Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Haifa and Eilat

For one person, living is cheaper in Haifa: $2,457 a month against $2,978 in Eilat, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 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
147

Cost of Living Index in Eilat
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Eilat Living Index

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Haifa

🇮🇱 Israel

$2,457

/mo nomad

Eilat

🇮🇱 Israel

$2,978

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Haifa and in Eilat

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,457 in Haifa versus $2,978 in Eilat.

Haifa $2,457
Eilat $2,978

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,680 in Haifa versus $4,437 in Eilat.

Haifa $3,680
Eilat $4,437

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,904 in Haifa versus $5,895 in Eilat.

Haifa $4,904
Eilat $5,895

Living in Haifa costs roughly 18% less than in Eilat, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Haifa 82% above, Eilat 121% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.88 ₪80.5

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$106 ₪330

$132 ₪409

-19.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.58 ₪60.9

$20.47 ₪63.7

-4.35%

Cappuccino

$4.56 ₪14.20

$5.55 ₪17.25

-17.84%

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

$3.61 ₪11.24

$4.04 ₪12.55

-10.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 ₪9.93

$3.18 ₪9.89

0.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.64 ₪33.11

$11.28 ₪35.09

-5.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.64 ₪33.10

$10.79 ₪33.56

-1.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.56 ₪7.98

$2.53 ₪7.86

1.19%

White Bread (500g)

$3.76 ₪11.69

$4.42 ₪13.75

-14.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.78 ₪11.77

$3.83 ₪11.91

-1.31%

Eggs

$5.01 ₪15.58

$4.17 ₪12.96

20.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.62 ₪54.8

$21.94 ₪68.3

-19.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.67 ₪39.41

$15.98 ₪49.72

-20.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.83 ₪74.1

$25.51 ₪79.4

-6.59%

Apples (1kg)

$4.34 ₪13.51

$3.53 ₪10.99

22.95%

Banana (1kg)

$2.98 ₪9.26

$2.00 ₪6.21

49.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₪7.24

$1.59 ₪4.96

46.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.60 ₪8.09

$1.91 ₪5.95

36.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 ₪6.46

$1.60 ₪4.97

30.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.75 ₪5.44

$1.61 ₪5.00

8.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 ₪7.57

$2.71 ₪8.45

-10.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.70 ₪8.40

$2.64 ₪8.22

2.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.21 ₪41.09

$14.46 ₪44.99

-8.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.35 ₪47.77

$11.29 ₪35.13

35.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.23 ₪10.03

$2.27 ₪7.05

42.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.95 ₪15.41

$1.33 ₪4.13

272.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.67 ₪8.29

$2.32 ₪7.22

15.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$101 ₪315

$85.8 ₪267

17.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 ₪13.04

$4.40 ₪13.68

-4.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 ₪3.92

$1.10 ₪3.42

14.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.97 ₪115

$19.62 ₪61.0

88.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.56 ₪7.96

$2.60 ₪8.10

-1.54%

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

$57.8K ₪179.9K

$56.1K ₪174.6K

3.04%

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

$57.2K ₪178.1K

$56.7K ₪176.4K

0.96%

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

$264 ₪822

$438 ₪1,363

-39.72%

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

$11.58 ₪36.02

$11.28 ₪35.10

2.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.35 ₪110

$35.45 ₪110

-0.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$83.9 ₪261

$82.6 ₪257

1.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.08 ₪78.0

Cinema Ticket

$15.78 ₪49.09

$15.55 ₪48.38

1.48%

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

$1,140 ₪3,548

$1,677 ₪5,216

-31.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K ₪97.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$114 ₪355

$124 ₪387

-8.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$71.0 ₪221

$85.4 ₪266

-16.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 ₪421

$113 ₪352

19.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$154 ₪478

$193 ₪601

-20.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,057 ₪3,288

$1,490 ₪4,634

-29.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$816 ₪2,538

$1,144 ₪3,560

-28.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,640 ₪5,104

$2,317 ₪7,208

-29.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,183 ₪3,681

$1,850 ₪5,755

-36.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,291 ₪28.9K

$10.6K ₪32.9K

-12.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,147 ₪19.1K

$9,075 ₪28.2K

-32.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,372 ₪13.6K

$2,804 ₪8,725

55.91%

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 12, 2026

Last update for Eilat: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Haifa

$816 33.2%

Eilat

$1.1K 38.4% 40.3% $329

Groceries & Markets

Haifa

$457 18.6%

Eilat

$456 15.3% 0% $0.1

Eating Out

Haifa

$422 17.2%

Eilat

$442 14.8% 4.6% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Haifa

$311 12.7%

Eilat

$485 16.3% 55.9% $174

Clothing & Footwear

Haifa

$213 8.7%

Eilat

$232 7.8% 8.8% $19

Getting Around

Haifa

$122 5%

Eilat

$105 3.5% 14.1% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Haifa

$115 4.7%

Eilat

$114 3.8% 1.5% $1.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,057 in Haifa and $1,490 in Eilat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Haifa pays 56% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $106 in Haifa vs $132 in Eilat. Groceries flip the comparison at $457 vs $456, with Eilat cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇮🇱 Haifa

🇮🇱 Eilat

🕒 Local time

11:49 11:49 AM

Same time as Haifa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

279,591

66,618

💱 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

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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 Eilat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Haifa and Eilat differ by about 21% in total monthly costs ($2,457 vs $2,978 including rent). Haifa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 56% 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: $1,057 in Haifa versus $1,490 in Eilat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Haifa runs roughly 18% less than in Eilat. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,140 in Haifa versus $1,677 in Eilat. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,457 in Haifa versus $2,978 in Eilat, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Haifa but tight or insufficient in Eilat. The gap between the two cities makes Haifa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Eilat 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 Haifa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Eilat. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.