Amman vs Aqaba
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Amman edges it, 53 to 52, winning 3 of the 9 factors. Amman is stronger on getting there & around; Aqaba on cost of living. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Jordan's Red Sea free zone with diving and Wadi Rum
Full Aqaba profile →Plan a trip to Aqaba →Where they differ
- Cost of living. Aqaba leads on cost of living, 61 to 48, against Amman. Monthly cost, one person: $1,707 vs $1,300.
- Getting there & around. Amman leads on getting there & around, 24 to 11, against Aqaba. Non-stop airport destinations: 95 vs 4.
- Air quality. Amman leads on air quality, 50 to 42, against Aqaba. PM2.5: 27.4 µg/m³ vs 31.3 µg/m³.
Where they are close. Within five points on internet, safety, healthcare, visa ease, climate, quality of life.
Pick Amman if you want
- more flights and easier getting around
Pick Aqaba if you want
- to spend about $407 less a month
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Amman | Aqaba |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 48 | 61 ✓ |
| Safety | 68 | 68 |
| Healthcare | 80 | 80 |
| Internet | 59 ✓ | 58 |
| Visa ease | 34 | 34 |
| Getting there & around | 24 ✓ | 11 |
| Climate | 58 | 58 |
| Air quality | 50 ✓ | 42 |
| Quality of life | 52 | 52 |
Cost
| Metric | Amman | Aqaba |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | $1,707 | $1,300 ✓ |
| Central one-bedroom rent | $459 | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Amman | Aqaba |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 0.84 | 0.84 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 60.1 | 60.1 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 74 | 74 |
| Life expectancy | 80.6 yrs | 80.6 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Amman | Aqaba |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 18.6 Mbps ✓ | 18.2 Mbps |
| Upload | 14.1 Mbps ✓ | 13.4 Mbps |
Visa
| Metric | Amman | Aqaba |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data |
| Entry, US passport | visa on arrival | visa on arrival |
| Entry, EU passport | visa on arrival | visa on arrival |
| Entry, UK passport | visa on arrival | visa on arrival |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Amman | Aqaba |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 95 ✓ | 4 |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 3 ✓ |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 2 ✓ | 1 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Amman | Aqaba |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 7 | 7 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 27.4 µg/m³ ✓ | 31.3 µg/m³ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Amman or Aqaba?
- Aqaba is cheaper: about $1,300 per month versus $1,707 for one person.
- Is Amman or Aqaba safer?
- Amman and Aqaba score the same on safety (68), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Amman or Aqaba?
- Amman: a measured median of 18.6 Mbps versus 18.2 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Digital Nomad Visas 2026; Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population (national data, latest year); UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); WHO Ambient Air Quality Database, June 2026 update (V8); SatPM2.5 satellite-derived annual PM2.5 (V6.GL.02.04); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); WhereNext city cost estimates 2026 (city pages); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Starlink availability map. Dataset 2026.11.3. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.