I have a very nice, 2.5 room apartment, fairly large, and I pay 1600 shekels a month. I don’t know about all other areas, but I know people in Har Nof (in Jerusalem) who pay $1000 for a one-room, converted machsan. Also, it seems to be fairly common in Haifa that there is no monthly fee for vaad habayit. Other costs (food, etc.) are probably similar.
I see way less poverty here. There are beggars on the street, but I don’t see nearly as many here as I do in Jerusalem.