Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Haifa and Umea

For one person, living is cheaper in Umea: $1,633 a month against $2,457 in Haifa, rent and utilities included – about $9,900 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
80

Cost of Living Index in Umea
Learn more

Umea Living Index

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Haifa

🇮🇱 Israel

$2,457

/mo nomad

Umea

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,633

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Haifa and in Umea

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,457 in Haifa versus $1,633 in Umea.

Haifa $2,457
Umea $1,633

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,680 in Haifa versus $2,596 in Umea.

Haifa $3,680
Umea $2,596

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,904 in Haifa versus $3,558 in Umea.

Haifa $4,904
Umea $3,558

Living in Haifa is roughly 50% more expensive than in Umea, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Haifa 82% above, Umea 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.88 ₪80.5

$15.23 SEK 151

69.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$106 ₪330

$79.0 SEK 783

34.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.58 ₪60.9

$11.78 SEK 117

66.21%

Cappuccino

$4.56 ₪14.20

$4.02 SEK 39.83

13.43%

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

$3.61 ₪11.24

$3.12 SEK 30.90

15.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 ₪9.93

$2.36 SEK 23.34

35.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.64 ₪33.11

$8.71 SEK 86.3

22.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.64 ₪33.10

$7.33 SEK 72.7

45.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.56 ₪7.98

$1.63 SEK 16.18

57.06%

White Bread (500g)

$3.76 ₪11.69

$3.30 SEK 32.65

13.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.78 ₪11.77

$4.00 SEK 39.64

-5.50%

Eggs

$5.01 ₪15.58

$3.86 SEK 38.21

29.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.62 ₪54.8

$11.16 SEK 111

57.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.67 ₪39.41

$10.65 SEK 105

18.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.83 ₪74.1

$16.95 SEK 168

40.59%

Apples (1kg)

$4.34 ₪13.51

$2.54 SEK 25.12

70.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.98 ₪9.26

$2.16 SEK 21.44

37.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₪7.24

$2.82 SEK 27.96

-17.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.60 ₪8.09

$4.15 SEK 41.11

-37.35%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 ₪6.46

$1.61 SEK 15.94

29.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.75 ₪5.44

$1.66 SEK 16.48

5.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 ₪7.57

$2.48 SEK 24.56

-2.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.70 ₪8.40

$1.26 SEK 12.45

114.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.21 ₪41.09

$7.02 SEK 69.6

88.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.35 ₪47.77

$9.76 SEK 96.8

57.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.23 ₪10.03

$2.28 SEK 22.63

41.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.95 ₪15.41

$2.33 SEK 23.13

112.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.67 ₪8.29

$2.98 SEK 29.49

-10.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$101 ₪315

$56.0 SEK 555

80.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 ₪13.04

$6.80 SEK 67.4

-38.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 ₪3.92

$4.86 SEK 48.16

-74.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.97 ₪115

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.56 ₪7.96

$1.66 SEK 16.44

54.22%

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

$57.8K ₪179.9K

$33.1K SEK 328.2K

74.60%

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

$57.2K ₪178.1K

$33.6K SEK 332.5K

70.59%

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

$264 ₪822

$83.2 SEK 824

217.43%

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

$11.58 ₪36.02

$32.84 SEK 325

-64.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.35 ₪110

$26.82 SEK 266

31.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$83.9 ₪261

$48.77 SEK 483

71.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.08 ₪78.0

$34.57 SEK 343

-27.45%

Cinema Ticket

$15.78 ₪49.09

$16.39 SEK 162

-3.72%

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

$1,140 ₪3,548

$137 SEK 1,356

733.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$114 ₪355

$100 SEK 994

13.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$71.0 ₪221

$36.16 SEK 358

96.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 ₪421

$118 SEK 1,168

14.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$154 ₪478

$141 SEK 1,394

9.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,057 ₪3,288

$758 SEK 7,511

39.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$816 ₪2,538

$502 SEK 4,973

62.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,640 ₪5,104

$1,107 SEK 11.0K

48.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,183 ₪3,681

$834 SEK 8,264

41.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,291 ₪28.9K

$4,556 SEK 45.1K

103.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,147 ₪19.1K

$2,965 SEK 29.4K

107.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,372 ₪13.6K

$2,654 SEK 26.3K

64.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.04

3.65

38.08%

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

Last update for Haifa: October 12, 2026

Last update for Umea: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Haifa

$816 33.2%

Umea

$502 30.7% 38.5% $314

Groceries & Markets

Haifa

$457 18.6%

Umea

$345 21.1% 24.5% $112

Eating Out

Haifa

$422 17.2%

Umea

$286 17.5% 32.4% $137

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Haifa

$311 12.7%

Umea

$143 8.8% 54.1% $168

Clothing & Footwear

Haifa

$213 8.7%

Umea

$178 10.9% 16.7% $36

Getting Around

Haifa

$122 5%

Umea

$99 6.1% 19% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Haifa

$115 4.7%

Umea

$82 5% 29.4% $34

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,057 in Haifa and $758 in Umea. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Haifa pays 65% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $106 in Haifa vs $79.0 in Umea for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $457 vs $345 per month, with Umea cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇱 Haifa

🇸🇪 Umea

🕒 Local time

15:34 3:34 PM

14:34 2:34 PM

1 h behind Haifa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

279,591

79,594

💱 Currency

Israeli New Shekel ILS ₪

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1 ILS = 0.321 USD

1 ILS = 0.286 EUR

100 SEK = 10.09 USD

100 SEK = 8.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SEK, USD, EUR to ILS – Israeli New Shekel Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇱 Israeli New Shekel (₪)

Israeli New Shekel exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 3.11 ILS (1 ILS = 0.321 USD). 1 EUR = 3.5 ILS (1 ILS = 0.286 EUR).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 9.91 SEK (1 SEK = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.14 SEK (100 SEK = 8.98 EUR).

USD to ILS in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Haifa Umea 3,600 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Haifa
Umea

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 Umea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Umea is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 50% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 65% 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 $758 in Umea. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,457 per month in Haifa versus $1,633 in Umea – a 50% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Umea runs roughly 80% less than in Haifa. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,633 in Umea versus $2,457 in Haifa, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Umea but tight or insufficient in Haifa. The gap between the two cities makes Umea the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Umea is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Haifa, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Haifa and Umea 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 Umea gentler on the wallet – expenses run 50% less than in Haifa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.