Mid-Range Travel Guide: Jordan
The sweet spot of travel - comfortable accommodations, varied dining, and quality experiences without breaking the bank
Daily Budget: 85-170 JOD ($120-240) per day
Complete breakdown of costs for mid-range travel in Jordan
Accommodation
35-70 JOD ($49-99) per night
Private rooms in three-star hotels or well-regarded guesthouses, often found in areas like Jabal Amman or near the Petra visitors' center. Rooms typically have private bathrooms with cool marble tiles, air conditioning to cut through the dry heat, and balconies where you might smell jasmine in the evening air. These places often serve a breakfast of labneh, olives, and fresh bread.
Browse mid-range accommodation →Food & Dining
15-25 JOD ($21 -35) per day
A mix of proper local restaurants and nicer tourist-oriented spots. Breakfast at your hotel, then lunch at a sit-down restaurant in Madaba, perhaps sampling the smoky, char-grilled taste of chicken shawarma. Dinner could be at a restaurant in Petra serving mansaf, the lamb and rice dish fragrant with dried yogurt, eaten in a dining room with woven rugs on the walls.
Transportation
10-25 JOD ($14-35) per day
A blend of private taxis for shorter city trips, where you'll feel the blast of the air conditioner, and comfortable tourist buses for longer journeys like the Dead Sea road. You might hire a car and driver for a full-day trip to sites like Jerash, negotiating the cost upfront. The occasional use of a ride-hailing app in Amman fits here.
Activities
25-50 JOD ($35-70) per day
Paid entrance to major sites is the norm. This includes the full Petra experience, feeling the narrow coolness of the Siq before seeing the Treasury's carved facade, and a guided tour of the Jerash ruins to hear the history of its colonnaded streets. You might book a standard 4x4 tour into Wadi Rum to feel the desert wind and see the sunset paint the cliffs.
Currency: JOD (Jordanian Dinar). 1 JOD is roughly $1.41 USD. Prices often list in dinar. Many tourist businesses accept USD and Euros.
Money-Saving Tips
Eat where locals eat in downtown Amman, around Hashemite Street. The falafel and hummus spots there are often half the cost of restaurants in more polished neighborhoods, and you'll smell the cumin and frying oil from the street.
Use the public JETT bus for long-distance travel between major cities like Amman, Aqaba, and Petra. It's a fraction of the price of a private taxi and you'll see the dusty landscape roll by the window.
Carry a reusable water bottle and refill it. Buying small bottles of water constantly in Jordan's heat adds up quickly. Many hotels and restaurants will refill it for you.
Consider the Jordan Pass if you plan to visit Petra and other major sites. It covers the visa fee and entry to many attractions, typically working out cheaper than paying for each separately.
Book accommodation in Wadi Musa (Petra) a short walk from the visitor center, not right next to it. The rates tend to drop noticeably just a few blocks away, and the morning walk is pleasant.
Travel in a small group and share costs for taxis and private drivers. Splitting the fare for a day trip to the Dead Sea or Jerash makes it comparable to, or even cheaper than, organized group tours.
Common Budget Mistakes to Avoid
Paying for bottled water with every meal instead of refilling a bottle. This can easily double your daily drink costs in the Jordanian climate.
Taking a taxi from Amman's Queen Alia International Airport without agreeing on a rate first. The meter fare is fine, but a pre-negotiated fixed price is often cheaper than an un-metered ride.
Eating all meals in hotel restaurants or right by the Petra entrance. Walk ten minutes into Wadi Musa town. Your food costs drop by a third or more.
Booking the priciest 'by-night' tour package for Wadi Rum. Many mid-range camps deliver the same core experience. You get the 4x4 tour, meals, and accommodation. Pay significantly less than the top-tier operators.