Israel Rises to Second Most Expensive Country in Big Mac Index Amid High Living Costs
How 7 Israeli newsrooms covered this story — translated into English and compared side by side.
By נעם סטביסקי
First reported by Ynet · Aug 2, 2026
What happened
Israel climbed to second place worldwide in The Economist's Big Mac Index, reflecting high food and living costs driven by regulation and limited competition. Economic analyst Riki Maman attributed the price surge to complex regulations, protection of agriculture, and insufficient market competition, despite recent regulatory easing and calls for increased imports and local production.
- 01Israel rose from 8th to 2nd place in The Economist's Big Mac Index measuring food costs.
- 02Economic analyst Riki Maman cites regulation and limited competition as key causes of high living costs.
- 03Strengthening of the shekel partly influenced Israel's ranking but is not the sole factor.
- 04Recent regulatory easing on food businesses may reduce costs, says Maman.
- 05Agriculture remains protected, limiting competition and causing higher prices.
- 06Maman advocates balancing market opening with direct farmer support and export focus.
Summary translated & synthesized from the sources below by baba. Read each original for the full report.
Full coverage · 7 outlets
The same event, reported separately by each newsroom. Open a few to compare what each emphasizes — and what they leave out.
