Check out this post — Expense Report: Pre-Trip Costs — for a better understanding of other costs associated with a RTW trip, as well as a definition of my travel style and how it impacts my budget.

My time in Jordan is brief but jam-packed. Aside from my very first day in the country, I don’t have a single rest day during my 10 days here. I expect this to show up in my budget — more activities usually means I spent more money — but I’m quite pleased with how the numbers add up for my time in this country. In fact, they’re shockingly low.

Here’s what I spent in U.S. dollars over 10 nights in Jordan:

• Accommodation = $146.84 … $14.68 per night
• Food =  $82.60 … $8.26 per day
• Groceries =  $16.94 … $1.69 per day
• Coffee =  $2.11 … $0.21 per day
• Activities =  $172.26 … $17.22 per day
• Cell & Wifi =  $15.53 … $1.55 per day
• Transportation =  $192.16 … $19.20 per day
• Miscellaneous =  $60.43 … $6.04 per day

And the grand total for 10 nights in Jordan is…:

$688.87 USD, which works out to $68.88 per day.

Here’s how those numbers compare with other countries I’ve traveled to:

• My daily average in Cook Islands: $157.05
• My daily average in New Zealand: $88.56
• My daily average in Australia: $83.37
• My daily average in Singapore: $78.86
• My daily average in Indonesia: $51.34
• My daily average in Malaysia: $117.09
• My daily average in Palau: $160.91
• My daily average in Philippines: $49.21
• My daily average in Japan: $89.55
• My daily average in Nepal: $75.42
• My daily average in Jordan: $68.88

Climbing through Mujib Canyon was all worth it.

A few notes:

• I used xe.com in early November to calculate the exchange rate and at that point in time, 1 JD (Jordanian Dinar) = 1.412 USD.
• I received one discount in Jordan in exchange for my photography services: a 2-day / 2-night stay with Green Desert in Wadi Rum, which included a day-long jeep tour and half-day hike to Jebel Al Hash, both shared with other guests. Total discount: $230 USD.
• I did not include my flight into Jordan, since I will note international flights on a separate RTW airfare budget at the end of my trip. I did not fly out of Jordan but rather walked across the border into Israel at the Aqaba/Eilat crossing. I did not take any domestic flights within Jordan.
• I purchased a Zain SIM card at the airport in Amman which was both quick and cheap. For just over $15, I got a SIM card with 1 GB of data. Reception was good all over the country except in the middle of the desert in Wadi Rum. I continue to use the Viber app to communicate for free with my friends and family back home.
• I continue to use my Charles Schwab debit card to avoid international ATM fees.
• A large part of my Jordan budget went towards transportation. I paid for lots of shared taxi rides to various sites (Mujib, Jerash, Petra) because public transportation to these areas is limited to certain times of the day and rather inconvenient to take (for example, you may have to wait an hour or so for a particular bus to fill up before it will depart). So the most common way tourists get around is via shared taxi. I write “shared” because it’s expensive to hire your own cab, and at the hostels it’s easy to meet other travelers going to the same popular destinations and simply share rides. For example, a taxi from Amman to Petra (traveling all day along scenic Kings Highway with many stops) costs about 100 JD / $140 USD. But four of us shared that cab ride, so it was only a quarter of that per person ($35 each). I did take one bus, and it’s shared by both tourists and locals — the daily bus between Petra and Wadi Rum. At $10 per person one-way, it’s even more affordable than a shared taxi, although it departs very early in the morning: 6:30am from Petra, and 8:30am from Wadi Rum. BOTTOM LINE: Until Jordan offers more regular public transportation for tourists (like the bus systems in Israel or Turkey), taxis are necessary and, unfortunately, rather expensive. But if you are looking for a great driver based in Amman, I highly recommend Jamil (he can take you anywhere within the country). Message me for his Jordanian cell number and I’ll happily send it to you. Tell him Erica from America sent you! (Just kidding, he probably won’t remember me.)
• My accommodation average is a little low because Green Desert in Wadi Rum hosted me for two nights. So while the average night cost me around $15, expect to pay closer to $20 per night for a hostel dorm bed in Jordan.
• I did not buy any souvenirs in this country.
• CAN YOU BELIEVE I SURVIVED ON A SINGLE CUP OF COFFEE FOR 10 DAYS?! Me neither.
• A few items under the miscellaneous slice of the pie include… Jordan visa on arrival ($28 USD but it must be paid in Jordanian Dinars — there is a bank counter and ATM right at customs where you can get cash), exit tax at the border crossing ($14 USD, also paid in JDs — remember to save some of that local currency for your departure), and eight postcard stamps for loved ones back home ($12.50 USD).

I hope that this has been informative for anyone planning their own trip to the Middle East!