Cost of living in Palestine – 2015

I'm so disappointed to see no responses to this survey. It would be SO helpful to me!
I'm not sure where to begin. How long will my savings last? Will I have luck finding a job?
I really could use some information about Ramallah.

Hello there, I`ll try to give some estimations for the items requested. I lived in Ramallah and AlBireh, small twin merged cities. The rest is nearly the same if not lower. I`ll give prices in both USD and NIS (new Israeli shekel). The shekel is not our currency, but since we are occupied we are forced to use it, with using both USD and JD (Jordanian Dinars).
The exchange for today is
- nearly 1usd=3.9 NIS.
- 1 USD = 0.709 JD. almost a fixed rate as both currencies are related.
payments can be done with those 3 mainly, and Euros. Mostly preferred for daily living is shekels. Exchange places are everywhere, with signs of the prices of the day.

1. Accommodation:
available: hotel, hostels, unfurnished and furnished apartments.
a room in a 3 stars hotel bed and breakfast could be near 100 NIS.
in a 5 start hotel it starts from 200 NIS.
unfurnished apartment can be near $500 - $600.
furnished studio $500.
a room in a shared apartment about $250 - 300 + utilities.
furnished apartment start at $700, good ones and good locations about $1000. All plus utilities.

2. Public transportation:
available: private Taxis, lanes taxis, busses.
For the taxis they work in cities and in-between the cities. in the city they can ask for 10-15 NIS, depending on the destination. OR by counter machine. You can find them in streets or call a taxi office and ask for one, will reach your door in few minutes.
Lanes taxis are mostly Ford Transit, with darker yellow color (for me its orange). Those work in a line between 2 points, but can stop any where to drop or pick up passengers. So you can point to them and if they have seats they will stop. Prices are fixed by line if taken from 1st point to end destination. start from 2 nis depending on the line. If you took it somewhere in the middle price will be lower. Those Fords work in city and between cities. Those can be found in parkings in city center, or in central station.
Busses: same as Lanes Taxis, but working between cities. Prices depends on destination for sure. Can be found in central station in the each city center. The central station in Ramallah is called Jerusalem Bus Station.

3. Food:
For food in restaurants; for a traditional Hummus / Fool, bread & Falafel, with a cup of tea, about 20 nis. although if you take it away it will cost lower, around 15 NIS. Other options for breakfast can be in same average.
For lunch or dinner, something typical like Kebab (types of meats on barbeque / grilled) will cost around 30 NIS.
Other options like international cuisine will be higher.
Most expensive could be 70 - 120 NIS, depending on the restaurant.
Pizza small around 30, medium about 50, large around 70.
Deliveries are available almost from a wide range of restaurants. A sandwich delivered to your work during the day can cost around 15 NIS.
a cup of coffee or tea in a traditional cafes 3 NIS. In restaurants about 15 NIS.

4. Health costs
Usually the private companies and other organizations do this for you and cut the cost from your monthly salary. Depending on the type and the offer, and your firm policy, it can roughly cost around 20 JD per month == 30 USD.
without an insurance, any visit to a doctor will cost around 70 NIS.

5. Education costs
Governmental schools are almost free, it costs around 60 NIS per year, including books.
Private schools varies, more expensive for sure, the highest is the friends school, depending on the grade, the highest i think is about $2,000 a year not including books.
The universities do work in credit hours system, depending on the university and the major prices vary. It is also competitive to have an approval to register, depending on your grades in school. Near Ramallah - 15 minutes - there is Birzeit University, in Nablus AlNajah, in Ramallah AlQuds (Jerusalem) Open University for learning from a distance, in Jenin the American University, in Hebron there is Hebron university, in Gaza there may be 5 i now remember only Islamic University. The most expensive and most famous is Birzeit, since it has the best programs and top notch academic staff. Langiage used in most majors is English, plus the Arabic for sure. Here is its wbsite http://www.birzeit.edu/
All universities are registered and certified.
There is other collages and centers which offers different kinds of courses.
Scholarships programs and cooperation are available also.

6. Utilities
- Internet: there are many companies providing the service, but all work like a distrubuter for Israli companies.. cisit Hadara.ps and Mada.ps for packages. You need to have a telephone landline to have internet. Average 120 NIS.
- Telephone: Paltel.ps only this company, minimum invoice about 70 NIS.
- Mobile operaters:
Jawwal http://jawwal.ps/index.php?langid=2
& Wataniyya http://www.wataniya.ps/en/
both companies are 2G, as upgrading was refused by Israel.
available payment methods for different programs are pre-charge OR monthly invoice.
- Gas in summer for heating water could be 20 nis. But in winter for Heating space will be about 800 NIS for 2 hours a day for an apartment. This is the most economic way, much economical than Diesel.
- Water: average 70 NIS.
- Electricity: average 120 NIS.
- Fuel for cars; mostly are Gasoline (1 L: 7.3 NIS and Diesel a little lower.
- Television is free. Work with Antenna for local channels and a dish and receiver for others. Unless you want a subscription with a special program, the you need to but special receiver and pay an extra amount.
In general for all monthly bills for an apartment the average in summer is about 350 NIS, in winter it depends on heating system and fuel price.

7. Others:
- cinema ticket: 15 NIS.
- a bottle of water 250-300 ml: 3 NIS.
- Coke 250 ml: 3 NIS. 2 L 6 NIS.
- Beer domestic or imported about 14 NIS.
- A bottle of wine 35 NIS - 120 NIS.
- Loaf of fresh bread 500 kg: 3.5 NIS.
- Cigarettes - Marlboro / Parliament / Davidoff 25 NIS per pack. This is the most expensive ones.
- Fitness club about 200 NIS per month.

Hope those info can be helpful.. Contact me if I forgot something.
Regards
Ayman

Wow! Great information! Thank you.
I've heard there is a water shortage? Also, is there a problem with internet? I would feel so lost if I couldn't Skype with my family.