Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Amman

For one person, living is cheaper in Amman: $1,158 a month against $1,568 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cape Town outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

76

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Amman
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Amman Living Index

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Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,568

/mo nomad

Amman

🇯🇴 Jordan

$1,158

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cape Town and in Amman

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

A single person spends $1,568 per month in Cape Town vs $1,158 in Amman, rent included.

Cape Town $1,568
Amman $1,158

A couple spends around $2,438 per month in Cape Town vs $1,867 in Amman, rent included.

Cape Town $2,438
Amman $1,867

A family of three spends $3,307 per month in Cape Town vs $2,575 in Amman, rent included.

Cape Town $3,307
Amman $2,575

Cape Town costs about 35% more than Amman, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Cape Town sits 17% above the global median, while Amman is 14% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.78 R 194

$7.21 JOD 5.11

63.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.55 R 768

$71.3 JOD 50.5

-34.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.96 R 98.4

$6.92 JOD 4.90

-13.87%

Cappuccino

$2.47 R 40.80

$4.60 JOD 3.25

-46.30%

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

$1.33 R 21.91

$0.61 JOD 0.43

118.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 R 16.99

$0.59 JOD 0.42

74.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.01 R 49.72

$8.49 JOD 6.01

-64.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 R 60.4

$10.96 JOD 7.76

-66.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 R 22.96

$1.65 JOD 1.16

-15.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 R 19.60

$0.66 JOD 0.47

80.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.11 R 34.84

$1.56 JOD 1.11

35.26%

Eggs

$3.01 R 49.58

$2.41 JOD 1.70

24.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.96 R 148

$9.42 JOD 6.67

-4.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.65 R 110

$6.32 JOD 4.48

5.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.29 R 153

$12.60 JOD 8.92

-26.27%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 R 30.13

$2.66 JOD 1.89

-31.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 R 31.31

$2.05 JOD 1.45

-7.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 R 28.83

$1.85 JOD 1.31

-5.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 R 34.41

$0.85 JOD 0.60

145.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 R 25.64

$0.96 JOD 0.68

61.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.53

$0.87 JOD 0.61

71.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.41

$0.63 JOD 0.45

106.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 R 19.19

$0.70 JOD 0.50

65.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.71 R 61.2

$3.98 JOD 2.81

-6.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.06 R 100

$20.78 JOD 14.71

-70.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.85

$4.93 JOD 3.49

-71.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 R 36.32

$5.12 JOD 3.62

-57.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.51 R 24.98

$0.81 JOD 0.57

86.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.0 R 1,006

$42.72 JOD 30.24

42.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.63 R 10.33

$0.62 JOD 0.44

1.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 R 25.29

$1.44 JOD 1.02

6.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.81 R 79.4

$6.93 JOD 4.90

-30.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 R 26.08

$1.74 JOD 1.23

-9.20%

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

$35.5K R 585.7K

$35.4K JOD 25.1K

0.17%

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

$31.7K R 523.8K

$34.2K JOD 24.2K

-7.18%

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

$116 R 1,920

$130 JOD 92.2

-10.64%

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

$28.37 R 468

$15.77 JOD 11.16

79.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.69 R 671

$32.37 JOD 22.91

25.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.85 R 806

$52.8 JOD 37.39

-7.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.13 R 184

$36.03 JOD 25.50

-69.11%

Cinema Ticket

$8.83 R 146

$11.13 JOD 7.88

-20.66%

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

$261 R 4,314

$486 JOD 344

-46.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,702 R 110.6K

$9,833 JOD 6,959

-31.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 R 914

$62.5 JOD 44.22

-11.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.27 R 532

$83.4 JOD 59.0

-61.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 R 1,939

$123 JOD 87.3

-4.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 R 1,766

$88.2 JOD 62.4

21.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,015 R 16.7K

$462 JOD 327

119.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$715 R 11.8K

$243 JOD 172

194.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,801 R 29.7K

$773 JOD 547

132.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,330 R 22.0K

$423 JOD 300

214.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,331 R 38.5K

$1,632 JOD 1,155

42.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,513 R 25.0K

$1,024 JOD 725

47.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,636 R 27.0K

$768 JOD 544

112.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.97

6.81

61.09%

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

Last update for Cape Town: October 4, 2026

Last update for Amman: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$715 45.3%

Amman

$243 20.6% 66% $472

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$222 14.1%

Amman

$266 22.5% 19.5% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$185 11.7%

Amman

$178 15.1% 3.8% $7.1

Eating Out

Cape Town

$174 11%

Amman

$203 17.2% 16.8% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$141 8.9%

Amman

$161 13.6% 14.4% $20

Getting Around

Cape Town

$75 4.8%

Amman

$54 4.6% 28.6% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$67 4.2%

Amman

$75 6.4% 12.9% $8.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,015 in Cape Town versus $462 in Amman. 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 113% 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 $47.00 in Cape Town versus $71.0 in Amman. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $222 vs $266 – making Cape Town the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇯🇴 Amman

🕒 Local time

07:05 7:05 AM

08:05 8:05 AM

1 h ahead of Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

4,000,000 Capital

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Jordanian Dinar JOD د.ا

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.06 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

1 JOD = 1.41 USD

1 JOD = 1.26 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JOD, USD, EUR to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 16.5 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.06 USD). 1 EUR = 18.5 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

Jordanian Dinar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.708 JOD (1 JOD = 1.41 USD). 1 EUR = 0.794 JOD (1 JOD = 1.26 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cape Town Amman 7,550 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Amman

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

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

Cape Town costs about 35% more than Amman, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,352 per month in Cape Town and $1,737 in Amman. 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 43% less in Amman. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $261 per month in Cape Town and $486 in Amman. 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 $1,158, than in Cape Town at $1,568. In Amman it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cape Town it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Amman costs $1,158 versus $1,568 in Cape Town. 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, Cape Town makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.