1

We need some more information before we answer:-

Where are you planning on travelling to? Prices are very different say between Tel Aviv and Beer Sheva and then with the West Bank
What does roughing it mean? Sleeping in a dormitory or on a roof (only available in the summer)
How are you planning on travelling - bus, car, hitch-hiking?
Do you smoke/drink/shop? Will you eat out in restaurants or just buy snacks?

For accommodation costs you can always look on Hostel world to get an idea, travel costs are around 50 NIS (may be less not sure) for a bus journey. Dinner could cost anything, a half litre of beer 20-30 NIS, Falafel on the street 1 nis (west bank) - 10 (tel aviv) etc.

G

2

Even on a tight budget, I'd take into consideration about $80-$100US a day...
As said - it depends on the season - but you'd be hard pressed to find any type of bed for less than about $15-$20 a night if you're lucky.
And along with transport, food, entry to parks/sites I'd say you're getting close to $100.

As for what Genya wrote - I haven't seen a 10NIS falafel in Tel Aviv since about 2003.... you'll be paying more like 15 and more in the center.
I'd also avoid hitch hiking - it used to be cool back in the day when Israel was an egalitarian society - but today people are a lot less likely to stop for you, and there are rare, albeit obvious dangers involved...

3

Hello,

Israel is not exactly a low-budget destination, but can be visited at a reasonable cost.

There is a pretty active Couch Surfer community, for the cheapest accommodations. It is also possible to camp for free many places, if you are interested in hiking and outdoor activities.

A dorm bed in a decent hostel usually costs $20-30 per person. A meal of street food can be had for $3-5, though a sit-down meal will run more like $15-20+. Beer in a bar is at least $5, $3 from a convenience store. Local transport around cities is usually around $2 per trip, and longer bus rides are pretty reasonable (for example, around $12 from Jerusalem to Nazareth, a 2-hour journey). Entrance fees to national parks and museums range from $5-15 each.

As others have mentioned, budget does depend on the area with Tel Aviv being the most expensive.

So, I would say absolute minimum budget per day:
$20 dorm bed
$15 3 meals of street food or cooking something basic in hostel
$10 entrance to museum or national park
$15 transportation (1 longer bus ride and 2 short ones)

So that's $60/day, maybe $50 on days that you don't take any longer bus journeys or $40 if you miss out on parks and museums.

Good luck!

4

15NIS? thats getting onto London prices now! Will have to save up for my next trip.

I wasn't recommending hitch-hiking (although I still do it in the south due to lack of regular buses on the routes I travel) just wondering what the OP was planning on!

5

Israel is crazy expensive, especially when compared to travel in neighbouring countries. I'd say $50/day is a minimum unless you're camping and eating only pasta or beans.

6

Genya, in your post #1 you wrote travel costs are around 50 NIS (may be less not sure) for a bus journey. What do you mean? Tel Aviv to Jerusalem is NIS 18. Tel Aviv or Jerusalem to Eilat is NIS 78. Within cities it's NIS 6.60. So to say "a bus journey is 50 NIS" is misleading to say the least and is in fact unintelligible!

Then in your #4 you are surprised that it's NIS 15? Sorry, I really can't follow what you're trying to say here. You are surprised that what is 15? Yallah wrote $15 - 15 dollars - but of course that depends on what journey we're talking about here. There's obviously no one-price-fit-all bus fare for any ride anywhere in Israel.

mrjack, when are you planning to visit? Some periods of the year are peak time and consequently more expensive, and accommodation is harder to find (at any price). The Passover holiday (March 25 to April 1) is one of these periods. July and August are also peak time (school holidays), as is September, with a whole string of Jewish holidays on and off from September 4 to 28 this year - a period that's best avoided unless you have a pressing reason to be in Israel then.

7

#6 I was responding to Yarden and not to Yallah (posted at the same time). 15NIS for a falafel has gone up!

As for transport as average (as you proved) is 50NIS. And as I'd put without knowing a plan we can't give specific details of cost.