Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jerusalem and Arad, Israel

For one person, living is cheaper in Arad: $2,955 a month against $3,048 in Jerusalem, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Jerusalem outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

146

Cost of Living Index in Jerusalem
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Jerusalem Living Index
142

Cost of Living Index in Arad
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Arad Living Index

Jump to prices

Jerusalem

🇮🇱 Israel

$3,048

/mo nomad

Arad

🇮🇱 Israel

$2,955

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Jerusalem and in Arad

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

A single person spends $3,048 per month in Jerusalem vs $2,955 in Arad, rent included.

Jerusalem $3,048
Arad $2,955

A couple spends around $4,422 per month in Jerusalem vs $4,248 in Arad, rent included.

Jerusalem $4,422
Arad $4,248

A family of three spends $5,795 per month in Jerusalem vs $5,541 in Arad, rent included.

Jerusalem $5,795
Arad $5,541

Jerusalem costs about 3% more than Arad.

Both Jerusalem and Arad sit above the global median – Jerusalem by 124%, Arad by 117%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.64 ₪71.0

$25.90 ₪81.2

-12.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.1 ₪304

$90.6 ₪284

7.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.50 ₪61.2

$20.62 ₪64.7

-5.43%

Cappuccino

$5.01 ₪15.70

$4.75 ₪14.88

5.47%

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

$3.41 ₪10.69

$3.85 ₪12.06

-11.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ₪8.84

$2.75 ₪8.61

2.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.93 ₪24.87

$9.75 ₪30.56

-18.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.95 ₪31.20

$9.89 ₪31.01

0.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 ₪7.23

$2.56 ₪8.02

-9.77%

White Bread (500g)

$3.27 ₪10.24

$5.70 ₪17.88

-42.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.61 ₪11.31

$3.42 ₪10.72

5.56%

Eggs

$4.74 ₪14.86

$4.44 ₪13.93

6.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.42 ₪54.6

$13.23 ₪41.48

31.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.21 ₪44.56

$19.30 ₪60.5

-26.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$35.07 ₪110

$26.36 ₪82.7

33.04%

Apples (1kg)

$4.19 ₪13.12

$6.52 ₪20.44

-35.74%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₪10.61

$3.25 ₪10.20

4.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 ₪8.38

$2.97 ₪9.32

-10.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.40 ₪7.54

$3.19 ₪10.00

-24.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 ₪6.06

$2.06 ₪6.45

-6.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.70 ₪5.33

$1.70 ₪5.32

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.99 ₪6.26

$2.30 ₪7.21

-13.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 ₪5.75

$2.51 ₪7.87

-27.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.58 ₪42.58

$9.95 ₪31.18

36.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.93 ₪46.82

$13.07 ₪40.98

14.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.42 ₪13.87

$4.77 ₪14.94

-7.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.23 ₪13.28

$4.21 ₪13.19

0.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.52 ₪7.89

$2.50 ₪7.83

0.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$104 ₪326

$107 ₪336

-3.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.09 ₪12.83

$8.29 ₪25.99

-50.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.27 ₪3.99

$1.26 ₪3.95

0.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.20 ₪79.0

$29.17 ₪91.5

-13.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.58 ₪8.09

$2.60 ₪8.14

-0.77%

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

$57.7K ₪180.9K

$54.5K ₪171.0K

5.74%

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

$56.1K ₪175.8K

$52.9K ₪165.9K

5.99%

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

$287 ₪899

$337 ₪1,057

-15.00%

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

$12.11 ₪37.98

$12.20 ₪38.24

-0.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.36 ₪130

$48.05 ₪151

-13.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.5 ₪237

$90.1 ₪283

-16.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 ₪54.0

Cinema Ticket

$14.87 ₪46.63

$15.90 ₪49.85

-6.48%

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

$1,428 ₪4,478

$1,612 ₪5,053

-11.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.0K ₪91.0K

$27.7K ₪86.9K

4.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$115 ₪361

$103 ₪322

12.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$75.2 ₪236

$65.7 ₪206

14.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$149 ₪467

$172 ₪540

-13.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 ₪510

$159 ₪497

2.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,915 ₪6,004

$1,764 ₪5,532

8.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,387 ₪4,349

$1,142 ₪3,580

21.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,626 ₪11.4K

$2,154 ₪6,754

68.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,092 ₪6,558

$1,638 ₪5,136

27.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$17.8K ₪55.9K

$10.8K ₪33.8K

65.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,436 ₪29.6K

$8,347 ₪26.2K

13.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,657 ₪11.5K

$2,605 ₪8,168

40.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.99

5.2

-4.04%

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

Last update for Jerusalem: October 24, 2026

Last update for Arad: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Jerusalem

$1.4K 45.5%

Arad

$1.1K 38.6% 17.7% $245

Groceries & Markets

Jerusalem

$481 15.8%

Arad

$517 17.5% 7.3% $35

Eating Out

Jerusalem

$384 12.6%

Arad

$421 14.2% 9.6% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jerusalem

$340 11.2%

Arad

$397 13.5% 16.9% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Jerusalem

$226 7.4%

Arad

$225 7.6% 0.6% $1.3

Getting Around

Jerusalem

$125 4.1%

Arad

$132 4.5% 5.9% $7.3

Sport & Entertainment

Jerusalem

$105 3.5%

Arad

$122 4.1% 15.9% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,915 in Jerusalem versus $1,764 in Arad. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 40% higher in Jerusalem. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $97 in Jerusalem versus $91 in Arad. Groceries tell a different story – $481 in Jerusalem vs $517 in Arad – so Jerusalem wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇮🇱 Jerusalem

🇮🇱 Arad

🕒 Local time

07:19 7:19 AM

Same time as Jerusalem

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

882,652 Capital

25,530

💱 Currency

Israeli New Shekel ILS ₪

📈 Exchange rate

1 ILS = 0.319 USD

1 ILS = 0.286 EUR

1 ILS = 0.319 USD

1 ILS = 0.286 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Jerusalem Arad 58 km

From you

Jerusalem
Arad

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

Jerusalem vs Arad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jerusalem costs about 3% more than Arad, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,572 per month in Jerusalem and $4,432 in Arad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,915 in Jerusalem and $1,764 in Arad. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,048 in Jerusalem and $2,955 in Arad. That makes Arad about 3% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 3% less in Jerusalem. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,048 in Jerusalem and $2,955 in Arad. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Arad. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Jerusalem makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.