Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rishon Leziyyon and Haifa

For one person, living is cheaper in Haifa: $2,443 a month against $2,880 in Rishon Leziyyon, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Rishon Leziyyon outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

140

Cost of Living Index in Rishon Leziyyon
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Rishon Leziyyon Living Index
118

Cost of Living Index in Haifa
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Haifa Living Index

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Rishon Leziyyon

🇮🇱 Israel

$2,880

/mo nomad

Haifa

🇮🇱 Israel

$2,443

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rishon Leziyyon and in Haifa

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,880 in Rishon Leziyyon versus $2,443 in Haifa.

Rishon Leziyyon $2,880
Haifa $2,443

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,226 in Rishon Leziyyon versus $3,719 in Haifa.

Rishon Leziyyon $4,226
Haifa $3,719

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,572 in Rishon Leziyyon versus $4,995 in Haifa.

Rishon Leziyyon $5,572
Haifa $4,995

Living in Rishon Leziyyon is roughly 18% more expensive than in Haifa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rishon Leziyyon 112% above, Haifa 80% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.11 ₪90.7

$26.19 ₪81.6

11.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.8 ₪305

$108 ₪338

-9.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.76 ₪52.2

$19.80 ₪61.7

-15.35%

Cappuccino

$5.21 ₪16.22

$4.47 ₪13.92

16.55%

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

$3.72 ₪11.59

$3.47 ₪10.79

7.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ₪10.27

$3.32 ₪10.33

-0.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.42 ₪32.45

$10.34 ₪32.20

0.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.61 ₪29.92

$10.90 ₪33.96

-11.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.52 ₪7.86

$2.55 ₪7.95

-1.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 ₪5.41

$3.59 ₪11.18

-51.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 ₪8.34

$3.87 ₪12.07

-30.75%

Eggs

$5.30 ₪16.49

$5.10 ₪15.89

3.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.87 ₪55.7

$17.47 ₪54.4

2.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.10 ₪43.93

$12.80 ₪39.86

10.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.35 ₪50.9

$23.44 ₪73.0

-30.25%

Apples (1kg)

$3.49 ₪10.88

$4.26 ₪13.27

-18.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.98 ₪9.28

$2.93 ₪9.13

1.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 ₪5.39

$2.40 ₪7.49

-27.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 ₪7.93

$2.51 ₪7.81

1.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 ₪5.58

$1.96 ₪6.11

-8.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 ₪5.18

$1.73 ₪5.37

-4.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 ₪6.17

$2.37 ₪7.39

-16.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₪2.98

$2.71 ₪8.43

-64.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.14 ₪44.05

$13.28 ₪41.35

6.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₪39.26

$15.40 ₪47.95

-18.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.67 ₪8.31

$3.21 ₪9.99

-16.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 ₪7.67

$4.82 ₪15.02

-48.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.60 ₪8.11

$2.53 ₪7.88

2.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$101 ₪314

$103 ₪319

-1.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 ₪11.98

$4.37 ₪13.62

-11.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 ₪4.66

$1.21 ₪3.76

23.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.37 ₪97.7

$37.30 ₪116

-15.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.56 ₪7.97

$2.66 ₪8.28

-3.76%

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

$54.7K ₪170.3K

$55.7K ₪173.6K

-1.89%

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

$55.3K ₪172.2K

$54.8K ₪170.6K

0.94%

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

$288 ₪896

$261 ₪812

10.33%

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

$11.49 ₪35.80

$11.75 ₪36.61

-2.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.58 ₪142

$35.21 ₪110

29.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.6 ₪164

$82.8 ₪258

-36.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.52 ₪60.8

$24.97 ₪77.8

-21.83%

Cinema Ticket

$16.06 ₪50.0

$15.98 ₪49.77

0.50%

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

$1,164 ₪3,625

$1,160 ₪3,612

0.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.0K ₪74.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.75 ₪152

$111 ₪345

-56.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.77 ₪124

$71.0 ₪221

-44.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 ₪426

$130 ₪406

5.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$150 ₪466

$156 ₪485

-3.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,679 ₪5,230

$1,079 ₪3,361

55.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,340 ₪4,174

$811 ₪2,527

65.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,634 ₪8,205

$1,727 ₪5,378

52.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,143 ₪6,676

$1,277 ₪3,979

67.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.0K ₪31.3K

$9,276 ₪28.9K

8.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,278 ₪22.7K

$6,034 ₪18.8K

20.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,042 ₪9,476

$4,308 ₪13.4K

-29.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.07

5.04

0.60%

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

Last update for Rishon Leziyyon: October 25, 2026

Last update for Haifa: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rishon Leziyyon

$1.3K 46.5%

Haifa

$811 33.2% 39.5% $529

Eating Out

Rishon Leziyyon

$445 15.5%

Haifa

$423 17.3% 4.9% $22

Groceries & Markets

Rishon Leziyyon

$374 13%

Haifa

$453 18.5% 21% $79

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rishon Leziyyon

$345 12%

Haifa

$308 12.6% 10.7% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Rishon Leziyyon

$169 5.9%

Haifa

$211 8.6% 24.8% $42

Getting Around

Rishon Leziyyon

$123 4.3%

Haifa

$123 5% 0.3% $0.4

Sport & Entertainment

Rishon Leziyyon

$85 2.9%

Haifa

$115 4.7% 35.4% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,679 in Rishon Leziyyon and $1,079 in Haifa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Haifa pays 42% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $98 in Rishon Leziyyon vs $108 in Haifa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $374 vs $453 per month, with Rishon Leziyyon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇱 Rishon Leziyyon

🇮🇱 Haifa

🕒 Local time

22:22 10:22 PM

Same time as Rishon Leziyyon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

247,323

279,591

💱 Currency

Israeli New Shekel ILS ₪

📈 Exchange rate

1 ILS = 0.321 USD

1 ILS = 0.288 EUR

1 ILS = 0.321 USD

1 ILS = 0.288 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Rishon Leziyyon Haifa 97 km

From you

Rishon Leziyyon
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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

Rishon Leziyyon vs Haifa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Haifa is about 15% cheaper overall, especially in eating out and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 29% lower in Rishon Leziyyon. 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: $1,679 in Rishon Leziyyon versus $1,079 in Haifa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,164 in Rishon Leziyyon versus $1,160 in Haifa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Rishon Leziyyon – a meal for two runs $98 versus $108 in Haifa. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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, Rishon Leziyyon and Haifa are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.