Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tel Aviv-Yafo and Lod

For one person, living is cheaper in Lod: $2,629 a month against $3,664 in Tel Aviv-Yafo, rent and utilities included – about $12,400 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
134

Cost of Living Index in Lod
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Lod Living Index

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Tel Aviv-Yafo

🇮🇱 Israel

$3,664

/mo nomad

Lod

🇮🇱 Israel

$2,629

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,664 in Tel Aviv-Yafo versus $2,629 in Lod.

Tel Aviv-Yafo $3,664
Lod $2,629

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,410 in Tel Aviv-Yafo versus $3,950 in Lod.

Tel Aviv-Yafo $5,410
Lod $3,950

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,156 in Tel Aviv-Yafo versus $5,272 in Lod.

Tel Aviv-Yafo $7,156
Lod $5,272

Living in Tel Aviv-Yafo is roughly 39% more expensive than in Lod, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Tel Aviv-Yafo 169% above, Lod 93% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.13 ₪81.4

$23.36 ₪72.8

11.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$128 ₪399

$96.5 ₪301

32.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$20.15 ₪62.8

$19.07 ₪59.4

5.66%

Cappuccino

$5.47 ₪17.05

$4.92 ₪15.33

11.18%

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

$3.88 ₪12.09

$3.61 ₪11.24

7.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 ₪9.67

$2.87 ₪8.93

8.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.09 ₪34.54

$7.97 ₪24.82

39.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.81 ₪33.68

$9.89 ₪30.80

9.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.57 ₪8.00

$2.41 ₪7.50

6.64%

White Bread (500g)

$4.42 ₪13.78

$3.37 ₪10.49

31.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.72 ₪11.59

$3.55 ₪11.05

4.79%

Eggs

$5.28 ₪16.44

$4.91 ₪15.30

7.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.19 ₪66.0

$17.13 ₪53.3

23.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.93 ₪49.63

$14.34 ₪44.68

11.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.64 ₪79.9

$25.53 ₪79.5

0.43%

Apples (1kg)

$4.66 ₪14.52

$4.36 ₪13.58

6.88%

Banana (1kg)

$3.77 ₪11.75

$3.38 ₪10.52

11.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.51 ₪7.83

$2.41 ₪7.51

4.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.37 ₪10.48

$2.41 ₪7.51

39.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 ₪6.01

$1.93 ₪6.03

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 ₪5.97

$1.65 ₪5.13

16.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.73 ₪8.50

$2.03 ₪6.32

34.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 ₪8.10

$1.88 ₪5.85

38.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.73 ₪45.89

$13.73 ₪42.76

7.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.16 ₪50.3

$15.39 ₪47.93

5.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.66 ₪11.41

$3.75 ₪11.67

-2.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 ₪14.75

$4.36 ₪13.57

8.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.56 ₪7.97

$2.50 ₪7.78

2.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$103 ₪319

$101 ₪314

1.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.16 ₪12.97

$3.91 ₪12.17

6.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 ₪3.42

$1.14 ₪3.54

-3.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.67 ₪61.3

$19.53 ₪60.8

0.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.65 ₪8.26

$2.55 ₪7.94

3.92%

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

$54.6K ₪170.1K

$56.1K ₪174.7K

-2.62%

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

$54.5K ₪169.8K

$55.0K ₪171.4K

-0.94%

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

$441 ₪1,373

$286 ₪889

54.36%

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

$11.53 ₪35.92

$11.47 ₪35.73

0.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.78 ₪108

$35.47 ₪110

-1.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$93.8 ₪292

$87.8 ₪273

6.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.56 ₪70.3

Cinema Ticket

$16.09 ₪50.1

$15.01 ₪46.76

7.20%

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

$1,665 ₪5,185

$1,394 ₪4,341

19.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.2K ₪97.1K

$29.1K ₪90.6K

7.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$125 ₪388

$118 ₪367

5.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$85.2 ₪265

$75.4 ₪235

12.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$170 ₪529

$150 ₪467

13.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$201 ₪625

$158 ₪494

26.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,294 ₪7,145

$1,756 ₪5,468

30.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,716 ₪5,345

$990 ₪3,085

73.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,794 ₪11.8K

$2,241 ₪6,981

69.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,861 ₪8,911

$1,642 ₪5,114

74.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$20.7K ₪64.4K

$9,169 ₪28.6K

125.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$13.9K ₪43.4K

$8,250 ₪25.7K

68.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,170 ₪13.0K

$2,548 ₪7,936

63.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.03

4.99

0.80%

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 Lod: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$1.7K 46.9%

Lod

$990 37.7% 42.3% $726

Groceries & Markets

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$511 13.9%

Lod

$453 17.2% 11.3% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$487 13.3%

Lod

$332 12.7% 31.7% $155

Eating Out

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$440 12%

Lod

$389 14.8% 11.7% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$261 7.1%

Lod

$226 8.6% 13.6% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$126 3.4%

Lod

$118 4.5% 6.4% $8.1

Getting Around

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$122 3.3%

Lod

$120 4.6% 1.6% $2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,294 in Tel Aviv-Yafo and $1,756 in Lod. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tel Aviv-Yafo pays 64% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $128 in Tel Aviv-Yafo vs $97 in Lod for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $511 vs $453 per month, with Lod cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇱 Tel Aviv-Yafo

🇮🇱 Lod

🕒 Local time

01:15 1:15 AM

Same time as Tel Aviv-Yafo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

438,818

81,202

💱 Currency

Israeli New Shekel ILS ₪

📈 Exchange rate

1 ILS = 0.321 USD

1 ILS = 0.288 EUR

1 ILS = 0.321 USD

1 ILS = 0.288 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Tel Aviv-Yafo Lod 18 km

From you

Tel Aviv-Yafo
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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 Lod: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lod is about 28% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 64% 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: $2,294 in Tel Aviv-Yafo versus $1,756 in Lod. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Tel Aviv-Yafo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $3,664 per month in Tel Aviv-Yafo versus $2,629 in Lod – Lod is about 28% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Lod 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.

Safety-wise, Tel Aviv-Yafo and Lod are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Lod wins on affordability, Tel Aviv-Yafo on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.