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: $2,706 in Israel versus $720 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,096 in Israel versus $1,148 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,485 in Israel versus $1,576 in China.

Living in Israel is roughly 276% more expensive than in China on average.

Israel (96% above) and China (48% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Israel: monthly costs span $1,055 to $3,611, compared to $468–$1,236 in China. City choice carries more weight in Israel.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.28 ₪79.6

$2.93 ¥19.60

796.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$104 ₪314

$22.72 ¥152

356.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$20.29 ₪61.5

$5.07 ¥33.95

300.20%

Cappuccino

$5.10 ₪15.47

$2.94 ¥19.70

73.47%

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

$3.75 ₪11.35

$0.48 ¥3.21

681.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 ₪9.43

$0.30 ¥2.02

936.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.44 ₪31.62

$1.06 ¥7.10

884.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.94 ₪30.12

$2.25 ¥15.07

341.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.45 ₪7.44

$1.79 ¥11.99

36.87%

White Bread (500g)

$3.40 ₪10.31

$1.70 ¥11.35

100.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.63 ₪10.99

$0.96 ¥6.45

278.13%

Eggs

$5.22 ₪15.82

$1.61 ¥10.79

224.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.08 ₪57.8

$13.60 ¥91.1

40.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.68 ₪44.49

$3.41 ¥22.84

330.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.23 ₪79.5

$11.07 ¥74.2

136.95%

Apples (1kg)

$4.61 ₪13.97

$1.81 ¥12.09

154.70%

Banana (1kg)

$3.36 ₪10.18

$1.30 ¥8.74

158.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 ₪7.87

$1.48 ¥9.91

75.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.95 ₪8.93

$1.30 ¥8.72

126.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 ₪5.75

$0.72 ¥4.82

163.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.70 ₪5.16

$0.94 ¥6.31

80.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.55 ₪7.72

$0.61 ¥4.08

318.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 ₪6.12

$0.56 ¥3.73

260.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.17 ₪42.94

$3.67 ¥24.58

286.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.42 ₪46.74

$11.90 ¥79.7

29.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.39 ₪10.26

$0.83 ¥5.56

308.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.05 ₪12.26

$1.65 ¥11.08

145.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.62 ₪7.95

$0.29 ¥1.92

803.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$104 ₪316

$22.61 ¥151

360.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 ₪12.99

$1.45 ¥9.72

195.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.27 ₪3.84

$0.34 ¥2.31

273.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.00 ₪100

$7.27 ¥48.72

353.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.59 ₪7.86

$1.23 ¥8.26

110.57%

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

$58.6K ₪177.6K

$19.5K ¥130.9K

199.97%

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

$59.0K ₪178.7K

$17.2K ¥115.5K

241.89%

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

$309 ₪936

$55.5 ¥371

457.25%

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

$11.95 ₪36.21

$8.51 ¥57.0

40.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.54 ₪132

$10.81 ¥72.4

302.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$81.8 ₪248

$40.02 ¥268

104.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.62 ₪68.6

$14.80 ¥99.1

52.84%

Cinema Ticket

$16.51 ₪50.0

$6.73 ¥45.09

145.32%

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

$1,378 ₪4,174

$454 ¥3,042

203.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.9K ₪93.6K

$19.5K ¥130.8K

58.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$110 ₪334

$44.95 ¥301

145.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$86.8 ₪263

$35.81 ¥240

142.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$148 ₪449

$76.8 ¥514

93.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$173 ₪524

$77.3 ¥518

123.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,570 ₪4,756

$385 ¥2,581

307.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 ₪3,692

$242 ¥1,623

402.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,533 ₪7,675

$837 ¥5,603

202.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 ₪5,872

$474 ¥3,177

308.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.7K ₪32.4K

$4,619 ¥30.9K

131.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,132 ₪21.6K

$2,316 ¥15.5K

207.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,784 ₪11.5K

$1,062 ¥7,110

256.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.09

3.47

46.69%

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

Last update for Israel: September 5, 2026

Last update for China: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,426 in Israel, $295 in China. Capital cities: $1,866 in Jerusalem vs $957 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $3,526 in Israel, $865 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 383% higher in Israel.

Dining out costs 400% more in Israel.

Public transport is 329% more expensive in Israel.

Salaries are 308% higher in Israel, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Israel.

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 $852 per month in China and $2,333 in Israel, there's a 174% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in China: 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 is consistently higher than in 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 stretches only to regional areas and 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.