
$1.98 €1.76
-35.35%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.19 JOD 0.84
$1.33 €1.18
-10.53%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.63 JOD 0.45
$2.16 €1.92
-70.83%
Potato (1kg)
$0.85 JOD 0.60
$1.06 €0.94
-19.81%
Onion (1kg)
$0.87 JOD 0.61
$1.15 €1.02
-24.35%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.59 JOD 0.42
$1.08 €0.96
-45.37%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.50 JOD 0.36
$0.85 €0.75
-41.18%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.57 JOD 2.53
$5.46 €4.86
-34.62%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.02 JOD 4.97
$10.03 €8.93
-30.01%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.31 JOD 3.05
$2.04 €1.82
111.27%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.28 JOD 3.03
$2.38 €2.12
79.83%
🚌 Getting Around
Az-Zarqa
Athens
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.60 JOD 0.42
$1.35 €1.20
-55.56%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$21.43 JOD 15.17
$30.52 €27.18
-29.78%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.63 JOD 0.45
$3.81 €3.39
-83.46%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.37 JOD 0.97
$1.03 €0.92
33.01%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.03 JOD 3.56
$16.49 €14.68
-69.50%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.46 JOD 1.03
$2.34 €2.09
-37.61%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$16.9K JOD 11.9K
$27.8K €24.7K
-39.30%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.1K JOD 15.7K
$26.6K €23.7K
-16.82%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Az-Zarqa
Athens
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$132 JOD 93.6
$202 €180
-34.61%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.99 JOD 9.20
$26.81 €23.87
-51.55%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.75 JOD 20.35
$30.49 €27.14
-5.71%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Az-Zarqa
Athens
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$28.65 JOD 20.28
$54.1 €48.14
-47.01%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$13.83 JOD 9.79
$27.40 €24.40
-49.53%
Cinema Ticket
$9.75 JOD 6.90
$10.44 €9.30
-6.61%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Az-Zarqa
Athens
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$213 JOD 151
$568 €505
-62.50%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,297 JOD 3,041
$15.2K €13.5K
-71.70%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Az-Zarqa
Athens
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$21.45 JOD 15.18
$90.7 €80.7
-76.34%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$13.97 JOD 9.89
$39.32 €35.01
-64.47%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$44.20 JOD 31.28
$105 €93.7
-57.99%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$40.72 JOD 28.82
$129 €115
-68.43%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Az-Zarqa
Athens
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$164 JOD 116
$742 €661
-77.87%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$123 JOD 86.9
$648 €577
-81.07%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$305 JOD 216
$1,271 €1,132
-75.97%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$243 JOD 172
$1,122 €999
-78.34%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$564 JOD 399
$3,999 €3,561
-85.90%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$348 JOD 246
$3,281 €2,921
-89.39%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Az-Zarqa
Athens
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$499 JOD 353
$1,245 €1,109
-59.91%
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 Az-Zarqa: November 1, 2026

Last update for Athens: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Az-Zarqa
$179
Athens
$316 76.8% $137
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Az-Zarqa
$174
Athens
$260 49.2% $86
Accommodation & Living
Az-Zarqa
$123
Athens
$648 428% $526
Eating Out
Az-Zarqa
$106
Athens
$272 155% $165
Clothing & Footwear
Az-Zarqa
$54
Athens
$164 203% $110
Sport & Entertainment
Az-Zarqa
$48
Athens
$75 55.7% $27
Getting Around
Az-Zarqa
$31
Athens
$45 43.3% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $164 in Az-Zarqa and $742 in Athens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens pays about 2.5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $25 in Az-Zarqa vs $66 in Athens for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $179 vs $316 per month, with Az-Zarqa cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇯🇴 Az-Zarqa
🇬🇷 Athens
🕒 Local time
05:46 5:46 AM
04:46 4:46 AM
1 h behind Az-Zarqa
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
395,227
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 = 0.89 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Az-Zarqa Athens 1,300 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Az-Zarqa
  • 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
Az-Zarqa vs Athens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Az-Zarqa or Athens?
Az-Zarqa wins on cost – living expenses run 60% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Az-Zarqa the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Az-Zarqa or in Athens?
On paper, salaries run 60% lower in Az-Zarqa. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Az-Zarqa compared to Athens?
Rent for a central apartment: $164 in Az-Zarqa versus $742 in Athens. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Az-Zarqa and in Athens?
Dining out is cheaper in Az-Zarqa – a meal for two runs $25 versus $66 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How much does it cost to live in Az-Zarqa compared to Athens?
All in, you’ll spend $716 per month in Az-Zarqa versus $1,779 in Athens – Az-Zarqa is about 60% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Can you live on $1,200/month in Az-Zarqa or in Athens?
At $716 in Az-Zarqa versus $1,779 in Athens, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Az-Zarqa but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Az-Zarqa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Az-Zarqa or Athens?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Az-Zarqa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 60% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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