Cost of Living Comparison Between Israel and China Cost of Living Comparison Between Israel and China

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,248 in Israel versus $712 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,330 in Israel versus $1,132 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,412 in Israel versus $1,551 in China.

Living in Israel is roughly 216% more expensive than China on average.

Israel (68% above) and China (47% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Israel: monthly costs span $1,813 to $2,739, compared to $520–$1,209 in China. City choice carries more weight in Israel.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.37 ₪60.9

$2.81 ¥18.98

660.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.2 ₪237

$23.30 ¥158

256.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.88 ₪45.21

$5.01 ¥33.87

216.97%

Cappuccino

$4.13 ₪11.76

$3.01 ¥20.38

37.21%

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

$2.94 ₪8.37

$0.45 ¥3.03

553.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 ₪6.70

$0.29 ¥1.97

710.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.75 ₪24.91

$0.95 ¥6.41

821.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.43 ₪24.00

$2.05 ¥13.87

311.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 ₪5.51

$1.76 ¥11.87

10.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 ₪7.22

$1.62 ¥10.98

56.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.91 ₪8.28

$0.95 ¥6.45

206.32%

Eggs

$4.19 ₪11.93

$1.56 ¥10.55

168.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.46 ₪44.01

$13.06 ¥88.3

18.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.95 ₪31.18

$3.28 ¥22.17

233.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.53 ₪55.6

$10.65 ¥72.0

83.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.50 ₪9.98

$1.78 ¥12.03

96.63%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₪6.52

$1.24 ¥8.42

84.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 ₪5.50

$1.50 ¥10.12

28.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 ₪6.45

$1.15 ¥7.79

97.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.58 ₪4.50

$0.75 ¥5.07

110.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 ₪4.60

$0.86 ¥5.81

88.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 ₪5.64

$0.62 ¥4.17

219.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 ₪4.09

$0.56 ¥3.81

157.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.65 ₪30.31

$3.51 ¥23.76

203.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.54 ₪47.10

$11.66 ¥78.9

41.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 ₪7.55

$0.80 ¥5.40

231.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 ₪9.49

$1.66 ¥11.25

100.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.74 ₪4.95

$0.43 ¥2.93

304.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.3 ₪191

$20.86 ¥141

222.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.78 ₪13.60

$1.37 ¥9.26

248.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 ₪2.49

$0.35 ¥2.38

148.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.43 ₪89.5

$6.63 ¥44.82

374.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 ₪5.67

$1.14 ¥7.69

74.56%

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

$45.6K ₪129.8K

$19.2K ¥129.7K

137.68%

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

$43.7K ₪124.4K

$16.8K ¥113.4K

160.66%

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

$245 ₪697

$51.2 ¥346

378.52%

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

$11.32 ₪32.22

$10.16 ¥68.7

11.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.35 ₪83.6

$11.51 ¥77.9

155.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.6 ₪192

$40.53 ¥274

66.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.35 ₪57.9

$15.05 ¥102

35.22%

Cinema Ticket

$12.54 ₪35.71

$6.10 ¥41.26

105.57%

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

$1,067 ₪3,039

$402 ¥2,719

165.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K ₪38.2K

$17.7K ¥119.5K

-24.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.2 ₪262

$45.57 ¥308

102.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 ₪166

$33.26 ¥225

75.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 ₪341

$72.6 ¥491

64.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 ₪368

$74.5 ¥503

73.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ₪3,492

$429 ¥2,903

185.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$979 ₪2,786

$257 ¥1,739

280.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,835 ₪5,225

$895 ¥6,055

104.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,600 ₪4,557

$541 ¥3,660

195.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.4K ₪32.6K

$5,015 ¥33.9K

128.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,559 ₪21.5K

$2,469 ¥16.7K

206.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,142 ₪11.8K

$1,055 ¥7,132

292.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.95

4.06

21.92%

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

Last update for Israel: June 1, 2026

Last update for China: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,056 in Israel, $286 in China. Capital cities: $1,551 in Jerusalem vs $916 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $4,095 in Israel, $861 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 269% higher in Israel.

Dining out costs 295% more in Israel.

Public transport is 244% more expensive in Israel.

Salaries are 376% higher in Israel, giving Israel stronger purchasing power.

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

Israel vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $865 per month in China and $2,276 in Israel, there's a 163% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

China is simply cheaper day-to-day: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Israel beats China across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In China, $2,000 covers most cities easily. In Israel, it works in regional areas but falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after. China wins on affordability; Israel may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.