Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tel Aviv-Yafo and Skien

For one person, living is cheaper in Skien: $2,336 a month against $3,559 in Tel Aviv-Yafo, rent and utilities included – about $14,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

175

Cost of Living Index in Tel Aviv-Yafo
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Tel Aviv-Yafo Living Index
113

Cost of Living Index in Skien
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Skien Living Index

Jump to prices

Tel Aviv-Yafo

🇮🇱 Israel

$3,559

/mo nomad

Skien

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,336

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $3,559 per month in Tel Aviv-Yafo vs $2,336 in Skien, rent included.

Tel Aviv-Yafo $3,559
Skien $2,336

A couple spends around $5,309 per month in Tel Aviv-Yafo vs $3,267 in Skien, rent included.

Tel Aviv-Yafo $5,309
Skien $3,267

A family of three spends $7,059 per month in Tel Aviv-Yafo vs $4,197 in Skien, rent included.

Tel Aviv-Yafo $7,059
Skien $4,197

Tel Aviv-Yafo costs about 52% more than Skien, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Tel Aviv-Yafo and Skien sit above the global median – Tel Aviv-Yafo by 164%, Skien by 73%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.69 ₪79.9

$21.21 NOK 200

21.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$131 ₪408

$103 NOK 971

27.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$20.64 ₪64.2

$15.47 NOK 146

33.42%

Cappuccino

$5.42 ₪16.86

$5.11 NOK 48.11

6.07%

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

$3.88 ₪12.06

$4.36 NOK 41.01

-11.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 ₪9.65

$2.97 NOK 27.96

4.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.26 ₪35.04

$11.89 NOK 112

-5.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.80 ₪33.61

$12.33 NOK 116

-12.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.63 ₪8.17

$2.11 NOK 19.84

24.64%

White Bread (500g)

$4.64 ₪14.43

$3.92 NOK 36.90

18.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.65 ₪11.37

$4.57 NOK 42.98

-20.13%

Eggs

$5.28 ₪16.42

$5.66 NOK 53.3

-6.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.55 ₪67.0

$13.16 NOK 124

63.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.14 ₪50.2

$15.17 NOK 143

6.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.15 ₪78.3

$21.79 NOK 205

15.42%

Apples (1kg)

$4.80 ₪14.94

$3.35 NOK 31.49

43.28%

Banana (1kg)

$3.93 ₪12.24

$2.70 NOK 25.42

45.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.50 ₪7.77

$3.49 NOK 32.86

-28.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.48 ₪10.84

$5.95 NOK 56.0

-41.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 ₪5.81

$2.24 NOK 21.04

-16.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 ₪5.75

$2.78 NOK 26.12

-33.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.63 ₪8.19

$3.04 NOK 28.63

-13.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.70 ₪8.40

$2.48 NOK 23.33

8.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.43 ₪44.91

$19.02 NOK 179

-24.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.26 ₪50.6

$15.76 NOK 148

3.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.82 ₪11.89

$3.35 NOK 31.58

14.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.81 ₪14.96

$4.33 NOK 40.76

11.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.56 ₪7.97

$3.26 NOK 30.64

-21.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$102 ₪318

$47.91 NOK 451

113.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.31 ₪13.42

$11.13 NOK 105

-61.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.15 ₪3.57

$1.81 NOK 17.02

-36.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.46 ₪60.5

$70.8 NOK 667

-72.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.64 ₪8.22

$2.27 NOK 21.39

16.30%

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

$55.5K ₪172.6K

$47.5K NOK 447.3K

16.76%

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

$55.7K ₪173.4K

$43.4K NOK 408.1K

28.55%

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

$441 ₪1,371

$93.9 NOK 884

369.47%

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

$11.40 ₪35.46

$33.89 NOK 319

-66.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.76 ₪108

$53.6 NOK 504

-35.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$110 ₪342

$43.10 NOK 406

154.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.52 ₪70.1

Cinema Ticket

$16.05 ₪49.92

$15.29 NOK 144

4.97%

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

$1,719 ₪5,348

$239 NOK 2,247

620.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K ₪96.6K

$15.7K NOK 148.1K

97.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$126 ₪391

$63.7 NOK 600

97.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$85.9 ₪267

$60.4 NOK 568

42.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$172 ₪537

$87.9 NOK 827

96.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$196 ₪609

$153 NOK 1,442

27.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,195 ₪6,828

$1,042 NOK 9,811

110.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,591 ₪4,949

$975 NOK 9,183

63.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,611 ₪11.2K

$1,035 NOK 9,746

248.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,709 ₪8,427

$939 NOK 8,841

188.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.6K ₪61.1K

$3,395 NOK 32.0K

478.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$13.1K ₪40.7K

$3,149 NOK 29.6K

315.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,065 ₪12.6K

$4,236 NOK 39.9K

-4.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.03

4.37

15.10%

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

Last update for Tel Aviv-Yafo: October 12, 2026

Last update for Skien: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$1.6K 44.7%

Skien

$975 41.8% 38.7% $615

Groceries & Markets

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$518 14.6%

Skien

$470 20.1% 9.3% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$487 13.7%

Skien

$181 7.8% 62.8% $305

Eating Out

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$438 12.3%

Skien

$391 16.7% 10.8% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$261 7.3%

Skien

$164 7% 37% $97

Sport & Entertainment

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$142 4%

Skien

$74 3.2% 48.1% $68

Getting Around

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$122 3.4%

Skien

$81 3.5% 33.8% $41

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,195 in Tel Aviv-Yafo versus $1,042 in Skien. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 4% higher in Skien, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $131 in Tel Aviv-Yafo versus $103 in Skien. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $518 vs $470 – making Skien the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇱 Tel Aviv-Yafo

🇳🇴 Skien

🕒 Local time

18:05 6:05 PM

17:05 5:05 PM

1 h behind Tel Aviv-Yafo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

438,818

56,769

💱 Currency

Israeli New Shekel ILS ₪

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1 ILS = 0.321 USD

1 ILS = 0.286 EUR

100 NOK = 10.62 USD

100 NOK = 9.45 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NOK, USD, EUR to ILS – Israeli New Shekel Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇱 Israeli New Shekel (₪)

Israeli New Shekel exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.11 ILS (1 ILS = 0.321 USD). 1 EUR = 3.5 ILS (1 ILS = 0.286 EUR).

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 9.41 NOK (1 NOK = 0.106 USD). 1 EUR = 10.58 NOK (100 NOK = 9.45 EUR).

USD to ILS in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Tel Aviv-Yafo Skien 3,560 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Tel Aviv-Yafo
Skien

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 Skien: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Tel Aviv-Yafo is pricier by about 52%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,338 per month in Tel Aviv-Yafo and $3,504 in Skien. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Skien, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $131 in Tel Aviv-Yafo and $103 in Skien. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,559 in Tel Aviv-Yafo and $2,336 in Skien. That's a gap of about 52%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Skien, where all-in costs run around $2,336, than in Tel Aviv-Yafo at $3,559. In Skien it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tel Aviv-Yafo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Skien – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Skien. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tel Aviv-Yafo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.