Moving to California from Israel
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Israel to California — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Israel to California, you would find that California is 26.5% more expensive than Israel overall. A ₪225,799 salary in Israel would need to be roughly $75,883 in California to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Israel to California.
What does your salary buy?
₪225,799 → $75,883
To maintain the same standard of living in California
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 8.9% less
Groceries
pay 42.3% more
Transportation
pay 5.7% less
Housing
pay 80.6% more
Childcare
pay 2.0 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 4.4% 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 California cost about 21% more than cities in Israel.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Israel to California, and how the trend has changed.
people moved from Israel to United States · OECD (latest data available)
Who's moving to United States?
Top countries of origin for United States's foreign-born residents.
- 10,853,105
- 2,723,764
- 2,184,110
- 2,061,178
- 1,829,251
- 1,410,659
- · · ·
-
52.133,771
Israel
Key Indicator Comparison
How Israel and California stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Israel performs better than California across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
California performs significantly 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
share of people below the poverty line
California generally does better on employment & economy, though Israel leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
Israel performs better than California across all family life metrics.
Data: The World Factbook
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Jerusalem | Sacramento |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 58°/46°F (15°/8°C) | 60°/41°F (15°/5°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 78°/60°F (25°/15°C) | 79°/51°F (26°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 85°/67°F (29°/20°C) | 90°/57°F (32°/14°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 68°/55°F (20°/13°C) | 65°/44°F (18°/7°C) |
View all months
| Month | Jerusalem | Sacramento |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 55°/44°F (12.8°/6.9°C) | 54°/39°F (12.1°/3.8°C) |
| Feb | 57°/45°F (13.8°/7.1°C) | 60°/41°F (15.7°/5.2°C) |
| Mar | 63°/49°F (17.0°/9.2°C) | 65°/44°F (18.4°/6.7°C) |
| Apr | 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.1°C) | 71°/46°F (21.7°/7.9°C) |
| May | 79°/61°F (25.9°/16.0°C) | 80°/51°F (26.6°/10.6°C) |
| Jun | 83°/65°F (28.4°/18.2°C) | 87°/56°F (30.6°/13.2°C) |
| Jul | 86°/68°F (30.0°/20.2°C) | 92°/58°F (33.4°/14.7°C) |
| Aug | 86°/68°F (29.9°/20.0°C) | 91°/58°F (32.9°/14.4°C) |
| Sep | 83°/66°F (28.4°/18.7°C) | 87°/56°F (30.7°/13.2°C) |
| Oct | 78°/62°F (25.3°/16.8°C) | 78°/50°F (25.3°/10.1°C) |
| Nov | 68°/55°F (19.9°/12.8°C) | 64°/43°F (17.7°/6.0°C) |
| Dec | 59°/48°F (15.2°/9.0°C) | 54°/38°F (12.2°/3.6°C) |
Data:
Israel Meteorological Service,
National Weather Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Israel and United States. To live, work, or study long-term in United States, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check United States's immigration authority.
Israel passport holder visiting United States
Electronic Travel Authorisation
United States passport holder visiting Israel
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 California than Israel?
Headline costs are within a few percent between California and Israel; rent and dining are where you'll actually feel differences.
How much money do I need to move to California?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a ₪225,799 comparable salary, that's around $18,971 in California for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from California?
Working remotely from California's major cities is generally feasible. The legal layer matters more — visa category, employer policy on overseas employees, and tax residency in Israel and California.
How is healthcare in California compared to Israel?
Israel performs better than California across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in California compared to Israel?
The average high temperature in Sacramento is 74°F, compared to 72°F in Jerusalem. Sacramento receives around 18.5 in of rainfall per year, while Jerusalem gets 21.1 in.
What language do they speak in California?
The official language in California is English. In Israel, the official languages are Arabic and Hebrew.
