Cost of Living Comparison Between Tel Aviv-Yafo and Queenstown Cost of Living Comparison Between Tel Aviv-Yafo and Queenstown

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,688 in Tel Aviv-Yafo versus $2,730 in Queenstown.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,144 in Tel Aviv-Yafo versus $4,283 in Queenstown.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,599 in Tel Aviv-Yafo versus $5,836 in Queenstown.

Living in Tel Aviv-Yafo costs roughly 2% less than in Queenstown, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Tel Aviv-Yafo 101% above, Queenstown 104% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.14 ₪63.0

$14.92 NZ$25.19

48.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$115 ₪327

$85.1 NZ$144

34.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.84 ₪47.94

$9.47 NZ$15.99

77.82%

Cappuccino

$4.22 ₪12.01

$3.50 NZ$5.90

20.57%

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

$3.21 ₪9.15

$2.45 NZ$4.14

31.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 ₪7.13

$2.34 NZ$3.95

6.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.12 ₪25.96

$7.13 NZ$12.03

27.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.29 ₪23.61

$5.90 NZ$9.96

40.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.99 ₪5.66

$2.27 NZ$3.84

-12.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.95 ₪8.40

$2.05 NZ$3.46

43.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.27 ₪9.32

$2.51 NZ$4.24

30.28%

Eggs

$4.25 ₪12.11

$6.29 NZ$10.62

-32.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.80 ₪44.97

$10.13 NZ$17.10

55.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.39 ₪35.27

$10.72 NZ$18.10

15.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.36 ₪60.8

$16.79 NZ$28.34

27.22%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 ₪11.64

$3.15 NZ$5.32

29.84%

Banana (1kg)

$2.51 ₪7.15

$2.48 NZ$4.18

1.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ₪6.60

$4.15 NZ$7.01

-44.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 ₪9.23

$5.83 NZ$9.84

-44.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 ₪5.27

$2.69 NZ$4.54

-31.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 ₪5.45

$2.34 NZ$3.95

-17.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.15 ₪6.12

$2.80 NZ$4.73

-23.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 ₪4.24

$1.10 NZ$1.85

35.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.45 ₪32.61

$29.38 NZ$49.60

-61.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.91 ₪51.0

$10.29 NZ$17.38

74.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 ₪8.92

$4.85 NZ$8.19

-35.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 ₪9.94

$6.85 NZ$11.57

-49.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.30 ₪6.55

$2.75 NZ$4.64

-16.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.3 ₪203

$128 NZ$216

-44.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.01 ₪11.42

$2.81 NZ$4.75

42.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ₪1.65

$1.82 NZ$3.07

-68.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 ₪97.6

$31.15 NZ$52.6

10.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 ₪5.84

$1.67 NZ$2.83

22.75%

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

$48.2K ₪137.2K

$30.0K NZ$50.7K

60.31%

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

$45.0K ₪128.0K

$17.9K NZ$30.2K

151.57%

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

$270 ₪770

$282 NZ$477

-4.24%

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

$10.89 ₪31.02

$40.45 NZ$68.3

-73.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.26 ₪86.2

$62.3 NZ$105

-51.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$78.6 ₪224

$57.6 NZ$97.3

36.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 ₪54.5

$24.81 NZ$41.89

-22.81%

Cinema Ticket

$13.29 ₪37.84

$13.14 NZ$22.19

1.14%

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

$1,291 ₪3,677

$490 NZ$827

163.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.4K ₪72.2K

$6,906 NZ$11.7K

267.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 ₪316

$87.9 NZ$148

26.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.8 ₪173

$50.0 NZ$84.4

21.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$134 ₪381

$98.4 NZ$166

35.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$148 ₪423

$278 NZ$469

-46.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,655 ₪4,712

$1,461 NZ$2,466

13.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,186 ₪3,376

$1,298 NZ$2,192

-8.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,086 ₪8,786

$3,037 NZ$5,127

1.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,287 ₪6,513

$2,556 NZ$4,315

-10.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$22.4K ₪63.7K

$8,161 NZ$13.8K

174.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.6K ₪41.5K

$5,609 NZ$9,469

159.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,472 ₪12.7K

$3,223 NZ$5,441

38.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.46

6.74

-18.99%

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

Last update for Tel Aviv-Yafo: June 2, 2026

Last update for Queenstown: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,655 in Tel Aviv-Yafo and $1,461 in Queenstown. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tel Aviv-Yafo pays 39% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $115 in Tel Aviv-Yafo vs $85.0 in Queenstown for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $408 vs $385 per month, with Queenstown 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 Queenstown: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tel Aviv-Yafo is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Tel Aviv-Yafo pays 39% 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: $1,655 in Tel Aviv-Yafo versus $1,461 in Queenstown. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Tel Aviv-Yafo – a meal for two runs $115 versus $85.0 in Queenstown. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,688 per month in Tel Aviv-Yafo versus $2,730 in Queenstown – a 2% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Tel Aviv-Yafo is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Tel Aviv-Yafo is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Queenstown, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Tel Aviv-Yafo and Queenstown 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 Tel Aviv-Yafo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Queenstown. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.