Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Haifa and Beit Shemesh

For one person, living is cheaper in Haifa: $2,443 a month against $3,069 in Beit Shemesh, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Haifa, Israel
Beit Shemesh, Israel
Haifa
🇮🇱 Israel
$2,443
/mo nomad
Beit Shemesh
🇮🇱 Israel
$3,069
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Haifa and in Beit Shemesh

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

A single person spends $2,443 per month in Haifa vs $3,069 in Beit Shemesh, rent included.

  • Haifa $2,443
  • Beit Shemesh $3,069

A couple spends around $3,719 per month in Haifa vs $4,657 in Beit Shemesh, rent included.

  • Haifa $3,719
  • Beit Shemesh $4,657

A family of three spends $4,995 per month in Haifa vs $6,246 in Beit Shemesh, rent included.

  • Haifa $4,995
  • Beit Shemesh $6,246

Haifa is about 20% cheaper than Beit Shemesh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Haifa and Beit Shemesh sit above the global median – Haifa by 80%, Beit Shemesh by 125%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Haifa
Beit Shemesh
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$26.19 ₪81.6
$26.42 ₪82.3
-0.87%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$108 ₪338
$128 ₪399
-15.45%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$19.80 ₪61.7
$19.98 ₪62.2
-0.90%
Cappuccino
$4.47 ₪13.92
$5.53 ₪17.23
-19.17%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.47 ₪10.79
$4.00 ₪12.45
-13.25%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.32 ₪10.33
$3.02 ₪9.42
9.93%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$10.34 ₪32.20
$10.40 ₪32.38
-0.58%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$10.90 ₪33.96
$10.58 ₪32.94
3.02%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Haifa
Beit Shemesh
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.55 ₪7.95
$2.47 ₪7.69
3.24%
White Bread (500g)
$3.59 ₪11.18
$4.62 ₪14.40
-22.29%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.87 ₪12.07
$3.78 ₪11.78
2.38%
Eggs
$5.10 ₪15.89
$5.22 ₪16.25
-2.30%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.47 ₪54.4
$21.27 ₪66.3
-17.87%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.80 ₪39.86
$16.09 ₪50.1
-20.45%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$23.44 ₪73.0
$25.49 ₪79.4
-8.04%
Apples (1kg)
$4.26 ₪13.27
$4.55 ₪14.18
-6.37%
Banana (1kg)
$2.93 ₪9.13
$3.88 ₪12.09
-24.48%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.40 ₪7.49
$2.43 ₪7.58
-1.23%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.51 ₪7.81
$3.26 ₪10.16
-23.01%
Potato (1kg)
$1.96 ₪6.11
$1.92 ₪5.97
2.08%
Onion (1kg)
$1.73 ₪5.37
$1.92 ₪5.97
-9.90%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.37 ₪7.39
$2.73 ₪8.50
-13.19%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.71 ₪8.43
$2.63 ₪8.18
3.04%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.28 ₪41.35
$14.84 ₪46.22
-10.51%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.40 ₪47.95
$16.43 ₪51.2
-6.27%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.21 ₪9.99
$3.68 ₪11.48
-12.77%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.82 ₪15.02
$4.80 ₪14.94
0.42%
🚌 Getting Around
Haifa
Beit Shemesh
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.53 ₪7.88
$2.62 ₪8.15
-3.44%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$103 ₪319
$114 ₪356
-10.28%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.37 ₪13.62
$4.40 ₪13.72
-0.68%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.21 ₪3.76
$1.14 ₪3.54
6.14%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$37.30 ₪116
$19.16 ₪59.7
94.68%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.66 ₪8.28
$2.34 ₪7.27
13.68%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$55.7K ₪173.6K
$55.8K ₪173.6K
-0.02%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$54.8K ₪170.6K
$55.0K ₪171.2K
-0.33%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Haifa
Beit Shemesh
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$261 ₪812
$439 ₪1,366
-40.56%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.75 ₪36.61
$11.29 ₪35.17
4.07%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$35.21 ₪110
$34.95 ₪109
0.74%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Haifa
Beit Shemesh
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$82.8 ₪258
$84.2 ₪262
-1.69%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.97 ₪77.8
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$15.98 ₪49.77
$15.84 ₪49.32
0.88%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Haifa
Beit Shemesh
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,160 ₪3,612
$1,679 ₪5,228
-30.92%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$30.8K ₪95.9K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Haifa
Beit Shemesh
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$111 ₪345
$125 ₪389
-11.10%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$71.0 ₪221
$85.4 ₪266
-16.80%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$130 ₪406
$176 ₪548
-26.02%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$156 ₪485
$194 ₪603
-19.61%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Haifa
Beit Shemesh
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,079 ₪3,361
$1,355 ₪4,220
-20.34%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$811 ₪2,527
$1,121 ₪3,490
-27.61%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,727 ₪5,378
$2,639 ₪8,221
-34.58%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,277 ₪3,979
$1,969 ₪6,133
-35.13%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$9,276 ₪28.9K
$11.0K ₪34.1K
-15.38%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,034 ₪18.8K
$6,679 ₪20.8K
-9.66%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Haifa
Beit Shemesh
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,308 ₪13.4K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.04
5.03
0.20%

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

Last update for Haifa: October 25, 2026

Last update for Beit Shemesh: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Haifa
$811
Beit Shemesh
$1.1K 38.1% $309
Groceries & Markets
Haifa
$453
Beit Shemesh
$513 13.2% $60
Eating Out
Haifa
$423
Beit Shemesh
$439 3.7% $16
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Haifa
$308
Beit Shemesh
$485 57.6% $177
Clothing & Footwear
Haifa
$211
Beit Shemesh
$261 23.9% $50
Getting Around
Haifa
$123
Beit Shemesh
$135 9.6% $12
Sport & Entertainment
Haifa
$115
Beit Shemesh
$116 1% $1.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,079 in Haifa versus $1,355 in Beit Shemesh. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $108 in Haifa versus $128 in Beit Shemesh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $453 vs $513 – making Haifa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇱 Haifa
🇮🇱 Beit Shemesh
🕒 Local time
15:32 3:32 PM
15:32 3:32 PM
Same time as Haifa
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
279,591
124,445
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to ILS – Israeli New Shekel Converter

Israeli New Shekel exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3.11 ILS (1 ILS = 0.321 USD). 1 EUR = 3.47 ILS (1 ILS = 0.288 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Haifa Beit Shemesh 120 km
From you
  • Haifa
  • Beit Shemesh

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 Beit Shemesh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Haifa cheaper than Beit Shemesh?
Yes – Beit Shemesh is pricier by about 26%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,665 per month in Haifa and $4,603 in Beit Shemesh. 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 Haifa, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,079 there versus $1,355 in Beit Shemesh.
How do food prices compare in Haifa and in Beit Shemesh?
Groceries cost about 13% more in Beit Shemesh, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is eating out cheaper in Haifa or in Beit Shemesh?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $108 in Haifa and $128 in Beit Shemesh. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is Haifa or Beit Shemesh more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Haifa – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Haifa or Beit Shemesh?
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 easier to live in as a foreigner?
For expats, Haifa is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 26% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

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