Moving to China from Jordan

moving to

What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Jordan to China — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Jordan to China, you would find that China is 5.7% cheaper than Jordan overall. A JOD53,000 salary in Jordan would need to be roughly CN¥472,000 in China to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Chinese. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Beijing averages 64°F vs 74°F in Amman, making it significantly cooler.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Jordan to China.

What does your salary buy?

JOD53,000 → CN¥472,000

To maintain the same standard of living in China

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 30.4% less

Groceries

pay 15.6% more

Transportation

pay 32.4% less

Housing

pay 1.6% less

Childcare

pay 2.5 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 33.2% less

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 JOD = 9.44 CNY (October 2026)

Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.

Cost of living by city

Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).

On average, cities in China cost about 16% less than cities in Jordan.

Jordan

Amman ★ 40%
Irbid 32%

China

Shanghai 36%
Changchun 35%
Shenzhen 34%
Guangzhou 32%

Compare cities head-to-head

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Key Indicator Comparison

How Jordan and China stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

JO
1.0
CN
0.5
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

JO
13.6
CN
17.4

Jordan generally does better on safety, though China leads in homicide rate.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

JO
$798
CN
$1,487
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

JO
28.5
CN
31.1

China generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Jordan leads in healthcare spending per person.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

JO
38.0
CN
64.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

JO
2.1t
CN
9.3t

Jordan performs better than China across all environment metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

JO
7.0
CN
47.2
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

JO
105.2%
CN
41.5%

China generally does better on infrastructure, though Jordan leads in internet access.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

JO
16.5%
CN
4.6%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

JO
$5,348
CN
$13,862

China generally does better on employment & economy, though Jordan leads in top income tax rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

JO
78.0 yrs
CN
78.0 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

JO
12.0
CN
4.1

China performs significantly better than Jordan across all family life metrics.

Sources: World Bank (2018–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Jordan Tax Service (2016), State Administration of Taxation (2016). How we calculate this

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Amman Rain: 10.6 in/yr (269 mm)
74° / 52°F

Avg. annual high / low

Beijing Rain: 22.8 in/yr (578 mm)
64° / 44°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Amman Beijing
Jan–Mar 58°/40°F (14°/5°C) 42°/22°F (6°/-6°C)
Apr–Jun 81°/56°F (27°/13°C) 78°/55°F (26°/13°C)
Jul–Sep 89°/64°F (32°/18°C) 83°/66°F (29°/19°C)
Oct–Dec 69°/49°F (21°/9°C) 51°/32°F (11°/0°C)
View all months
Month Amman Beijing
Jan 54°/38°F (12.3°/3.6°C) 35°/15°F (1.6°/-9.4°C)
Feb 57°/40°F (13.7°/4.2°C) 39°/20°F (4.0°/-6.9°C)
Mar 63°/43°F (17.2°/6.1°C) 52°/31°F (11.3°/-0.6°C)
Apr 73°/49°F (22.6°/9.5°C) 68°/45°F (19.9°/7.2°C)
May 82°/56°F (27.8°/13.5°C) 80°/56°F (26.4°/13.2°C)
Jun 87°/62°F (30.8°/16.6°C) 87°/65°F (30.3°/18.2°C)
Jul 90°/65°F (32.0°/18.5°C) 87°/71°F (30.8°/21.6°C)
Aug 90°/65°F (32.4°/18.6°C) 85°/69°F (29.5°/20.4°C)
Sep 87°/62°F (30.7°/16.6°C) 78°/58°F (25.8°/14.2°C)
Oct 81°/57°F (27.1°/13.8°C) 66°/45°F (19.0°/7.3°C)
Nov 69°/49°F (20.4°/9.3°C) 50°/31°F (10.1°/-0.4°C)
Dec 58°/41°F (14.4°/5.2°C) 38°/20°F (3.3°/-6.9°C)

Data: Jordan Meteorological Department Jordan Meteorological Department, China Meteorological Administration China Meteorological Administration

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Jordan and China. To live, work, or study long-term in China, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check China's immigration authority.

Jordan passport

Jordan passport holder visiting China

Visa Required
Jordan passport holders need a visa to enter China.
China passport

China passport holder visiting Jordan

Visa on Arrival
China passport holders can obtain a visa on arrival in Jordan.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in China than Jordan?

Generally yes: China runs about 6% cheaper than Jordan on average, though it depends heavily on the city.

How much money do I need to move to China?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a JOD53,000 comparable salary, that's around CN¥118,000 in China for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from China?

With 47.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, China can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Jordan and China.

Is China safe for expats?

Jordan generally does better on safety, though China leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in China is 0.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.0 in Jordan.

How is healthcare in China compared to Jordan?

China generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Jordan leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 31.1 doctors per 10,000 people in China, compared to 28.5 in Jordan. China scores 81 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Jordan: 65).

What's the weather like in China compared to Jordan?

The average high temperature in Beijing is 64°F, compared to 74°F in Amman. Beijing receives around 22.8 in of rainfall per year, while Amman gets 10.6 in.

What language do they speak in China?

The official language in China is Chinese. In Jordan, the official language is Arabic.

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At a Glance

JO CN
Population 11,520,684 1,406,585,000
Currency Jordanian Dinar (JOD) Chinese Yuan (CN¥)
Languages Arabic Chinese
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +962 +86
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 911 110