Moving to Finland from Israel
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Israel to Finland — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Israel to Finland, you would find that Finland is 33.6% cheaper than Israel overall. A ₪230,000 salary in Israel would need to be roughly €43,900 in Finland to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Finnish and Swedish. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Helsinki averages 48°F vs 72°F in Jerusalem, making it significantly cooler.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Finland cheaper than Israel?
The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 31.6% less
Groceries
pay 24.2% less
Transportation
pay 20.6% less
Housing
pay 44.7% less
Childcare
pay 62.7% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 13.9% 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 Finland?
What does your salary buy?
₪230,000 → €43,900
To maintain the same standard of living in Finland
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 Finland cost about 34% less 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 Finland, and how the trend has changed.
Key Indicator Comparison
How Israel and Finland stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
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 generally does better on safety, though Israel leads in road traffic deaths.
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 significantly 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 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
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), Israel Ministry of Finance Tax Authority (2016), Finnish Tax Administration (2016), The World Factbook (2014). How we calculate this
Weather in Finland vs Israel
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Jerusalem | Helsinki |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 58°/46°F (15°/8°C) | 29°/18°F (-1°/-8°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 78°/60°F (25°/15°C) | 58°/40°F (14°/4°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 85°/67°F (29°/20°C) | 65°/49°F (19°/10°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 68°/55°F (20°/13°C) | 38°/28°F (3°/-2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Jerusalem | Helsinki |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 55°/44°F (12.8°/6.9°C) | 27°/17°F (-2.6°/-8.5°C) |
| Feb | 57°/45°F (13.8°/7.1°C) | 27°/15°F (-2.9°/-9.3°C) |
| Mar | 63°/49°F (17.0°/9.2°C) | 34°/22°F (1.1°/-5.6°C) |
| Apr | 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.1°C) | 46°/31°F (7.5°/-0.7°C) |
| May | 79°/61°F (25.9°/16.0°C) | 60°/40°F (15.5°/4.4°C) |
| Jun | 83°/65°F (28.4°/18.2°C) | 68°/49°F (19.8°/9.3°C) |
| Jul | 86°/68°F (30.0°/20.2°C) | 71°/53°F (21.8°/11.8°C) |
| Aug | 86°/68°F (29.9°/20.0°C) | 68°/51°F (19.9°/10.7°C) |
| Sep | 83°/66°F (28.4°/18.7°C) | 57°/43°F (14.0°/6.1°C) |
| Oct | 78°/62°F (25.3°/16.8°C) | 47°/36°F (8.1°/2.2°C) |
| Nov | 68°/55°F (19.9°/12.8°C) | 36°/28°F (2.5°/-2.4°C) |
| Dec | 59°/48°F (15.2°/9.0°C) | 31°/20°F (-0.8°/-6.6°C) |
Data:
Israel Meteorological Service,
Finnish Meteorological Institute
Can you move from Israel to Finland?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Israel and Finland. To live, work, or study long-term in Finland, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Finland's immigration authority.
Israel passport holder visiting Finland
Visa Free
Finland 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 Finland than Israel?
Generally yes: Finland runs about 34% cheaper than Israel on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to Finland?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a ₪230,000 comparable salary, that's around €10,975 in Finland for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Finland?
With 36.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Finland can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Israel and Finland.
Is Finland safe for expats?
Finland generally does better on safety, though Israel leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in Finland is 1.0 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.6 in Israel. About 86% of people in Finland feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in Finland compared to Israel?
Israel generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Finland leads in health coverage index. There are 36.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Finland, compared to 38.0 in Israel. Finland scores 86 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Israel: 85).
What's the weather like in Finland compared to Israel?
The average high temperature in Helsinki is 48°F, compared to 72°F in Jerusalem. Helsinki receives around 25.6 in of rainfall per year, while Jerusalem gets 21.1 in.
What language do they speak in Finland?
The official languages in Finland are Finnish and Swedish. In Israel, the official languages are Arabic and Hebrew.
