Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tel Aviv-Yafo and Zikhron Ya'akov

For one person, living is cheaper in Zikhron Ya’akov: $2,736 a month against $3,664 in Tel Aviv-Yafo, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 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
133

Cost of Living Index in Zikhron Ya'akov
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Zikhron Ya'akov Living Index

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Tel Aviv-Yafo

🇮🇱 Israel

$3,664

/mo nomad

Zikhron Ya'akov

🇮🇱 Israel

$2,736

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tel Aviv-Yafo and in Zikhron Ya'akov

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 Zikhron Ya'akov actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,664 per month in Tel Aviv-Yafo vs $2,736 in Zikhron Ya’akov, rent included.

Tel Aviv-Yafo $3,664
Zikhron Ya'akov $2,736

A couple spends around $5,410 per month in Tel Aviv-Yafo vs $4,174 in Zikhron Ya’akov, rent included.

Tel Aviv-Yafo $5,410
Zikhron Ya'akov $4,174

A family of three spends $7,156 per month in Tel Aviv-Yafo vs $5,612 in Zikhron Ya’akov, rent included.

Tel Aviv-Yafo $7,156
Zikhron Ya'akov $5,612

Tel Aviv-Yafo costs about 34% more than Zikhron Ya’akov, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Tel Aviv-Yafo and Zikhron Ya’akov sit above the global median – Tel Aviv-Yafo by 169%, Zikhron Ya’akov by 101%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.13 ₪81.4

$22.74 ₪70.8

14.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$128 ₪399

$90.3 ₪281

41.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$20.15 ₪62.8

$20.41 ₪63.6

-1.27%

Cappuccino

$5.47 ₪17.05

$4.65 ₪14.47

17.63%

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

$3.88 ₪12.09

$2.90 ₪9.02

33.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 ₪9.67

$2.22 ₪6.90

39.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.09 ₪34.54

$10.00 ₪31.13

10.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.81 ₪33.68

$9.91 ₪30.88

9.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.57 ₪8.00

$2.34 ₪7.27

9.83%

White Bread (500g)

$4.42 ₪13.78

$2.74 ₪8.54

61.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.72 ₪11.59

$2.60 ₪8.11

43.08%

Eggs

$5.28 ₪16.44

$4.54 ₪14.13

16.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.19 ₪66.0

$12.82 ₪39.93

65.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.93 ₪49.63

$14.15 ₪44.06

12.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.64 ₪79.9

$26.29 ₪81.9

-2.47%

Apples (1kg)

$4.66 ₪14.52

$4.69 ₪14.61

-0.64%

Banana (1kg)

$3.77 ₪11.75

$3.27 ₪10.17

15.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.51 ₪7.83

$2.98 ₪9.27

-15.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.37 ₪10.48

$3.16 ₪9.83

6.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 ₪6.01

$1.76 ₪5.47

9.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 ₪5.97

$1.74 ₪5.43

10.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.73 ₪8.50

$2.43 ₪7.58

12.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 ₪8.10

$1.55 ₪4.83

67.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.73 ₪45.89

$10.25 ₪31.94

43.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.16 ₪50.3

$12.68 ₪39.49

27.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.66 ₪11.41

$2.74 ₪8.55

33.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 ₪14.75

$2.42 ₪7.55

95.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.56 ₪7.97

$2.78 ₪8.66

-7.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$103 ₪319

$98.9 ₪308

3.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.16 ₪12.97

$6.80 ₪21.17

-38.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 ₪3.42

$1.28 ₪4.00

-14.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.67 ₪61.3

$39.91 ₪124

-50.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.65 ₪8.26

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

$54.6K ₪170.1K

$55.3K ₪172.4K

-1.30%

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

$54.5K ₪169.8K

$52.8K ₪164.3K

3.34%

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

$441 ₪1,373

$336 ₪1,046

31.25%

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

$11.53 ₪35.92

$11.95 ₪37.22

-3.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.78 ₪108

$45.31 ₪141

-23.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$93.8 ₪292

$82.8 ₪258

13.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.56 ₪70.3

Cinema Ticket

$16.09 ₪50.1

$14.40 ₪44.86

11.74%

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

$1,665 ₪5,185

$1,129 ₪3,516

47.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.2K ₪97.1K

$23.9K ₪74.5K

30.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$125 ₪388

$74.1 ₪231

68.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$85.2 ₪265

$39.96 ₪124

113.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$170 ₪529

$137 ₪428

23.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$201 ₪625

$150 ₪466

34.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,294 ₪7,145

$1,659 ₪5,167

38.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,716 ₪5,345

$1,120 ₪3,488

53.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,794 ₪11.8K

$2,109 ₪6,570

79.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,861 ₪8,911

$2,125 ₪6,618

34.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$20.7K ₪64.4K

$8,852 ₪27.6K

133.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$13.9K ₪43.4K

$6,647 ₪20.7K

109.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,170 ₪13.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.03

5.2

-3.27%

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 Zikhron Ya'akov: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$1.7K 46.9%

Zikhron Ya'akov

$1.1K 40.9% 34.7% $596

Groceries & Markets

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$511 13.9%

Zikhron Ya'akov

$419 15.3% 17.9% $92

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$487 13.3%

Zikhron Ya'akov

$393 14.4% 19.3% $94

Eating Out

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$440 12%

Zikhron Ya'akov

$389 14.2% 11.6% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$261 7.1%

Zikhron Ya'akov

$180 6.6% 30.9% $81

Sport & Entertainment

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$126 3.4%

Zikhron Ya'akov

$112 4.1% 11.4% $14

Getting Around

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$122 3.3%

Zikhron Ya'akov

$123 4.5% 0.6% $0.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,294 in Tel Aviv-Yafo versus $1,659 in Zikhron Ya’akov. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $128 in Tel Aviv-Yafo versus $90 in Zikhron Ya’akov. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $511 vs $419 – making Zikhron Ya’akov the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇱 Tel Aviv-Yafo

🇮🇱 Zikhron Ya'akov

🕒 Local time

01:14 1:14 AM

Same time as Tel Aviv-Yafo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

438,818

22,984

💱 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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Between locations

Tel Aviv-Yafo Zikhron Ya'akov 56 km

From you

Tel Aviv-Yafo
Zikhron Ya'akov

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 Zikhron Ya'akov: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Tel Aviv-Yafo is pricier by about 34%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,495 per month in Tel Aviv-Yafo and $4,105 in Zikhron Ya’akov. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zikhron Ya’akov, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,659 there versus $2,294 in Tel Aviv-Yafo.

Groceries cost about 22% more in Tel Aviv-Yafo, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $128 in Tel Aviv-Yafo and $90 in Zikhron Ya’akov. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,664 in Tel Aviv-Yafo and $2,736 in Zikhron Ya’akov. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

For expats, Zikhron Ya’akov is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 25% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.