Amman - Post Report Question and Answers
What is the availability and cost of household help, and what types of help are typically employed by expatriates?
It's fine, mostly people from the Philippines. It's not the cheapest but affordable. It's expensive to sponsor them and renew their residency, insurance, etc. every year. You also have to pay for flight home, which is around $1000 USD. - Aug 2023
Most people employ a housekeeper/nanny, who are usually women from Southeast Asia. Typical rates are 5 JOD/hour plus transportation. The sponsorship system here is daunting. Foreign workers must be sponsored, and that requires liability for the employee’s activities in the country. It’s a lot of responsibility to have on behalf of another adult, and I feel sure many of the household employees are taken advantage of in Jordan as in the rest of the region. - Aug 2023
Many people seem to employ women from the Philippines or Sri Lanka (latter seems more non-US Embassy). In my opinion, it's an uncomfortable system and I am concerned that it could be abused or used for trafficking. - Jul 2023
Very available though not very cheap. There is a "boab" at each building that you can pay a bit extra to wash your car, take out trash, carry groceries, etc. Housekeepers are about $7 per hour. - Mar 2023
There is a large network of Philippine women who have worked in embassy houses as nannies, cooks and housekeepers for years. You can either sponsor them or "share" with another family who is already sponsoring them. It is more expensive than other places we have lived but reasonable considering how expensive other things are here. We just have someone part-time and pay 5 JD an hour (about $7). - Jul 2022
I had someone come once a week to clean the house and iron my shirts. I don't recall the price, except that it was very cheap. - Oct 2021
Almost all domestic help is guestworkers from the Philippines, Sri Lanka, or Bangladesh (and there are terrible tales of exploitation outside of the embassy community). People with kids usually hire full time nannies, and we pay about $7 an hour for a cleaner once a week. Sponsorship is a common thorn in the side of families responsible for it, but it's a manageable process. It's also usually expected that part time workers get an additional $6 a day for transport. - Apr 2021
We had excellent help at US $650 a month. - Feb 2021
I have heard it is 5JD an hour. Always lots advertised through the embassy newsletter. - Jan 2021
Cheap! We pay 3.75JD per hour for full time nanny/housekeeper... You could go cheaper. Sponsoring is pretty easy. The embassy helps you out and its not that crazy. - Dec 2020
Plan on 800-1000 usd for 40 hours per week. Household help isn't the best we have had in the world. Locals do not work as domestic helpers, you will need to sponsor someone from another country (most from the Philippines or Sri Lanka). Philippinas seem to have a monopoly on the pricing and tend to want it basic duties... Cooking OR cleaning OR watching kids. - Sep 2020
Many people hire household help, nannies and cleaners mostly. The rate varied, but roughly 3 JD an hour at the time for full-time help. Very available, though good help can be a challenge. - Sep 2018
We have a Filipina housekeeper that comes three afternoons a week. We pay her 5 JOD per hour which is around US$7.50 per hour. We are appreciative and thankful. Many people hire full-time for less per hour. - Sep 2018
Domestic help is provided by third country workers, mainly Filipino or Sri Lankan. - Mar 2017
Household help is available for about 4JD an hour. Your employees will also want taxi fare to and from the house, which is about 4JD a day. - Jul 2016
Readily available. If you are coming from Europe you will think help is cheap. If you are coming from Asia or Africa you will think it's expensive. Full time help,usually charge a flat monthly rate. Part time charges roughly 4JD/hr. - Mar 2016
Very cheap--most people have a housekeeper come once a week if not everyday. - Mar 2016
4-5 JD per hr. A lot of people here have part-time or full-time domestic help. - Nov 2015
We have a Sri Lankan helper who comes 2x per week and we pay 20jd for 4 hours work. It's pretty reasonable. Also, be aware that if you are in an apartment, you will have a building caretaker that you will be required to pay monthly. This ranges from 30-120jd per month; but is completely negotiable between you and him. - May 2015
Widely available but not super cheap - we pay 35JOD for two half-days. People with live-in help pay a much better per-hour rate. - Mar 2015
Readily available, though Jordan has a sponsorship program that costs serious JD for foreign born domestic help. Many people hire part-time helpers that are sponsored by other families. Please follow all labor laws when hiring help. For part-time help, it's not uncommon to hear 4JD/hour. - Jul 2014
Very available and it ranges from 400-700 JD per month for full time help depending on how experienced the person is, etc. I'm sure Jordanians probably pay less, but that seems to be the average range for expats. Overtime or hourly tends to be around 3JD. - Mar 2014
It's more expensive than I expected. Filipinas mostly live out and charge US$600-700/month for 40 hours/week. The other most common nationality is Sri Lankan. If you are an American hiring a domestic, you tend to pay more. There are currently complications with bringing in domestics, so be sure you have all the proper paperwork in order if you plan to do so. - Dec 2013
Relatively inexpensive. Many embassy families have Filipina domestic help, the quality can be wide-ranging. - Aug 2013
Most American staff at the Embassy pay about US$3-4 per hour for part time work. Many have live-out nannies/housekeepers. Most choose a Filipino because they usually have good English reading and writing, but many are available from Bengladesh, Sri Lanka, and elsewhere. 40-48 hours per week help is probably US$500-800 per month. - Jul 2013
Cheap compared to the US - around $700-$800 per month for full-time help. Most help is from the Philippines and is English-speaking. - May 2013
Full time is about $600 a month. - Mar 2013
Domestic help is readily available and far cheaper than in the US. - Apr 2012
Prevalent and pretty cheap. - Mar 2012
Widely available and very inexpensive, most people have at least part-time help. - Mar 2012
Fairly inexpensive and almost all Americans have a housekeeper. - Aug 2011
Domestic help is very available and very inexpensive. I paid our help 3JD/hr ($4.50/hr), and I was paying the highest because I didn't need her full time. I know a friend who had a full time nanny and housekeeper for about $600/month. - Aug 2011