For those who are visiting the West Bank, Israel, or Internship in Palestine in the city of Hebron for the first time, it is important to estimate the cost of living in the West Bank. For Internship in Palestine participants, you might find a slight difference depending on whether you are staying with a host family or in our dormitory.
So, how much does it cost once you have arranged your placement and found your way at Internship in Palestine? Below we will briefly explain expenses for meals, daily necessities, groceries, alcohol and/or tobacco, fitness Centers and gyms, clothing, transportation, and leisure activities in the city of Hebron, West Bank as well as give you some advice.
Important note: Most of the price information given below is based on data from the Numbeo website, specifically regarding Hebron. You can use this site to find cost info for various cities through the West Bank and Gaza, and for Palestine as a whole. The information below is gathered as of April and May of 2024.
Key Points: Cost of Living in Hebron, West Bank, and Israel
| Fast Food and Meals | Fast food costs range from 30 to 200 shekels per week. |
| Groceries | Grocery costs in the West Bank can be up to about 1,000 shekels a month (a few hundred USD). But this can vary greatly. |
| Healthcare | Good healthcare facilities in the West Bank with potentially high costs. Private practice visits are approximately 60 USD. |
| Fitness Centers and Gyms | Various gyms in Hebron, with monthly fees of around 165 shekels. Separate facilities or timings for men and women. |
| Free Time | Non-essential costs for activities like coffee, meals, souvenirs, and excursions, range from 5 to 80 shekels. |
| Minimum Monthly Cost of Living | The estimated minimum cost of living in Palestine is around 2,000 shekels (600 USD) per month. Factors like staying with a host family and proximity can reduce costs. |
| Public Transportation in Palestine | One will rely on private or shared taxis due to the absence of train or bus services. Shared taxi fares for various city routes are outlined. |
| Cost of Living in Israel | Living in Israel is significantly more expensive, approximately 7,000 NIS (1,500 USD) per month for international students. |
Staying With A Host Family Versus In Our Dormitory
Participants who choose to stay with a Palestinian host family may be provided with some meals when they are at home, such as dinner or on weekends. Participants staying at Internship in Palestine, which is another housing option, will have access to a kitchen and can easily find inexpensive groceries nearby. Our participants also often arrange to eat dinner together at a restaurant or cafe.
The exciting thing is that internationals can generally look forward to receiving a few dinner invitations from locals. Moreover, visitors to Palestine staying with a host family sometimes invite their friends to their homes and eat together. Additionally, Internship in Palestine’s staff organizes a dinner to share with participants at our center from time to time. Which gives all participants the chance to try home-cooked traditional Palestinian food.
Fast Food And Meal Costs
The average cost of fast food in Hebron, West Bank per week can range anywhere from 30 up to 200 shekels. There are food options for people of all budgets. How much you spend depends on how many times you eat out, the type of meals you buy, and if you purchase any drinks. The breakdown of that will be as follows.
- 0 shekels per breakfast (breakfast at our center is included in your program every day except Friday)
- 4-20 shekels per lunch (you can buy a delicious falafel, chips & salad sandwich for only 4 shekels in Hebron! Shawarma costs more.)
- 4-30 shekels per evening meal (depending on if you buy falafel or eat at a restaurant)
- a free evening meal if you are invited by a family for dinner or are invited by your host family
Here you may find the average of Fast Food and Meal prices in Hebron:
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant | ₪ 25.00 |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course | ₪ 80.00 |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) | ₪ 22.50 |
| Cappuccino (regular) | ₪ 9.00 |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33 liter bottle) | ₪ 3.50 |
| Water (0.33 liter bottle) | ₪ 2.50 |
Groceries
Grocery costs (along with general costs of living) vary throughout the West Bank. The grocery and living costs in the city and governorate of Hebron are roughly in the upper-middle of this range. Therefore, Hebron usually costs a bit more to live than the rest of the West Bank. Below are some examples of costs of various grocery items, as of April 2024. It’s important to keep in mind that this cost will be significantly less when eating at the Center or with a host family.
| Milk (regular), (1 liter) | ₪ 6.75 |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (500g) | ₪ 6.12 |
| Rice (white), (1kg) | ₪7 .00 |
| Eggs (regular) (12) | ₪ 12.27 |
| Local Cheese (1kg) | ₪ 20.67 |
| Chicken Fillets (1kg) | ₪ 17.00 |
| Beef Round (1kg) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) | ₪ 71.67 |
| Apples (1kg) | ₪ 11.50 |
| Banana (1kg) | ₪ 5.00 |
| Oranges (1kg) | ₪ 3.25 |
| Tomato (1kg) | ₪ 7.33 |
| Potato (1kg) | ₪ 3.00 |
| Onion (1kg) | ₪ 4.00 |
| Lettuce (1 head) | ₪ 5.00 |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | ₪ 3.17 |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) | ₪ 26.00 |
Cost Of Other Necessities
We recommend that you bring daily necessities such as toiletries, razors, and feminine hygiene products from your own country. You can buy them at a supermarket in Hebron as well. However, good quality products will not be cheaper than in your home country, and your favorite brand may be more expensive. Some things, like olive oil soap made in Nablus, can be quite cheap in the West Bank. This soap is available for purchase around the West Bank for a few shekels.
Alcohol And/Or Tobacco
The cost is very high for items such as beer, spirits, wine, and tobacco-related products such as cigarettes. It may be better to bring cigarettes from your home country (the duty-free allowance is 200 cigarettes). If you roll your cigarettes, it is best to bring these from home as it can be challenging to find filters and papers for sale.
The average price in a store for a midrange bottle of wine is 17.41 USD. Domestic/local beer (500ml) is 3.12 USD, imported/international beer (330ml) is 3.89 USD, and a pack of 20 cigarettes is 8.71 USD. Note that in Hebron and Nablus, you will not be able to purchase or consume alcohol. It is not illegal but it is not socially acceptable.
Communication
Communication costs in the West Bank are average for items such as home telephone rental, internet subscription, mobile service provider tariff, and data. A basket costing 200 USD in New York costs 180 USD in the West Bank. The average price for a monthly standard plan internet subscription is 53 USD. The benchmark mobile tariff is 0.14 USD per minute.
It is also easy to buy Palestinian SIM cards in the West Bank. However, make sure you bring your passport with you. Mobile phone contracts may vary. For around 150 shekels per month (40 USD), you can get a Palestinian SIM card with plenty of data.
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data | ₪ 150.00 |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | ₪ 140.00 |
Clothing
You can find most shoes and clothes at shops around Hebron. However, we recommend you bring whatever clothes you need with you. Below are some examples of clothing and shoe prices.
| 1 Pair of Jeans | ₪ 130.00 |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store | ₪ 183.33 |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes | ₪ 300.00 |
Healthcare
Healthcare facilities in the West Bank are good but can be expensive. Hospitals may insist on payment and may delay departure until bills are met.
The average healthcare cost in the West Bank for a private practice doctor’s visit to an uninsured patient is 60 USD. A private hospital stay per day including nursing care, medications, diagnostic tests, food, and related costs is 1,842 USD.
Fitness Centers And Gyms
Hebron has many gyms scattered around the city. There are generic gyms that offer personal trainers and quality equipment, like Prestige Gym, Hebron University Gym, and Sama Al-Khalil. There are also specialized gyms available if you have specific fitness goals or needs. For example, there are entire gyms dedicated to pilates, yoga, and intense muscle training in Hebron. Many gyms are open 12 hours a day, making them very accessible.
In Hebron, gyms are either separated into separate female gyms and male gyms or there are separate times for men and women. In the case of separate times, usually from the morning until the afternoon the gym is for women. Then, in the evening and night, it is for men.
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | ₪ 165.00 |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) | ₪ 60.00 |
Transportation Expenses
You can save on transportation costs if you live within walking distance of Internship in Palestine’s center. However, if you choose to take a taxi by necessity or choice, it will cost about 15-30 shekels per week, assuming you use a shared taxi. When traveling between cities, a shared taxi (servees “سرفيس” in Arabic) is a small van transportation for a maximum of 7 passengers. When traveling within a city in the West Bank, regular-sized taxis can usually be shared if passengers are going in the same direction. A shared taxi ride within the city of Hebron costs 3 shekels per person.
For shared taxis between cities, there is no timetable and they will depart when all 7 seats are full. The fare is fixed depending on the destination. However, if the shared taxi departs with fewer than 7 passengers, the other passengers will have to pay for the vacant seat.
Using a shared Taxi (Servees/سرفيس):
- Go to the bus terminal (this is where the taxis depart from)
- Tell the drivers where you wish to go, they will tell you which shared taxi to take.
- Get into the taxi, it will depart once full. It is possible to leave before the seats are all taken but the passengers will have to cover the cost of the empty seats.
- Ask the driver or your fellow passengers about the fare for the journey when you enter the taxi. Generally, passengers will make their payment along the journey and the driver will ask in case you forget. If you can reach the driver, you can pass them your payment. However, if you are in the very back of the van, ask the passenger in front of you to hand the driver your money. Any change due will then be passed back.
- Passengers usually disembark from the taxi at a terminal or designated parking place. If you wish to be dropped off at a different point along the way, you can ask the driver to do so.
Free Time
As for non-essential costs, Arabic coffee in a cafe usually costs 5-10 shekels. A cappuccino is 6-10 shekels, an iced coffee 8-15 shekels, and smoothies 10-15 shekels, depending on the cafe. A cake or doughnut in a cafe can cost anywhere between 5-20 shekels. A meal in a nice restaurant costs around 30-80 shekels. If you want to visit various places in your free time, it will cost more for a taxi and a hostel or hotel if you stay overnight.
A barber charges 20 shekels for a man’s haircut. The gym or swimming pool at Hebron University is a great place to get some exercise, which costs 50 shekels for one session as a guest.
Minimum Monthly Cost Of Living In Palestine
To sum up, you can estimate that the minimum cost of living in Palestine will be no more than around 500 shekels ($150) per month if you are conserving your money. You can cut even more costs if you stay with a host family and within walking distance of our center. It is possible to live comfortably on a limited budget. However, if you have a larger budget, there are plenty of enjoyable ways to spend your money in Hebron or Palestine in general.
Additional Information: Public Transportation In Palestine
Palestine does not have a train or bus service so the only way of transportation here is a private or shared taxi. Intercity shared taxi services are relatively convenient, so you don’t need to worry about it. Many cabs leave the central bus stations frequently. Prices for shared taxi service from Hebron are as follows per person:
- Ramallah – 28 shekels
- Nablus (via Ramallah) – around 50 shekels
- Bethlehem – 10 shekels
- Jerusalem – 25 shekels
- Jericho – 50 shekels
Cost Of Living In Israel Compared To The West Bank
Israel is quite expensive. General living expenses for an international student per month are approximately NIS7,000 (US$1,500).
It is at least 2 to 3 times more expensive than living in the West Bank. Room rent per week, bus fare, meals, and coffee are double the price or even more than Hebron. E.g A falafel sandwich in Israel costs around 20 NIS (around US$5), whereas a falafel sandwich in Hebron costs 4 NIS (US$1). Salaries and wages in Israel are double that of the West Bank and the standard of living is much higher in Israel than in Palestine.
Additional Information: Public Transportation In Israel
Coach travel is an affordable and efficient method of transport in Israel. Each bus route with its fare and some time estimations are as follows:
| Route | Fare | Time |
| Tel Aviv Airport – Hebron | 24.2 USD (80 ILS) | |
| Tel-Aviv – Haifa (bus 26) | 9.0 USD (30 ILS) | |
| Haifa – Nazareth (bus 331) | 5.2 USD (17.2 ILS) | |
| Haifa – Yardenit (bus 431) | 5.8 USD (19 ILS) | 1 hour |
| Tiberias – Jerusalem (bus 961) | 12.1 USD (40 ILS) | 2.5 hours |
| Jerusalem – Ein Gedi nature reserve | 10.9 USD (36 ILS) | 1.5 hours |
| Ein Gedi (Dead Sea) – Eilat | 13.6 USD (45 ILS) | 3 hours |
| Ein Gedi – Masada | 6.0 USD (20 ILS) |
Souvenirs And Sight-Seeing
Other things you may wish to spend money on are souvenirs and entrance tickets to popular tourist spots. Depending on the taste of your friends/family, there are a variety of things you can buy cheaply in Hebron that would make nice gifts. This can include dates, ornaments, pottery, glassware, clothing, scarves, bags, accessories, and prayer mats.
Hebron is home to the Hirbawi textile factory- the last remaining factory to produce keffiyehs in Palestine. You can also find pottery and glassware factories in Hebron, you may even be lucky enough to see some items being made right in front of you. It is very interesting to see the craftsmen at work.
Final Remarks
The cost of living in the West Bank varies and depends mainly on which city in Palestine. E.g Ramallah tends to be more expensive than Hebron. You will find that some items are cheaper than in your country of origin while others are more expensive.
If you want to try to save money, it is possible to live, eat, and travel at a low expense and in basic comfort. You might even find that you have more interesting experiences this way. However, if you want a higher level of luxury and some home comforts, this will cost a little more. Whatever you choose, you are guaranteed a warm welcome and a great experience here at Internship in Palestine and throughout the West Bank, Palestine.
It is also worth mentioning that living in Israel is much more expensive than living in any city in the West Bank. If you are traveling to both Palestine and Israel consider this point.
As of June 2024, 1 NIS is worth 0.27 USD, 0.25 Euro, and 0.21 GBP. This of course fluctuates over time and is best to check regularly online.
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