Moving to Israel from Canada
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Canada to Israel — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Canada to Israel, you would find that Israel is 27.2% more expensive than Canada overall. A CA$105,206 salary in Canada would need to be roughly ₪279,296 in Israel to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Arabic and Hebrew. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Jerusalem averages 72°F vs 52°F in Ottawa, making it significantly warmer.
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What to expect for your wallet after moving from Canada to Israel.
What does your salary buy?
CA$105,206 → ₪279,296
To maintain the same standard of living in Israel
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 44.4% more
Groceries
pay 1.5% less
Transportation
pay 39.9% more
Housing
pay 1.8% more
Childcare
pay 22.0% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 30.4% more
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
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 26% more than cities in Canada.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Canada to Israel, based on official data.
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Canada to Israel.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
of residents who feel safe walking alone at night
per 100,000 people per year
Israel generally does better on safety, though Canada leads in feel safe walking at night.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Israel generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Canada leads in health coverage index.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Canada generally does better on environment, though Israel leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
Canada performs better than Israel across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
Canada generally does better on employment & economy, though Israel leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
Israel generally does better on family life, though Canada leads in life expectancy.
Data: Canada Revenue Agency, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Ottawa | Jerusalem |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 27°/10°F (-3°/-12°C) | 58°/46°F (15°/8°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 64°/45°F (18°/7°C) | 78°/60°F (25°/15°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 75°/55°F (24°/13°C) | 85°/67°F (29°/20°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 41°/25°F (5°/-4°C) | 68°/55°F (20°/13°C) |
View all months
| Month | Ottawa | Jerusalem |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 21°/4°F (-6.1°/-15.3°C) | 55°/44°F (12.8°/6.9°C) |
| Feb | 25°/8°F (-4.1°/-13.3°C) | 57°/45°F (13.8°/7.1°C) |
| Mar | 36°/19°F (2.2°/-7.1°C) | 63°/49°F (17.0°/9.2°C) |
| Apr | 51°/33°F (10.8°/0.6°C) | 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.1°C) |
| May | 66°/46°F (19.1°/7.7°C) | 79°/61°F (25.9°/16.0°C) |
| Jun | 75°/55°F (23.8°/12.7°C) | 83°/65°F (28.4°/18.2°C) |
| Jul | 80°/60°F (26.5°/15.4°C) | 86°/68°F (30.0°/20.2°C) |
| Aug | 77°/57°F (24.9°/14.1°C) | 86°/68°F (29.9°/20.0°C) |
| Sep | 67°/48°F (19.5°/9.1°C) | 83°/66°F (28.4°/18.7°C) |
| Oct | 54°/37°F (12.5°/3.0°C) | 78°/62°F (25.3°/16.8°C) |
| Nov | 41°/27°F (4.8°/-2.8°C) | 68°/55°F (19.9°/12.8°C) |
| Dec | 27°/12°F (-3.0°/-11.1°C) | 59°/48°F (15.2°/9.0°C) |
Data:
Meteorological Service of Canada,
Israel Meteorological Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Canada 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.
Canada passport holder visiting Israel
Electronic Travel Authorisation
Israel passport holder visiting Canada
Electronic Travel AuthorisationData: 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 Canada?
No — Israel is on average about 23% more expensive than Canada. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Israel?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly ₪69,824 in Israel on a CA$105,206 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Israel?
Internet is rarely the blocker — Israel has 29.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
Is Israel safe for expats?
Israel generally does better on safety, though Canada leads in feel safe walking at night. The homicide rate in Israel is 1.6 per 100,000 people, compared to 2.3 in Canada. About 80% of people in Israel feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in Israel compared to Canada?
Israel generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Canada leads in health coverage index. There are 37.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Israel, compared to 25.0 in Canada. Israel scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Canada: 91).
What's the weather like in Israel compared to Canada?
The average high temperature in Jerusalem is 72°F, compared to 52°F in Ottawa. Jerusalem receives around 21.1 in of rainfall per year, while Ottawa gets 37.1 in.
What language do they speak in Israel?
The official languages in Israel are Arabic and Hebrew. In Canada, the official languages are English and French.
