Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the United States and Israel

Name: Israel
Address: IL

For one person, living is cheaper in the United States: $2,734 a month against $2,919 in Israel, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. The total is higher in Israel despite lower rent and utilities.

131

Cost of Living Index in the United States
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United States Living Index
140

Cost of Living Index in Israel
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Israel Living Index

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🇺🇸 United States

$2,734

/mo nomad

🇮🇱 Israel

$2,919

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the United States and in Israel

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in the United States and in Israel actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,734 per month in the United States vs $2,919 in Israel, rent included.

United States $2,734
Israel $2,919

A couple spends around $3,985 per month in the United States vs $4,332 in Israel, rent included.

United States $3,985
Israel $4,332

A family of three spends $5,235 per month in the United States vs $5,746 in Israel, rent included.

United States $5,235
Israel $5,746

The regional cost range is wider in the United States ($979–$5,160) than in Israel ($1,570–$3,698), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in the United States is roughly 6% lower than in Israel on average.

Both the United States and Israel are pricier than the global median – the United States by 101%, Israel by 114%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.03 $20.03

$26.13 ₪80.0

-23.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.0 $80.0

$96.9 ₪297

-17.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.80 $11.80

$19.30 ₪59.1

-38.86%

Cappuccino

$5.55 $5.55

$5.11 ₪15.64

8.61%

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

$2.66 $2.66

$3.65 ₪11.18

-27.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$3.02 ₪9.24

-28.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.12 $6.12

$10.32 ₪31.60

-40.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.94 $7.94

$10.01 ₪30.66

-20.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$2.42 ₪7.41

-57.02%

White Bread (500g)

$3.59 $3.59

$3.28 ₪10.04

9.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$3.36 ₪10.28

34.52%

Eggs

$4.28 $4.28

$4.87 ₪14.92

-12.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.22 $13.22

$18.87 ₪57.8

-29.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.60 $12.60

$14.37 ₪44.01

-12.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.60 $17.60

$25.66 ₪78.6

-31.41%

Apples (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.39 ₪13.46

20.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 $1.69

$3.29 ₪10.08

-48.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$2.52 ₪7.73

76.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$2.94 ₪9.01

62.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.97 $2.97

$1.83 ₪5.61

62.30%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$1.66 ₪5.08

89.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 $2.20

$2.61 ₪8.00

-15.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.89 ₪5.80

24.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.98 $10.98

$13.73 ₪42.04

-20.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$15.40 ₪47.17

-2.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$3.32 ₪10.16

-37.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 $3.79

$3.73 ₪11.42

1.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 $1.94

$2.62 ₪8.02

-25.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.4 $59.4

$103 ₪316

-42.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 $3.58

$4.35 ₪13.33

-17.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.23 ₪3.77

52.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.84 $29.84

$30.82 ₪94.4

-3.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$2.60 ₪7.98

-60.77%

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

$28.8K $28.8K

$58.0K ₪177.5K

-50.40%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$55.8K ₪170.8K

-53.02%

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

$218 $218

$323 ₪990

-32.60%

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

$62.5 $62.5

$12.00 ₪36.75

420.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.5 $74.5

$42.32 ₪130

75.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.86 $41.86

$76.4 ₪234

-45.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.81 $22.81

$21.93 ₪67.2

4.01%

Cinema Ticket

$14.70 $14.70

$15.93 ₪48.77

-7.72%

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

$1,489 $1,489

$1,368 ₪4,190

8.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.3K $25.3K

$29.6K ₪90.6K

-14.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 $54.3

$109 ₪333

-50.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.71 $42.71

$82.9 ₪254

-48.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 $94.1

$147 ₪452

-36.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$169 ₪516

-32.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,659 $1,659

$1,558 ₪4,772

6.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,348 $1,348

$1,195 ₪3,660

12.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,682 $2,682

$2,575 ₪7,886

4.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,169 $2,169

$1,960 ₪6,002

10.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,283 $3,283

$10.5K ₪32.2K

-68.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,482 $2,482

$7,428 ₪22.7K

-66.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,296 $4,296

$3,680 ₪11.3K

16.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

5.09

28.68%

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

Last update for the United States: October 25, 2026

Last update for Israel: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

United States

$1.3K 49.3%

Israel

$1.2K 40.9% 11.3% $152

Groceries & Markets

United States

$415 15.2%

Israel

$459 15.7% 10.4% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

United States

$355 13%

Israel

$378 12.9% 6.4% $23

Eating Out

United States

$328 12%

Israel

$426 14.6% 30% $98

Clothing & Footwear

United States

$137 5%

Israel

$229 7.8% 66.7% $91

Getting Around

United States

$80 2.9%

Israel

$124 4.3% 55% $44

Sport & Entertainment

United States

$71 2.6%

Israel

$108 3.7% 51.9% $37

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,620 in the United States vs $1,536 in Israel. For reference, capital cities sit at $2,768 in Washington, DC and $1,915 in Jerusalem.

Average salary: $4,549 in the United States vs $3,514 in Israel. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 5% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 29% more in Israel.

Public transport is 56% more expensive in Israel.

Salaries are 29% higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇺🇸 United States

🇮🇱 Israel

🕒 Local time

23:21 11:21 PM

05:21 5:21 AM

6 h ahead of the United States

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

340,110,988

9,840,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Israeli New Shekel ILS ₪

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.897 EUR

1 ILS = 0.327 USD

1 ILS = 0.293 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ILS, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇮🇱 Israeli New Shekel (₪)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.897 EUR).

Israeli New Shekel exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3.06 ILS (1 ILS = 0.327 USD). 1 EUR = 3.41 ILS (1 ILS = 0.293 EUR).

ILS to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

United States Israel 10,400 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

United States
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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

United States vs Israel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

The United States is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 6% lower on average.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in the United States, adding to the overall 7% price gap.

The United States is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.