Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Israel and the United States

Name: United States
Address: US

For one person, living is cheaper in the United States: $2,734 a month against $2,919 in Israel, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. The total is higher in Israel despite lower rent and utilities.

140

Cost of Living Index in Israel
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Israel Living Index
131

Cost of Living Index in the United States
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United States Living Index

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🇮🇱 Israel

$2,919

/mo nomad

🇺🇸 United States

$2,734

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Israel and in the United States

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Israel and in the United States actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,919 per month in Israel vs $2,734 in the United States, rent included.

Israel $2,919
United States $2,734

A couple spends around $4,332 per month in Israel vs $3,985 in the United States, rent included.

Israel $4,332
United States $3,985

A family of three spends $5,746 per month in Israel vs $5,235 in the United States, rent included.

Israel $5,746
United States $5,235

The regional cost range is wider in the United States ($979–$5,160) than in Israel ($1,570–$3,698), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Israel is about 7% higher than in the United States on average.

Both Israel and the United States are pricier than the global median – Israel by 114%, the United States by 101%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.13 ₪79.8

$20.03 $20.03

30.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$96.9 ₪296

$80.0 $80.0

21.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.30 ₪58.9

$11.80 $11.80

63.56%

Cappuccino

$5.11 ₪15.58

$5.55 $5.55

-7.93%

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

$3.65 ₪11.15

$2.66 $2.66

37.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 ₪9.21

$2.17 $2.17

39.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.32 ₪31.50

$6.12 $6.12

68.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.01 ₪30.56

$7.94 $7.94

26.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.42 ₪7.39

$1.04 $1.04

132.69%

White Bread (500g)

$3.28 ₪10.01

$3.59 $3.59

-8.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.36 ₪10.24

$4.52 $4.52

-25.66%

Eggs

$4.87 ₪14.87

$4.28 $4.28

13.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.87 ₪57.6

$13.22 $13.22

42.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.37 ₪43.86

$12.60 $12.60

14.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.66 ₪78.3

$17.60 $17.60

45.80%

Apples (1kg)

$4.39 ₪13.41

$5.30 $5.30

-17.17%

Banana (1kg)

$3.29 ₪10.05

$1.69 $1.69

94.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.52 ₪7.70

$4.44 $4.44

-43.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.94 ₪8.98

$4.77 $4.77

-38.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 ₪5.59

$2.97 $2.97

-38.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 ₪5.07

$3.15 $3.15

-47.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 ₪7.97

$2.20 $2.20

18.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 ₪5.78

$2.35 $2.35

-19.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.73 ₪41.90

$10.98 $10.98

25.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.40 ₪47.01

$15.05 $15.05

2.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.32 ₪10.13

$2.06 $2.06

61.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ₪11.38

$3.79 $3.79

-1.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.62 ₪7.99

$1.94 $1.94

35.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$103 ₪315

$59.4 $59.4

73.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.35 ₪13.29

$3.58 $3.58

21.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 ₪3.76

$1.88 $1.88

-34.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.82 ₪94.1

$29.84 $29.84

3.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.60 ₪7.95

$1.02 $1.02

154.90%

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

$58.0K ₪177.0K

$28.8K $28.8K

101.60%

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

$55.8K ₪170.3K

$26.2K $26.2K

112.85%

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

$323 ₪987

$218 $218

48.37%

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

$12.00 ₪36.63

$62.5 $62.5

-80.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.32 ₪129

$74.5 $74.5

-43.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.4 ₪233

$41.86 $41.86

82.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.93 ₪66.9

$22.81 $22.81

-3.86%

Cinema Ticket

$15.93 ₪48.61

$14.70 $14.70

8.37%

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

$1,368 ₪4,176

$1,489 $1,489

-8.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.6K ₪90.3K

$25.3K $25.3K

17.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 ₪332

$54.3 $54.3

100.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$82.9 ₪253

$42.71 $42.71

94.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$147 ₪450

$94.1 $94.1

56.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$169 ₪515

$114 $114

48.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,558 ₪4,756

$1,659 $1,659

-6.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,195 ₪3,648

$1,348 $1,348

-11.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,575 ₪7,860

$2,682 $2,682

-4.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,960 ₪5,982

$2,169 $2,169

-9.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.5K ₪32.1K

$3,283 $3,283

220.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,428 ₪22.7K

$2,482 $2,482

199.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,680 ₪11.2K

$4,296 $4,296

-14.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.09

6.55

-22.29%

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

Last update for Israel: October 25, 2026

Last update for the United States: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Israel

$1.2K 40.9%

United States

$1.3K 49.3% 12.8% $152

Groceries & Markets

Israel

$459 15.7%

United States

$415 15.2% 9.5% $43

Eating Out

Israel

$426 14.6%

United States

$328 12% 23.1% $98

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Israel

$378 12.9%

United States

$355 13% 6% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Israel

$229 7.8%

United States

$137 5% 40% $91

Getting Around

Israel

$124 4.3%

United States

$80 2.9% 35.5% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Israel

$108 3.7%

United States

$71 2.6% 34.1% $37

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,536 in Israel vs $1,620 in the United States. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,915 in Jerusalem and $2,768 in Washington, DC.

Average salary: $3,514 in Israel vs $4,549 in the United States. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 5% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 29% more in Israel.

Public transport is 56% more expensive in Israel.

Salaries are 29% higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇮🇱 Israel

🇺🇸 United States

🕒 Local time

03:32 3:32 AM

21:32 9:32 PM

6 h behind Israel

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,840,000

340,110,988

💱 Currency

Israeli New Shekel ILS ₪

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 ILS = 0.328 USD

1 ILS = 0.294 EUR

1 USD = 0.897 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to ILS – Israeli New Shekel Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇱 Israeli New Shekel (₪)

Israeli New Shekel exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3.05 ILS (1 ILS = 0.328 USD). 1 EUR = 3.4 ILS (1 ILS = 0.294 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.897 EUR).

USD to ILS in detail →

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Between locations

Israel United States 10,400 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Israel
United States

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

Israel vs United States: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

The United States is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 6% lower on average.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in the United States, adding to the overall 7% price gap.

The United States is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.