Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cary, NC and Tel Aviv-Yafo

For one person, living is cheaper in Cary, NC: $2,842 a month against $3,559 in Tel Aviv-Yafo, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

138

Cost of Living Index in Cary, NC
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Cary, NC Living Index
175

Cost of Living Index in Tel Aviv-Yafo
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Tel Aviv-Yafo Living Index

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Cary, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,842

/mo nomad

Tel Aviv-Yafo

🇮🇱 Israel

$3,559

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cary, NC and in Tel Aviv-Yafo

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,842 in Cary, NC versus $3,559 in Tel Aviv-Yafo.

Cary, NC $2,842
Tel Aviv-Yafo $3,559

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,173 in Cary, NC versus $5,309 in Tel Aviv-Yafo.

Cary, NC $4,173
Tel Aviv-Yafo $5,309

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,505 in Cary, NC versus $7,059 in Tel Aviv-Yafo.

Cary, NC $5,505
Tel Aviv-Yafo $7,059

Living in Cary, NC costs roughly 20% less than in Tel Aviv-Yafo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cary, NC 111% above, Tel Aviv-Yafo 164% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.35 $19.35

$25.69 ₪79.9

-24.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.3 $99.3

$131 ₪408

-24.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.42 $10.42

$20.64 ₪64.2

-49.52%

Cappuccino

$5.06 $5.06

$5.42 ₪16.86

-6.64%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$3.88 ₪12.06

-47.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 $1.85

$3.10 ₪9.65

-40.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.51 $4.51

$11.26 ₪35.04

-59.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.39 $6.39

$10.80 ₪33.61

-40.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$2.63 ₪8.17

-60.46%

White Bread (500g)

$5.51 $5.51

$4.64 ₪14.43

18.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.18 $6.18

$3.65 ₪11.37

69.32%

Eggs

$4.02 $4.02

$5.28 ₪16.42

-23.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.74 $17.74

$21.55 ₪67.0

-17.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.62 $16.62

$16.14 ₪50.2

2.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.96 $17.96

$25.15 ₪78.3

-28.59%

Apples (1kg)

$6.25 $6.25

$4.80 ₪14.94

30.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$3.93 ₪12.24

-50.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.50 ₪7.77

50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.90 $6.90

$3.48 ₪10.84

98.28%

Potato (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$1.87 ₪5.81

73.80%

Onion (1kg)

$4.17 $4.17

$1.85 ₪5.75

125.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.97 $2.97

$2.63 ₪8.19

12.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.70 ₪8.40

-11.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.06 $10.06

$14.43 ₪44.91

-30.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.71 $9.71

$16.26 ₪50.6

-40.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 $2.33

$3.82 ₪11.89

-39.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 $4.04

$4.81 ₪14.96

-16.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.53 $2.53

$2.56 ₪7.97

-1.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.7 $78.7

$102 ₪318

-22.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.31 ₪13.42

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.15 ₪3.57

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.46 ₪60.5

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$2.64 ₪8.22

-64.77%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$55.5K ₪172.6K

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$28.7K $28.7K

$55.7K ₪173.4K

-48.58%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$179 $179

$441 ₪1,371

-59.41%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$47.18 $47.18

$11.40 ₪35.46

313.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.6 $67.6

$34.76 ₪108

94.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$110 ₪342

-29.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.88 $21.88

$22.52 ₪70.1

-2.84%

Cinema Ticket

$15.26 $15.26

$16.05 ₪49.92

-4.92%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,455 $1,455

$1,719 ₪5,348

-15.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K ₪96.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.9 $65.9

$126 ₪391

-47.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.18 $32.18

$85.9 ₪267

-62.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 $119

$172 ₪537

-30.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 $137

$196 ₪609

-29.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,904 $1,904

$2,195 ₪6,828

-13.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 $1,407

$1,591 ₪4,949

-11.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,710 $2,710

$3,611 ₪11.2K

-24.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,162 $2,162

$2,709 ₪8,427

-20.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,859 $2,859

$19.6K ₪61.1K

-85.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,643 $2,643

$13.1K ₪40.7K

-79.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,032 $6,032

$4,065 ₪12.6K

48.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.42

5.03

27.63%

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

Last update for Cary, NC: October 10, 2026

Last update for Tel Aviv-Yafo: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Cary, NC

$1.4K 49.5%

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$1.6K 44.7% 13% $183

Groceries & Markets

Cary, NC

$486 17.1%

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$518 14.6% 6.4% $31

Eating Out

Cary, NC

$298 10.5%

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$438 12.3% 47.2% $141

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cary, NC

$294 10.3%

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$487 13.7% 65.8% $193

Clothing & Footwear

Cary, NC

$160 5.6%

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$261 7.3% 63.5% $101

Sport & Entertainment

Cary, NC

$108 3.8%

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$142 4% 31.1% $34

Getting Around

Cary, NC

$89 * 3.1%

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$122 3.4% 37.9% $34

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,904 in Cary, NC and $2,195 in Tel Aviv-Yafo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cary, NC pays 48% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $99.0 in Cary, NC vs $131 in Tel Aviv-Yafo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $486 vs $518 per month, with Cary, NC cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Cary, NC

🇮🇱 Tel Aviv-Yafo

🕒 Local time

04:58 4:58 AM

11:58 11:58 AM

7 h ahead of Cary, NC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

176,987

438,818

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Israeli New Shekel ILS ₪

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 ILS = 0.321 USD

1 ILS = 0.286 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ILS, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇮🇱 Israeli New Shekel (₪)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Israeli New Shekel exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3.11 ILS (1 ILS = 0.321 USD). 1 EUR = 3.5 ILS (1 ILS = 0.286 EUR).

ILS to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cary, NC Tel Aviv-Yafo 9,780 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Cary, NC
Tel Aviv-Yafo

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

Cary, NC vs Tel Aviv-Yafo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cary, NC is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 25% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 48% higher in Cary, NC, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,904 in Cary, NC versus $2,195 in Tel Aviv-Yafo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,455 in Cary, NC versus $1,719 in Tel Aviv-Yafo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Tel Aviv-Yafo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Cary, NC is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Cary, NC is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Tel Aviv-Yafo, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cary, NC and Tel Aviv-Yafo are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Cary, NC gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Tel Aviv-Yafo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.