Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Haifa and Arad

For one person, living is cheaper in Haifa: $2,457 a month against $2,976 in Arad, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

118

Cost of Living Index in Haifa
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Haifa Living Index
144

Cost of Living Index in Arad
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Arad Living Index

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Haifa

🇮🇱 Israel

$2,457

/mo nomad

Arad

🇮🇱 Israel

$2,976

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Haifa and in Arad

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

A single person spends $2,457 per month in Haifa vs $2,976 in Arad, rent included.

Haifa $2,457
Arad $2,976

A couple spends around $3,680 per month in Haifa vs $4,235 in Arad, rent included.

Haifa $3,680
Arad $4,235

A family of three spends $4,904 per month in Haifa vs $5,493 in Arad, rent included.

Haifa $4,904
Arad $5,493

Haifa is about 17% cheaper than Arad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Haifa and Arad sit above the global median – Haifa by 82%, Arad by 120%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.88 ₪80.5

$25.95 ₪80.7

-0.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$106 ₪330

$92.1 ₪286

15.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.58 ₪60.9

$20.04 ₪62.4

-2.30%

Cappuccino

$4.56 ₪14.20

$4.81 ₪14.97

-5.20%

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

$3.61 ₪11.24

$3.98 ₪12.40

-9.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 ₪9.93

$2.67 ₪8.31

19.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.64 ₪33.11

$9.92 ₪30.86

7.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.64 ₪33.10

$10.27 ₪31.97

3.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.56 ₪7.98

$2.57 ₪7.99

-0.39%

White Bread (500g)

$3.76 ₪11.69

$5.61 ₪17.46

-32.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.78 ₪11.77

$3.38 ₪10.51

11.83%

Eggs

$5.01 ₪15.58

$4.48 ₪13.95

11.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.62 ₪54.8

$13.12 ₪40.82

34.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.67 ₪39.41

$19.23 ₪59.8

-34.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.83 ₪74.1

$26.55 ₪82.6

-10.24%

Apples (1kg)

$4.34 ₪13.51

$6.38 ₪19.84

-31.97%

Banana (1kg)

$2.98 ₪9.26

$3.20 ₪9.95

-6.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₪7.24

$3.05 ₪9.50

-23.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.60 ₪8.09

$3.17 ₪9.87

-17.98%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 ₪6.46

$2.10 ₪6.54

-0.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.75 ₪5.44

$1.70 ₪5.28

2.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 ₪7.57

$2.42 ₪7.51

0.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.70 ₪8.40

$2.56 ₪7.95

5.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.21 ₪41.09

$9.96 ₪31.00

32.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.35 ₪47.77

$13.22 ₪41.12

16.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.23 ₪10.03

$4.69 ₪14.58

-31.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.95 ₪15.41

$4.22 ₪13.14

17.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.67 ₪8.29

$2.99 ₪9.29

-10.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$101 ₪315

$87.4 ₪272

15.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 ₪13.04

$8.24 ₪25.65

-49.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 ₪3.92

$1.15 ₪3.59

9.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.97 ₪115

$28.86 ₪89.8

28.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.56 ₪7.96

$2.63 ₪8.17

-2.66%

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

$57.8K ₪179.9K

$58.2K ₪181.2K

-0.67%

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

$57.2K ₪178.1K

$58.7K ₪182.8K

-2.55%

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

$264 ₪822

$336 ₪1,046

-21.49%

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

$11.58 ₪36.02

$12.37 ₪38.47

-6.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.35 ₪110

$49.51 ₪154

-28.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$83.9 ₪261

$84.7 ₪264

-0.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.08 ₪78.0

Cinema Ticket

$15.78 ₪49.09

$16.53 ₪51.4

-4.54%

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

$1,140 ₪3,548

$1,643 ₪5,112

-30.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.1K ₪93.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$114 ₪355

$103 ₪319

11.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$71.0 ₪221

$64.3 ₪200

10.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 ₪421

$176 ₪548

-23.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$154 ₪478

$157 ₪487

-1.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,057 ₪3,288

$1,678 ₪5,222

-37.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$816 ₪2,538

$1,184 ₪3,683

-31.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,640 ₪5,104

$2,522 ₪7,846

-34.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,183 ₪3,681

$1,624 ₪5,053

-27.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,291 ₪28.9K

$10.8K ₪33.6K

-13.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,147 ₪19.1K

$8,515 ₪26.5K

-27.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,372 ₪13.6K

$2,569 ₪7,992

70.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.04

5.2

-3.08%

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

Last update for Haifa: October 12, 2026

Last update for Arad: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Haifa

$816 33.2%

Arad

$1.2K 39.8% 45.1% $368

Groceries & Markets

Haifa

$457 18.6%

Arad

$516 17.3% 13% $59

Eating Out

Haifa

$422 17.2%

Arad

$422 14.2% 0% $0

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Haifa

$311 12.7%

Arad

$398 13.4% 28% $87

Clothing & Footwear

Haifa

$213 8.7%

Arad

$225 7.6% 5.4% $11

Getting Around

Haifa

$122 5%

Arad

$113 3.8% 7.3% $8.9

Sport & Entertainment

Haifa

$115 4.7%

Arad

$118 4% 2% $2.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,057 in Haifa versus $1,678 in Arad. 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 70% higher in Haifa, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $106 in Haifa versus $92.0 in Arad. Groceries tell a different story – $457 in Haifa vs $516 in Arad – so Haifa wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇮🇱 Haifa

🇮🇱 Arad

🕒 Local time

14:36 2:36 PM

Same time as Haifa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

279,591

25,530

💱 Currency

Israeli New Shekel ILS ₪

📈 Exchange rate

1 ILS = 0.321 USD

1 ILS = 0.286 EUR

1 ILS = 0.321 USD

1 ILS = 0.286 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Haifa Arad 170 km

From you

Haifa
Arad

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

Haifa vs Arad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arad costs about 21% more than Haifa, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,685 per month in Haifa and $4,464 in Arad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Haifa, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,457 in Haifa and $2,976 in Arad. That's a gap of about 21%.

Public transport costs about 16% less in Haifa. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Haifa, where all-in costs run around $2,457, than in Arad at $2,976. In Haifa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Arad it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Haifa costs $2,457 versus $2,976 in Arad. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Haifa. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Arad makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.