Moving to South Africa from Jordan
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Jordan to South Africa — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Jordan to South Africa, you would find that South Africa is 23.4% more expensive than Jordan overall. A JOD53,175 salary in Jordan would need to be roughly ZAR1,322,391 in South Africa to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Jordan to South Africa.
What does your salary buy?
JOD53,175 → ZAR1,322,391
To maintain the same standard of living in South Africa
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 82.5% more
Groceries
pay 34.7% more
Transportation
pay 11.6% more
Housing
pay 45.1% more
Childcare
pay 0.6% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 33.5% less
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Jordan to South Africa, and how the trend has changed.
Who's moving to South Africa?
Top countries of origin for South Africa's foreign-born residents.
- 690,243
- 350,463
- 192,008
- 94,119
- 67,382
- 63,892
- · · ·
-
128.67
Jordan
Key Indicator Comparison
How Jordan and South Africa stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Jordan performs better than South Africa across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Jordan generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Africa leads in health coverage index.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Jordan performs better than South Africa across all environment metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
South Africa generally does better on infrastructure, though Jordan leads in broadband per 100 people.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
Jordan generally does better on employment & economy, though South Africa leads in gdp per capita.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
percentage of adults who can read and write
Jordan generally does better on family life, though South Africa leads in education spending.
Data: Jordan Tax Service, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Amman | Pretoria |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 58°/40°F (14°/5°C) | 83°/64°F (28°/18°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 81°/56°F (27°/13°C) | 72°/48°F (22°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 89°/64°F (32°/18°C) | 72°/47°F (22°/8°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 69°/49°F (21°/9°C) | 79°/60°F (26°/15°C) |
View all months
| Month | Amman | Pretoria |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 54°/38°F (12.3°/3.6°C) | 84°/65°F (29.0°/18.1°C) |
| Feb | 57°/40°F (13.7°/4.2°C) | 84°/64°F (28.7°/18.0°C) |
| Mar | 63°/43°F (17.2°/6.1°C) | 81°/62°F (27.3°/16.6°C) |
| Apr | 73°/49°F (22.6°/9.5°C) | 77°/56°F (24.8°/13.1°C) |
| May | 82°/56°F (27.8°/13.5°C) | 72°/48°F (22.4°/8.7°C) |
| Jun | 87°/62°F (30.8°/16.6°C) | 67°/41°F (19.6°/5.2°C) |
| Jul | 90°/65°F (32.0°/18.5°C) | 68°/42°F (19.8°/5.3°C) |
| Aug | 90°/65°F (32.4°/18.6°C) | 72°/47°F (22.3°/8.2°C) |
| Sep | 87°/62°F (30.7°/16.6°C) | 76°/53°F (24.4°/11.8°C) |
| Oct | 81°/57°F (27.1°/13.8°C) | 77°/57°F (25.2°/14.0°C) |
| Nov | 69°/49°F (20.4°/9.3°C) | 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.4°C) |
| Dec | 58°/41°F (14.4°/5.2°C) | 82°/63°F (27.9°/17.0°C) |
Data:
Jordan Meteorological Department,
South African Weather Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Jordan and South Africa. To live, work, or study long-term in South Africa, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check South Africa's immigration authority.
Jordan passport holder visiting South Africa
Visa Free
South Africa passport holder visiting Jordan
Visa on ArrivalData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in South Africa than Jordan?
Day-to-day costs in South Africa run about 9% higher than Jordan on average; specific cities can swing further.
How much money do I need to move to South Africa?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a JOD53,175 comparable salary, that's around ZAR330,598 in South Africa for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, deposits, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from South Africa?
With 3.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, South Africa 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 South Africa.
Is South Africa safe for expats?
Jordan performs better than South Africa across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in South Africa is 45.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.0 in Jordan.
How is healthcare in South Africa compared to Jordan?
Jordan generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Africa leads in health coverage index. There are 8.1 doctors per 10,000 people in South Africa, compared to 25.1 in Jordan. South Africa scores 71 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Jordan: 65).
What's the weather like in South Africa compared to Jordan?
The average high temperature in Pretoria is 77°F, compared to 74°F in Amman. Pretoria receives around 27.0 in of rainfall per year, while Amman gets 10.6 in.
What language do they speak in South Africa?
The official languages in South Africa are Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu. In Jordan, the official language is Arabic.
Compare further: Jordan vs. South Africa
More relocation comparisons
At a Glance
JO
|
ZA
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population | 10,998,531 | 57,516,665 |
| Currency | Jordanian Dinar (JOD) | South African Rand (ZAR) |
| Languages | Arabic | Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu |
| Driving side | Right | Left |
| Calling code | +962 | +27 |
| Time zones | 1 | 1 |
| Emergency number | 911 | 10111 |