Old Katamon property prices 2026 קטמון הישנה
Old Katamon registers at about ₪49,332 per square metre (median of registered sales, 2025 (Tax Authority data via Dirobot)), which is number 8 of the thirty neighbourhoods in this series. At that rate a 70 sqm three-room costs about ₪3.45m and a 100 sqm four-room about ₪4.93m. A three-room asks about ₪8,100 a month and a four-room about ₪7,900, against Jerusalem averages of ₪6,603 and ₪8,595.
Old Katamon in six numbers
Old Katamon is a prime, fully established address where resale values have risen every year since 2023, reaching roughly ₪49,000/sqm in 2025 and a provisional ₪54,000/sqm in H1 2026. Buyers should expect ₪3.4-4m for an ordinary 3-room walk-up and should weigh renewal-scheme timing and parking carefully.
Renters pay a premium over the city average: around ₪8,000 for a 3-room flat against ₪6,600 city-wide. Supply is thin (a few dozen listings at any time), so good family flats move fast, particularly before the school year.
What Old Katamon is
A quiet, established bourgeois neighbourhood built largely in 1924-1937 by affluent Christian Arab families, with stone villas later subdivided and, since the 1970s, often reunited and restored. Housing today mixes those villas with 1950s-70s walk-up blocks and a growing pipeline of pinui-binui towers. Madlan describes the population as majority national-religious with Haredi and secular minorities and a notable share of foreign residents and academics, with a socioeconomic index of 8/10. Parking is the weakest-rated feature in Madlan's resident ratings (2.6, against 4.9 for safety).
Boundaries and parts
South-central Jerusalem, bounded by Talbiyeh/Kiryat Shmuel to the north, the German Colony and Emek Refaim to the east, the Greek Colony and Baka side to the south-east, and the Katamonim/Katamon A-V area across Palmach and Kovshei Katamon to the west. Core streets: Rachel Imenu, Tel Hai, HaLamed Heh, HaGdud HaIvri, HaMaapilim, Kovshei Katamon, HaPortzim, Palmach.
- Rachel Imenu / Tel Hai core (Mandate-era Arab villas)
- HaLamed Heh / HaGdud HaIvri / HaMaapilim (1950s-70s blocks)
- Ganei Katamon / Ofira Navon Park edge
- Palmach / Itamar Ben Avi (urban-renewal cluster)
Getting around
No light rail inside the neighbourhood yet; the Blue Line is being built along adjacent Emek Refaim between Martin Luther King St and Rachel Imenu St, with rolling closures from 28 June 2026 for about six months and a Kovshei Katamon direction change. Blue Line initial service is expected around 2028, full operation ~2030. Walking distance to the First Station, the German Colony, Talbiyeh and the Jerusalem Theatre; buses run along Rachel Imenu, Palmach and Kovshei Katamon.
Schools, parks and families
Madlan lists Saled (state), Chorev and Chorev Girls (state-religious) and Beit Yaakov HaAri (Haredi) primaries, plus Beit HaTzayar (state) and Hartman Girls (state-religious) high schools; Madlan's education index is 87/100 vs 64 city-wide. Green space includes Ganei Katamon / Ofira Navon Park on the old Hapoel stadium site. Madlan resident ratings: safety 4.9, parks 4.5, schools 4.3.
English speakers
One of Jerusalem's established Anglo-Orthodox hubs, listed by Nefesh B'Nefesh as a community profile; Madlan notes a notable share of foreign residents. Anglo buyers compete here with local national-religious families and overseas second-home buyers, which supports prices for renovated villa flats and garden apartments.
How these figures are based
Each figure is the best available for that neighbourhood, and the bases differ: German Colony ₪57,824 — median of registered sales, 2025 (Tax Authority data via Dirobot); Baka ₪49,735 — median of registered sales, 2025 (Tax Authority data via Dirobot); Old Katamon ₪49,332 — median of registered sales, 2025 (Tax Authority data via Dirobot); Rehavia ₪56,604 — median of registered sales, 2025 (Tax Authority data via Dirobot); Talbiyeh ₪53,543 — median of registered sales, 2025 (Tax Authority data via Dirobot); Arnona ₪35,648 — median of registered sales, 2025 (Tax Authority data via Dirobot); Har Nof ₪35,689 — median of registered sales, 2025 (Tax Authority data via Dirobot); Ramot ₪36,408 — median of registered sales, 2025 (Tax Authority data via Dirobot); French Hill ₪31,842 — median of registered sales, 2025 (Tax Authority data via Dirobot); Beit HaKerem ₪41,023 — median of registered sales, 2025 (Tax Authority data via Dirobot); Katamonim ₪41,846 — median of registered sales, 2025 (Tax Authority data via Dirobot); Old City (JQ) ₪55,556 — median of only 7 registered sales, 2025 (Tax Authority data via Dirobot), some of them partial shares; Nachlaot ₪45,245 — median of registered sales, 2025 (Tax Authority data via Dirobot); Kiryat HaYovel ₪35,490 — median of registered sales, 2025 (Tax Authority data via Dirobot); Gilo ₪29,680 — median of registered sales, 2025 (Tax Authority data via Dirobot); Talpiot ₪37,046 — median of registered sales, 2025 (Tax Authority data via Dirobot); Givat Mordechai ₪37,288 — median of registered sales, 2025 (Tax Authority data via Dirobot); Kiryat Moshe ₪43,198 — median of registered sales, 2025 (Tax Authority data via Dirobot); Pisgat Ze'ev ₪27,711 — median of registered sales, 2025 (Tax Authority data via Dirobot); Ramat Eshkol ₪49,343 — median of registered sales, 2025 (Tax Authority data via Dirobot); Yemin Moshe ₪51,466 — indicative: median of 9 registered sales, 2025–26, across Yemin Moshe, David's Village and Mamilla — too few for a neighbourhood median; Abu Tor ₪38,222 — indicative: median of 8 registered sales, 2025–26; the 2025 Dirobot median (₪27,333, 11 deals) is pulled down by partial and Arab-side transfers; Mekor Haim ₪43,427 — median of registered sales, 2025 (Tax Authority data via Dirobot); Kiryat Shmuel ₪45,441 — median of registered sales, 2025 (Tax Authority data via Dirobot); Bayit VeGan ₪39,103 — median of registered sales, 2025 (Tax Authority data via Dirobot); Ein Kerem ₪34,559 — median of only 6 registered sales, 2025 (Tax Authority data via Dirobot), mostly the Derech Karmit blocks rather than village houses; Armon HaNatziv ₪29,917 — median of registered sales, 2025 (Tax Authority data via Dirobot); Ramat Sharett ₪34,773 — median of registered sales, 2025, Ramat Sharett only (Tax Authority data via Dirobot); Ramat Denya ₪28,916 on 15 deals; Givat Shaul ₪39,863 — median of registered sales, 2025 (Tax Authority data via Dirobot); Malha ₪33,728 — median of 20 registered sales, 2025 (Tax Authority data via Dirobot); 2023 and 2026 medians are skewed by price-capped Mehir LaMishtaken sales. Read the ranking as indicative, not exact.
What people actually paid
Every sale below is a completed transaction reported to the Israel Tax Authority, not an asking price or an agent's estimate. Across the 11 sales in this brief the price per square metre runs from ₪31,008 to ₪90,909. Floor, condition, a mamad, a lift, parking and whether the unit is new explain almost all of that spread.
The readings come from different publishers and methods — averages and medians, all sizes or one room count — so read the direction, not the exact step. Full periods: 2023 ₪44,154; 2024 ₪47,920; 2025 ₪49,332; 2026 H1 ₪54,173.
Sources: Computed from 4 registered 3-room resales May-Jul 2026 (Dirobot/Madlan: HaGdud HaIvri 2, HaLamed Heh 28, Reish Lakish 8, Chen 10); indicative only · Computed from 3 registered 4-room resales June 2026 (Dirobot: Rachel Imenu 49, HaMaapilim 11, HaLamed Heh 15); off-plan HaPortzim 6-8 excluded; indicative only
Dotted lines mark 75%, 100% and 130% of the neighbourhood rate per sqm. A dot above the middle line paid more per metre than the area figure.
| Address | Rooms | Floor | Sqm | Price | ₪/sqm | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chen 10 | 3 | 1 | 43 | ₪2,260,000 | ₪52,558 | 2026-07 |
| Rachel Imenu 49 (Madlan lists same deal as Mishmar HaAm 1) | 4 | 3 | 74 | ₪3,500,000 | ₪47,297 | 2026-06 |
| HaMaapilim 11 | 4 | 2 | 129 | ₪4,000,000 | ₪31,008 | 2026-06 |
| Rachel Imenu 33 (outlier: ₪90,909/sqm, likely includes extra rights/space not in registered area) | 2 | 1 | 44 | ₪4,000,000 | ₪90,909 | 2026-06 |
| HaGdud HaIvri 2 | 3 | 2 | 78 | ₪3,408,000 | ₪43,692 | 2026-06 |
| HaLamed Heh (Chalach) 15 | 4 | 5 | 97 | ₪5,600,000 | ₪57,732 | 2026-06 |
| Yordei HaSira 21-23 (OFF-PLAN, completion 2027) | 5 | 4 | 206 | ₪12,290,000 | ₪59,660 | 2026-06 |
| HaPortzim 6-8 (OFF-PLAN, completion 2029) | 4 | 4 | 120 | ₪6,600,000 | ₪55,000 | 2026-06 |
| HaLamed Heh (Chalach) 28 | 3 | 1 | 58 | ₪3,500,000 | ₪60,345 | 2026-05 |
| Address not reported (Old Katamon) | 5 | 3 | 159 | ₪10,000,000 | ₪62,893 | 2026-05 |
| Reish Lakish 8 | 3 | 3 | 73 | ₪4,000,000 | ₪54,795 | 2026-05 |
Sources: Dirobot (Israel Tax Authority registered deals), Old Katamon neighbourhood page. Sales marked off-plan or new-build carry a new-build premium; a sale with no floor or date shown was published without one.
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What is for sale, and what is being built
Asking prices are what sellers hope for. Set them against section two, not in place of it. Median of ₪/sqm across the 6 listings below (Madlan for-sale, Old Katamon, Sept 2026); computed, small sample
Pale bar: the neighbourhood's registered figure. Asking prices per sqm are the listed price divided by the advertised area, which is often measured generously.
New build and renewal schemes
| Scheme | Type | From | Units | Delivery |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yordei HaSira 21-23 Not identified | New-build block; off-plan registered sale June 2026 (5 rooms, 206 sqm, ₪12.29m) | — | n/a | 2027 (per Madlan build year) |
| HaPortzim 6-8 Not identified | New-build block; off-plan registered sale June 2026 (4 rooms, 120 sqm, ₪6.6m) | — | n/a | 2029 (per Madlan build year) |
| 29 November St pinui-binui Beit Yerushalmi (BY Group) | Pinui-binui: 40 units replaced by 100 in two 10-storey buildings, facade preserved | — | n/a | Plan approved by District Committee July 2026; no delivery date |
| Itamar Ben Avi - Palmach complex B.S.R Group + A. Greenbaum | Pinui-binui: ~160 units in 8 buildings to be replaced by ~320 | — | n/a | Early stage; residents' tender won April 2026, plan not yet approved |
A "from" price is the cheapest unit, on the lowest floor, in the smallest configuration. Ask every developer for the price list by floor and the schedule of areas in writing, and ask what the price is on the ordinary payment schedule rather than a deferred one.
What buying here actually costs
At Old Katamon's rate a 70 sqm three-room is about ₪3.45m and a 100 sqm four-room about ₪4.93m. On the four-room an oleh pays ₪14,772 in purchase tax; an Israeli resident buying a sole home pays ₪142,198; a non-resident or anyone buying a second home pays ₪394,656.
Bands frozen to 15 January 2028. Resident: nil to ₪1,978,745, 3.5% to ₪2,347,040, 5% to ₪6,055,070, 8% to ₪20,183,565, 10% above. Oleh (reg. 12A): nil to ₪1,978,745, 0.5% to ₪6,055,070, 8% above. Non-resident and additional home: 8% to ₪6,055,070, then 10%.
| Apartment | Buyer | Purchase tax | Lawyer, broker, other | Total costs | Of price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3-room · ₪3.45m | Oleh, reg. 12A | ₪7,372 | ₪116,871 | ₪124,243 | 3.6% |
| Resident, sole home | ₪68,200 | ₪116,871 | ₪185,071 | 5.4% | |
| Non-resident / additional | ₪276,259 | ₪116,871 | ₪393,130 | 11.4% | |
| 4-room · ₪4.93m | Oleh, reg. 12A | ₪14,772 | ₪160,529 | ₪175,302 | 3.6% |
| Resident, sole home | ₪142,198 | ₪160,529 | ₪302,728 | 6.1% | |
| Non-resident / additional | ₪394,656 | ₪160,529 | ₪555,185 | 11.3% |
Lawyer 0.5% + VAT; broker 2% + VAT where one is used; ₪15,000 for surveys, the bank and registration. Buying direct from a developer removes the broker line, worth ₪116,424 on the four-room.
Reg. 12A runs from one year before aliyah to seven years after, is used once, and applies only to a residence under the single-apartment test. At Old Katamon's four-room price it is worth ₪127,426 against the resident rate and ₪379,884 against the non-resident rate. Spending it on a small interim flat means buying the family home at full rate.
Renting in Old Katamon
Small samples: 3-room asks ran ₪7,500-9,000 and 4-room ₪7,000-12,000 (the ₪12,000 is a ground-floor garden unit); Realta shows 26 Old Katamon listings averaging ₪7,510 (27 Sept 2026) and a Times of Israel March 2026 snapshot recorded a 98 sqm 3-room garden flat on HaMatzor at ₪12,400. Jerusalem city-wide averages per Scoutr (last 30 days to 26 Sept 2026, 4,188 listings): 3 rooms ₪6,603, 4 rooms ₪8,595 — Old Katamon 3-rooms ask roughly 20%+ above the city average.
Yad2 and Madlan Old Katamon rental listings (median of live asks: 2-room n=3, 3-room n=4, 4-room n=3) — Asking rents, September 2026
Gross yield = twelve months' three-room asking rent against a 70 sqm three-room at each neighbourhood's price per sqm. Old City (JQ), Kiryat HaYovel and Ein Kerem are left out: no reliable three-room rent is published for them. Jerusalem average from Scoutr, September 2026.
Cash out before the keys
| First month's rent | ₪8,100 |
| Security, at the legal cap (3 months) | ₪24,300 |
| Broker, if you hired one: one month + VAT | ₪9,558 |
| Cash out before moving in | ₪41,958 |
On a three-room at ₪8,100 a month. Security is capped at the lesser of three months' rent or a third of the total rent, and must be returned within 60 days of the end of the lease.
Rent against buying
At 2.8% gross — before the building committee, maintenance, empty months, management and tax — Old Katamon is bought to live in or to hold, not for income. Net is typically a full point lower.
For a family arriving, renting for the first year here is rarely wasted money: it tests the streets, the schools and the commute before the largest purchase of the move, and keeps the oleh relief unspent.
The buildings, and what is happening to them
Very active. Beit Yerushalmi has an approved 29 November St plan (40 to 100 units, July 2026) and an earlier approved Rachel Imenu scheme (~80 units); B.S.R/Greenbaum won the Itamar Ben Avi-Palmach tender (~160 to ~320 units, April 2026); Azorim with Mimushim were selected for a ~300-unit pinui-binui replacing 96 units in 8 buildings. Expect years of construction on several blocks.
Specific to Old Katamon
Tiny H1-2026 sample
The 2026 median (₪54,173/sqm) rests on only 26 registered deals to end-June, versus 86 in 2025. One or two luxury villa sales can swing it several thousand shekels; treat the +9.8% jump as provisional.
Registered sqm vs real space
Registered areas are often net Tabu figures, and villa flats may carry attics, basements or garden rights not in the area. That is how Rachel Imenu 33 shows ₪90,909/sqm; always compare like-for-like with the Tabu extract and a surveyor's measurement.
Non-market and partial deals
The registry includes deals such as a ₪480,000 sale at 29 November 28 and ₪1.6m for 49 sqm on Cheil Nashim that look like partial shares or family transfers. They were excluded here; check any comparable an agent cites.
Pinui-binui roulette
Several blocks around Palmach, Itamar Ben Avi, 29 November and Rachel Imenu are in renewal plans at different stages. Buying in a signed building can mean a new flat years later, but also rent-out disruption, developer risk and multi-year construction next door.
Blue Line works
Emek Refaim and Kovshei Katamon are affected by light-rail construction and detours from June 2026, with the line not expected before ~2028. Rentals and viewings on the eastern edge will feel the noise and traffic.
Parking and no elevators
Much of the 1950s-70s stock is walk-up without parking or lifts, and residents rate parking just 2.6 on Madlan (lowest of all categories). A private parking space or lift materially changes value and resale.
Preservation rules
Mandate-era villas are often subject to Jerusalem preservation lists and stone-cladding rules, which restrict additions, facade changes and window replacement. Budget time and cost for permits before planning a renovation.
When buying anywhere in Jerusalem
The register, not the listing
Pull the Tabu extract yourself. Mortgages, caveats, inheritance orders, attachments and undivided co-ownership are common and are solved before the contract, not after it.
Built area against the permit
Enclosed balconies, roof rooms and subdivided units are often unpermitted. The bank's valuer will exclude them and the municipality can enforce against them.
Parking and storage "with the apartment"
Check they are registered attachments in the condominium order. An unregistered space can be lost on resale or in a renewal deal.
Mortgage before contract
A signed contract does not depend on the mortgage. Sole-home loans are capped at 75% of value. Get approval in principle first, and start source-of-funds paperwork for money from abroad weeks ahead.
Off-plan: guarantees and linkage
Every payment to a developer must be secured under the Sale (Apartments) (Assurance of Investments) Law. Payments are linked to the construction inputs index, capped by Amendment 9 at half the rise.
Your own lawyer, a licensed broker
The seller's or developer's lawyer acts for them. A broker must be licensed and hold your signed written order under s.9 of the Real Estate Brokers Law, or no fee is due.
When renting anywhere in Jerusalem
Check who owns it
Ask for the Tabu extract or a power of attorney. Rental scams take deposits for flats the "landlord" does not own. Pay nothing before a viewing and a signed lease.
The security is capped
The lesser of three months' rent or a third of the total rent, returned within 60 days. Get the cap written into the lease.
Who pays the broker
Whoever hired the broker. If the landlord listed through an agent, the tenant cannot be made to pay that agent's fee.
Repairs and notice
Listed faults are the landlord's to fix within 30 days, 3 if urgent. A landlord not renewing gives 90 days' notice; a tenant gives 60. These rules fall away above ₪20,000 a month.
Mamad, lift, parking, air conditioning
In much of Jerusalem's older stock none of them can be assumed. Confirm each in the lease, with which air-conditioning units work.
Oleh arnona discount
Commonly 90% on up to 100 sqm for 12 months within the first 24 after aliyah. It is not automatic: register with the municipality on the day you move in.
Old Katamon, Jerusalem property: common questions
What is the average price per square metre in Old Katamon, Jerusalem?
Registered sales put Old Katamon, Jerusalem at about ₪49,332 per square metre (median of registered sales, 2025 (Tax Authority data via Dirobot)). Individual sales in this brief range from about ₪31,008 to ₪90,909 per square metre, depending on the building, floor and condition.
How much does an apartment cost in Old Katamon, Jerusalem?
At the registered rate a 70 sqm three-room apartment costs about ₪3.45m and a 100 sqm four-room about ₪4.93m. New-build and renovated apartments sell above that; older walk-ups without a lift or safe room sell below it.
How much is rent in Old Katamon, Jerusalem?
Asking rent for a three-room apartment in Old Katamon, Jerusalem is about ₪8,100 a month, and about ₪7,900 for a four-room. Twelve months' rent against a 70 sqm three-room at the registered rate gives a gross yield of about 2.8%.
How much purchase tax does a new oleh pay in Old Katamon, Jerusalem?
On a four-room at about ₪4.93m, an oleh using the regulation 12A relief pays about ₪14,772 in purchase tax, against ₪142,198 for an Israeli resident buying a sole home and ₪394,656 for a non-resident or anyone buying an additional home. The relief applies from one year before aliyah to seven years after, once.
Is Old Katamon, Jerusalem a good place to buy?
Old Katamon is a prime, fully established address where resale values have risen every year since 2023, reaching roughly ₪49,000/sqm in 2025 and a provisional ₪54,000/sqm in H1 2026. Buyers should expect ₪3.4-4m for an ordinary 3-room walk-up and should weigh renewal-scheme timing and parking carefully.
Is Old Katamon, Jerusalem a good place to rent?
Renters pay a premium over the city average: around ₪8,000 for a 3-room flat against ₪6,600 city-wide. Supply is thin (a few dozen listings at any time), so good family flats move fast, particularly before the school year.
Where do these figures come from?
Sold prices are completed sales reported to the Israel Tax Authority, read through nadlan.gov.il, Madlan and Dirobot. Asking prices and rents come from live listings. Purchase tax follows the bands frozen to 15 January 2028. Nothing here is a valuation or legal advice.
Six checks on every apartment in Old Katamon
- The registered sales in that building, not the neighbourhood figure. The spread in section two is the reason.
- Tabu extract and permits: who owns it, what is registered against it, and whether the area offered is the area permitted.
- Mamad, lift, parking and storage confirmed in writing, and parking checked as a registered attachment.
- Renewal status of the building and the street: any TAMA 38 or pinui-binui agreement, its stage and the level of owner consent.
- Running costs in writing: arnona for the exact address, the building committee, and any management company charge.
- For olim, the 12A relief confirmed before contract: the window, that it is unused, and that the purchase is a residence.
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Sources. Dirobot - Old Katamon neighbourhood prices (Data 04.01.2023-30.06.2026, accessed 27 Sept 2026); Madlan - Katamon HaYeshana area info (Accessed 27 Sept 2026); Madlan - Old Katamon for sale (Sept 2026); Madlan - Old Katamon for rent (Sept 2026); Yad2 - Old Katamon rentals (Sept 2026); Realta - Jerusalem rentals (27 Sept 2026); Scoutr - Israel rent report (Updated 26 Sept 2026); Times of Israel - Housing snapshot March 2026 (2026); Nadlan Center - 29 November pinui-binui (5 July 2026); Nadlan Center - B.S.R/Greenbaum 320 units (April 2026); Nadlan Center - Old Katamon tag (Azorim/Mimushim, Beit Yerushalmi) (Accessed 27 Sept 2026); Jerusalem Municipality - Blue Line, Emek Refaim section (2026); Wikipedia - Blue Line (Jerusalem Light Rail) (Accessed 27 Sept 2026); Teperberg - Old Katamon history (Accessed 27 Sept 2026); Globes - Rachel Imenu 34 sale (2 June 2024). Jerusalem-wide rents: Scoutr rent report, 26 September 2026. Purchase tax: Land Taxation (Betterment and Acquisition) Law 5723-1963 and the Purchase Tax Regulations, reg. 12A, bands frozen to 15 January 2028.
Limits of the data. No itemised 2025 registered deals could be retrieved: Dirobot shows only the latest 10 of 285 deals and pagination did not load; Madlan street pages returned city-wide rather than street-level deals. All examples are May-July 2026. by_rooms medians are computed from very small 2026 samples (3-room n=4, 4-room n=3) rather than a published per-room median. Asking-listing sqm on Madlan was partly garbled (e.g. 3 rooms / 286 sqm); only listings with plausible sizes were used, and typical_ppsqm is a computed median of 6 listings. Rent figures are medians of a handful of live asks (Yad2/Madlan), not a published neighbourhood average; no 5-room rental sample found. Dirobot states it has no rental data for this neighbourhood.
Scope. Medians and averages describe populations, not properties. Nothing here is a valuation, a tax ruling or legal advice. The Tel Aviv Property Index holds no listings, takes no referral fees, no advertising and no developer money. This brief was prepared free of charge.