Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Haifa and Ashkelon

For one person, living costs are similar in Haifa and in Ashkelon: $2,443 and $2,398 a month, rent and utilities included.

118

Cost of Living Index in Haifa
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Haifa Living Index
115

Cost of Living Index in Ashkelon
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Ashkelon Living Index

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Haifa

🇮🇱 Israel

$2,443

/mo nomad

Ashkelon

🇮🇱 Israel

$2,398

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Haifa and in Ashkelon

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 Ashkelon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,443 in Haifa versus $2,398 in Ashkelon.

Haifa $2,443
Ashkelon $2,398

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,719 in Haifa versus $3,538 in Ashkelon.

Haifa $3,719
Ashkelon $3,538

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,995 in Haifa versus $4,679 in Ashkelon.

Haifa $4,995
Ashkelon $4,679

Monthly costs are close between Haifa and Ashkelon; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Haifa 80% above, Ashkelon 76% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.19 ₪81.6

$22.41 ₪69.8

16.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$108 ₪338

$80.3 ₪250

34.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.80 ₪61.7

$17.55 ₪54.7

12.82%

Cappuccino

$4.47 ₪13.92

$4.57 ₪14.24

-2.19%

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

$3.47 ₪10.79

$3.37 ₪10.50

2.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ₪10.33

$2.84 ₪8.85

16.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.34 ₪32.20

$11.71 ₪36.47

-11.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.90 ₪33.96

$7.46 ₪23.23

46.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.55 ₪7.95

$2.45 ₪7.62

4.08%

White Bread (500g)

$3.59 ₪11.18

$2.53 ₪7.88

41.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.87 ₪12.07

$3.09 ₪9.63

25.24%

Eggs

$5.10 ₪15.89

$4.69 ₪14.61

8.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.47 ₪54.4

$21.04 ₪65.5

-16.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.80 ₪39.86

$12.68 ₪39.49

0.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.44 ₪73.0

$24.51 ₪76.4

-4.37%

Apples (1kg)

$4.26 ₪13.27

$4.02 ₪12.51

5.97%

Banana (1kg)

$2.93 ₪9.13

$3.25 ₪10.13

-9.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.40 ₪7.49

$2.23 ₪6.95

7.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 ₪7.81

$3.22 ₪10.03

-22.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 ₪6.11

$1.66 ₪5.17

18.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.73 ₪5.37

$1.95 ₪6.06

-11.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.37 ₪7.39

$2.62 ₪8.17

-9.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.71 ₪8.43

$0.93 ₪2.88

191.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.28 ₪41.35

$13.45 ₪41.88

-1.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.40 ₪47.95

$11.63 ₪36.22

32.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.21 ₪9.99

$2.64 ₪8.23

21.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.82 ₪15.02

$1.91 ₪5.95

152.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.53 ₪7.88

$2.64 ₪8.22

-4.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$103 ₪319

$45.03 ₪140

127.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.37 ₪13.62

$11.56 ₪36.01

-62.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.21 ₪3.76

$1.67 ₪5.19

-27.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.30 ₪116

$39.51 ₪123

-5.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.66 ₪8.28

$2.53 ₪7.89

5.14%

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

$55.7K ₪173.6K

$54.7K ₪170.3K

1.93%

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

$54.8K ₪170.6K

$53.3K ₪166.1K

2.70%

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

$261 ₪812

$207 ₪645

25.97%

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

$11.75 ₪36.61

$11.67 ₪36.35

0.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.21 ₪110

$42.12 ₪131

-16.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.8 ₪258

$46.89 ₪146

76.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.97 ₪77.8

$32.27 ₪101

-22.62%

Cinema Ticket

$15.98 ₪49.77

$15.82 ₪49.28

1.01%

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

$1,160 ₪3,612

$1,179 ₪3,672

-1.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 ₪345

$103 ₪322

7.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$71.0 ₪221

$77.6 ₪242

-8.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 ₪406

$114 ₪354

14.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$156 ₪485

$148 ₪462

5.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,079 ₪3,361

$1,149 ₪3,579

-6.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$811 ₪2,527

$982 ₪3,060

-17.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,727 ₪5,378

$1,785 ₪5,561

-3.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,277 ₪3,979

$1,477 ₪4,599

-13.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,276 ₪28.9K

$5,757 ₪17.9K

61.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,034 ₪18.8K

$5,458 ₪17.0K

10.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,308 ₪13.4K

$2,957 ₪9,209

45.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.04

4.98

1.20%

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

Last update for Haifa: October 25, 2026

Last update for Ashkelon: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Haifa

$811 33.2%

Ashkelon

$982 41% 21.1% $171

Groceries & Markets

Haifa

$453 18.5%

Ashkelon

$416 17.4% 8.1% $37

Eating Out

Haifa

$423 17.3%

Ashkelon

$385 16.1% 9% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Haifa

$308 12.6%

Ashkelon

$261 10.9% 15.3% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Haifa

$211 8.6%

Ashkelon

$199 8.3% 5.3% $11

Getting Around

Haifa

$123 5%

Ashkelon

$75 3.2% 38.7% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Haifa

$115 4.7%

Ashkelon

$79 3.3% 31.6% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,079 in Haifa and $1,149 in Ashkelon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Haifa pays 46% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $108 in Haifa vs $80 in Ashkelon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $453 vs $416 per month, with Ashkelon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇱 Haifa

🇮🇱 Ashkelon

🕒 Local time

01:45 1:45 AM

Same time as Haifa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

279,591

152,439

💱 Currency

Israeli New Shekel ILS ₪

📈 Exchange rate

1 ILS = 0.321 USD

1 ILS = 0.288 EUR

1 ILS = 0.321 USD

1 ILS = 0.288 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Haifa Ashkelon 130 km

From you

Haifa
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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 Ashkelon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Average pay runs 46% higher in Haifa, 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: $1,079 in Haifa versus $1,149 in Ashkelon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Ashkelon runs roughly 56% less than in Haifa. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Haifa. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Ashkelon is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Haifa and Ashkelon are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Ashkelon wins on affordability, Haifa on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.