Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tel Aviv-Yafo and Arad, Israel

For one person, living is cheaper in Arad: $2,955 a month against $3,664 in Tel Aviv-Yafo, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

176

Cost of Living Index in Tel Aviv-Yafo
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Tel Aviv-Yafo Living Index
142

Cost of Living Index in Arad
Learn more

Arad Living Index

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Tel Aviv-Yafo

🇮🇱 Israel

$3,664

/mo nomad

Arad

🇮🇱 Israel

$2,955

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $3,664 per month in Tel Aviv-Yafo vs $2,955 in Arad, rent included.

Tel Aviv-Yafo $3,664
Arad $2,955

A couple spends around $5,410 per month in Tel Aviv-Yafo vs $4,248 in Arad, rent included.

Tel Aviv-Yafo $5,410
Arad $4,248

A family of three spends $7,156 per month in Tel Aviv-Yafo vs $5,541 in Arad, rent included.

Tel Aviv-Yafo $7,156
Arad $5,541

Tel Aviv-Yafo costs about 24% more than Arad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Tel Aviv-Yafo and Arad sit above the global median – Tel Aviv-Yafo by 169%, Arad by 117%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.13 ₪82.0

$25.90 ₪81.3

0.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$128 ₪402

$90.6 ₪284

41.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$20.15 ₪63.2

$20.62 ₪64.7

-2.28%

Cappuccino

$5.47 ₪17.18

$4.75 ₪14.89

15.16%

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

$3.88 ₪12.19

$3.85 ₪12.07

0.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 ₪9.74

$2.75 ₪8.62

12.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.09 ₪34.80

$9.75 ₪30.59

13.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.81 ₪33.94

$9.89 ₪31.03

9.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.57 ₪8.06

$2.56 ₪8.03

0.39%

White Bread (500g)

$4.42 ₪13.88

$5.70 ₪17.90

-22.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.72 ₪11.67

$3.42 ₪10.73

8.77%

Eggs

$5.28 ₪16.56

$4.44 ₪13.94

18.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.19 ₪66.5

$13.23 ₪41.51

60.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.93 ₪50.0

$19.30 ₪60.6

-17.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.64 ₪80.5

$26.36 ₪82.7

-2.73%

Apples (1kg)

$4.66 ₪14.63

$6.52 ₪20.45

-28.53%

Banana (1kg)

$3.77 ₪11.84

$3.25 ₪10.20

16.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.51 ₪7.89

$2.97 ₪9.33

-15.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.37 ₪10.56

$3.19 ₪10.01

5.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 ₪6.05

$2.06 ₪6.45

-6.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 ₪6.02

$1.70 ₪5.32

12.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.73 ₪8.56

$2.30 ₪7.22

18.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 ₪8.16

$2.51 ₪7.87

3.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.73 ₪46.24

$9.95 ₪31.21

48.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.16 ₪50.7

$13.07 ₪41.01

23.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.66 ₪11.50

$4.77 ₪14.95

-23.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 ₪14.86

$4.21 ₪13.20

12.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.56 ₪8.03

$2.50 ₪7.84

2.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$103 ₪322

$107 ₪337

-4.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.16 ₪13.07

$8.29 ₪26.01

-49.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 ₪3.44

$1.26 ₪3.96

-12.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.67 ₪61.7

$29.17 ₪91.5

-32.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.65 ₪8.32

$2.60 ₪8.15

1.92%

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

$54.6K ₪171.4K

$54.5K ₪171.2K

0.14%

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

$54.5K ₪171.1K

$52.9K ₪166.0K

3.06%

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

$441 ₪1,383

$337 ₪1,058

30.70%

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

$11.53 ₪36.19

$12.20 ₪38.27

-5.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.78 ₪109

$48.05 ₪151

-27.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$93.8 ₪294

$90.1 ₪283

4.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.56 ₪70.8

Cinema Ticket

$16.09 ₪50.5

$15.90 ₪49.89

1.19%

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

$1,665 ₪5,224

$1,612 ₪5,057

3.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.2K ₪97.9K

$27.7K ₪87.0K

12.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$125 ₪391

$103 ₪322

21.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$85.2 ₪267

$65.7 ₪206

29.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$170 ₪533

$172 ₪540

-1.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$201 ₪630

$159 ₪497

26.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,294 ₪7,198

$1,764 ₪5,537

30.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,716 ₪5,385

$1,142 ₪3,582

50.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,794 ₪11.9K

$2,154 ₪6,759

76.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,861 ₪8,978

$1,638 ₪5,140

74.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$20.7K ₪64.9K

$10.8K ₪33.9K

91.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$13.9K ₪43.7K

$8,347 ₪26.2K

66.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,170 ₪13.1K

$2,605 ₪8,175

60.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.03

5.2

-3.27%

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

Last update for Tel Aviv-Yafo: October 25, 2026

Last update for Arad: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$1.7K 46.9%

Arad

$1.1K 38.6% 33.5% $574

Groceries & Markets

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$511 13.9%

Arad

$517 17.5% 1.1% $5.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$487 13.3%

Arad

$397 13.5% 18.4% $90

Eating Out

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$440 12%

Arad

$421 14.2% 4.4% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$261 7.1%

Arad

$225 7.6% 14% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$126 3.4%

Arad

$122 4.1% 3.2% $4

Getting Around

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$122 3.3%

Arad

$132 4.5% 7.7% $9.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,294 in Tel Aviv-Yafo versus $1,764 in Arad. 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 60% higher in Tel Aviv-Yafo. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $128 in Tel Aviv-Yafo versus $91 in Arad. Groceries tell a different story – $511 in Tel Aviv-Yafo vs $517 in Arad – so Tel Aviv-Yafo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇮🇱 Tel Aviv-Yafo

🇮🇱 Arad

🕒 Local time

17:55 5:55 PM

Same time as Tel Aviv-Yafo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

438,818

25,530

💱 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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Between locations

Tel Aviv-Yafo Arad 100 km

From you

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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

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

Tel Aviv-Yafo costs about 24% more than Arad, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,495 per month in Tel Aviv-Yafo and $4,432 in Arad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Arad, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,764 there versus $2,294 in Tel Aviv-Yafo.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,664 in Tel Aviv-Yafo and $2,955 in Arad. That makes Arad about 19% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $1,665 per month in Tel Aviv-Yafo and $1,612 in Arad. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,664 in Tel Aviv-Yafo and $2,955 in Arad. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Arad – 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.

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