If you were thinking of popping over to the Middle East and having a cheap old weekend in Tel Aviv, you might be disappointed. According to a recent survey by Mercer, who specialize in HR and financial services, the cost of living in Tel Aviv makes it the 17th on the list of most expensive cities, and the most expensive in the Middle East – even outranking Dubai!
Of course, you can always find a bargain anywhere, in any town, and there is plenty of cheap eating, drinking and shopping to be had. In Tel Aviv, head for the Carmel market for some of the cheapest options in town.
What might surprise you even more is that Tel Aviv is ranked the most expensive city in the Middle East for the third year running. Although it still has some way to go to beat the top 3 most expensive cities, Tokyo (1), Osaka (2), and Moscow (3). And Tel Aviv is the only city in the Middle East to move down the rankings, from 14 to 17, in contrast to places like Dubai and Abu Dhabi, who have jumped up into the top 30.
The financial crisis that has gripped the world has had some influence on this year’s rankings, as a weaker Euro and Sterling have seen many European cities drop down the rankings. A stronger dollar has seen cities such as New York, which was cheaper than Tel Aviv last year, move into the top 10.
The Mercer survey includes some 143 cities and compares the cost of over 200 items, such as housing, transport, food, clothing, household goods and entertainment.
Some cost of living in Tel Aviv examples
Note the current exchange rate of approximately 4 shekels to 1US$ and 5.5 shekels to 1 Euro.
The old standard BigMac index (which compares the price of a BigMac all over the world to give an indicator of the cost of living) suggests Israel’s BigMac is one of the most expensive. But street food, such as the legendary falafel, will be cheaper, costing between 10-15 shekels a portion. A can of coke can cost from 7 shekels to 12 shekels, depending where. A coffee too can range from around 10 shekels to 20 shekels, depending on the location.
A night out at a restaurant would probably, on average, set you back 100 shekels, but without the wine. A beer in a pub will probably cost you between 20-30 shekels.
A loaf of bread costs about 7 shekels, a liter of milk 6 shekels, while vegetables and fruits can vary according to the time of the year.
Accommodation can be the most expensive part of your time in Israel. The average hotel room can cost around 150 US$ per night (and prices are almost always in $) but it can range depending on the time of year and the location. If you’re thinking of renting a place in Tel Aviv or even Jerusalem, a fairly ordinary 1-bedroom apartment will cost you around 3000 shekels per month, while 2-bedrooms at least 4000 shekels. Then add the rates and other bills on top.
As you can see, Tel Aviv is probably not as cheap as you expected, or hoped.
2009’s Top 10 most expensive cities
- Tokyo
- Osaka
- Moscow
- Geneva
- Hong Kong
- Zurich
- Copenhagen
- New York
- Beijing
- Singapore