Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tel Aviv-Yafo and Cary, NC

For one person, living is cheaper in Cary, NC: $2,871 a month against $3,664 in Tel Aviv-Yafo, rent and utilities included – about $9,500 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
137

Cost of Living Index in Cary, NC
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Cary, NC Living Index

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Tel Aviv-Yafo

🇮🇱 Israel

$3,664

/mo nomad

Cary, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,871

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tel Aviv-Yafo and in Cary, NC

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,664 in Tel Aviv-Yafo versus $2,871 in Cary, NC.

Tel Aviv-Yafo $3,664
Cary, NC $2,871

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,410 in Tel Aviv-Yafo versus $4,202 in Cary, NC.

Tel Aviv-Yafo $5,410
Cary, NC $4,202

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,156 in Tel Aviv-Yafo versus $5,532 in Cary, NC.

Tel Aviv-Yafo $7,156
Cary, NC $5,532

Living in Tel Aviv-Yafo is roughly 28% more expensive than in Cary, NC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Tel Aviv-Yafo 169% above, Cary, NC 111% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.13 ₪81.5

$19.79 $19.79

32.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$128 ₪400

$101 $101

26.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$20.15 ₪62.8

$10.32 $10.32

95.25%

Cappuccino

$5.47 ₪17.07

$5.09 $5.09

7.47%

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

$3.88 ₪12.11

$2.11 $2.11

83.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 ₪9.68

$1.92 $1.92

61.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.09 ₪34.58

$4.39 $4.39

152.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.81 ₪33.73

$6.34 $6.34

70.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.57 ₪8.01

$1.00 $1.00

157.00%

White Bread (500g)

$4.42 ₪13.79

$5.52 $5.52

-19.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.72 ₪11.60

$5.90 $5.90

-36.95%

Eggs

$5.28 ₪16.46

$4.23 $4.23

24.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.19 ₪66.1

$18.17 $18.17

16.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.93 ₪49.69

$17.20 $17.20

-7.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.64 ₪80.0

$17.71 $17.71

44.78%

Apples (1kg)

$4.66 ₪14.54

$6.00 $6.00

-22.33%

Banana (1kg)

$3.77 ₪11.76

$1.87 $1.87

101.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.51 ₪7.84

$3.61 $3.61

-30.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.37 ₪10.50

$6.68 $6.68

-49.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 ₪6.02

$3.18 $3.18

-39.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 ₪5.98

$4.35 $4.35

-55.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.73 ₪8.51

$2.83 $2.83

-3.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 ₪8.11

$2.37 $2.37

9.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.73 ₪45.95

$9.89 $9.89

48.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.16 ₪50.4

$10.22 $10.22

58.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.66 ₪11.43

$2.28 $2.28

60.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 ₪14.77

$3.97 $3.97

19.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.56 ₪7.98

$2.54 $2.54

0.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$103 ₪320

$80.9 $80.9

26.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.16 ₪12.99

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 ₪3.42

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.67 ₪61.4

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.65 ₪8.27

$0.87 $0.87

204.60%

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

$54.6K ₪170.4K

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

$54.5K ₪170.0K

$29.2K $29.2K

86.54%

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

$441 ₪1,374

$184 $184

139.76%

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

$11.53 ₪35.96

$48.24 $48.24

-76.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.78 ₪108

$68.0 $68.0

-48.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$93.8 ₪292

$77.0 $77.0

21.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.56 ₪70.4

$22.39 $22.39

0.76%

Cinema Ticket

$16.09 ₪50.2

$15.06 $15.06

6.84%

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

$1,665 ₪5,192

$1,466 $1,466

13.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.2K ₪97.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$125 ₪389

$64.3 $64.3

94.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$85.2 ₪266

$32.17 $32.17

164.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$170 ₪529

$119 $119

42.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$201 ₪626

$135 $135

48.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,294 ₪7,154

$1,937 $1,937

18.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,716 ₪5,352

$1,427 $1,427

20.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,794 ₪11.8K

$2,639 $2,639

43.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,861 ₪8,922

$2,167 $2,167

32.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$20.7K ₪64.5K

$2,869 $2,869

621.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$13.9K ₪43.4K

$2,638 $2,638

428.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,170 ₪13.0K

$6,077 $6,077

-31.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.03

6.42

-21.65%

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 Cary, NC: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$1.7K 46.9%

Cary, NC

$1.4K 49.7% 16.8% $289

Groceries & Markets

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$511 13.9%

Cary, NC

$486 16.9% 4.8% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$487 13.3%

Cary, NC

$300 10.5% 38.4% $187

Eating Out

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$440 12%

Cary, NC

$301 10.5% 31.6% $139

Clothing & Footwear

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$261 7.1%

Cary, NC

$158 5.5% 39.5% $103

Sport & Entertainment

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$126 3.4%

Cary, NC

$107 3.7% 15% $19

Getting Around

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$122 3.3%

Cary, NC

$91 * 3.2% 25.6% $31

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,294 in Tel Aviv-Yafo and $1,937 in Cary, NC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cary, NC pays 46% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $128 in Tel Aviv-Yafo vs $101 in Cary, NC for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $511 vs $486 per month, with Cary, NC cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇱 Tel Aviv-Yafo

🇺🇸 Cary, NC

🕒 Local time

09:33 9:33 AM

03:33 3:33 AM

6 h behind Tel Aviv-Yafo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

438,818

176,987

💱 Currency

Israeli New Shekel ILS ₪

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 ILS = 0.321 USD

1 ILS = 0.287 EUR

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to ILS – Israeli New Shekel Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇱 Israeli New Shekel (₪)

Israeli New Shekel exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3.12 ILS (1 ILS = 0.321 USD). 1 EUR = 3.48 ILS (1 ILS = 0.287 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

USD to ILS in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tel Aviv-Yafo Cary, NC 9,780 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Tel Aviv-Yafo
Cary, NC

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 Cary, NC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cary, NC is about 22% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 31% lower in Tel Aviv-Yafo. 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: $2,294 in Tel Aviv-Yafo versus $1,937 in Cary, NC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,665 in Tel Aviv-Yafo versus $1,466 in Cary, NC. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Tel Aviv-Yafo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Cary, NC is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.

Expats usually find Cary, NC gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Tel Aviv-Yafo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.