Moving to Israel from Australia

moving to

What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Australia to Israel — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Australia to Israel, you would find that Israel is 17.9% more expensive than Australia overall. A A$110,000 salary in Australia would need to be roughly ₪279,000 in Israel to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Arabic and Hebrew. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right.

Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓

Is Israel cheaper than Australia?

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 43.3% more

Groceries

pay 3.4% more

Transportation

pay 54.3% more

Housing

pay 12.1% more

Childcare

pay 4.4% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 8.4% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 AUD = 2.15 ILS (October 2026)

Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.

What salary do you need in Israel?

What does your salary buy?

A$110,000 → ₪279,000

To maintain the same standard of living in Israel

Calculate with your salary →

Cost of living by city

Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).

On average, cities in Israel cost about 33% more than cities in Australia.

Australia

Sydney 69%
Perth 64%
Melbourne 62%
Adelaide 60%

Israel

Ramat Gan 79%
Netanya 74%
Beersheba 72%

Compare cities head-to-head

Get free moving quotes to Israel

We've teamed up with a vetted network of international movers to help MyLifeElsewhere readers plan their move with confidence. Tell us about your move and get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes in under 2 minutes.

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

Real numbers on people moving from Australia to Israel, and how the trend has changed.

Moved in 2023
106 ↓ 21% vs 2022

people moved from Australia to Israel · OECD (latest data available)

Who's moving to Israel?

Top countries of origin for Israel's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

How Australia and Israel stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

AU
0.8
IL
1.6
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

AU
4.5
IL
4.2

Australia generally does better on safety, though Israel leads in road traffic deaths.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

AU
$7,691
IL
$4,033
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2023

affects wait times and access to care

AU
40.9
IL
38.0

Israel generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Australia leads in doctors per 10,000 people.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

AU
10.0
IL
15.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

AU
14.1t
IL
5.8t

Australia generally does better on environment, though Israel leads in co₂ emissions per capita.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

AU
36.5
IL
29.2
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

AU
4.7%
IL
132.0%

Australia performs better than Israel across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

AU
4.1%
IL
3.5%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

AU
$65,130
IL
$60,337

Australia generally does better on employment & economy, though Israel leads in unemployment rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

AU
83.0 yrs
IL
83.2 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

AU
3.1
IL
2.7

Israel performs significantly better than Australia across all family life metrics.

Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2014–2020), Australian Taxation Office (2016), Israel Ministry of Finance Tax Authority (2016). How we calculate this

Weather in Israel vs Australia

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Sydney Rain: 48.1 in/yr (1223 mm)
72° / 58°F

Avg. annual high / low

Jerusalem Rain: 21.1 in/yr (537 mm)
72° / 57°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Sydney Jerusalem
Jan–Mar 79°/66°F (26°/19°C) 58°/46°F (15°/8°C)
Apr–Jun 69°/54°F (21°/12°C) 78°/60°F (25°/15°C)
Jul–Sep 66°/50°F (19°/10°C) 85°/67°F (29°/20°C)
Oct–Dec 75°/61°F (24°/16°C) 68°/55°F (20°/13°C)
View all months
Month Sydney Jerusalem
Jan 80°/67°F (26.5°/19.6°C) 55°/44°F (12.8°/6.9°C)
Feb 80°/67°F (26.5°/19.7°C) 57°/45°F (13.8°/7.1°C)
Mar 78°/65°F (25.4°/18.1°C) 63°/49°F (17.0°/9.2°C)
Apr 74°/60°F (23.3°/15.3°C) 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.1°C)
May 69°/54°F (20.6°/12.5°C) 79°/61°F (25.9°/16.0°C)
Jun 64°/49°F (18.0°/9.7°C) 83°/65°F (28.4°/18.2°C)
Jul 63°/48°F (17.4°/8.7°C) 86°/68°F (30.0°/20.2°C)
Aug 66°/49°F (18.9°/9.7°C) 86°/68°F (29.9°/20.0°C)
Sep 70°/54°F (21.2°/12.0°C) 83°/66°F (28.4°/18.7°C)
Oct 73°/58°F (22.8°/14.4°C) 78°/62°F (25.3°/16.8°C)
Nov 75°/61°F (23.8°/16.3°C) 68°/55°F (19.9°/12.8°C)
Dec 78°/65°F (25.5°/18.3°C) 59°/48°F (15.2°/9.0°C)

Data: Bureau of Meteorology Bureau of Meteorology, Israel Meteorological Service Israel Meteorological Service

Can you move from Australia to Israel?

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Australia and Israel. To live, work, or study long-term in Israel, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Israel's immigration authority.

Australia passport

Australia passport holder visiting Israel

Electronic Travel Authorisation
Australia passport holders need an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) to enter Israel.
Israel passport

Israel passport holder visiting Australia

Visa Required
Israel passport holders need a visa to enter Australia.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Israel than Australia?

Day-to-day costs in Israel run about 18% higher than Australia on average; specific cities can swing further.

How much money do I need to move to Israel?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a A$110,000 comparable salary, that's around ₪69,750 in Israel for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Israel?

With 29.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Israel can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Australia and Israel.

Is Israel safe for expats?

Australia generally does better on safety, though Israel leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in Israel is 1.6 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.8 in Australia.

How is healthcare in Israel compared to Australia?

Israel generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Australia leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 38.0 doctors per 10,000 people in Israel, compared to 40.9 in Australia. Israel scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Australia: 87).

What's the weather like in Israel compared to Australia?

The average high temperature in Jerusalem is 72°F, compared to 72°F in Sydney. Jerusalem receives around 21.1 in of rainfall per year, while Sydney gets 48.1 in.

What language do they speak in Israel?

The official languages in Israel are Arabic and Hebrew. In Australia, the official language is English.

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At a Glance

AU IL
Population 27,614,411 10,122,800
Currency Australian Dollar (A$) Israeli New Sheqel (₪)
Languages English Arabic, Hebrew
Driving side Left Right
Calling code +61 +972
Time zones 8 1
Emergency number 000 100