Moving to Israel from Finland
What to Expect
Considering a move from Finland to Israel? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Finland to Israel, you would find that Israel is 50.6% more expensive than Finland overall. A €67,000 salary in Finland would need to be roughly ₪346,000 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 48°F in Helsinki, making it significantly warmer.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Finland and Israel.
What does your salary buy?
€67,000 → ₪346,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Israel
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 46.1% more
Groceries
pay 32.0% more
Transportation
pay 25.9% more
Housing
pay 80.7% more
Childcare
pay 2.7 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 16.1% 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 51% more than cities in Finland.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Finland to Israel.
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Israel compared to Finland.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
of residents who feel safe walking alone at night
per 100,000 people per year
Finland performs better than Israel across all safety metrics.
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 Finland 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
Finland performs better than Israel across all environment metrics.
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
Finland 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
Israel generally does better on employment & economy, though Finland leads in poverty 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
Finland generally does better on family life, though Israel leads in life expectancy.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024), Finnish Tax Administration (2016), Israel Ministry of Finance Tax Authority (2016), The World Factbook (2014). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Helsinki | Jerusalem |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 29°/18°F (-1°/-8°C) | 58°/46°F (15°/8°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 58°/40°F (14°/4°C) | 78°/60°F (25°/15°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 65°/49°F (19°/10°C) | 85°/67°F (29°/20°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 38°/28°F (3°/-2°C) | 68°/55°F (20°/13°C) |
View all months
| Month | Helsinki | Jerusalem |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 27°/17°F (-2.6°/-8.5°C) | 55°/44°F (12.8°/6.9°C) |
| Feb | 27°/15°F (-2.9°/-9.3°C) | 57°/45°F (13.8°/7.1°C) |
| Mar | 34°/22°F (1.1°/-5.6°C) | 63°/49°F (17.0°/9.2°C) |
| Apr | 46°/31°F (7.5°/-0.7°C) | 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.1°C) |
| May | 60°/40°F (15.5°/4.4°C) | 79°/61°F (25.9°/16.0°C) |
| Jun | 68°/49°F (19.8°/9.3°C) | 83°/65°F (28.4°/18.2°C) |
| Jul | 71°/53°F (21.8°/11.8°C) | 86°/68°F (30.0°/20.2°C) |
| Aug | 68°/51°F (19.9°/10.7°C) | 86°/68°F (29.9°/20.0°C) |
| Sep | 57°/43°F (14.0°/6.1°C) | 83°/66°F (28.4°/18.7°C) |
| Oct | 47°/36°F (8.1°/2.2°C) | 78°/62°F (25.3°/16.8°C) |
| Nov | 36°/28°F (2.5°/-2.4°C) | 68°/55°F (19.9°/12.8°C) |
| Dec | 31°/20°F (-0.8°/-6.6°C) | 59°/48°F (15.2°/9.0°C) |
Data:
Finnish Meteorological Institute,
Israel Meteorological Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Finland 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.
Finland passport holder visiting Israel
Electronic Travel Authorisation
Israel passport holder visiting Finland
Visa FreeData: 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 Finland?
On average Israel is around 51% pricier than Finland, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Israel?
Budget about ₪86,500 for 3 months in Israel (based on a €67,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Israel?
Connectivity is usually fine (Israel: 29.2 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Israel offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Israel safe for expats?
Finland performs better than Israel across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Israel is 1.6 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.0 in Finland. About 80% of people in Israel feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in Israel compared to Finland?
Israel generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Finland leads in health coverage index. There are 38.0 doctors per 10,000 people in Israel, compared to 36.1 in Finland. Israel scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Finland: 86).
What's the weather like in Israel compared to Finland?
The average high temperature in Jerusalem is 72°F, compared to 48°F in Helsinki. Jerusalem receives around 21.1 in of rainfall per year, while Helsinki gets 25.6 in.
What language do they speak in Israel?
The official languages in Israel are Arabic and Hebrew. In Finland, the official languages are Finnish and Swedish.
