Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ashkelon and Haifa

For one person, living costs are similar in Ashkelon and in Haifa: $2,394 and $2,457 a month, rent and utilities included.

Ashkelon
🇮🇱 Israel
$2,394
/mo nomad
Haifa
🇮🇱 Israel
$2,457
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ashkelon and in Haifa

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ashkelon and in Haifa actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,394 in Ashkelon versus $2,457 in Haifa.

  • Ashkelon $2,394
  • Haifa $2,457

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,551 in Ashkelon versus $3,680 in Haifa.

  • Ashkelon $3,551
  • Haifa $3,680

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,708 in Ashkelon versus $4,904 in Haifa.

  • Ashkelon $4,708
  • Haifa $4,904

Living in Ashkelon costs roughly 3% less than in Haifa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ashkelon 77% above, Haifa 82% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ashkelon
Haifa
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$23.07 ₪71.8
$25.88 ₪80.5
-10.86%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$81.0 ₪252
$106 ₪330
-23.68%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$17.60 ₪54.8
$19.58 ₪60.9
-10.11%
Cappuccino
$4.58 ₪14.25
$4.56 ₪14.20
0.44%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.26 ₪10.15
$3.61 ₪11.24
-9.70%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.80 ₪8.71
$3.19 ₪9.93
-12.23%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$12.10 ₪37.63
$10.64 ₪33.11
13.72%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.69 ₪23.93
$10.64 ₪33.10
-27.73%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ashkelon
Haifa
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.35 ₪7.32
$2.56 ₪7.98
-8.20%
White Bread (500g)
$2.68 ₪8.34
$3.76 ₪11.69
-28.72%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.01 ₪9.35
$3.78 ₪11.77
-20.37%
Eggs
$4.57 ₪14.21
$5.01 ₪15.58
-8.78%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$21.56 ₪67.1
$17.62 ₪54.8
22.36%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.94 ₪40.26
$12.67 ₪39.41
2.13%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$25.38 ₪79.0
$23.83 ₪74.1
6.50%
Apples (1kg)
$4.13 ₪12.86
$4.34 ₪13.51
-4.84%
Banana (1kg)
$3.18 ₪9.91
$2.98 ₪9.26
6.71%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.27 ₪7.05
$2.33 ₪7.24
-2.58%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.22 ₪10.03
$2.60 ₪8.09
23.85%
Potato (1kg)
$1.60 ₪4.99
$2.08 ₪6.46
-23.08%
Onion (1kg)
$1.99 ₪6.20
$1.75 ₪5.44
13.71%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.66 ₪8.27
$2.43 ₪7.57
9.47%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.94 ₪2.93
$2.70 ₪8.40
-65.19%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.77 ₪42.84
$13.21 ₪41.09
4.24%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.65 ₪36.23
$15.35 ₪47.77
-24.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.58 ₪8.02
$3.23 ₪10.03
-20.12%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.97 ₪6.12
$4.95 ₪15.41
-60.20%
🚌 Getting Around
Ashkelon
Haifa
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.53 ₪7.88
$2.67 ₪8.29
-5.24%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.33 ₪138
$101 ₪315
-56.16%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$11.17 ₪34.76
$4.19 ₪13.04
166.59%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.67 ₪5.20
$1.26 ₪3.92
32.54%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$39.23 ₪122
$36.97 ₪115
6.11%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.64 ₪8.20
$2.56 ₪7.96
3.13%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$57.8K ₪179.8K
$57.8K ₪179.9K
-0.10%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$56.8K ₪176.7K
$57.2K ₪178.1K
-0.75%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ashkelon
Haifa
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$214 ₪667
$264 ₪822
-18.86%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.73 ₪36.49
$11.58 ₪36.02
1.30%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$41.41 ₪129
$35.35 ₪110
17.14%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ashkelon
Haifa
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.93 ₪143
$83.9 ₪261
-45.24%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$32.25 ₪100
$25.08 ₪78.0
28.59%
Cinema Ticket
$16.56 ₪51.5
$15.78 ₪49.09
4.94%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ashkelon
Haifa
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,220 ₪3,797
$1,140 ₪3,548
7.01%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ashkelon
Haifa
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$107 ₪334
$114 ₪355
-6.03%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$75.6 ₪235
$71.0 ₪221
6.45%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$113 ₪352
$135 ₪421
-16.53%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$146 ₪453
$154 ₪478
-5.21%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ashkelon
Haifa
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,144 ₪3,560
$1,057 ₪3,288
8.26%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$961 ₪2,989
$816 ₪2,538
17.78%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,798 ₪5,595
$1,640 ₪5,104
9.63%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,470 ₪4,575
$1,183 ₪3,681
24.29%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,741 ₪17.9K
$9,291 ₪28.9K
-38.21%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,602 ₪17.4K
$6,147 ₪19.1K
-8.87%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ashkelon
Haifa
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,977 ₪9,263
$4,372 ₪13.6K
-31.90%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.98
5.04
-1.19%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Ashkelon: October 11, 2026

Last update for Haifa: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ashkelon
$961
Haifa
$816 15.1% $145
Groceries & Markets
Ashkelon
$422
Haifa
$457 8.2% $35
Eating Out
Ashkelon
$392
Haifa
$422 7.6% $30
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ashkelon
$267
Haifa
$311 16.3% $44
Clothing & Footwear
Ashkelon
$199
Haifa
$213 7.4% $15
Sport & Entertainment
Ashkelon
$79
Haifa
$115 46.1% $36
Getting Around
Ashkelon
$74
Haifa
$122 65.3% $48

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,144 in Ashkelon and $1,057 in Haifa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Haifa pays 47% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $81.0 in Ashkelon vs $106 in Haifa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $422 vs $457 per month, with Ashkelon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇮🇱 Ashkelon
🇮🇱 Haifa
🕒 Local time
07:16 7:16 AM
07:16 7:16 AM
Same time as Ashkelon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
152,439
279,591
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to ILS – Israeli New Shekel Converter

Israeli New Shekel exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.11 ILS (1 ILS = 0.321 USD). 1 EUR = 3.5 ILS (1 ILS = 0.286 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ashkelon Haifa 130 km
From you
  • Ashkelon
  • Haifa

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Ashkelon vs Haifa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Ashkelon or Haifa?
Ashkelon wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Haifa. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ashkelon the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Ashkelon or in Haifa?
On paper, salaries run 47% lower in Haifa. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Ashkelon compared to Haifa?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,144 in Ashkelon versus $1,057 in Haifa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Ashkelon and in Haifa?
Dining out is cheaper in Ashkelon – a meal for two runs $81.0 versus $106 in Haifa. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How much does it cost to live in Ashkelon compared to Haifa?
All in, you'll spend $2,394 per month in Ashkelon versus $2,457 in Haifa – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Ashkelon or in Haifa?
At $2,394 in Ashkelon versus $2,457 in Haifa, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ashkelon but tight or insufficient in Haifa. The gap between the two cities makes Ashkelon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Ashkelon or Haifa?
Both work as nomad bases, but Ashkelon delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,394 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ashkelon hard to pass up.
How safe is Ashkelon compared to Haifa?
Safety-wise, Ashkelon and Haifa are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Ashkelon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Haifa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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