Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jerusalem and Migdal HaEmek

For one person, living is cheaper in Migdal HaEmek: $2,822 a month against $3,048 in Jerusalem, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

146

Cost of Living Index in Jerusalem
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Jerusalem Living Index
132

Cost of Living Index in Migdal HaEmek
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Migdal HaEmek Living Index

Jump to prices

Jerusalem

🇮🇱 Israel

$3,048

/mo nomad

Migdal HaEmek

🇮🇱 Israel

$2,822

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Jerusalem and in Migdal HaEmek

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

A single person spends $3,048 per month in Jerusalem vs $2,822 in Migdal HaEmek, rent included.

Jerusalem $3,048
Migdal HaEmek $2,822

A couple spends around $4,422 per month in Jerusalem vs $4,051 in Migdal HaEmek, rent included.

Jerusalem $4,422
Migdal HaEmek $4,051

A family of three spends $5,795 per month in Jerusalem vs $5,279 in Migdal HaEmek, rent included.

Jerusalem $5,795
Migdal HaEmek $5,279

Jerusalem costs about 8% more than Migdal HaEmek, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Jerusalem and Migdal HaEmek sit above the global median – Jerusalem by 124%, Migdal HaEmek by 107%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.64 ₪71.0

$25.56 ₪80.2

-11.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.1 ₪305

$91.1 ₪286

6.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.50 ₪61.2

$19.26 ₪60.5

1.25%

Cappuccino

$5.01 ₪15.71

$4.52 ₪14.20

10.84%

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

$3.41 ₪10.70

$3.40 ₪10.68

0.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ₪8.84

$2.79 ₪8.75

1.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.93 ₪24.89

$9.86 ₪30.94

-19.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.95 ₪31.23

$10.22 ₪32.06

-2.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 ₪7.24

$2.56 ₪8.02

-9.77%

White Bread (500g)

$3.27 ₪10.25

$3.57 ₪11.22

-8.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.61 ₪11.32

$3.43 ₪10.76

5.25%

Eggs

$4.74 ₪14.87

$4.51 ₪14.15

5.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.42 ₪54.7

$12.92 ₪40.55

34.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.21 ₪44.60

$12.96 ₪40.68

9.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$35.07 ₪110

$24.12 ₪75.7

45.40%

Apples (1kg)

$4.19 ₪13.13

$4.31 ₪13.52

-2.78%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₪10.62

$2.83 ₪8.89

19.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 ₪8.39

$2.30 ₪7.22

16.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.40 ₪7.54

$2.56 ₪8.03

-6.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 ₪6.07

$1.99 ₪6.23

-3.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.70 ₪5.33

$1.74 ₪5.46

-2.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.99 ₪6.26

$2.39 ₪7.50

-16.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 ₪5.76

$2.48 ₪7.78

-26.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.58 ₪42.61

$10.08 ₪31.64

34.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.93 ₪46.85

$12.94 ₪40.62

15.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.42 ₪13.88

$3.21 ₪10.07

37.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.23 ₪13.29

$4.01 ₪12.59

5.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.52 ₪7.90

$2.86 ₪8.98

-11.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$104 ₪326

$114 ₪357

-8.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.09 ₪12.84

$4.16 ₪13.05

-1.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.27 ₪3.99

$1.25 ₪3.92

1.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.20 ₪79.1

$36.39 ₪114

-30.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.58 ₪8.09

$2.66 ₪8.33

-3.01%

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

$57.7K ₪181.0K

$54.9K ₪172.3K

5.03%

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

$56.1K ₪176.0K

$54.5K ₪170.9K

2.95%

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

$287 ₪899

$259 ₪814

10.52%

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

$12.11 ₪38.01

$11.69 ₪36.68

3.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.36 ₪130

$35.55 ₪112

16.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.5 ₪237

$81.1 ₪255

-6.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 ₪54.0

Cinema Ticket

$14.87 ₪46.66

$16.07 ₪50.4

-7.47%

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

$1,428 ₪4,481

$1,147 ₪3,600

24.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.0K ₪91.1K

$24.5K ₪76.9K

18.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$115 ₪361

$103 ₪324

11.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$75.2 ₪236

$63.9 ₪201

17.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$149 ₪468

$131 ₪411

13.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 ₪510

$158 ₪496

2.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,915 ₪6,009

$1,384 ₪4,342

38.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,387 ₪4,352

$1,222 ₪3,836

13.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,626 ₪11.4K

$2,759 ₪8,659

31.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,092 ₪6,564

$1,739 ₪5,456

20.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$17.8K ₪55.9K

$9,836 ₪30.9K

81.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,436 ₪29.6K

$7,546 ₪23.7K

25.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,657 ₪11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.99

5.04

-0.99%

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

Last update for Jerusalem: October 24, 2026

Last update for Migdal HaEmek: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Jerusalem

$1.4K 45.5%

Migdal HaEmek

$1.2K 43.3% 11.9% $165

Groceries & Markets

Jerusalem

$481 15.8%

Migdal HaEmek

$428 15.2% 11% $53

Eating Out

Jerusalem

$384 12.6%

Migdal HaEmek

$411 14.6% 7% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jerusalem

$340 11.2%

Migdal HaEmek

$307 10.9% 9.9% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Jerusalem

$226 7.4%

Migdal HaEmek

$205 7.3% 9.2% $21

Getting Around

Jerusalem

$125 4.1%

Migdal HaEmek

$135 4.8% 8.8% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Jerusalem

$105 3.5%

Migdal HaEmek

$113 4% 7.7% $8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,915 in Jerusalem versus $1,384 in Migdal HaEmek. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $97 in Jerusalem versus $91 in Migdal HaEmek. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $481 vs $428 – making Migdal HaEmek the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇱 Jerusalem

🇮🇱 Migdal HaEmek

🕒 Local time

17:35 5:35 PM

Same time as Jerusalem

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

882,652 Capital

24,700

💱 Currency

Israeli New Shekel ILS ₪

📈 Exchange rate

1 ILS = 0.319 USD

1 ILS = 0.285 EUR

1 ILS = 0.319 USD

1 ILS = 0.285 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Jerusalem Migdal HaEmek 100 km

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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 Migdal HaEmek: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,048 in Jerusalem, $2,822 in Migdal HaEmek – Migdal HaEmek comes out roughly 7% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,572 per month in Jerusalem and $4,233 in Migdal HaEmek. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Migdal HaEmek, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,384 there versus $1,915 in Jerusalem.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $97 in Jerusalem and $91 in Migdal HaEmek. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,048 in Jerusalem and $2,822 in Migdal HaEmek. That makes Migdal HaEmek about 7% cheaper.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,048 in Jerusalem and $2,822 in Migdal HaEmek. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Migdal HaEmek – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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