Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv-Yafo

For one person, living is cheaper in Jerusalem: $2,891 a month against $3,559 in Tel Aviv-Yafo, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

142

Cost of Living Index in Jerusalem
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Jerusalem Living Index
175

Cost of Living Index in Tel Aviv-Yafo
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Tel Aviv-Yafo Living Index

Jump to prices

Jerusalem

🇮🇱 Israel

$2,891

/mo nomad

Tel Aviv-Yafo

🇮🇱 Israel

$3,559

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Jerusalem and in Tel Aviv-Yafo

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 Tel Aviv-Yafo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,891 per month in Jerusalem vs $3,559 in Tel Aviv-Yafo, rent included.

Jerusalem $2,891
Tel Aviv-Yafo $3,559

A couple spends around $4,203 per month in Jerusalem vs $5,309 in Tel Aviv-Yafo, rent included.

Jerusalem $4,203
Tel Aviv-Yafo $5,309

A family of three spends $5,516 per month in Jerusalem vs $7,059 in Tel Aviv-Yafo, rent included.

Jerusalem $5,516
Tel Aviv-Yafo $7,059

Jerusalem is about 19% cheaper than Tel Aviv-Yafo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Jerusalem and Tel Aviv-Yafo sit above the global median – Jerusalem by 114%, Tel Aviv-Yafo by 164%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.87 ₪71.2

$25.69 ₪79.9

-10.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$96.2 ₪299

$131 ₪408

-26.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.77 ₪61.5

$20.64 ₪64.2

-4.22%

Cappuccino

$4.77 ₪14.84

$5.42 ₪16.86

-11.99%

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

$3.50 ₪10.87

$3.88 ₪12.06

-9.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₪8.69

$3.10 ₪9.65

-10.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.08 ₪25.13

$11.26 ₪35.04

-28.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.06 ₪31.29

$10.80 ₪33.61

-6.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.34 ₪7.27

$2.63 ₪8.17

-11.03%

White Bread (500g)

$3.39 ₪10.53

$4.64 ₪14.43

-26.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.60 ₪11.21

$3.65 ₪11.37

-1.37%

Eggs

$4.83 ₪15.03

$5.28 ₪16.42

-8.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.93 ₪52.7

$21.55 ₪67.0

-21.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.77 ₪45.96

$16.14 ₪50.2

-8.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$34.27 ₪107

$25.15 ₪78.3

36.26%

Apples (1kg)

$4.31 ₪13.41

$4.80 ₪14.94

-10.21%

Banana (1kg)

$3.25 ₪10.11

$3.93 ₪12.24

-17.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.66 ₪8.27

$2.50 ₪7.77

6.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 ₪7.69

$3.48 ₪10.84

-29.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 ₪5.93

$1.87 ₪5.81

2.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.70 ₪5.29

$1.85 ₪5.75

-8.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.06 ₪6.41

$2.63 ₪8.19

-21.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ₪5.71

$2.70 ₪8.40

-31.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.69 ₪42.60

$14.43 ₪44.91

-5.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.93 ₪46.45

$16.26 ₪50.6

-8.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.55 ₪14.15

$3.82 ₪11.89

19.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.17 ₪12.99

$4.81 ₪14.96

-13.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.58 ₪8.01

$2.56 ₪7.97

0.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.4 ₪219

$102 ₪318

-31.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.97 ₪12.36

$4.31 ₪13.42

-7.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 ₪3.86

$1.15 ₪3.57

7.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.92 ₪77.5

$19.46 ₪60.5

28.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.67 ₪8.31

$2.64 ₪8.22

1.14%

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

$57.0K ₪177.4K

$55.5K ₪172.6K

2.77%

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

$59.3K ₪184.6K

$55.7K ₪173.4K

6.46%

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

$286 ₪891

$441 ₪1,371

-34.99%

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

$12.61 ₪39.24

$11.40 ₪35.46

10.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.51 ₪129

$34.76 ₪108

19.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.0 ₪230

$110 ₪342

-32.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.26 ₪53.7

$22.52 ₪70.1

-23.36%

Cinema Ticket

$14.38 ₪44.74

$16.05 ₪49.92

-10.40%

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

$1,428 ₪4,444

$1,719 ₪5,348

-16.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.3K ₪91.0K

$31.1K ₪96.6K

-5.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$117 ₪365

$126 ₪391

-6.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$76.9 ₪239

$85.9 ₪267

-10.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$153 ₪475

$172 ₪537

-11.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 ₪496

$196 ₪609

-18.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,852 ₪5,761

$2,195 ₪6,828

-15.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,261 ₪3,922

$1,591 ₪4,949

-20.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,781 ₪11.8K

$3,611 ₪11.2K

4.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,880 ₪5,848

$2,709 ₪8,427

-30.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.7K ₪61.1K

$19.6K ₪61.1K

0.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,096 ₪28.3K

$13.1K ₪40.7K

-30.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,671 ₪11.4K

$4,065 ₪12.6K

-9.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.99

5.03

-0.80%

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

Last update for Jerusalem: October 11, 2026

Last update for Tel Aviv-Yafo: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Jerusalem

$1.3K 43.6%

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$1.6K 44.7% 26.2% $330

Groceries & Markets

Jerusalem

$483 16.7%

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$518 14.6% 7.2% $35

Eating Out

Jerusalem

$385 13.3%

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$438 12.3% 13.8% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jerusalem

$341 11.8%

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$487 13.7% 42.9% $146

Clothing & Footwear

Jerusalem

$228 7.9%

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$261 7.3% 14.5% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Jerusalem

$103 3.6%

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$142 4% 38.2% $39

Getting Around

Jerusalem

$91 3.1%

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$122 3.4% 34.8% $32

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,852 in Jerusalem versus $2,195 in Tel Aviv-Yafo. 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 11% higher in Tel Aviv-Yafo, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $96.0 in Jerusalem versus $131 in Tel Aviv-Yafo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $483 vs $518 – making Jerusalem the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇱 Jerusalem

🇮🇱 Tel Aviv-Yafo

🕒 Local time

09:09 9:09 AM

Same time as Jerusalem

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

882,652 Capital

438,818

💱 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

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Between locations

Jerusalem Tel Aviv-Yafo 54 km

From you

Jerusalem
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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 Tel Aviv-Yafo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,891 in Jerusalem, $3,559 in Tel Aviv-Yafo – roughly 23% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,336 per month in Jerusalem and $5,338 in Tel Aviv-Yafo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Jerusalem, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $96.0 in Jerusalem and $131 in Tel Aviv-Yafo. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,891 in Jerusalem and $3,559 in Tel Aviv-Yafo. That's a gap of about 23%.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,891 in Jerusalem and $3,559 in Tel Aviv-Yafo. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Tel Aviv-Yafo has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,891 in Jerusalem to $3,559 in Tel Aviv-Yafo. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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