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: $3,334 in Israel versus $1,131 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,419 in Israel versus $1,550 in China.

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

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

Internal cost variation is higher in Israel: monthly costs span $1,875 to $2,750, compared to $532–$1,192 in China. City choice carries more weight in Israel.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.25 ₪64.6

$2.86 ¥19.35

643.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.9 ₪252

$23.44 ¥159

253.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.98 ₪48.57

$4.84 ¥32.75

230.17%

Cappuccino

$3.98 ₪12.08

$3.11 ¥21.06

27.97%

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

$2.95 ₪8.95

$0.44 ¥3.00

570.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 ₪6.83

$0.29 ¥1.99

675.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.89 ₪27.03

$0.98 ¥6.64

807.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.67 ₪26.36

$2.05 ¥13.88

322.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₪6.10

$1.84 ¥12.47

9.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.63 ₪7.99

$1.62 ¥10.94

62.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.83 ₪8.60

$0.93 ¥6.28

204.30%

Eggs

$4.18 ₪12.70

$1.63 ¥11.03

156.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.07 ₪45.78

$13.15 ¥89.0

14.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.05 ₪33.58

$3.26 ¥22.09

238.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.98 ₪60.7

$10.62 ¥71.9

88.14%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ₪10.31

$1.80 ¥12.19

88.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 ₪6.73

$1.30 ¥8.77

70.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 ₪5.91

$1.46 ¥9.90

32.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.28 ₪6.93

$1.20 ¥8.15

90.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.54 ₪4.68

$0.76 ¥5.14

102.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.57 ₪4.76

$0.88 ¥5.93

78.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 ₪5.87

$0.57 ¥3.86

238.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 ₪4.32

$0.54 ¥3.63

162.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.88 ₪33.08

$3.42 ¥23.17

218.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.42 ₪46.85

$11.75 ¥79.5

31.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.75 ₪8.35

$0.80 ¥5.40

243.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 ₪9.93

$1.62 ¥10.95

101.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.73 ₪5.25

$0.43 ¥2.94

302.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.0 ₪204

$20.47 ¥139

227.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.67 ₪14.19

$1.36 ¥9.24

243.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 ₪2.50

$0.35 ¥2.39

134.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.79 ₪93.6

$6.50 ¥43.97

373.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 ₪6.27

$1.12 ¥7.59

83.93%

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

$44.6K ₪135.6K

$19.5K ¥131.8K

129.15%

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

$44.0K ₪133.8K

$16.9K ¥114.1K

161.08%

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

$244 ₪740

$51.7 ¥350

371.08%

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

$11.47 ₪34.85

$10.17 ¥68.8

12.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.60 ₪86.9

$11.16 ¥75.5

156.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 ₪209

$39.62 ¥268

73.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.56 ₪62.5

$14.53 ¥98.3

41.50%

Cinema Ticket

$12.43 ₪37.77

$6.38 ¥43.19

94.83%

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

$1,039 ₪3,158

$407 ¥2,756

155.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.1K ₪39.9K

$17.8K ¥120.7K

-26.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.5 ₪281

$45.53 ¥308

103.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.3 ₪177

$32.31 ¥219

80.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 ₪368

$72.6 ¥491

66.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 ₪406

$74.4 ¥504

79.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 ₪3,681

$443 ¥2,996

173.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$981 ₪2,982

$258 ¥1,747

280.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,817 ₪5,520

$910 ¥6,162

99.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 ₪4,769

$543 ¥3,677

188.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.7K ₪32.7K

$4,934 ¥33.4K

117.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,914 ₪21.0K

$2,398 ¥16.2K

188.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,701 ₪11.2K

$1,065 ¥7,205

247.64%

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: July 11, 2026

Last update for China: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,056 in Israel, $287 in China. Capital cities: $1,580 in Jerusalem vs $894 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $3,495 in Israel, $855 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 268% higher in Israel.

Dining out costs 295% more in Israel.

Public transport is 239% more expensive in Israel.

Salaries are 309% 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 $862 per month in China and $2,313 in Israel, there's a 168% 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.