The Real Cost of Living in Gaza in 2026 — Actual Prices From Inside

I am not a journalist writing about Gaza from a hotel in another country. I am Mohammed Z. Al-Shanti, an agricultural engineer living in Northern Gaza with my wife, my five-year-old son Ibrahim, and my infant daughter. I have been displaced six times. Our home was destroyed by airstrikes. We now rent a damaged apartment and survive on what donors around the world send us.

Every number in this article comes from something I personally bought, paid for, and have a receipt for. I post those receipts on GoGetFunding for full transparency. What I am about to describe is not a humanitarian organization's estimate. It is my family's actual monthly budget.

Housing: $500 Per Month for a Damaged Apartment

Our apartment has holes in the walls from nearby blasts. The ceiling in one room leaks when it rains. Last winter, rain came through and soaked Ibrahim's mattress in the middle of the night. We spent the night moving him away from puddles.

This apartment costs $500 a month. That is not what it cost before the war. Before the war, a decent apartment in our area cost maybe $150 a month. The combination of destroyed housing stock, massive displacement, and the collapse of normal supply has made whatever standing shelter exists extremely expensive relative to pre-war prices.

We rent it because it is the least bad option available. Finding something cheaper that still has a roof is not currently possible in Northern Gaza. And we cannot not have a roof. We have a three-month-old baby.

$500 a month for a damaged apartment with a leaking ceiling is not a choice. It is the reality of what shelter costs right now in Northern Gaza.

Water: $250 Per Month for the Basics

There is no running water in our building. This is not occasional outages. There is no running water. Full stop. The infrastructure was damaged and has not been repaired. We buy all of our water from water trucks that come through the neighborhood when they can.

A water truck that delivers 1,000 liters costs $60. A family of four in Gaza right now needs roughly 500 to 600 liters of water a week for drinking, cooking, and minimal washing. We try to make 1,000 liters last ten days, which means rationing. My wife makes calculated decisions every day about how much water Ibrahim can use when he washes his hands.

Some months we spend more than $250 because the trucks come less frequently and we need to buy more at once when they arrive. Some months we manage to stretch it. The average is $250.

Food: Approximately $300 Per Month, When Available

The food situation in Northern Gaza in 2026 is not a shortage in the way that word is usually understood. It is not that food does not exist. It is that the prices have reached levels that make feeding a family genuinely difficult even with money.

A 25-kilogram bag of flour cost about $5 before the war. It now costs $38 to $45 depending on the week. Two bags of flour last my family about three weeks if we are careful. That is roughly $80 per month just for flour.

Cooking oil, when available, costs about $15 to $20 for a small bottle. A bag of rice, when it can be found, is $12 to $18. Fresh vegetables are extremely scarce. Meat is almost not part of our diet anymore. Diapers for my daughter cost about $25 for a pack that lasts two weeks.

Medicine: Expensive When You Can Find It

My wife needed antibiotics last year. Before the war, a basic course of amoxicillin cost about $3 at a pharmacy. We paid $28 for the same medication bought through a private seller because the pharmacy shelves were empty. When you have no choice, you pay what is asked.

Baby formula, when my daughter needed it during a difficult period with breastfeeding, was almost impossible to find. We eventually located some at a price I would rather not repeat here because it is genuinely upsetting. We paid it because she needed to eat.

This is the health reality in Northern Gaza in 2026. It is not that medicine does not exist. It is that what exists costs far more than anyone can afford without outside help.

The Full Monthly Budget

What This Means for Donors

When you look at that budget and think about what it means to donate $50 or $100, I want you to understand what it actually buys. It is not a small contribution toward a vague humanitarian cause. It is specific. Concrete. It is the difference between the water truck coming or not coming.

$60 is exactly one full water truck. 1,000 liters. That is ten days of water for my family. If you donate $60 to my campaign today, a water truck comes. My daughter gets bathed. Ibrahim can wash his hands before he eats. My wife can cook without rationing the pot water. That is what $60 is in Northern Gaza in 2026.

I put these numbers in this article because I want you to understand the stakes. This is not abstract. The prices are real. The needs are real. And your ability to change them, even for one family, is also real.

A Note on These Numbers

Prices in Gaza fluctuate. What costs $38 today may cost $45 next week if a supply route closes or a shipment does not come through. The numbers I have given here are based on what I have personally paid in recent months. They are as accurate as a lived experience can be.

I am not an economist or a researcher. I am a father trying to keep my family alive. These numbers are the ones that keep me awake at night, doing math in my head, trying to figure out how to stretch what we have until the next donation comes.

If you want to see the actual receipts, they are all on my GoGetFunding page. Every major purchase, photographed and dated. You can check.