Moving to United Arab Emirates from Jordan

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What to Expect

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

If you moved from Jordan to United Arab Emirates, you would find that United Arab Emirates is 2.0 times more expensive than Jordan overall. A JOD53,175 salary in Jordan would need to be roughly AED570,774 in United Arab Emirates to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Abu Dhabi averages 93°F vs 74°F in Amman, making it significantly warmer.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Jordan to United Arab Emirates.

What does your salary buy?

JOD53,175 AED570,774

To maintain the same standard of living in United Arab Emirates

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 68.9% more

Groceries

pay 56.8% more

Transportation

pay 17.1% more

Housing

pay 3.9 times more

Childcare

pay 2.5 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 70.8% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 JOD = 5.18 AED (June 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.

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

Real numbers on people moving from Jordan to United Arab Emirates, and how the trend has changed.

Living there in 2020
168,968 ↑ 9% vs 2015

people born in Jordan live in United Arab Emirates · UN DESA

Who's moving to United Arab Emirates?

Top countries of origin for United Arab Emirates's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

How Jordan and United Arab Emirates stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

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

per 100,000 people per year

JO
13.6
AE
5.9

United Arab Emirates performs significantly better than Jordan across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

JO
$798
AE
$3,727
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

affects wait times and access to care

JO
25.1
AE
29.1

Jordan generally does better on health & wellbeing, though United Arab Emirates leads in doctors per 10,000 people.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

JO
38.0
AE
70.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

JO
2.1t
AE
18.3t

Jordan performs better than United Arab Emirates across all environment metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

JO
7.1
AE
40.0
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

JO
102.5%
AE
1533.3%

United Arab Emirates generally does better on infrastructure, though Jordan leads in water stress level.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

JO
17.9%
AE
2.7%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

JO
$9,400
AE
$75,600

United Arab Emirates performs significantly better than Jordan across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

JO
76.0 yrs
AE
79.6 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

JO
13.9
AE
5.1

United Arab Emirates generally does better on family life, though Jordan leads in literacy rate.

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.

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

Avg. annual high / low

Abu Dhabi Rain: 3.5 in/yr (89 mm)
93° / 68°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Amman Abu Dhabi
Jan–Mar 58°/40°F (14°/5°C) 78°/56°F (26°/14°C)
Apr–Jun 81°/56°F (27°/13°C) 99°/72°F (37°/22°C)
Jul–Sep 89°/64°F (32°/18°C) 106°/81°F (41°/27°C)
Oct–Dec 69°/49°F (21°/9°C) 87°/64°F (31°/18°C)
View all months
Month Amman Abu Dhabi
Jan 54°/38°F (12.3°/3.6°C) 75°/53°F (23.8°/11.8°C)
Feb 57°/40°F (13.7°/4.2°C) 76°/56°F (24.6°/13.2°C)
Mar 63°/43°F (17.2°/6.1°C) 83°/60°F (28.6°/15.8°C)
Apr 73°/49°F (22.6°/9.5°C) 92°/66°F (33.4°/19.1°C)
May 82°/56°F (27.8°/13.5°C) 101°/73°F (38.4°/22.8°C)
Jun 87°/62°F (30.8°/16.6°C) 103°/77°F (39.6°/24.8°C)
Jul 90°/65°F (32.0°/18.5°C) 108°/82°F (42.0°/27.6°C)
Aug 90°/65°F (32.4°/18.6°C) 107°/84°F (41.5°/28.7°C)
Sep 87°/62°F (30.7°/16.6°C) 104°/78°F (40.1°/25.6°C)
Oct 81°/57°F (27.1°/13.8°C) 96°/71°F (35.8°/21.8°C)
Nov 69°/49°F (20.4°/9.3°C) 87°/64°F (30.6°/17.5°C)
Dec 58°/41°F (14.4°/5.2°C) 78°/57°F (25.7°/14.1°C)

Data: Jordan Meteorological Department Jordan Meteorological Department

Visitor Visa Requirements

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

Jordan passport

Jordan passport holder visiting United Arab Emirates

Visa Online (e-Visa)
Jordan passport holders need to apply for an e-Visa before travelling to United Arab Emirates.
United Arab Emirates passport

United Arab Emirates passport holder visiting Jordan

Visa Free
United Arab Emirates passport holders can enter Jordan without a visa.

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 United Arab Emirates than Jordan?

Day-to-day costs in United Arab Emirates run about 107% higher than Jordan on average; specific cities can swing further.

How much money do I need to move to United Arab Emirates?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a JOD53,175 comparable salary, that's around AED142,694 in United Arab Emirates for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, deposits, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from United Arab Emirates?

With 40.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, United Arab Emirates 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 United Arab Emirates.

Is United Arab Emirates safe for expats?

United Arab Emirates performs significantly better than Jordan across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in United Arab Emirates is 0.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.0 in Jordan.

How is healthcare in United Arab Emirates compared to Jordan?

Jordan generally does better on health & wellbeing, though United Arab Emirates leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 29.1 doctors per 10,000 people in United Arab Emirates, compared to 25.1 in Jordan. United Arab Emirates scores 82 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Jordan: 65).

What's the weather like in United Arab Emirates compared to Jordan?

The average high temperature in Abu Dhabi is 93°F, compared to 74°F in Amman. Abu Dhabi receives around 3.5 in of rainfall per year, while Amman gets 10.6 in.

What language do they speak in United Arab Emirates?

Both Jordan and United Arab Emirates share the same official language: Arabic.

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At a Glance

JO AE
Population 10,998,531 9,915,803
Currency Jordanian Dinar (JOD) United Arab Emirates Dirham (AED)
Languages Arabic Arabic
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +962 +971
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 911 999