Cost of Living Comparison Between Haifa and Umea Cost of Living Comparison Between Haifa and Umea

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,083 in Haifa versus $1,695 in Umea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,175 in Haifa versus $2,667 in Umea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,266 in Haifa versus $3,639 in Umea.

Living in Haifa is roughly 23% more expensive than in Umea, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Haifa 56% above, Umea 27% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.20 ₪67.5

$16.05 SEK 155

38.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.7 ₪260

$83.3 SEK 803

2.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.69 ₪47.69

$11.75 SEK 113

33.53%

Cappuccino

$4.12 ₪12.51

$4.12 SEK 39.68

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

$2.88 ₪8.76

$3.39 SEK 32.70

-15.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 ₪7.38

$2.59 SEK 24.97

-6.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.36 ₪28.45

$9.11 SEK 87.8

2.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.49 ₪25.80

$7.43 SEK 71.6

14.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.08 ₪6.33

$1.73 SEK 16.66

20.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.63 ₪8.00

$3.49 SEK 33.61

-24.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.94 ₪8.94

$4.24 SEK 40.86

-30.66%

Eggs

$4.05 ₪12.32

$4.32 SEK 41.61

-6.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.90 ₪51.4

$11.50 SEK 111

46.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.55 ₪32.05

$10.99 SEK 106

-4.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.34 ₪64.9

$18.49 SEK 178

15.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 ₪9.50

$2.82 SEK 27.18

10.99%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 ₪7.14

$2.32 SEK 22.35

1.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 ₪5.77

$2.99 SEK 28.77

-36.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 ₪6.59

$4.48 SEK 43.21

-51.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 ₪4.40

$1.72 SEK 16.55

-15.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 ₪4.64

$1.84 SEK 17.74

-16.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.99 ₪6.05

$2.62 SEK 25.21

-24.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 ₪5.05

$1.50 SEK 14.43

10.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.61 ₪32.24

$6.83 SEK 65.8

55.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.42 ₪46.84

$10.94 SEK 105

40.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.94 ₪8.93

$1.66 SEK 15.99

77.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ₪11.11

$2.10 SEK 20.28

74.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 ₪5.18

$3.02 SEK 29.11

-43.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.3 ₪192

$60.1 SEK 579

5.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.05 ₪21.44

$5.24 SEK 50.5

34.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 ₪2.65

$1.66 SEK 16.00

-47.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.89 ₪100.0

$46.83 SEK 451

-29.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.98 ₪6.02

$1.91 SEK 18.39

3.66%

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

$45.5K ₪138.3K

$32.2K SEK 310.7K

41.14%

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

$43.7K ₪132.9K

$34.9K SEK 336.4K

25.25%

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

$242 ₪736

$69.4 SEK 668

249.40%

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

$10.14 ₪30.82

$34.68 SEK 334

-70.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.76 ₪84.4

$26.86 SEK 259

3.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.2 ₪198

$50.9 SEK 490

28.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.06 ₪54.9

$39.23 SEK 378

-53.96%

Cinema Ticket

$12.60 ₪38.28

$16.00 SEK 154

-21.25%

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

$1,045 ₪3,175

$147 SEK 1,417

610.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,999 ₪12.2K

$4,186 SEK 40.3K

-4.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.3 ₪265

$101 SEK 978

-13.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.9 ₪164

$38.55 SEK 371

39.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ₪342

$126 SEK 1,213

-10.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 ₪327

$137 SEK 1,318

-21.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$886 ₪2,691

$803 SEK 7,733

10.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$751 ₪2,283

$543 SEK 5,233

38.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,464 ₪4,447

$1,183 SEK 11.4K

23.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,213 ₪3,686

$899 SEK 8,660

35.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,693 ₪29.5K

$4,763 SEK 45.9K

103.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,174 ₪18.8K

$3,146 SEK 30.3K

96.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,458 ₪13.5K

$2,703 SEK 26.1K

64.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.35

4.53

18.10%

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

Last update for Haifa: July 11, 2026

Last update for Umea: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $886 in Haifa and $803 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: $86.0 in Haifa vs $83.0 in Umea for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $379 vs $365 per month, with Umea cheaper across the board.

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 & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 23% 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: $886 in Haifa versus $803 in Umea. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,083 per month in Haifa versus $1,695 in Umea – a 23% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Umea runs roughly 5% less than in Haifa. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,695 in Umea versus $2,083 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 23% less than in Haifa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.