Moving to Israel from Croatia

moving to

What to Expect

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

If you moved from Croatia to Israel, you would find that Israel is 82.0% more expensive than Croatia overall. A HRK500,000 salary in Croatia would need to be roughly ₪420,000 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 60°F in Zagreb, making it significantly warmer.

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

Is Israel cheaper than Croatia?

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 76.7% more

Groceries

pay 58.3% more

Transportation

pay 71.4% more

Housing

pay 96.8% more

Childcare

pay 3.3 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 86.5% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 HRK = 0.4616 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?

HRK500,000 → ₪420,000

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 70% more than cities in Croatia.

Croatia

Dubrovnik 49%
Zadar 44%

Israel

Ramat Gan 79%
Netanya 74%
Beersheba 72%

Compare cities head-to-head

Get free moving quotes to Israel

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

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

Moved in 2023
9 ↑ 200% vs 2022

people moved from Croatia 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 Croatia and Israel stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

HR
0.7
IL
1.6
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

HR
8.1
IL
4.2

Croatia 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

HR
$3,229
IL
$4,033
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2023

affects wait times and access to care

HR
39.1
IL
38.0

Israel generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Croatia leads in healthcare spending per person.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

HR
31.0
IL
15.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

HR
4.8t
IL
5.8t

Croatia generally does better on environment, though Israel leads in air pollution deaths.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

HR
29.6
IL
29.2
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

HR
1.5%
IL
132.0%

Croatia generally does better on infrastructure, though Israel leads in electricity per capita.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

HR
5.0%
IL
3.5%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

HR
$27,104
IL
$60,337

Croatia 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

HR
78.9 yrs
IL
83.2 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

HR
4.1
IL
2.7

Israel generally does better on family life, though Croatia leads in literacy rate.

Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), The World Factbook (2011–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Croatia Tax Administration (2016), Israel Ministry of Finance Tax Authority (2016). How we calculate this

Weather in Israel vs Croatia

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Zagreb Rain: 33.7 in/yr (856 mm)
60° / 42°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Zagreb Jerusalem
Jan–Mar 44°/29°F (7°/-2°C) 58°/46°F (15°/8°C)
Apr–Jun 69°/48°F (21°/9°C) 78°/60°F (25°/15°C)
Jul–Sep 77°/55°F (25°/13°C) 85°/67°F (29°/20°C)
Oct–Dec 50°/35°F (10°/2°C) 68°/55°F (20°/13°C)
View all months
Month Zagreb Jerusalem
Jan 38°/25°F (3.1°/-4.0°C) 55°/44°F (12.8°/6.9°C)
Feb 43°/28°F (6.1°/-2.5°C) 57°/45°F (13.8°/7.1°C)
Mar 52°/34°F (11.3°/0.9°C) 63°/49°F (17.0°/9.2°C)
Apr 62°/41°F (16.4°/4.9°C) 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.1°C)
May 70°/49°F (21.3°/9.2°C) 79°/61°F (25.9°/16.0°C)
Jun 76°/55°F (24.6°/12.7°C) 83°/65°F (28.4°/18.2°C)
Jul 80°/58°F (26.7°/14.2°C) 86°/68°F (30.0°/20.2°C)
Aug 79°/57°F (26.2°/13.7°C) 86°/68°F (29.9°/20.0°C)
Sep 72°/51°F (22.3°/10.4°C) 83°/66°F (28.4°/18.7°C)
Oct 61°/42°F (16.2°/5.8°C) 78°/62°F (25.3°/16.8°C)
Nov 49°/35°F (9.3°/1.8°C) 68°/55°F (19.9°/12.8°C)
Dec 40°/29°F (4.4°/-1.9°C) 59°/48°F (15.2°/9.0°C)

Data: Croatian Meteorological and Hydrological Service Croatian Meteorological and Hydrological Service, Israel Meteorological Service Israel Meteorological Service

Can you move from Croatia to Israel?

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Croatia 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.

Croatia passport

Croatia passport holder visiting Israel

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

Israel passport holder visiting Croatia

Visa Free
Israel passport holders can enter Croatia without a visa.

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 Croatia?

Day-to-day costs in Israel run about 82% higher than Croatia 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 HRK500,000 comparable salary, that's around ₪105,000 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 Croatia and Israel.

Is Israel safe for expats?

Croatia 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 0.7 in Croatia.

How is healthcare in Israel compared to Croatia?

Israel generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Croatia leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 38.0 doctors per 10,000 people in Israel, compared to 39.1 in Croatia. Israel scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Croatia: 80).

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

The average high temperature in Jerusalem is 72°F, compared to 60°F in Zagreb. Jerusalem receives around 21.1 in of rainfall per year, while Zagreb gets 33.7 in.

What language do they speak in Israel?

The official languages in Israel are Arabic and Hebrew. In Croatia, the official language is Croatian.

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At a Glance

HR IL
Population 3,876,200 10,122,800
Currency Croatian Kuna (HRK) Israeli New Sheqel (₪)
Languages Croatian Arabic, Hebrew
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +385 +972
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 100