Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tel Aviv-Yafo and Rishon Leziyyon

For one person, living is cheaper in Rishon Leziyyon: $2,880 a month against $3,664 in Tel Aviv-Yafo, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 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
140

Cost of Living Index in Rishon Leziyyon
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Rishon Leziyyon Living Index

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Tel Aviv-Yafo

🇮🇱 Israel

$3,664

/mo nomad

Rishon Leziyyon

🇮🇱 Israel

$2,880

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,664 in Tel Aviv-Yafo versus $2,880 in Rishon Leziyyon.

Tel Aviv-Yafo $3,664
Rishon Leziyyon $2,880

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,410 in Tel Aviv-Yafo versus $4,226 in Rishon Leziyyon.

Tel Aviv-Yafo $5,410
Rishon Leziyyon $4,226

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,156 in Tel Aviv-Yafo versus $5,572 in Rishon Leziyyon.

Tel Aviv-Yafo $7,156
Rishon Leziyyon $5,572

Living in Tel Aviv-Yafo is roughly 27% more expensive than in Rishon Leziyyon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Tel Aviv-Yafo 169% above, Rishon Leziyyon 112% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.13 ₪81.4

$29.11 ₪90.7

-10.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$128 ₪399

$97.8 ₪305

31.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$20.15 ₪62.8

$16.76 ₪52.2

20.23%

Cappuccino

$5.47 ₪17.05

$5.21 ₪16.22

4.99%

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

$3.88 ₪12.09

$3.72 ₪11.59

4.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 ₪9.67

$3.30 ₪10.27

-6.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.09 ₪34.54

$10.42 ₪32.45

6.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.81 ₪33.68

$9.61 ₪29.92

12.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.57 ₪8.00

$2.52 ₪7.86

1.98%

White Bread (500g)

$4.42 ₪13.78

$1.74 ₪5.41

154.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.72 ₪11.59

$2.68 ₪8.34

38.81%

Eggs

$5.28 ₪16.44

$5.30 ₪16.49

-0.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.19 ₪66.0

$17.87 ₪55.7

18.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.93 ₪49.63

$14.10 ₪43.93

12.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.64 ₪79.9

$16.35 ₪50.9

56.82%

Apples (1kg)

$4.66 ₪14.52

$3.49 ₪10.88

33.52%

Banana (1kg)

$3.77 ₪11.75

$2.98 ₪9.28

26.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.51 ₪7.83

$1.73 ₪5.39

45.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.37 ₪10.48

$2.55 ₪7.93

32.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 ₪6.01

$1.79 ₪5.58

7.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 ₪5.97

$1.66 ₪5.18

15.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.73 ₪8.50

$1.98 ₪6.17

37.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 ₪8.10

$0.96 ₪2.98

170.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.73 ₪45.89

$14.14 ₪44.05

4.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.16 ₪50.3

$12.60 ₪39.26

28.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.66 ₪11.41

$2.67 ₪8.31

37.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 ₪14.75

$2.46 ₪7.67

92.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.56 ₪7.97

$2.60 ₪8.11

-1.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$103 ₪319

$101 ₪314

1.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.16 ₪12.97

$3.85 ₪11.98

8.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 ₪3.42

$1.50 ₪4.66

-26.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.67 ₪61.3

$31.37 ₪97.7

-37.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.65 ₪8.26

$2.56 ₪7.97

3.52%

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

$54.6K ₪170.1K

$54.7K ₪170.3K

-0.12%

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

$54.5K ₪169.8K

$55.3K ₪172.2K

-1.37%

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

$441 ₪1,373

$288 ₪896

53.20%

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

$11.53 ₪35.92

$11.49 ₪35.80

0.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.78 ₪108

$45.58 ₪142

-23.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$93.8 ₪292

$52.6 ₪164

78.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.56 ₪70.3

$19.52 ₪60.8

15.57%

Cinema Ticket

$16.09 ₪50.1

$16.06 ₪50.0

0.19%

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

$1,665 ₪5,185

$1,164 ₪3,625

43.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.2K ₪97.1K

$24.0K ₪74.7K

30.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$125 ₪388

$48.75 ₪152

155.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$85.2 ₪265

$39.77 ₪124

114.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$170 ₪529

$137 ₪426

24.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$201 ₪625

$150 ₪466

34.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,294 ₪7,145

$1,679 ₪5,230

36.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,716 ₪5,345

$1,340 ₪4,174

28.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,794 ₪11.8K

$2,634 ₪8,205

44.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,861 ₪8,911

$2,143 ₪6,676

33.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$20.7K ₪64.4K

$10.0K ₪31.3K

105.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$13.9K ₪43.4K

$7,278 ₪22.7K

91.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,170 ₪13.0K

$3,042 ₪9,476

37.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.03

5.07

-0.79%

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 Rishon Leziyyon: 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%

Rishon Leziyyon

$1.3K 46.5% 21.9% $376

Groceries & Markets

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$511 13.9%

Rishon Leziyyon

$374 13% 26.7% $136

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$487 13.3%

Rishon Leziyyon

$345 12% 29.2% $142

Eating Out

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$440 12%

Rishon Leziyyon

$445 15.5% 1.1% $4.8

Clothing & Footwear

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$261 7.1%

Rishon Leziyyon

$169 5.9% 35.4% $92

Sport & Entertainment

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$126 3.4%

Rishon Leziyyon

$85 2.9% 32.7% $41

Getting Around

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$122 3.3%

Rishon Leziyyon

$123 4.3% 0.2% $0.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,294 in Tel Aviv-Yafo and $1,679 in Rishon Leziyyon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tel Aviv-Yafo pays 37% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $128 in Tel Aviv-Yafo vs $98 in Rishon Leziyyon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $511 vs $374 per month, with Rishon Leziyyon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇱 Tel Aviv-Yafo

🇮🇱 Rishon Leziyyon

🕒 Local time

22:39 10:39 PM

Same time as Tel Aviv-Yafo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

438,818

247,323

💱 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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Highest

Between locations

Tel Aviv-Yafo Rishon Leziyyon 14 km

From you

Tel Aviv-Yafo
Rishon Leziyyon

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 Rishon Leziyyon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rishon Leziyyon wins on cost – living expenses run 21% lower than in Tel Aviv-Yafo. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Rishon Leziyyon the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 37% 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 $1,679 in Rishon Leziyyon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% 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 $2,880 in Rishon Leziyyon – Rishon Leziyyon is about 21% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Rishon Leziyyon 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 Rishon Leziyyon are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Rishon Leziyyon 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.