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The Cost of Living in Israel – תל אביב קואצ’ינג לחיים

So you are probably thinking about moving to Israel, but perhaps you are not aware that Israel is a very expensive place to live?  If that is the case, than this is the perfect article for you as it will strictly be about the cost of living in Israel.

For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Claude Massey and I’m a life coach in Tel Aviv, Israel.  Don’t worry; you won’t have to be an economics major to understand my breakdown of the cost of living in Israel.

However, we won’t cover a few things in this article/video about the cost of living in Israel:

Firstly, the Cost of Rent in Israel:

One thing that we’re not going to talk about today is the cost of rent in Israel.  Most of you already know that Tel Aviv, Israel is one of the most expensive cities in the world to live in.

Outside of Tel Aviv, the cost of renting an apartment varies across the country and you can easily do research online if you’d like to learn about the rent prices.  Therefore, there is no need for me to cover this topic.

Secondly, Tax Rates in Israel:

When I say tax rates I mean, “How much taxes are deducted from your wages”.  However, just so you know… it is about 10% more than in the US.

That being said, let’s get into it!

The Cost of Food in Israel:

The first topic that I want to talk about is the cost to feed yourself in Israel.  Please note that the examples I will use below are just a few of the many differences in the prices of consumables in Israel.

The Cost of Bread:

The cost of bread is 1.5 times as expensive.  For Example: Let’s say that it costs $1.25 USD for a loaf of bread in America.  Plan to pay $2.00 USD for a loaf of bread in Israel.

The Cost of a Coca-Cola (beverages):

I don’t drink 6-packs or 12-packs of soda, but I just wanted to use Coca-Cola as an example because you are familiar with the brand name.  Anyways, I did my research and found that the cost of a six-pack of Coca-Cola in Israel is the same cost (converting NIS to USD) as a 12-pack of Coca-Cola in the U.S.A.

Here is another example I can relate with: Buying any beverage from a corner store.

Buying a beverage at a 7-11 or AM/PM probably costs you about $1.00 USD in America.  When you come to Israel, plan to pay equivalent of $3.00 USD for that same exact drink.

I know it’s not healthy, but I love McDonald’s. 

The cost of McDonald’s in Israel is about three times as much as it would cost in the United States.  Whenever I take my daughter to go for lunch or dinner at McDonalds… it’s a pain in the ass (and pockets!). 

For Example: If you were to go to a McDonald’s in the United States, you would pay around $5.00 USD for a meal.  In Israel, would pay the equivalent of $15.00 USD for that same exact meal.

Overall, the cost of food in Israel is about 2.5x as much as you would pay in the US.  For the same items in Israel.

The Cost of Clothing in Israel

Firstly, we are not talking about the same brands that exist in the United States.  There are completely different chain stores that you’ll see in the malls around Israel.

Plan on shopping at different places, and plan on paying twice as much for the same clothing items.  I am referring to the cost of sweatshirts, t-shirts, shoes, pants, etc.

Automobile Costs in Israel vs America

Keep that in mind that if you move to Israel and you are living on a budget, the public transportation here is great.  Public transportation in Israel is very efficient, and you can get most places in the country using the Dan, or Egged bus systems.

However, if you are the type of person who needs to have his/her own car…  I recommend saving up a lot of money.  Why?  Because having a car is a luxury in Israel.

The cost of buying a car is close to 4x as much as you would pay for the same car, in the United States.  Incredible right?

Moreover, the cost of gas is about 2x as much as it cost per gallon in the United States.  Gas is sold per liter in Israel… not per gallon.

Finally, the cost of insurance is about three times as much as it costs in the United States vs Israel.

In conclusion, the cost of living in Israel is definitely more expensive than living in the United States, so good luck to you!

-Claude Massey

About the Author of : The Cost of Living in Israel – תל אביב קואצ’ינג לחיים

Hi, my name is Claude Lee Massey and thanks for reading the article above!  I wrote the article because I wanted to help you. 

You see, I’ve been living in Tel Aviv for 10+ years and I know it can be a struggle living here as a foreigner.  Finding a job, living a happy life, and developing great relationships… are not always easy to do.

I remember the day I arrived in Israel I had NO money – NO friends – and NO job.

So, how did I go from that point to becoming a life coach (קואצ’ינג לחיים) and career coach (אימון אישי לקריירה)?

Here is my story:

About seven years ago (and after 15+ years of soul-searching), I had a powerful self-realization that I was put here on this planet to teach and to share the knowledge I have.   

Moreover, after this powerful revelation hit me I began to feel a powerful inner calling.  A relentless voice inside of me saying, “I have to open my own consulting business”.

Therefore, with my 15+ years of experience in the field of sales and customer service I decided to open a sales training company.

At this point, I had a full time job working for a high-tech company so on my day off, I found an accountant.  Then I hired him and had him file the proper paperwork to open a sales training company with the government.

I never thought that I would open my own business in Israel… but I did!

I decided to name my sales training company Sales Development Israel, and I began to use all of my spare time before work and after work creating training materials, and trying to acquire clients.

In addition, I was sending emails and cold calling companies in Tel Aviv, Herzliya, Ramat Gan, Jerusalem, Bat Yam, and Holon.

I was working like a maniac and doing everything in my power to generate momentum.  Great news is that I was able to find my first few clients!

However, something I immediately noticed was at the conclusion of my sales training workshops, two things would happen consistently happen: 

Firstly, I would receive feedback that my sales training workshops were providing massive value for the sales team.

This meant that the companies were happy with the service I provided… which was nice to know.

Secondly, one or two of the students in the courses would privately approach me.  These students would speak with me about their struggles not only in sales, but also in their lives.

Then one time, a female student offered to pay me for a one-on-one session outside of the office.  As a struggling entrepreneur, I accepted.  

She asked me to help her learn how to communicate more effectively, and to help her figure out a better career path.  We developed a plan, strategized, and executed. 

Another student, at another company, approached me and offered to pay me for my time to help prepare him for a job interview.  We developed a plan, strategized, and executed. 

Yes, he was planning to leave the sales job that he was at and yes, I helped him to do so.

Similarly, another student from another workshop, at another company, asked me to help them build their inner-confidence.  We developed a plan, strategized, and executed. 

This would happen again, and again…

Each of these wonderful people I began to work one-on-one with,  had their own unique challenge, and asked me for help.  Each time we developed a plan, strategized, and executed

They all knew that I was not certified or professionally trained, and still they would approach me, and offer to pay me for my time.

These first clients would call me their “Life Coach” or “Career Counselor“, and I was able to help them!

At the conclusion of our 3 to 5 one-on-one sessions, they each had taken took massive steps forward towards the results they wanted.

Each time we developed a plan, strategized, and executed successfully! 

Eventually, enough people paid me to sit down with them, and called me their Career Counselor or Life Coach… that I began to call myself a “Career Counselor” and ”Life Coach”.

Most people set out to become a trained and certified life coach (קואצ’ר , אימון אישי) or career counselor before ever having a client. 

However, I never said I wanted to be a life coach (אימון אישי לחיים) or a career counselor… this interesting and fulfilling profession came to me, literally.

In conclusion, that is the super-short story of how I began life coaching (תל אביב קואצ’ינג לחיים) and career counseling in Tel Aviv Israel and after all these years, I’m happy to say I have helped hundreds of people just like you!

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This article was titled: The Cost of Living in Israel – תל אביב קואצ’ינג לחיים