Tel Aviv vs Tel Aviv suburbs vs Jerusalem

How long will you be staying ? What is your budget ? What will you be doing in Israel ? What is a "self-functioning" suburb ?

If you're coming for a month, I'd bite the bullet and take somewhere more expensive but more central.
Living in the suburbs is economical and more of an option if you are coming to live here for a year...

Unfortunately, the entire Tel Aviv metropolitan area, including the "suburbs" which aren't really suburbs, is expensive. The farther you go out, the less likely you are to find options for short term rentals.

Going for a month, but 1 week will be paid for, so I need 3 weeks of accommodation and all the apartment rentals I have found so far the ones in Jerusalem seem to be cheaper, but I rather stay in tel aviv.

My budget is more or less as cheap as possible!

For 3 weeks I'd just take a hostel room, even a dorm...
It will be much cheaper.

Personally I'd much prefer Tel Aviv - more of a holiday feeling... and I'd keep Jerusalem as a day trip, or several days. But Jerusalemites would probably say the opposite.

Tel Aviv is more for the atmosphere, food, cafes, beaches, night life. Jerusalem is more of a religious/mystical place, with its hisotical significance.

Jaffa, Ramat Gan, Giv'ataim, Holon, Herzlia, and Bat Yam are all satellite cities 5-15 minutes from Tel Aviv where the rent may be cheaper to a comparable apartment in central TLV.
I would try Jaffa.
Your problem would be finding short term rentals there (except expensive beach side apts. in Herzlia and Bat Yam).
If you've got someone who reads Hebrew and can help you out, these is where you'd find people wanting to sublet their place:
http://www.yad2.co.il/Nadlan/rent.php?HomeTypeID=43&AreaID=48

http://www.homeless.co.il/shortterm/

My favourite suburb is Herzliya, by far. Amazing beaches, and it is an up-and-coming sort of place with many trendy shops, restaurants, and people! Also, neighbouring Ra'anana is a wonderful place to be, with a recent influx of French immigrants adding a certain European flair to the town. Both are in the 'Sharon' area just 10-25 minutes north of Tel Aviv. You would, however, probably want to rent a car.

My boyfriend and I just spent 9 days at "The Home" at the corner of Frishman and Hayarkon in Tel Aviv, about a block from the beach, and enjoyed our stay. They call themselves studios- basically hotel rooms with kitchenettes. It's hotel-like in that there is maid service everyday except Saturday but fresh towels are provided daily including Saturday (my boyfriend liked this). Kitchenettes have a hot plate, microwave, kettle, dishes, cooking utensils, a pot and a pan. There's a small 24 hour grocery store across the street and a full-service supermarket 3 blocks away on Ben Yehuda. Rooms have a table and chairs, so you are not eating on your bed.

The mini-studios are tiny- my boyfriend and I were on top of each other. When we extended our stay they moved us to a bigger, though unrenovated regular studio at the same price. The extra space was nice, but this particular room (room 7) was noisier since the air conditioners are right outside the window.

There's free wifi and a free computer in the lobby for guest use. They are in the middle of renovating all the rooms. We paid under $100 a night, which for Tel Aviv is great, and saved money by cooking a lot.

It's basic but clean, comfortable and friendly. Their website is The Home . I don't have ties to the place; they gave us good service and did a couple of favors and I just want to repay the kindness.

Edited by: duckaturtle to fix the weblink