Moving to Finland from Israel

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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 15.1% cheaper than Israel overall. A ₪210,139 salary in Israel would need to be roughly €50,097 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.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Israel to Finland.

What does your salary buy?

₪210,139 €50,097

To maintain the same standard of living in Finland

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 18.9% less

Groceries

pay 6.8% less

Transportation

pay 7.6% more

Housing

pay 32.8% less

Childcare

pay 38.8% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 0.8% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 ILS = 0.306 EUR (June 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.

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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.

Moved in 2023
68 ↑ 51% vs 2022

people moved from Israel to Finland · OECD (latest data available)

Who's moving to Finland?

Top countries of origin for Finland's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

How Israel and Finland stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

per 100,000 people per year

IL
1.6
FI
1.2
Feel safe walking at night United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

of residents who feel safe walking alone at night

IL
80%
FI
86%

Finland 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

IL
$4,033
FI
$6,433
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

IL
37.1
FI
43.8

Israel generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Finland leads in doctors per 10,000 people.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

IL
15.0
FI
7.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

IL
5.8t
FI
5.5t

Finland performs significantly better than Israel across all environment metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

IL
29.4
FI
34.5
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

IL
132.0%
FI
7.1%

Finland performs significantly better than Israel across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

IL
3.4%
FI
7.2%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

IL
$48,300
FI
$57,500

Israel generally does better on employment & economy, though Finland leads in gdp per capita.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

IL
83.3 yrs
FI
81.8 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

IL
3.6
FI
2.1

Israel generally does better on family life, though Finland leads in infant mortality.

Data: Israel Ministry of Finance Tax Authority, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

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

Avg. annual high / low

Helsinki Rain: 25.6 in/yr (650 mm)
48° / 34°F

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 Israel Meteorological Service, Finnish Meteorological Institute Finnish Meteorological Institute

Visitor Visa Requirements

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

Israel passport holder visiting Finland

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

Finland passport holder visiting Israel

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

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 Finland than Israel?

Generally yes: Finland runs about 22% 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 ₪210,139 comparable salary, that's around €12,524 in Finland for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, deposits, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Finland?

With 34.5 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 1.2 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 doctors per 10,000 people. There are 43.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Finland, compared to 37.1 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.

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At a Glance

IL FI
Population 8,914,885 5,601,547
Currency Israeli New Sheqel (₪) Euro (€)
Languages Arabic, Hebrew Finnish, Swedish
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +972 +358
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 100 112