Moving to Israel from Iceland
What to Expect
Considering a move from Iceland to Israel? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Iceland to Israel, you would find that Israel is 14.5% cheaper than Iceland overall. A ISK9,100,000 salary in Iceland would need to be roughly ₪199,000 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 45°F in Reykjavik, making it significantly warmer.
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How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 15.0% less
Groceries
pay 19.4% less
Transportation
pay 7.9% more
Housing
pay 22.1% less
Childcare
pay 19.3% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 13.7% less
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?
ISK9,100,000 → ₪199,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Israel
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Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Israel compared to Iceland.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
of residents who feel safe walking alone at night
per 100,000 people per year
Iceland 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
Iceland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Israel leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Iceland 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
Iceland 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
Iceland 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
Iceland generally does better on family life, though Israel leads in life expectancy.
Sources: World Bank (2017–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024), Directorate of Internal Revenue (2016), Israel Ministry of Finance Tax Authority (2016), The World Factbook (2014). How we calculate this
Weather in Israel vs Iceland
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Reykjavik | Jerusalem |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 37°/28°F (3°/-2°C) | 58°/46°F (15°/8°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 48°/38°F (9°/4°C) | 78°/60°F (25°/15°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 54°/45°F (12°/7°C) | 85°/67°F (29°/20°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 39°/31°F (4°/-1°C) | 68°/55°F (20°/13°C) |
View all months
| Month | Reykjavik | Jerusalem |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35°/27°F (1.9°/-3.0°C) | 55°/44°F (12.8°/6.9°C) |
| Feb | 37°/28°F (2.8°/-2.1°C) | 57°/45°F (13.8°/7.1°C) |
| Mar | 38°/28°F (3.2°/-2.0°C) | 63°/49°F (17.0°/9.2°C) |
| Apr | 42°/33°F (5.7°/0.4°C) | 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.1°C) |
| May | 49°/38°F (9.4°/3.6°C) | 79°/61°F (25.9°/16.0°C) |
| Jun | 53°/44°F (11.7°/6.7°C) | 83°/65°F (28.4°/18.2°C) |
| Jul | 56°/47°F (13.3°/8.3°C) | 86°/68°F (30.0°/20.2°C) |
| Aug | 55°/46°F (13.0°/7.9°C) | 86°/68°F (29.9°/20.0°C) |
| Sep | 50°/41°F (10.1°/5.0°C) | 83°/66°F (28.4°/18.7°C) |
| Oct | 44°/36°F (6.8°/2.2°C) | 78°/62°F (25.3°/16.8°C) |
| Nov | 38°/30°F (3.4°/-1.3°C) | 68°/55°F (19.9°/12.8°C) |
| Dec | 36°/27°F (2.2°/-2.8°C) | 59°/48°F (15.2°/9.0°C) |
Data:
Icelandic Meteorological Office,
Israel Meteorological Service
Can you move from Iceland to Israel?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Iceland 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.
Iceland passport holder visiting Israel
Electronic Travel Authorisation
Israel passport holder visiting Iceland
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 Iceland?
On average Israel is about 14% less expensive than Iceland, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Israel?
Budget about ₪49,750 for 3 months in Israel (based on a ISK9,100,000 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?
Iceland performs better than Israel across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Israel is 1.6 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.3 in Iceland. About 80% of people in Israel feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in Israel compared to Iceland?
Iceland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Israel leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 38.0 doctors per 10,000 people in Israel, compared to 43.7 in Iceland. Israel scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Iceland: 89).
What's the weather like in Israel compared to Iceland?
The average high temperature in Jerusalem is 72°F, compared to 45°F in Reykjavik. Jerusalem receives around 21.1 in of rainfall per year, while Reykjavik gets 31.4 in.
What language do they speak in Israel?
The official languages in Israel are Arabic and Hebrew. In Iceland, the official language is Icelandic.
