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: $2,700 in Tel Aviv-Yafo versus $2,392 in Kiryat Shmona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,235 in Tel Aviv-Yafo versus $3,483 in Kiryat Shmona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,770 in Tel Aviv-Yafo versus $4,573 in Kiryat Shmona.

Living in Tel Aviv-Yafo is roughly 13% more expensive than in Kiryat Shmona, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Tel Aviv-Yafo 103% above, Kiryat Shmona 80% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.55 ₪68.9

$21.78 ₪66.6

3.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$113 ₪346

$86.7 ₪265

30.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.01 ₪52.0

$16.43 ₪50.2

3.53%

Cappuccino

$4.02 ₪12.29

$4.45 ₪13.59

-9.66%

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

$3.05 ₪9.32

$3.07 ₪9.39

-0.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 ₪7.72

$2.25 ₪6.89

12.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.21 ₪28.14

$8.35 ₪25.51

10.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.39 ₪25.63

$9.59 ₪29.32

-12.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 ₪6.22

$1.96 ₪6.00

4.08%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₪9.43

$2.94 ₪8.99

4.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 ₪10.12

$3.13 ₪9.57

5.75%

Eggs

$4.22 ₪12.89

$3.91 ₪11.95

7.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.16 ₪49.39

$20.76 ₪63.5

-22.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.58 ₪38.43

$10.95 ₪33.47

14.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.83 ₪66.7

$21.59 ₪66.0

1.11%

Apples (1kg)

$4.21 ₪12.87

$5.06 ₪15.45

-16.80%

Banana (1kg)

$2.56 ₪7.81

$2.52 ₪7.69

1.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 ₪6.98

$2.27 ₪6.94

0.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 ₪9.90

$2.68 ₪8.19

20.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 ₪5.70

$2.13 ₪6.51

-12.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 ₪5.90

$1.58 ₪4.84

22.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.16 ₪6.61

$2.14 ₪6.54

0.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 ₪4.54

$1.58 ₪4.84

-5.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.37 ₪34.75

$10.71 ₪32.71

6.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.03 ₪49.00

$13.01 ₪39.75

23.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.14 ₪9.59

$2.93 ₪8.96

7.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 ₪10.37

$3.67 ₪11.23

-7.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 ₪6.97

$1.72 ₪5.27

32.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₪220

$66.3 ₪203

8.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.88 ₪11.84

$4.18 ₪12.78

-7.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.59 ₪1.79

$0.82 ₪2.49

-28.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.16 ₪101

$42.24 ₪129

-21.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 ₪6.55

$1.82 ₪5.55

17.58%

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

$48.4K ₪147.8K

$39.6K ₪121.0K

22.19%

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

$46.2K ₪141.1K

$47.6K ₪145.4K

-2.98%

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

$265 ₪809

$255 ₪779

3.84%

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

$10.82 ₪33.07

$12.46 ₪38.08

-13.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.20 ₪92.3

$29.09 ₪88.9

3.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$78.7 ₪241

$66.8 ₪204

17.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 ₪59.4

$18.06 ₪55.2

7.59%

Cinema Ticket

$13.22 ₪40.41

$12.74 ₪38.93

3.77%

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

$1,292 ₪3,950

$1,172 ₪3,580

10.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.8K ₪75.9K

$18.5K ₪56.4K

34.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$108 ₪330

$91.9 ₪281

17.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.1 ₪190

$62.4 ₪191

-0.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$134 ₪409

$130 ₪398

2.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$148 ₪452

$174 ₪531

-14.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,670 ₪5,103

$1,003 ₪3,066

66.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,224 ₪3,740

$948 ₪2,898

29.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,093 ₪9,451

$1,532 ₪4,681

101.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,238 ₪6,838

$1,419 ₪4,335

57.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$20.5K ₪62.7K

$9,197 ₪28.1K

123.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$13.4K ₪40.9K

$8,768 ₪26.8K

52.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,357 ₪13.3K

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Kiryat Shmona: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,670 in Tel Aviv-Yafo and $1,003 in Kiryat Shmona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $113 in Tel Aviv-Yafo vs $87.0 in Kiryat Shmona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $407 per month, with Kiryat Shmona cheaper across the board.

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 13% in total monthly costs ($2,700 vs $2,392 including rent). Kiryat Shmona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $4,050 in Tel Aviv-Yafo and $3,588 in Kiryat Shmona to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,670 in Tel Aviv-Yafo versus $1,003 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 $1,172 in Kiryat Shmona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Tel Aviv-Yafo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,392 in Kiryat Shmona versus $2,700 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 13% less than in Tel Aviv-Yafo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.