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Tel Aviv-Yafo
#54 of 124
Middle East

Tel Aviv-Yafo

Israel

Salary & Cost of Living

View purchasing power ranking

How do salaries and expenses in Tel Aviv-Yafo compare to Oakland?

Purchasing Power Comparison

An engineer in Tel Aviv-Yafo is 49% worse off vs in Oakland

This shows how far a software engineer's salary goes in Tel Aviv-Yafo compared to Oakland, taking into account both salary differences and cost of living.

Median Salary
$130,088
-$142K (-52%) vs Oakland
Based on 1309 data points from levels.fyi
Net Salary
$81,305
-$88K (-52%) vs Oakland
Tax Rate: 38%

Community Insights

New

Tel Aviv remains the undisputed technological heart of the Middle East and one of the few places outside the US that genuinely feels like a global tech powerhouse. For software engineers, it offers a high-octane environment where the work is cutting-edge and the salaries are competitive on a global scale. However, this comes at a steep price—literally and emotionally. The city is notoriously expensive (often ranking higher than New York or Zurich in cost of living metrics) and housing quality is often poor relative to the cost.

The lifestyle is a study in contrasts: you might start your day with a swim in the Mediterranean and end it in a bomb shelter, only to go out for incredible food afterwards. The "Silicon Wadi" spirit creates a work culture that is informal, loud, and incredibly fast-paced. Recent years have added layers of complexity with political unrest and war, yet the tech sector remains the economy's engine. It is a city that demands resilience but rewards it with deep social connections and professional opportunities found nowhere else in the region.

Resident Sentiment

Current residents express a intense love-hate relationship with the city. There is a fierce pride in the "Tel Aviv bubble"—its liberalism, its vegan food scene, and its unshakeable energy—but this is increasingly tempered by exhaustion. Long-time residents complain bitterly about the untenable cost of housing and the feeling that the city is becoming a playground for the rich only.

Since the recent conflicts, there is a palpable layer of heaviness and anxiety regarding the future, with discussions about "brain drain" and relocation to Europe becoming more common on forums. However, the prevailing sentiment is still one of deep attachment; many expats who leave eventually return because they find other tech hubs "boring" or "sterile" in comparison to Tel Aviv's chaotic warmth.

Living Environment

Weather•Safety•Pollution•Events

A quick look at climate, safety, pollution, and tech community compared to Oakland.

Rankings

Comfortable Weather

Top 4%

#5

of 124 cities

88/100 weather score

Current value

Community Events

Top 5%

#6

of 124 cities

16 events on luma

Current value

Safety Index

Top 18%

#22

of 124 cities

74.1/100

Current value

Housing Affordability

View affordability ranking

How affordable is housing for a software engineer in Tel Aviv-Yafo compared to Oakland?

Avg. Property Price
$16,927 / m²
142% more expensive than Oakland
View detailed property prices on Numbeo

Salary Converter

Enter your annual gross salary (before taxes) to see what you would need to earn in Tel Aviv-Yafo to maintain the same standard of living.

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Do you have kids?

Cost of Living
5% cheaper than Oakland
View detailed cost breakdown on Numbeo

Top Paying Companies in Tel Aviv-Yafo

Apple logo
Apple
Facebook logo
Facebook
Palo Alto Networks logo
Palo Alto Networks

The Good

  • Global Tech Hub: Often called "Silicon Wadi," the ecosystem is dense with startups, unicorns, and R&D centers for major US tech giants, offering career growth comparable to top US hubs.
  • Competitive Compensation: Tech salaries are among the highest in EMEA, significantly outpacing most European capitals and offering a high standard of living relative to local peers, despite the high cost of living.
  • Flat Hierarchies: The work culture is incredibly informal and non-hierarchical; junior engineers often feel comfortable challenging CTOs, fostering rapid innovation and direct impact.
  • Vibrant Lifestyle: A unique 24/7 city energy with world-class nightlife, culinary scenes, and immediate access to Mediterranean beaches, making work-life balance feel dynamic rather than quiet.
  • Strong Community: The social environment is described as warm and "tribal"; coworkers often become close friends quickly, and there is a deep sense of solidarity, especially during crises.
  • Resilience: The tech sector is famously resilient to geopolitical instability, with companies accustomed to maintaining productivity and flexibility even during conflicts or reserve duty call-ups.

The Bad

  • Extremely High Cost of Living: Consistently ranked among the world's most expensive cities; rent, groceries, and cars are exorbitantly priced, often eating up a large chunk of even high tech salaries.
  • Housing Crisis: Finding an apartment is a "blood sport" with high competition for expensive, often old and poorly maintained buildings that lack modern amenities like elevators or parking.
  • Security & Geopolitics: Living under the threat of rocket fire and war creates a background hum of anxiety; recent years have seen increased instability that can be mentally draining for newcomers.

The Verdict

You'll love it if...

The Resilient Innovator. This city is perfect for engineers who thrive in chaotic, high-energy environments and value impact over structure. If you are a Jewish professional eligible for Aliyah (immigration benefits), the transition is significantly smoother financially and socially. It suits those who prefer direct, no-nonsense communication and want to be part of a "warm" culture where colleagues feel like family. People who love the beach, nightlife, and don't mind noise or grit will fall in love with the vibe.

Skip it if...

The Anxious or Budget-Conscious. If you need a quiet, orderly life with predictable transit and polite office etiquette, Tel Aviv will chew you up. Engineers looking to save a high percentage of their income for early retirement might find the cost of living prohibitive despite the high gross pay. Additionally, non-Jewish foreigners without a specialized visa or an Israeli partner will find it nearly impossible to legally migrate and integrate, as the market is not as open to general expat talent as places like Berlin or Amsterdam.

Updated 11/29/2025

Weather8.8/10+4% vs Oakland
Safety74+137%
Pollution46+14%
Events16+16
8.8/10TechCities weather score vs 8.5/10 in Oakland

0–10 composite (higher is better) combining temperature comfort, sunshine hours, rainy-day count, and humid days. See methodology for weighting and data sources.

Weather snapshot

Average High
24°C(vs 19°C in Oakland)
Average Low
17°C(vs 11°C in Oakland)
Sunshine Hours
3,311h/yr+361h/yr(+12%)
Hottest Month High
30°C(vs 24°C in Oakland)
Coldest Month Low
10°C(vs 7°C in Oakland)
Rainy Days
33/yr-15/yr(-32%)

Community & Quality

Tel Aviv-Yafo community pulse

Tel Aviv-Yafo has 16 Luma events listed.

Oakland has no listed Luma events for comparison.

Net Income

Top 31%

#39

of 124 cities

$81,305/yr

Current value

Purchasing Power

Middle of the pack

#54

of 124 cities

Pollution Score

Middle of the pack

#58

of 124 cities

46.1/100

Current value (lower is better)

Tax Rate

Bottom 22%

#98

of 124 cities

38%

Current value (lower is better)

Cost of Living

Bottom 15%

#107

of 124 cities

70/100

Current value (lower is better)

Home Affordability

Bottom 15%

#107

of 124 cities

≈16.7 yrs to buy 80m²

Current value

SWE Affordability
16.7 years
13.4 years longer than Oakland
Aggressive Culture: The "Hutzpah" (audacity) and directness can feel rude or aggressive to those from polite Western cultures; shouting in meetings or cutting lines is sometimes normalized.
  • Traffic & Infrastructure: Public transport (though improving with the Light Rail) is often crowded or unavailable on weekends (Shabbat), and traffic congestion in and out of the city is severe.
  • Work-Life Blur: The boundary between work and life is porous; long hours are common, and the intense "startup nation" mentality can lead to burnout compared to the protected 9-to-5 of Europe.
    • Muggy Days
    108/yr+108/yr(+Infinity%)
    Cloud Cover
    17%(vs 33% in Oakland)