Tel Aviv is a very expensive city even for expensive Europe. If you come to the north, for example, you can eat and drink for 50 NIS and still have money left over. When rent for a one-room apartment not in the city center costs 5,000 NIS (about 1,750 US dollars or almost 10,000 yuan) everything has to be expensive to pay rent.
I am from Malaysia. Just ordered both of your new books from Popular bookstore, will take a long while to arrive. Thank you sister for sharing Israel. I hope to be able to go one day. May the Lord always bless you and your family