Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bloomington, IN and Ramallah

For one person, living is cheaper in Ramallah: $1,946 a month against $2,376 in Bloomington, IN, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Bloomington, IN outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Bloomington, IN
🇺🇸 United States
$2,376
/mo nomad
Ramallah
🇵🇸 Palestine
$1,946
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bloomington, IN and in Ramallah

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

A single person spends $2,376 per month in Bloomington, IN vs $1,946 in Ramallah, rent included.

  • Bloomington, IN $2,376
  • Ramallah $1,946

A couple spends around $3,168 per month in Bloomington, IN vs $2,810 in Ramallah, rent included.

  • Bloomington, IN $3,168
  • Ramallah $2,810

A family of three spends $3,960 per month in Bloomington, IN vs $3,674 in Ramallah, rent included.

  • Bloomington, IN $3,960
  • Ramallah $3,674

Bloomington, IN costs about 22% more than Ramallah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Bloomington, IN and Ramallah sit above the global median – Bloomington, IN by 76%, Ramallah by 44%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bloomington, IN
Ramallah
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.73 $14.73
-
-
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$49.75 $49.75
$66.2 ₪206
-24.84%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.08 $10.08
$12.78 ₪39.75
-21.13%
Cappuccino
$4.90 $4.90
$4.97 ₪15.45
-1.41%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.08 $2.08
$1.96 ₪6.10
6.12%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.55 $1.55
$1.59 ₪4.94
-2.52%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.19 $5.19
$9.60 ₪29.87
-45.94%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.83 $5.83
$8.34 ₪25.95
-30.10%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bloomington, IN
Ramallah
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.80 $0.80
$2.17 ₪6.74
-63.13%
White Bread (500g)
$3.22 $3.22
$2.57 ₪8.01
25.29%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.03 $4.03
$2.85 ₪8.86
41.40%
Eggs
$3.77 $3.77
$3.79 ₪11.79
-0.53%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.86 $12.86
$11.34 ₪35.28
13.40%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.91 $5.91
$6.56 ₪20.42
-9.91%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.23 $16.23
$25.80 ₪80.3
-37.09%
Apples (1kg)
$4.37 $4.37
$4.96 ₪15.45
-11.90%
Banana (1kg)
$1.28 $1.28
$1.59 ₪4.93
-19.50%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.36 $3.36
$1.59 ₪4.95
111.32%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.81 $4.81
$2.23 ₪6.94
115.70%
Potato (1kg)
$2.63 $2.63
$2.01 ₪6.25
30.85%
Onion (1kg)
$3.22 $3.22
$1.67 ₪5.20
92.81%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.04 $2.04
$2.29 ₪7.13
-10.92%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.91 $1.91
$1.02 ₪3.18
87.25%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.33 $10.33
-
-
Wine (Bottle)
$10.79 $10.79
$22.53 ₪70.1
-52.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.84 $1.84
$2.67 ₪8.30
-31.09%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.96 $2.96
$2.24 ₪6.98
32.14%
🚌 Getting Around
Bloomington, IN
Ramallah
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$1.58 ₪4.93
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$29.88 $29.88
$82.8 ₪258
-63.93%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.84 $3.84
$4.83 ₪15.04
-20.50%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.09 $1.09
$4.99 ₪15.54
-78.16%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$18.05 $18.05
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.91 $0.91
$2.56 ₪7.97
-64.45%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.9K $35.9K
$58.7K ₪182.7K
-38.85%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.6K $25.6K
$88.5K ₪275.2K
-71.09%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bloomington, IN
Ramallah
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$150 $150
$324 ₪1,008
-53.74%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$76.9 $76.9
$29.39 ₪91.4
161.52%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$62.9 $62.9
$39.23 ₪122
60.34%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bloomington, IN
Ramallah
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.43 $40.43
$89.4 ₪278
-54.78%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.61 $20.61
$19.62 ₪61.1
5.05%
Cinema Ticket
$11.87 $11.87
$11.24 ₪34.99
5.60%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bloomington, IN
Ramallah
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,476 $1,476
-
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$19.4K $19.4K
$8,275 ₪25.7K
134.09%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bloomington, IN
Ramallah
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$45.63 $45.63
-
-
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.03 $42.03
$99.3 ₪309
-57.67%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$68.3 $68.3
$131 ₪407
-47.81%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$90.1 $90.1
$96.7 ₪301
-6.80%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bloomington, IN
Ramallah
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,484 $1,484
$1,069 ₪3,326
38.80%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,276 $1,276
$635 ₪1,976
100.92%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,086 $2,086
$1,432 ₪4,455
45.70%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,576 $1,576
$965 ₪3,002
63.30%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,120 $2,120
$1,191 ₪3,706
77.98%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,150 $2,150
$885 ₪2,753
143.00%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bloomington, IN
Ramallah
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,556 $3,556
$1,280 ₪3,983
177.72%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.55
5.33
22.89%

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

Last update for Bloomington, IN: October 10, 2026

Last update for Ramallah: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Bloomington, IN
$1.3K
Ramallah
$635 50.2% $641
Groceries & Markets
Bloomington, IN
$337
Ramallah
$364 7.8% $26
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bloomington, IN
$290
Ramallah
$392 35.5% $103
Eating Out
Bloomington, IN
$259
Ramallah
$177 * 31.8% $82
Clothing & Footwear
Bloomington, IN
$111
Ramallah
$147 * 32.8% $36
Sport & Entertainment
Bloomington, IN
$64
Ramallah
$112 74.4% $48
Getting Around
Bloomington, IN
$39 *
Ramallah
$119 204% $80

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,484 in Bloomington, IN versus $1,069 in Ramallah. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 178% higher in Bloomington, IN, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50.0 in Bloomington, IN versus $66.0 in Ramallah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $337 vs $364 – making Bloomington, IN the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Bloomington, IN
🇵🇸 Ramallah
🕒 Local time
03:28 3:28 AM
10:28 10:28 AM
7 h ahead of Bloomington, IN
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
69,247
43,880 Capital
Exchange rates and currency converter

ILS, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Israeli New Shekel exchange rates as of October 20, 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
  • Bloomington, IN Ramallah 10,090 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Bloomington, IN
  • Ramallah

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
Bloomington, IN vs Ramallah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ramallah cheaper than Bloomington, IN?
Yes – Bloomington, IN is pricier by about 22%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,564 per month in Bloomington, IN and $2,919 in Ramallah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Ramallah, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 177% less in Ramallah. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
How do food prices compare in Bloomington, IN and in Ramallah?
Interestingly, groceries are about 8% cheaper in Bloomington, IN – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.
Is $3,000 a realistic budget for living in Bloomington, IN or in Ramallah?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Ramallah, where all-in costs run around $1,946, than in Bloomington, IN at $2,376. In Ramallah it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bloomington, IN it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Bloomington, IN or Ramallah more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Ramallah – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Bloomington, IN or Ramallah?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Ramallah. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bloomington, IN makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Bloomington, IN vs other spots: cost of living compared

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