Cost of Living Comparison Between Tel Aviv-Yafo and Kiryat Shmona Cost of Living Comparison Between Tel Aviv-Yafo and Kiryat Shmona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,729 in Tel Aviv-Yafo versus $2,390 in Kiryat Shmona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,220 in Tel Aviv-Yafo versus $3,491 in Kiryat Shmona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,712 in Tel Aviv-Yafo versus $4,592 in Kiryat Shmona.

Living in Tel Aviv-Yafo is roughly 14% more expensive than Kiryat Shmona, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Tel Aviv-Yafo 104% above, Kiryat Shmona 78% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.38 ₪66.7

$21.60 ₪64.4

3.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$114 ₪340

$86.7 ₪258

31.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.21 ₪51.3

$16.70 ₪49.78

3.05%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₪12.61

$4.46 ₪13.30

-5.16%

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

$3.10 ₪9.25

$3.22 ₪9.59

-3.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 ₪7.74

$2.26 ₪6.73

15.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.27 ₪27.61

$8.43 ₪25.11

9.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.64 ₪25.74

$9.88 ₪29.43

-12.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 ₪5.97

$1.99 ₪5.94

0.50%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₪9.18

$3.06 ₪9.11

0.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 ₪9.87

$3.13 ₪9.33

5.75%

Eggs

$4.23 ₪12.61

$4.02 ₪11.97

5.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.83 ₪47.18

$20.86 ₪62.2

-24.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.29 ₪36.61

$10.95 ₪32.63

12.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.64 ₪64.5

$21.29 ₪63.4

1.64%

Apples (1kg)

$4.10 ₪12.22

$4.97 ₪14.82

-17.51%

Banana (1kg)

$2.52 ₪7.50

$2.49 ₪7.43

1.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 ₪6.83

$2.34 ₪6.97

-2.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.36 ₪10.01

$2.67 ₪7.96

25.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 ₪5.55

$2.14 ₪6.39

-13.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 ₪5.80

$1.57 ₪4.68

24.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.15 ₪6.41

$2.09 ₪6.23

2.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 ₪4.33

$1.53 ₪4.57

-5.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.36 ₪33.86

$10.92 ₪32.54

4.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.67 ₪49.68

$17.11 ₪51.0

-2.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.97 ₪8.85

$2.90 ₪8.64

2.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 ₪10.20

$3.49 ₪10.41

-2.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.31 ₪6.89

$1.71 ₪5.08

35.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.8 ₪217

$67.2 ₪200

8.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.02 ₪11.99

$4.03 ₪12.02

-0.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.55 ₪1.64

$0.87 ₪2.58

-36.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.30 ₪99.2

$40.72 ₪121

-18.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 ₪6.14

$1.81 ₪5.38

13.81%

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

$46.9K ₪139.9K

$40.6K ₪120.9K

15.72%

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

$45.8K ₪136.3K

$47.5K ₪141.5K

-3.66%

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

$267 ₪796

$246 ₪734

8.41%

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

$10.74 ₪31.99

$12.55 ₪37.40

-14.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.03 ₪92.5

$29.71 ₪88.5

4.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.8 ₪229

$65.0 ₪194

18.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.75 ₪58.9

$17.96 ₪53.5

9.97%

Cinema Ticket

$13.14 ₪39.15

$12.66 ₪37.72

3.79%

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

$1,292 ₪3,851

$1,143 ₪3,407

13.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.1K ₪74.7K

$18.3K ₪54.5K

37.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$110 ₪326

$92.1 ₪275

18.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.2 ₪182

$61.7 ₪184

-0.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$133 ₪397

$135 ₪401

-1.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$148 ₪440

$173 ₪515

-14.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,663 ₪4,956

$1,023 ₪3,047

62.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,195 ₪3,560

$949 ₪2,827

25.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,093 ₪9,218

$1,532 ₪4,565

101.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,283 ₪6,802

$1,400 ₪4,171

63.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$22.6K ₪67.5K

$8,990 ₪26.8K

151.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.9K ₪44.3K

$7,059 ₪21.0K

110.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,289 ₪12.8K

$1,840 ₪5,484

133.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.46

3.89

40.36%

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

Last update for Tel Aviv-Yafo: April 26, 2026

Last update for Kiryat Shmona: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,663 in Tel Aviv-Yafo and $1,023 in Kiryat Shmona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tel Aviv-Yafo pays 133% 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: $114 in Tel Aviv-Yafo vs $87.0 in Kiryat Shmona. Groceries flip the comparison at $407 vs $415, with Tel Aviv-Yafo cheaper for home cooking.

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 Kiryat Shmona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tel Aviv-Yafo and Kiryat Shmona differ by about 14% in total monthly costs ($2,729 vs $2,390 including rent). Kiryat Shmona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Tel Aviv-Yafo pays 133% more on average, 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: $1,663 in Tel Aviv-Yafo versus $1,023 in Kiryat Shmona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,292 in Tel Aviv-Yafo versus $1,143 in Kiryat Shmona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Tel Aviv-Yafo pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,390 in Kiryat Shmona versus $2,729 in Tel Aviv-Yafo, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Kiryat Shmona but tight or insufficient in Tel Aviv-Yafo. The gap between the two cities makes Kiryat Shmona the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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, Tel Aviv-Yafo and Kiryat Shmona 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 Kiryat Shmona gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Tel Aviv-Yafo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.