Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ramallah and Bethlehem

For one person, living is cheaper in Bethlehem: $1,593 a month against $1,940 in Ramallah, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ramallah outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

94

Cost of Living Index in Ramallah
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Ramallah Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Bethlehem
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Bethlehem Living Index

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Ramallah

🇵🇸 Palestine

$1,940

/mo nomad

Bethlehem

🇵🇸 Palestine

$1,593

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ramallah and in Bethlehem

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

A single person spends $1,940 per month in Ramallah vs $1,593 in Bethlehem, rent included.

Ramallah $1,940
Bethlehem $1,593

A couple spends around $2,803 per month in Ramallah vs $2,473 in Bethlehem, rent included.

Ramallah $2,803
Bethlehem $2,473

A family of three spends $3,666 per month in Ramallah vs $3,353 in Bethlehem, rent included.

Ramallah $3,666
Bethlehem $3,353

Ramallah costs about 22% more than Bethlehem, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Ramallah and Bethlehem sit above the global median – Ramallah by 43%, Bethlehem by 17%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.16 ₪34.99

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.0 ₪204

$49.06 ₪154

32.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.72 ₪39.90

$13.91 ₪43.63

-8.55%

Cappuccino

$4.99 ₪15.66

$4.48 ₪14.05

11.38%

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

$1.92 ₪6.04

$1.32 ₪4.13

45.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 ₪4.97

$1.01 ₪3.17

57.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.65 ₪30.26

$6.14 ₪19.27

57.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.98 ₪25.01

$8.19 ₪25.68

-2.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.12 ₪6.66

$1.99 ₪6.25

6.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.62 ₪8.21

$0.92 ₪2.88

184.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.98 ₪9.33

$2.23 ₪6.98

33.63%

Eggs

$3.78 ₪11.85

$2.62 ₪8.22

44.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.39 ₪35.70

$10.69 ₪33.53

6.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.36 ₪19.95

$9.80 ₪30.72

-35.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.28 ₪82.4

$20.40 ₪64.0

28.82%

Apples (1kg)

$4.81 ₪15.07

$3.67 ₪11.51

31.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₪5.15

$2.05 ₪6.42

-20.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 ₪5.15

$1.59 ₪4.98

3.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 ₪6.91

$2.36 ₪7.40

-6.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 ₪5.95

$1.50 ₪4.70

26.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 ₪5.14

$1.59 ₪4.98

3.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 ₪7.31

$1.64 ₪5.14

42.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 ₪2.99

$1.00 ₪3.13

-5.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.02 ₪31.41

Wine (Bottle)

$22.97 ₪72.0

$14.48 ₪45.40

58.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 ₪8.20

$2.22 ₪6.97

17.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 ₪7.18

$2.22 ₪6.96

3.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.65 ₪5.17

$2.44 ₪7.66

-32.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.5 ₪259

$144 ₪450

-42.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.85 ₪15.20

$3.18 ₪9.98

52.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.88 ₪15.31

$3.33 ₪10.44

46.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 ₪10.04

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.55 ₪8.01

$2.37 ₪7.42

7.59%

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

$57.9K ₪181.6K

$40.9K ₪128.3K

41.57%

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

$89.3K ₪280.0K

$48.3K ₪151.4K

84.96%

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

$318 ₪998

$195 ₪613

62.82%

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

$29.76 ₪93.3

$39.21 ₪123

-24.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.22 ₪120

$32.23 ₪101

18.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.4 ₪283

$65.7 ₪206

37.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.35 ₪60.7

$32.15 ₪101

-39.81%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 ₪35.78

$8.32 ₪26.07

37.14%

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

$98.8 ₪310

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,158 ₪25.6K

$9,843 ₪30.9K

-17.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.10 ₪154

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$97.7 ₪306

$97.0 ₪304

0.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 ₪411

$112 ₪351

16.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.8 ₪304

$164 ₪514

-40.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,066 ₪3,341

$481 ₪1,507

121.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$636 ₪1,993

$329 ₪1,031

93.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,438 ₪4,509

$895 ₪2,806

60.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$970 ₪3,041

$639 ₪2,005

51.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,190 ₪3,733

$1,618 ₪5,074

-26.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$895 ₪2,807

$1,125 ₪3,529

-20.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,275 ₪3,998

$1,304 ₪4,090

-2.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-46.70%

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

Last update for Ramallah: October 24, 2026

Last update for Bethlehem: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ramallah

$636 32.8%

Bethlehem

$329 20.7% 48.3% $307

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ramallah

$386 19.9%

Bethlehem

$267 16.8% 30.9% $119

Groceries & Markets

Ramallah

$364 18.8%

Bethlehem

$310 19.5% 14.8% $54

Eating Out

Ramallah

$176 * 9.1%

Bethlehem

$241 15.1% 36.8% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Ramallah

$147 * 7.6%

Bethlehem

$190 11.9% 29.7% $43

Getting Around

Ramallah

$118 6.1%

Bethlehem

$173 10.9% 46.4% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Ramallah

$113 5.8%

Bethlehem

$82 5.2% 27.3% $31

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,066 in Ramallah versus $481 in Bethlehem. 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 $65 in Ramallah versus $49 in Bethlehem. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $364 vs $310 – making Bethlehem the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇸 Ramallah

🇵🇸 Bethlehem

🕒 Local time

12:18 12:18 PM

Same time as Ramallah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

43,880 Capital

29,019

💱 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

Ramallah Bethlehem 22 km

From you

Ramallah
Bethlehem

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

Ramallah vs Bethlehem: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Ramallah is pricier by about 22%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,910 per month in Ramallah and $2,389 in Bethlehem. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bethlehem, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $481 there versus $1,066 in Ramallah.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,940 in Ramallah and $1,593 in Bethlehem. That makes Bethlehem about 18% cheaper.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $65 in Ramallah and $49 in Bethlehem. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,940 in Ramallah and $1,593 in Bethlehem. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Ramallah has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,593 in Bethlehem to $1,940 in Ramallah. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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