Most of my American friends compare Tel Aviv to New York City. In much the same way, Tel Aviv is the Middle East’s Big Apple: exciting, fun, cosmopolitan, innovative – and very much different from the rest of the country it is in. Today, we will compare the lifestyle in Tel Aviv vs NYC, and give some tips for those who plan to make the transition.
Like New York, Israel’s cultural and economic capital is considered a world of its own, with a hedonistic lifestyle that is quite far from the one of a regular Israeli. Tel Aviv is frequently accused of being too liberal, too “leftish” and “bubble”, disconnected from the “real Israel”. And much like New York, it is many of these cosmopolitan qualities that make it the country’s crown jule.
Tel Aviv
Who doesn’t know Tel-Aviv? Located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline and with a population of around half a million, it is the economic and technological center of the country and the center of the Gush-Dan metropolitan area.
As the “party capital” of the Middle East, it has a lively nightlife and 24-hour culture, and receives over 2.5 million international visitors annually. Lately it received the title of the “World’s Vegan Food Capital”, as it possesses the highest per capita population of vegans in the world, with many vegan eateries throughout the city. it is liberal, gay friendly, fast and easy going.
The city has become a major world high tech hub. Tel Aviv has more than 1,000 startup companies and research and development centers, and was ranked the second-most innovative city in the world and again came second on a list of top places to found a high tech startup company, just behind Silicon Valley.
At times it seems the city is proactively mimicking New York: two urban food markets opening just last year seem to emulate the Chelsea Food Market, and new high-rises in poorer parts of town attempt to turn southern Tel Aviv into a version of Williamsburg. And much like in New York, housing prices are sky-high, and Tel Aviv is among the most expensive cities in the world.
Differences Between Tel Aviv & NYC
Weather
Tel Aviv is located on the coastline of the Mediterranean sea, and therefore very hot and humid, especially in the summer. Tel-Avivians spend most of the summer – which is around 3 months a year – ducking from one air conditioner to another.
Transportation
Tel Aviv has terrible transportation. Everybody drives electric bikes or scooters. If you are planning to live or work in the city center, forget about a car – there is almost no parking (or very expensive one), and the traffic into the city is very high.
Public transportation in Tel Aviv (and actually all of Israel) is also quite limited. The city is lacking a subway system and public transportation doesn’t run from late afternoon Friday until the early evening on Saturday (due to the Shabbat).
Cost of Living
Living in Tel Aviv is more expensive than living in New York City, making it the fifth-most expensive city in the world, according to the Worldwide Cost of Living Survey released on Wednesday by the Economist Intelligence Unit, a sister company of The Economist magazine.
Tel Aviv scored 101 points for cost of living, one more than New York City, and tied with Japan’s Osaka for fifth place on the survey’s list. Last year, Tel Aviv ranked seventh.
In contrary, Numbeo compared the consumer prices in Tel aviv vs NYC and reached the following conclusions:
- Consumer Prices in NYC are 6.93% higher than in Tel Aviv (without rent).
- Rent Prices in NYC are 90.71% higher than in Tel Aviv.
- Restaurant Prices in NYC are 6.42% lower than in Tel Aviv.
- Groceries Prices in NYC are 23.71% higher than in Tel Aviv.
- Local Purchasing Power in NYC is 42.98% higher than in Tel Aviv.
What About Safety?
Tel Aviv actually is very safe in terms of crime and terrorism. The general crime rates in Tel Aviv are very low compared to any major US city (and minor ones, too). The risk of terrorism is actually very low in Tel Aviv as well. Yes, it could happen, and war could break out anywhere, but the chances are pretty good that you’ll never be affected by such a thing.
Read more about What Is It Like Living In Tel Aviv.
Moving from NYC to TLV
Moving from NY to Israel is indeed a transition. It’s very important to come with a plan and with a marketable skill set, especially when you plan to live in Tel Aviv and not other cities like Jerusalem or Haifa, for example, which are cheaper to live in.
In order to fully maintain your standard of living, you should aim to work in high-tech, which offers the best salaries (some would say living wage). That means you either have to be a developer, marketer, writer, designer – but the good news is that Native English speakers are in high demand here, so use it to your advantage.
Obviously it is not a must, but having a decent wage in Tel Aviv is very important in order to be able to enjoy everything the city has to offer.
For successful integration, it’s important to speak Hebrew. That will also help you get better jobs, and will also help you navigate the very frustrating government bureaucracy.
Tel Aviv welcomes everybody, and when I say everybody – it’s literally EVERYBODY. It doesn’t matter where you came from, your religion, sexual preference, color, or anything else, you will be welcomed and embraced here.
Know that there is a huge support system in Tel Aviv. Many organizations are here to help new residents to the country, and organize dinners and events for the community.
Tel Aviv vs NYC – Summary
Tel Aviv is about as cosmopolitan as a city in the Middle East gets, with lots to do and a vibrant nightlife. In many ways, it’s a miniature of New York,but like New York, it’s not cheap.
Tel Aviv is a cosmopolitan, happening kind of city, Jewish but not religious in general. The weather is very warm, the city is on the coast so the beach is always a convenient hang-out, and that area of the country is where most of the hi-tech jobs are to be found.