Amman vs Jeddah
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Amman edges it, 53 to 50, winning 4 of the 9 factors. Amman is stronger on climate, air quality, internet; Jeddah on quality of life. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Saudi Arabia's Red Sea port and its most relaxed city
Full Jeddah profile →Plan a trip to Jeddah →Where they differ
- Climate. Amman leads on climate, 58 to 33, against Jeddah. Comfortable months: 7 vs 4.
- Quality of life. Jeddah leads on quality of life, 65 to 52, against Amman.
- Air quality. Amman leads on air quality, 50 to 39, against Jeddah. PM2.5: 27.4 µg/m³ vs 32.4 µg/m³.
Where they are close. Within five points on safety, healthcare, visa ease.
Pick Amman if you want
- to spend about $220 less a month
- faster internet (18.6 Mbps measured)
- a longer comfortable season (7 months against 4)
- cleaner air
Pick Jeddah if you want
- no clear edge over Amman in the data
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Amman | Jeddah |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 48 ✓ | 42 |
| Safety | 68 | 73 ✓ |
| Healthcare | 80 | 83 ✓ |
| Internet | 59 ✓ | 48 |
| Visa ease | 34 | 34 |
| Getting there & around | 24 | 31 ✓ |
| Climate | 58 ✓ | 33 |
| Air quality | 50 ✓ | 39 |
| Quality of life | 52 | 65 ✓ |
Cost
| Metric | Amman | Jeddah |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one person | $1,707 ✓ | $1,927 |
| Central one-bedroom rent | $459 | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Amman | Jeddah |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 0.84 | 0.8 ✓ |
| Political stability (0–100) | 60.1 | 65.9 ✓ |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 74 | 83 ✓ |
| Life expectancy | 80.6 yrs ✓ | 78.9 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Amman | Jeddah |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 18.6 Mbps ✓ | 10.9 Mbps |
| Upload | 14.1 Mbps ✓ | 6.5 Mbps |
Visa
| Metric | Amman | Jeddah |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Jeddah |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 95 | 147 ✓ |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 2 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 2 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Amman | Jeddah |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 7 ✓ | 4 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 27.4 µg/m³ ✓ | 32.4 µg/m³ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Amman or Jeddah?
- Amman is cheaper: about $1,707 per month versus $1,927 for one person.
- Is Amman or Jeddah safer?
- Jeddah scores higher on safety (73 vs 68), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Amman or Jeddah?
- Amman: a measured median of 18.6 Mbps versus 10.9 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.