Nearly half a million residents of the coastal city of Tel Aviv are dealing with skyrocketing living costs. Israel's cultural capital is now more expensive than Paris, Singapore, Zurich, Hong Kong and New York, according to an authoritative ranking compiled by the Economist Intelligence Unit. It climbed the rankings partly due to the strength of the national currency, the shekel, against the dollar, as well increases in prices for transport and groceries. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES