Aqaba vs Riyadh
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Riyadh edges it, 49 to 44, winning 5 of the 9 factors. Aqaba is stronger on cost of living; Riyadh on air quality, getting there & around, quality of life. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Aqaba | Riyadh |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 54 ✓ | 39 |
| Safety | 60 | 65 ✓ |
| Healthcare | 70 | 76 ✓ |
| Internet | no data | 55 |
| Visa ease | 6 | 6 |
| Getting there & around | 10 | 27 ✓ |
| Climate | 58 ✓ | 50 |
| Air quality | 42 | 59 ✓ |
| Quality of life | 48 | 64 ✓ |
Cost
| Metric | Aqaba | Riyadh |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one person | $1,354 ✓ | $1,927 |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | $1,809 |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Aqaba | Riyadh |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 2.3 ✓ | 2.4 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 59.9 | 65.1 ✓ |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 74 | 83 ✓ |
| Life expectancy | 75.6 yrs | 76.4 yrs ✓ |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Aqaba | Riyadh |
|---|---|---|
| Download | no data | 24.9 Mbps |
| Upload | no data | 10.2 Mbps |
Visa
| Metric | Aqaba | Riyadh |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data |
| Visa-free days, US passport | visa or e-visa required | visa or e-visa required |
| Visa-free days, EU passport | visa or e-visa required | visa or e-visa required |
| Visa-free days, UK passport | visa or e-visa required | visa or e-visa required |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Aqaba | Riyadh |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 3 | 117 ✓ |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 3 ✓ | 1 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 1 | 3 ✓ |
Climate and air
| Metric | Aqaba | Riyadh |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 7 ✓ | 6 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 31.3 µg/m³ | 23.6 µg/m³ ✓ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Aqaba or Riyadh?
- Aqaba is cheaper: about $1,354 per month versus $1,927 for one person.
- Is Aqaba or Riyadh safer?
- Riyadh scores higher on safety (65 vs 60), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Aqaba or Riyadh?
- M-Lab has no reliable measurement for one of the two cities.
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); Estimates of rates of homicides per 100 000 population; 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). Dataset 2026.09.4. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.