Moving to Jordan from South Africa
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from South Africa to Jordan — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from South Africa to Jordan, you would find that Jordan is 5.9% cheaper than South Africa overall. A ZAR1,218,000 salary in South Africa would need to be roughly JOD48,978 in Jordan to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Arabic. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from South Africa to Jordan.
What does your salary buy?
ZAR1,218,000 → JOD48,978
To maintain the same standard of living in Jordan
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 35.7% less
Groceries
pay 17.8% less
Transportation
pay 2.1% less
Housing
pay 28.1% less
Childcare
pay 0.4% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 58.7% more
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 South Africa to Jordan, and how the trend has changed.
Key Indicator Comparison
How South Africa and Jordan 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 significantly 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 significantly 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: South African Revenue 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 | Pretoria | Amman |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 83°/64°F (28°/18°C) | 58°/40°F (14°/5°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 72°/48°F (22°/9°C) | 81°/56°F (27°/13°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 72°/47°F (22°/8°C) | 89°/64°F (32°/18°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 79°/60°F (26°/15°C) | 69°/49°F (21°/9°C) |
View all months
| Month | Pretoria | Amman |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 84°/65°F (29.0°/18.1°C) | 54°/38°F (12.3°/3.6°C) |
| Feb | 84°/64°F (28.7°/18.0°C) | 57°/40°F (13.7°/4.2°C) |
| Mar | 81°/62°F (27.3°/16.6°C) | 63°/43°F (17.2°/6.1°C) |
| Apr | 77°/56°F (24.8°/13.1°C) | 73°/49°F (22.6°/9.5°C) |
| May | 72°/48°F (22.4°/8.7°C) | 82°/56°F (27.8°/13.5°C) |
| Jun | 67°/41°F (19.6°/5.2°C) | 87°/62°F (30.8°/16.6°C) |
| Jul | 68°/42°F (19.8°/5.3°C) | 90°/65°F (32.0°/18.5°C) |
| Aug | 72°/47°F (22.3°/8.2°C) | 90°/65°F (32.4°/18.6°C) |
| Sep | 76°/53°F (24.4°/11.8°C) | 87°/62°F (30.7°/16.6°C) |
| Oct | 77°/57°F (25.2°/14.0°C) | 81°/57°F (27.1°/13.8°C) |
| Nov | 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.4°C) | 69°/49°F (20.4°/9.3°C) |
| Dec | 82°/63°F (27.9°/17.0°C) | 58°/41°F (14.4°/5.2°C) |
Data:
South African Weather Service,
Jordan Meteorological Department
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between South Africa and Jordan. To live, work, or study long-term in Jordan, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Jordan's immigration authority.
South Africa passport holder visiting Jordan
Visa on Arrival
Jordan passport holder visiting South Africa
Visa FreeData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Jordan than South Africa?
Generally yes: Jordan runs about 8% cheaper than South Africa on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to Jordan?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a ZAR1,218,000 comparable salary, that's around JOD12,244 in Jordan for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, deposits, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Jordan?
With 7.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Jordan can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in South Africa and Jordan.
Is Jordan safe for expats?
Jordan performs significantly better than South Africa across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Jordan is 1.0 per 100,000 people, compared to 45.5 in South Africa.
How is healthcare in Jordan compared to South Africa?
Jordan generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Africa leads in health coverage index. There are 25.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Jordan, compared to 8.1 in South Africa. Jordan scores 65 on the WHO universal health coverage index (South Africa: 71).
What's the weather like in Jordan compared to South Africa?
The average high temperature in Amman is 74°F, compared to 77°F in Pretoria. Amman receives around 10.6 in of rainfall per year, while Pretoria gets 27.0 in.
What language do they speak in Jordan?
The official language in Jordan is Arabic. In South Africa, the official languages are Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu.
Compare further: South Africa vs. Jordan
At a Glance
ZA
|
JO
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population | 57,516,665 | 10,998,531 |
| Currency | South African Rand (ZAR) | Jordanian Dinar (JOD) |
| Languages | Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu | Arabic |
| Driving side | Left | Right |
| Calling code | +27 | +962 |
| Time zones | 1 | 1 |
| Emergency number | 10111 | 911 |