Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jerusalem and Ashdod

For one person, living is cheaper in Ashdod: $2,362 a month against $2,892 in Jerusalem, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

140

Cost of Living Index in Jerusalem
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Jerusalem Living Index
114

Cost of Living Index in Ashdod
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Ashdod Living Index

Jump to prices

Jerusalem

🇮🇱 Israel

$2,892

/mo nomad

Ashdod

🇮🇱 Israel

$2,362

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Jerusalem and in Ashdod

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 Ashdod actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,892 in Jerusalem versus $2,362 in Ashdod.

Jerusalem $2,892
Ashdod $2,362

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,208 in Jerusalem versus $3,567 in Ashdod.

Jerusalem $4,208
Ashdod $3,567

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,525 in Jerusalem versus $4,773 in Ashdod.

Jerusalem $5,525
Ashdod $4,773

Living in Jerusalem is roughly 22% more expensive than in Ashdod, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Jerusalem 113% above, Ashdod 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.42 ₪69.8

$22.78 ₪70.9

-1.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.9 ₪304

$97.4 ₪303

0.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.68 ₪61.2

$19.66 ₪61.2

0.10%

Cappuccino

$4.81 ₪14.96

$4.91 ₪15.28

-2.04%

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

$3.40 ₪10.58

$3.19 ₪9.93

6.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 ₪9.04

$2.54 ₪7.90

14.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.12 ₪25.28

$8.15 ₪25.36

-0.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.71 ₪30.20

$10.04 ₪31.23

-3.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.33 ₪7.25

$2.56 ₪7.98

-8.98%

White Bread (500g)

$3.33 ₪10.36

$3.21 ₪9.99

3.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.48 ₪10.83

$2.84 ₪8.85

22.54%

Eggs

$4.67 ₪14.54

$4.78 ₪14.88

-2.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.79 ₪52.2

$16.86 ₪52.5

-0.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.51 ₪45.15

$13.00 ₪40.45

11.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$34.00 ₪106

$30.13 ₪93.7

12.84%

Apples (1kg)

$4.41 ₪13.72

$3.58 ₪11.14

23.18%

Banana (1kg)

$3.25 ₪10.11

$3.34 ₪10.39

-2.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 ₪8.16

$2.68 ₪8.35

-2.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.40 ₪7.46

$2.41 ₪7.51

-0.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 ₪5.98

$1.89 ₪5.90

1.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 ₪5.06

$1.69 ₪5.27

-3.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.05 ₪6.37

$1.97 ₪6.12

4.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 ₪5.85

$1.32 ₪4.11

42.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.37 ₪41.59

$12.93 ₪40.24

3.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.03 ₪46.77

$12.15 ₪37.82

23.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.57 ₪14.23

$2.86 ₪8.91

59.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 ₪12.95

$3.90 ₪12.14

6.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.63 ₪8.19

$2.57 ₪7.98

2.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.8 ₪214

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.03 ₪12.54

$4.04 ₪12.56

-0.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.28 ₪3.97

$1.25 ₪3.89

2.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.50 ₪79.3

$24.91 ₪77.5

2.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.59 ₪8.04

$2.60 ₪8.10

-0.38%

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

$56.7K ₪176.5K

$56.8K ₪176.6K

-0.04%

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

$54.8K ₪170.4K

$55.5K ₪172.5K

-1.20%

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

$290 ₪902

$123 ₪384

135.28%

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

$12.23 ₪38.04

$12.54 ₪39.00

-2.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.33 ₪129

$40.70 ₪127

1.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.0 ₪230

$76.8 ₪239

-3.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.33 ₪53.9

Cinema Ticket

$14.60 ₪45.42

$12.04 ₪37.47

21.26%

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

$1,407 ₪4,378

$1,115 ₪3,469

26.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.8K ₪89.7K

$28.3K ₪88.0K

1.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$115 ₪359

$91.0 ₪283

26.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$75.8 ₪236

$74.8 ₪233

1.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$147 ₪457

$130 ₪404

13.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 ₪506

$158 ₪490

3.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,837 ₪5,714

$1,747 ₪5,437

5.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,269 ₪3,949

$1,042 ₪3,242

21.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,633 ₪11.3K

$2,108 ₪6,558

72.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,903 ₪5,919

$1,610 ₪5,008

18.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.6K ₪61.0K

$7,458 ₪23.2K

162.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,797 ₪27.4K

$5,545 ₪17.3K

58.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,739 ₪11.6K

$4,101 ₪12.8K

-8.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.99

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

Last update for Jerusalem: October 18, 2026

Last update for Ashdod: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Jerusalem

$1.3K 43.9%

Ashdod

$1K 44.1% 17.9% $227

Groceries & Markets

Jerusalem

$479 16.6%

Ashdod

$434 18.4% 9.4% $45

Eating Out

Jerusalem

$381 13.2%

Ashdod

$384 16.3% 0.7% $2.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jerusalem

$344 11.9%

Ashdod

$177 7.5% 48.6% $167

Clothing & Footwear

Jerusalem

$225 7.8%

Ashdod

$204 8.6% 9.5% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Jerusalem

$103 3.6%

Ashdod

$101 4.3% 2.2% $2.2

Getting Around

Jerusalem

$90 3.1%

Ashdod

$21 * 0.9% 77.1% $69

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,837 in Jerusalem and $1,747 in Ashdod. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ashdod pays 10% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $98.0 in Jerusalem vs $97.0 in Ashdod for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $479 vs $434 per month, with Ashdod cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇱 Jerusalem

🇮🇱 Ashdod

🕒 Local time

15:29 3:29 PM

Same time as Jerusalem

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

882,652 Capital

251,837

💱 Currency

Israeli New Shekel ILS ₪

📈 Exchange rate

1 ILS = 0.321 USD

1 ILS = 0.286 EUR

1 ILS = 0.321 USD

1 ILS = 0.286 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Jerusalem Ashdod 54 km

From you

Jerusalem
Ashdod

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 Ashdod: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ashdod is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. The 22% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 10% lower in Ashdod. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,837 in Jerusalem versus $1,747 in Ashdod. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Jerusalem. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,892 per month in Jerusalem versus $2,362 in Ashdod – a 22% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Ashdod is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Jerusalem and Ashdod are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Ashdod gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Jerusalem. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.