Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tel Aviv-Yafo and Ashkelon

For one person, living is cheaper in Ashkelon: $2,394 a month against $3,559 in Tel Aviv-Yafo, rent and utilities included – about $14,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

175

Cost of Living Index in Tel Aviv-Yafo
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Tel Aviv-Yafo Living Index
117

Cost of Living Index in Ashkelon
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Ashkelon Living Index

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Tel Aviv-Yafo

🇮🇱 Israel

$3,559

/mo nomad

Ashkelon

🇮🇱 Israel

$2,394

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Ashkelon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,559 in Tel Aviv-Yafo versus $2,394 in Ashkelon.

Tel Aviv-Yafo $3,559
Ashkelon $2,394

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,309 in Tel Aviv-Yafo versus $3,551 in Ashkelon.

Tel Aviv-Yafo $5,309
Ashkelon $3,551

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,059 in Tel Aviv-Yafo versus $4,708 in Ashkelon.

Tel Aviv-Yafo $7,059
Ashkelon $4,708

Living in Tel Aviv-Yafo is roughly 49% more expensive than in Ashkelon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Tel Aviv-Yafo 164% above, Ashkelon 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.69 ₪79.9

$23.07 ₪71.8

11.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$131 ₪408

$81.0 ₪252

61.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$20.64 ₪64.2

$17.60 ₪54.8

17.27%

Cappuccino

$5.42 ₪16.86

$4.58 ₪14.25

18.34%

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

$3.88 ₪12.06

$3.26 ₪10.15

19.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 ₪9.65

$2.80 ₪8.71

10.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.26 ₪35.04

$12.10 ₪37.63

-6.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.80 ₪33.61

$7.69 ₪23.93

40.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.63 ₪8.17

$2.35 ₪7.32

11.91%

White Bread (500g)

$4.64 ₪14.43

$2.68 ₪8.34

73.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.65 ₪11.37

$3.01 ₪9.35

21.26%

Eggs

$5.28 ₪16.42

$4.57 ₪14.21

15.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.55 ₪67.0

$21.56 ₪67.1

-0.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.14 ₪50.2

$12.94 ₪40.26

24.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.15 ₪78.3

$25.38 ₪79.0

-0.91%

Apples (1kg)

$4.80 ₪14.94

$4.13 ₪12.86

16.22%

Banana (1kg)

$3.93 ₪12.24

$3.18 ₪9.91

23.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.50 ₪7.77

$2.27 ₪7.05

10.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.48 ₪10.84

$3.22 ₪10.03

8.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 ₪5.81

$1.60 ₪4.99

16.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 ₪5.75

$1.99 ₪6.20

-7.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.63 ₪8.19

$2.66 ₪8.27

-1.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.70 ₪8.40

$0.94 ₪2.93

187.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.43 ₪44.91

$13.77 ₪42.84

4.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.26 ₪50.6

$11.65 ₪36.23

39.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.82 ₪11.89

$2.58 ₪8.02

48.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.81 ₪14.96

$1.97 ₪6.12

144.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.56 ₪7.97

$2.53 ₪7.88

1.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$102 ₪318

$44.33 ₪138

130.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.31 ₪13.42

$11.17 ₪34.76

-61.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.15 ₪3.57

$1.67 ₪5.20

-31.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.46 ₪60.5

$39.23 ₪122

-50.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.64 ₪8.22

$2.64 ₪8.20

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

$55.5K ₪172.6K

$57.8K ₪179.8K

-3.99%

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

$55.7K ₪173.4K

$56.8K ₪176.7K

-1.89%

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

$441 ₪1,371

$214 ₪667

105.67%

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

$11.40 ₪35.46

$11.73 ₪36.49

-2.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.76 ₪108

$41.41 ₪129

-16.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$110 ₪342

$45.93 ₪143

139.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.52 ₪70.1

$32.25 ₪100

-30.17%

Cinema Ticket

$16.05 ₪49.92

$16.56 ₪51.5

-3.08%

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

$1,719 ₪5,348

$1,220 ₪3,797

40.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K ₪96.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$126 ₪391

$107 ₪334

17.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$85.9 ₪267

$75.6 ₪235

13.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$172 ₪537

$113 ₪352

52.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$196 ₪609

$146 ₪453

34.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,195 ₪6,828

$1,144 ₪3,560

91.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,591 ₪4,949

$961 ₪2,989

65.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,611 ₪11.2K

$1,798 ₪5,595

100.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,709 ₪8,427

$1,470 ₪4,575

84.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.6K ₪61.1K

$5,741 ₪17.9K

242.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$13.1K ₪40.7K

$5,602 ₪17.4K

133.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,065 ₪12.6K

$2,977 ₪9,263

36.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.03

4.98

1.00%

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

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

Last update for Ashkelon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$1.6K 44.7%

Ashkelon

$961 40.1% 39.6% $630

Groceries & Markets

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$518 14.6%

Ashkelon

$422 17.6% 18.5% $96

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$487 13.7%

Ashkelon

$267 11.2% 45.1% $219

Eating Out

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$438 12.3%

Ashkelon

$392 16.4% 10.5% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$261 7.3%

Ashkelon

$199 8.3% 23.9% $62

Sport & Entertainment

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$142 4%

Ashkelon

$79 3.3% 44.3% $63

Getting Around

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$122 3.4%

Ashkelon

$74 3.1% 39.6% $48

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,195 in Tel Aviv-Yafo and $1,144 in Ashkelon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tel Aviv-Yafo pays 37% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $131 in Tel Aviv-Yafo vs $81.0 in Ashkelon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $518 vs $422 per month, with Ashkelon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇱 Tel Aviv-Yafo

🇮🇱 Ashkelon

🕒 Local time

08:42 8:42 AM

Same time as Tel Aviv-Yafo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

438,818

152,439

💱 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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Tel Aviv-Yafo Ashkelon 51 km

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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 Ashkelon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ashkelon wins on cost – living expenses run 49% lower than in Tel Aviv-Yafo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ashkelon the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 37% higher in Tel Aviv-Yafo, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,195 in Tel Aviv-Yafo versus $1,144 in Ashkelon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Ashkelon – a meal for two runs $81.0 versus $131 in Tel Aviv-Yafo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,559 per month in Tel Aviv-Yafo versus $2,394 in Ashkelon – a 49% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,394 in Ashkelon versus $3,559 in Tel Aviv-Yafo, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ashkelon but tight or insufficient in Tel Aviv-Yafo. The gap between the two cities makes Ashkelon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ashkelon delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,394 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ashkelon hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Tel Aviv-Yafo and Ashkelon are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Ashkelon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Tel Aviv-Yafo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.