Renting and buying a home in Ashdod: prices, contracts and paperwork

Most olim rent first and buy later, if at all. Here's what I found about the Ashdod market, and the official tools that make it easier.

Where to start looking

Nefesh B'Nefesh points renters and buyers to Madlan and Yad2, and has English guides to both sites (NBN (נפתח בכרטיסייה חדשה)).

Before you choose a street, it's worth knowing a little about the quarters (rova'im):

• In the Marina, most apartments are rented. 32% of residents are new immigrants, mainly from France, and the population is older and well-off (Municipality (נפתח בכרטיסייה חדשה)).
• Rova Yud and Yud-Gimel were built in the early 1990s for the aliyah from the former USSR, and about 65% of their residents are former-USSR immigrants (Municipality (נפתח בכרטיסייה חדשה)).
• Rova Yud-Bet's population includes "upgrading families and Jews from France", according to the municipality (Municipality (נפתח בכרטיסייה חדשה)).
• Tet-Vav (1986) and Yud-Zayin (2002) mix private houses and apartment blocks next to the southern beaches. Tet-Zayin (2007) is mostly towers, with mainly young couples (Municipality (נפתח בכרטיסייה חדשה)).

For the full picture, read Ashdod neighbourhoods compared or try the neighbourhood matcher.

What homes cost

These figures are from the CBS (Central Bureau of Statistics) as reported by local news. Treat them as a rough guide, not a valuation.

Buying (Q2 2026): the average Ashdod apartment price was NIS 2.257 million, based on 484 deals. That compares with NIS 2.086m in Q1 2026 and a 2025 average of NIS 2.111m. The national average was about NIS 2.435m (Ashdod Net (נפתח בכרטיסייה חדשה)).

By size:

• 2.5-3 rooms: NIS 1.640m
• 3.5-4 rooms: NIS 2.253m
• 4.5-5 rooms: NIS 2.907m

Renting: the only rent figure I found is old. An Ashdod Net article citing the CBS gave an average rent of about NIS 4,116 a month, the 11th highest among cities and up 5.7% year on year. Ashkelon's was NIS 3,419 (Ashdod Net (נפתח בכרטיסייה חדשה)). The page doesn't show the year; it is probably Q1 2024. Rents have likely moved since, so check current listings.

To see how rent fits your budget alongside arnona and other bills, use the cost-of-living worksheet.

The city's recommended rental contract

The municipality publishes a recommended rental contract to protect both tenants and landlords. It has been adopted by Yad2 and Ashdod Net listings (Municipality (נפתח בכרטיסייה חדשה)). The city says it is not legal advice, so I'd still have someone you trust read your contract before you sign.

New building, Mechir LaMishtaken and urban renewal

Since about 2010, most new building in Ashdod has been high-rise. Per CBS 2023 data, Ashdod has the highest average number of apartments per building in Israel: 15.6 (Hebrew Wikipedia (נפתח בכרטיסייה חדשה)).

The 2017 "umbrella agreement" with the state covers about 45,000 new homes, about 30,000 of them under the Mechir LaMishtaken subsidised-price programme (Hebrew Wikipedia (נפתח בכרטיסייה חדשה)).

In the older quarters (Alef, Bet, Gimel, Dalet, Heh, Vav and Chet), the municipality highlights TAMA 38 and pinui-binui (urban renewal) potential (Municipality (נפתח בכרטיסייה חדשה)). By contrast, Rova Yud-Bet has no remaining building reserves and Rova Yud-Alef has very little new building (Municipality (נפתח בכרטיסייה חדשה)).

To look up a building, the municipality's GIS map lets you search by address. It notes that some addresses in newer quarters are not yet updated (Municipality (נפתח בכרטיסייה חדשה)).

Buying: Tabu, lawyers and notaries

The Land Registry (Tabu) Ashdod branch is at 14 HaBanim St, Sea Mall, 9th floor. It opens Sunday and Wednesday 08:30-12:30, by appointment only; phone *8653 (gov.il (נפתח בכרטיסייה חדשה)). Listing

The French consulate's 2022 notoriety list includes two francophone lawyers in Ashdod who practise in real estate and successions (French Embassy (נפתח בכרטיסייה חדשה)):

• Eli Haddad, 87 HaAtzmaut
• Yossi Sarfati, K-Towers, 18 Yerushalayim

The list is from 2022, so I'd confirm with them directly.

The Ministry of Justice register lists 194 notaries in Ashdod. Of these, 8 declare French, 25 Russian and 60 English (data.gov.il (נפתח בכרטיסייה חדשה)). Some are in the professionals directory.

I didn't find any realtor, accountant or insurance agent with stated languages on a credible list, so ask other olim for recommendations.

Arnona and running costs

Arnona (municipal property tax) is paid to the municipality. The arnona and payments hotline is *37222 (Sunday-Thursday 08:00-20:00, Friday 08:00-12:30). The collections offices at 4 HaKlita St are closed to the public on Wednesdays (Municipality (נפתח בכרטיסייה חדשה)). Listing

The city's 2026 "Aliyah to Ashdod" flyer says the absorption department helps olim with arnona discounts (Aliyah to Ashdod (נפתח בכרטיסייה חדשה)). Discounts are applied for through the collections department's digital portal. I couldn't find the exact olim discount terms on an Ashdod page, so ask at 4 HaKlita St.

For your first steps after you move in, see Your first week in Ashdod and the checklist.