Israeli Living expenses monthly breakdown

amother

Wed, May 01 2024, 8:22 pm

Looking for information on how much living expenses are realistically for an American family who moves to RBS. Family of 9 (7 kids preschool through teenagers)

If someone can help breakdown a realistic monthly budget for the following it would be greatly appreciated!:

Tuition per child
Arnona (assuming home is 5 bedroom apartment)
Water
Gas
Electric
Car Insurance
Phone
Cellphone
Internet
Sewer
Healthcare
Food
Clothing

Also curious how much does a typical simcha cost (Bar-Mitzvah/Wedding) in Israel? Is it cheaper than making a simcha in the US?

amother

Cerulean

Wed, May 01 2024, 11:10 pm

amother Seagreen wrote:

Tuition is free for all Israeli citizens.

That is not correct. It depends on if your school is 100% public or if it is private or partially private. Even if it is free there are certain fees although they are almost nothing compared to a Jewish education in the USA.

amother

Violet

Wed, May 01 2024, 11:21 pm

amother OP wrote:

I can tell you for a smaller family in a smaller apartment. I think these are our numbers. I can always double check.

Tuition per child - 250 nis per month with hot meal included for my dd’s school
Arnona (assuming home is 5 bedroom apartment) - we’re paying 350 nis.
Water, gas and electric - water, gas and electric are 800 nis per month.
Car Insurance - this is about 3800 per year.
CellPhone - my office pays for mine and my dh is 40 nis and my dd’s 20 nis
Internet - ours is more expensive because of our location at about 200 nis a month.
Sewer - not applicable
Healthcare - 350 nis per month for a higher level plus copays for medications of 300 nis
Food - this is the most about 4000 nis a month
Clothing - we hate shopping and have beautiful hand me downs thanks to my sibling so 1200 nis a year

amother

Blushpink

Thu, May 02 2024, 2:09 am

We're a fairly frugal family of 7, oldest kid is 10, youngest 4, in the charedi school systems in Jerusalem, 2 bedroom simple apartment (not renovated), no car. Here are our averages per month in NIS:

School fees (four in cheider, one in government funded gan which is only 100 per month) - 2500
Chugim for three children - 800

Food and other groceries- 3500
Restaurants/take out - 400

Clothing - 600
Wigs/beauty - 100

Cell phones for parents only - 70
Internet plus filter - 125

Rent and building fee (inc. elevator) - 4950
Apartment insurance - 120
Arnona - 550

Medical insurance (highest level kupat cholim, medical co-pays, therapy for one child, not including private dentistry - we go to the kuppat cholim) - 2000

Gas - 50
Water - 90
Electricity - 450
Bank fees - 60

Trips and vacation related expenses - 400
Toys, books, houseware (extras) - 600

Travel (buses, taxis - we don't need to use either regularly) - 200

This doesn't include one off expenses like appliances etc. or maaser/charity.

Bnei Berak 10

Thu, May 02 2024, 3:28 am

amother OP wrote:

Which circles are you in? Are you planning to slowly integrate to a simpler Israeli lifestyle or an American lifestyle?
You didn't mention rent and leisure activities.

amother

Babypink

Thu, May 02 2024, 3:40 am

RBS 8 person family, gan through high school

Per month
Tuition per child
Chareidi yeshiva high school boys ~1500-1800
Chareidi-American boys elementary school ~500-600
Chareidi-american girls elementary ~600
Gan public around 50 plus extras
Arnona (assuming home is 5 bedroom apartment) around 500-600 typically
Vaad bayit 150-250 typically
Water around 200 I think
Gas around 75
Electric around 700 average
Car Insurance around 4300 for a 10 year old mini minivan
Phone 50 though many many people don't have other than cellphones
Cellphone around 30-40sh each with data, kids kosher phones around 15sh each
Internet around 100
Sewer ?
Healthcare - a few hundred for the extra coverage. Not including medications or therapies or copays which are very individual
Food and cleaning supplies/toiletries - 5000-6000 (we buy minimal processed food and don't eat out)
Clothing - very individual

amother

Fern

Thu, May 02 2024, 3:47 am

amother Seagreen wrote:

Tuition is free for all Israeli citizens.

This post is very obviously not by someone who lives in israel Smile

For the public snd public religious schools its very little.
For mson until gan 3, I believe, it is free.
High schools are never free, but the amount vary.
And the charedi system is also not free at all.

amother

DarkKhaki

Thu, May 02 2024, 4:15 am

Chareidi family in RBS with 4 children

Girls high school - 250 per month
Boys elementary school (cheder) - 550 per month
Girls elementary BY- I think it's about 1000 per year, not sure. plus 50 per month for afternoon program including hot lunch from 1-3:30 pm
Gan - 400 shekel a year , plus 50 per month for afternoon program

Arnona - about 500 per month for that size apt
Gas N/A
Electricity (depending on summer vs winter) average 500 shekel per month
car insurance - basic insurance is about 1000 per year, extra coverage depending on how old the car is -
I pay for a 2011 minivan about 4000 a year all included
Gas for the car - about 300-400 shekel per month (we're mostly local)
phones - kosher basic phones - 20 shekel per month
phones with data and filter - 80 per month
Internet - 150 per month for wifi and filter
healthcare - 350 per month for the family with highest level of coverage
co pays for doc visits and medications for us is about 300 shekel per month
Food - 5000 per month (Could cut down if necessary, includes a lot of wants not only needs)

Bar mitzvah - regular halls in the area between 1500-2000 shekel
Musician - about 2000 shekel
Photographer similar
Caterer - big range obviously, but 100 shekel per portion for a nice besari meal (including nice dishes/tablecloths/centerpieces etc) is standard. Includes waiters

amother

DarkKhaki

Thu, May 02 2024, 4:28 am

amother Fern wrote:

This post is very obviously not by someone who lives in israel Smile

maon is not free, it's quite expensive
gan ages 3-6 is free

amother

RosePink

Thu, May 02 2024, 6:07 am

Family of 6 but in case these numbers are helpful...

Tuition
We pay around 250/300 a month for lower elementary school in a mamlachti Talmud Torah. Gan is free but tzaharon if you need is around 50-1000 shekel depending on the city. I think beit shemesh is on the lower end.

Arnona
We pay around 650 for 180m2

Water
Usually 50-60

Gas
For the car or gas bill? For the car on average we spend 850

Electric
Around 500-800

Car Insurance
We pay between 6-7000 per car per year (one is a 5 seater and one a small 7 seater)

Cellphone
39 per phone

Internet
110 but includes basic landline too

Sewer
Usually 50-60 (a lot of cities include this in the water bill which is why some ppl don't know how much they are paying)

Healthcare
We have leumit which is the cheapest and pay less than 300 a month but don't have the highest level at the moment. But my healthcare section of my budget can be anywhere from 700-1500 because I include private health and life insurance policies and dentist bills

Food
On average 3500 for groceries

amother

Seagreen

Thu, May 02 2024, 6:50 am

amother Fern wrote:

This post is very obviously not by someone who lives in israel Smile

How much do you pay?
What's the breakdown?
For us:
Tuition free for morning classes.
Books exchange program-books free
Afternoon optional
hot lunch extra curricula activities, miscellaneous 100 shekel $30 a month. For low income 90% discount. In America you don't have these options. Definitely not so cheap nearly free. PLUS since lunch is main meal and the kids eat chicken, sides & fruit, the grocery bills are much less A well.

For us private top chassidish yeshiva is 300 shekel (about $80) a month includes hot food.

Sure in this country it all depends on how you speak as the Torah says Hashem hears what you say and you are treated accordingly.

Bnei Berak 10

Thu, May 02 2024, 6:57 am

amother Seagreen wrote:

Hold one on sec, are you telling me grocery bills *in Israel* are much less compared to the US? Seriously? Speechless

amother

Acacia

Thu, May 02 2024, 7:04 am

I don't understand the above post either.

My girl's elementary school is a very low monthly fee with Tzaharon for alef and beis being 100 shekel a month. Third grade and on finishes school very early in the day which adds the fees of chugim which aren't cheap. School books are on the parents and add up quickly.

My boys' chedarim are far from free. Elementary school age was about 600 shekel a month per kid. Once they reached yeshiva ketana and up, it began at 1000 shekel a month.

My grocery bills are certainly not less. And I'm not sure what you mean with your last line. Hashem certainly hears what I say but that has very little to do with the price of tuition or the expense breakdown OP is asking about.

amother

Babypink

Thu, May 02 2024, 7:17 am

Bnei Berak 10 wrote:

Hold one on sec, are you telling me grocery bills *in Israel* are much less compared to the US? Seriously? Speechless

Why do you think they are not? Produce is generally cheaper here, all dairy products are cheaper, shnitzel is cheaper. Prepared foods are more expensive here (or don't exist, in many cases).

I may be wrong, but from what I see here and from what I hear from friends and relatives in the US, basic food is not more expensive here.