Life in Jerusalem | Imamother

amother

Thu, Jul 13 2023, 7:47 am

How much does one need a month to live comfortably in Jerusalem with 5 kids, possibly planning another baby too.

If I rent 4 bedrooms, doesn’t have to be upscale, but heating, hot water and ac should be functioning. A backyard and a space for a sukka would be great.
One child is already in a yeshiva at 3k shekel a month.
There will be another highschooler and 2 more in middle school, and a child in a gan.

If it’s more central, then we don’t need a car.

LovesHashem

Thu, Jul 13 2023, 9:19 am

This depends on what your idea of comfortable is. Are you used to having chicken for dinner every night? Going out to eat once a week? So much depends on what your habits are for eating out and food purchases. How often do you buy clothes? How much do you spend on clothes usually?

zebra111

Thu, Jul 13 2023, 10:26 am

Jerusalem is extremely expensive. If ur set on 4 bedrooms u are also a little limited what neighbourhood u live in, strangely enough it is not super easy to find 5rm homes here.

Dev80

Thu, Jul 13 2023, 2:53 pm

Will definitely depend on the neighborhood. If you rent in ramat Eshkol and have 4 bedrooms, it likely means it went through Tama and will be something expensive like 15,000 shekels. I've heard Romema is even more expensive. Ramat shlomo seems to be more affordable, I've seen 4 bedrooms for 7500-9000 listed but those are new apartments, maybe older ones would be less.
I think you'd need to figure out what area you want to be in and check out rent prices there. Obviously there are other neighborhoods too.
I think I agree with the above poster that 25,000k could be comfortable but will definitely depend how much your rent is.
Also if you have kids in iriyah schools that are free will make a difference, and if they are in private schools it will be more money per month etc

amother

Currant

Thu, Jul 13 2023, 5:06 pm

I live in a suburb of Yerushalayim. Big apartments are hard to find, rent for 5 rooms is about 8500 shekel a month. It sounds like your school fees will be about another 7000. You'll still need electricity, gas, water, food, transport, kupat cholim, clothes, shoes, chugim, therapy, tutoring, mikva, cleaning help, babysitting if you have another baby. How much that will cost will totally depend on what you think comfortable means. Anywhere between another 10000 and 20000. So somewhere between 25000 and 35000 depending. If you want to live nearer the center of town, you'll need to add on about another 5000 to 10000 in rent. So 30000 to 45000.

amother

Gardenia

Thu, Jul 13 2023, 5:15 pm

We have 3 bedrooms and earn 14k, five kids, cheder not yeshiva. 14k a month and it is very tight and not comfortable.

Our rent is very cheap but arnona in this city is not. We need at least 3k more each month to be comfortable, maybe more.

amother

Bergamot

Fri, Jul 14 2023, 1:08 am

All of these cery large numbers. Who is making so much money? Who is bringing in 30 - 45 k a month?
I dont live in jerusalem, but I cant get the numbers out of my head. They are huge.

amother

Whitesmoke

Fri, Jul 14 2023, 1:24 am

Cost of living aside, am I the only one who would really caution anyone with a young family to really think carefully about moving to Jerusalem? I don't know where OP is coming from but the small, expensive apartments, constant construction, noise, crowds and traffic really impact the quality of life. Although it was once my dream, I wouldn't move there today if you paid me...
The weather is good, though.

amother

Currant

Fri, Jul 14 2023, 1:30 am

amother Whitesmoke wrote:

You must be thinking about the center of town. I live in a suburb and it's really nice, quiet, decent apartments, no construction that I know of.

About costs - OP asked for a 5 room apartment with a yard, heating, AC etc. She's sending to very expensive schools - I pay 1000 for private high school not 3000 and my younger kids are in iriya schools. I have a double digit family and live comfortably (or at least I feel it is comfortable, I don't think OP would. We don't have a car, rarely buy new clothes but we have the privilege of living in Yerushalayim) on 22000 a month. My husband is learning. If he was working, we could easily make 40000 a month.

amother

Bergamot

Fri, Jul 14 2023, 1:33 am

amother Currant wrote:

Wow, can I ask, what do you do rhat you bring in 22k a month?

amother

Gardenia

Fri, Jul 14 2023, 1:36 am

amother Whitesmoke wrote:

I would also advise against it.

amother

Electricblue

Fri, Jul 14 2023, 2:44 am

amother Currant wrote:

We don't have a car, rarely buy new clothes but we have the privilege of living in Yerushalayim) on 22000 a month. My husband is learning. If he was working, we could easily make 40000 a month.

I want to say this in a nice, respectful way. How can someone easily earn 18000 straight out of Kollel? Actually it would have to be more because I assume some of your money is coming from kollel, and when he leaves you will lose your 90% arnona discount. So 24000? 22,000? I'm asking because I want people who don't live in EY who read this to have a realistic picture of salaries in EY. Does your DH have a degree or special skill that he isn't using but could monetize immediately upon leaving Kollel?

Bnei Berak 10

Fri, Jul 14 2023, 2:50 am

amother Bergamot wrote:

All of these cery large numbers. Who is making so much money? Who is bringing in 30 - 45 k a month?
I dont live in jerusalem, but I cant get the numbers out of my head. They are huge.

30-45k in shekels? People in high tech in Israel I guess.

shabbatiscoming

Fri, Jul 14 2023, 3:23 am

amother Currant wrote:

Like someone else asked, how can your husband make that much right out of kollel? And you mentioned you live in a subitb of jerusalem. Thats not the same, in terms of pricing etc. as jerusalem proper.

Elfrida

Fri, Jul 14 2023, 3:37 am

Bnei Berak 10 wrote:

OP, apartments with back yard means they are ground floor. You are wishing for something very very pricy to put it mildly.

That would be logical, but isn't necessarily the case. Jerusalem is built on hills. If the architect uses the topography you can sometimes get a building with gardens on multiple levels. My friend lives four flights up from the street and has a garden.

Regardless of the level, the extra land for a garden will always make those apartments more expensive.