Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Skien and Tel Aviv-Yafo

For one person, living is cheaper in Skien: $2,336 a month against $3,559 in Tel Aviv-Yafo, rent and utilities included – about $14,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

113

Cost of Living Index in Skien
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Skien Living Index
175

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

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Skien

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,336

/mo nomad

Tel Aviv-Yafo

🇮🇱 Israel

$3,559

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Skien 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 Skien and in Tel Aviv-Yafo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,336 per month in Skien vs $3,559 in Tel Aviv-Yafo, rent included.

Skien $2,336
Tel Aviv-Yafo $3,559

A couple spends around $3,267 per month in Skien vs $5,309 in Tel Aviv-Yafo, rent included.

Skien $3,267
Tel Aviv-Yafo $5,309

A family of three spends $4,197 per month in Skien vs $7,059 in Tel Aviv-Yafo, rent included.

Skien $4,197
Tel Aviv-Yafo $7,059

Skien is about 34% cheaper than Tel Aviv-Yafo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Skien and Tel Aviv-Yafo sit above the global median – Skien by 73%, Tel Aviv-Yafo by 164%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.21 NOK 200

$25.69 ₪79.9

-17.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$103 NOK 971

$131 ₪408

-21.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.47 NOK 146

$20.64 ₪64.2

-25.05%

Cappuccino

$5.11 NOK 48.11

$5.42 ₪16.86

-5.72%

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

$4.36 NOK 41.01

$3.88 ₪12.06

12.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 NOK 27.96

$3.10 ₪9.65

-4.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.89 NOK 112

$11.26 ₪35.04

5.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.33 NOK 116

$10.80 ₪33.61

14.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 NOK 19.84

$2.63 ₪8.17

-19.77%

White Bread (500g)

$3.92 NOK 36.90

$4.64 ₪14.43

-15.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.57 NOK 42.98

$3.65 ₪11.37

25.21%

Eggs

$5.66 NOK 53.3

$5.28 ₪16.42

7.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.16 NOK 124

$21.55 ₪67.0

-38.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.17 NOK 143

$16.14 ₪50.2

-6.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.79 NOK 205

$25.15 ₪78.3

-13.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.35 NOK 31.49

$4.80 ₪14.94

-30.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.70 NOK 25.42

$3.93 ₪12.24

-31.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.49 NOK 32.86

$2.50 ₪7.77

39.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.95 NOK 56.0

$3.48 ₪10.84

70.98%

Potato (1kg)

$2.24 NOK 21.04

$1.87 ₪5.81

19.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.78 NOK 26.12

$1.85 ₪5.75

50.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.04 NOK 28.63

$2.63 ₪8.19

15.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 NOK 23.33

$2.70 ₪8.40

-8.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.02 NOK 179

$14.43 ₪44.91

31.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.76 NOK 148

$16.26 ₪50.6

-3.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.35 NOK 31.58

$3.82 ₪11.89

-12.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 NOK 40.76

$4.81 ₪14.96

-9.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.26 NOK 30.64

$2.56 ₪7.97

27.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.91 NOK 451

$102 ₪318

-53.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$11.13 NOK 105

$4.31 ₪13.42

158.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 NOK 17.02

$1.15 ₪3.57

57.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$70.8 NOK 667

$19.46 ₪60.5

263.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.27 NOK 21.39

$2.64 ₪8.22

-14.02%

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

$47.5K NOK 447.3K

$55.5K ₪172.6K

-14.35%

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

$43.4K NOK 408.1K

$55.7K ₪173.4K

-22.21%

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

$93.9 NOK 884

$441 ₪1,371

-78.70%

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

$33.89 NOK 319

$11.40 ₪35.46

197.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 NOK 504

$34.76 ₪108

54.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.10 NOK 406

$110 ₪342

-60.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.52 ₪70.1

Cinema Ticket

$15.29 NOK 144

$16.05 ₪49.92

-4.74%

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

$239 NOK 2,247

$1,719 ₪5,348

-86.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K NOK 148.1K

$31.1K ₪96.6K

-49.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.7 NOK 600

$126 ₪391

-49.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.4 NOK 568

$85.9 ₪267

-29.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.9 NOK 827

$172 ₪537

-49.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$153 NOK 1,442

$196 ₪609

-21.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,042 NOK 9,811

$2,195 ₪6,828

-52.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$975 NOK 9,183

$1,591 ₪4,949

-38.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,035 NOK 9,746

$3,611 ₪11.2K

-71.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$939 NOK 8,841

$2,709 ₪8,427

-65.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,395 NOK 32.0K

$19.6K ₪61.1K

-82.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,149 NOK 29.6K

$13.1K ₪40.7K

-75.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,236 NOK 39.9K

$4,065 ₪12.6K

4.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.37

5.03

-13.12%

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

Last update for Skien: October 12, 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

Skien

$975 41.8%

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$1.6K 44.7% 63.1% $615

Groceries & Markets

Skien

$470 20.1%

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$518 14.6% 10.2% $48

Eating Out

Skien

$391 16.7%

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$438 12.3% 12.1% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Skien

$181 7.8%

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$487 13.7% 169% $305

Clothing & Footwear

Skien

$164 7%

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$261 7.3% 58.8% $97

Getting Around

Skien

$81 3.5%

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$122 3.4% 51% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Skien

$74 3.2%

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$142 4% 92.7% $68

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,042 in Skien 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 4% higher in Skien, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $103 in Skien versus $131 in Tel Aviv-Yafo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $470 vs $518 – making Skien the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇴 Skien

🇮🇱 Tel Aviv-Yafo

🕒 Local time

16:27 4:27 PM

17:27 5:27 PM

1 h ahead of Skien

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

56,769

438,818

💱 Currency

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

Israeli New Shekel ILS ₪

📈 Exchange rate

100 NOK = 10.62 USD

100 NOK = 9.45 EUR

1 ILS = 0.321 USD

1 ILS = 0.286 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ILS, USD, EUR to NOK – Norwegian Krone Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇴 Norwegian Krone (kr)

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 9.41 NOK (1 NOK = 0.106 USD). 1 EUR = 10.58 NOK (100 NOK = 9.45 EUR).

Israeli New Shekel exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.11 ILS (1 ILS = 0.321 USD). 1 EUR = 3.5 ILS (1 ILS = 0.286 EUR).

USD to NOK in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Skien Tel Aviv-Yafo 3,560 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Skien
Tel Aviv-Yafo

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

Skien vs Tel Aviv-Yafo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Tel Aviv-Yafo is pricier by about 52%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,504 per month in Skien 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 Skien, 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 $103 in Skien 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 $2,336 in Skien and $3,559 in Tel Aviv-Yafo. That's a gap of about 52%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Skien, where all-in costs run around $2,336, than in Tel Aviv-Yafo at $3,559. In Skien it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tel Aviv-Yafo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

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 Skien. 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.