Moving to Illinois from Israel
What to Expect
Considering a move from Israel to Illinois? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Israel to Illinois, you would find that Illinois is 17.2% cheaper than Israel overall. A ₪230,000 salary in Israel would need to be roughly $61,300 in Illinois to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Chicago averages 59°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 Illinois cheaper than Israel?
How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 33.5% less
Groceries
pay 1.7% less
Transportation
pay 40.5% less
Housing
pay 5.3% less
Childcare
pay 3.3% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 21.5% 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 Illinois?
What does your salary buy?
₪230,000 → $61,300
To maintain the same standard of living in Illinois
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 Illinois cost about 26% less than cities in Israel.
Compare cities head-to-head
Get free moving quotes to Illinois
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Israel to Illinois.
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
The numbers behind daily life in Illinois compared to Israel.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Israel performs better than Illinois across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Illinois 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
Illinois 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 Illinois across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2024–2025), US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), World Health Organization (2024), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024), The World Factbook (2014), OECD Regional Demography (2020). How we calculate this
Weather in Illinois vs Israel
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Jerusalem | Chicago |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 58°/46°F (15°/8°C) | 38°/22°F (3°/-6°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 78°/60°F (25°/15°C) | 70°/48°F (21°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 85°/67°F (29°/20°C) | 80°/60°F (27°/16°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 68°/55°F (20°/13°C) | 48°/32°F (9°/0°C) |
View all months
| Month | Jerusalem | Chicago |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 55°/44°F (12.8°/6.9°C) | 31°/17°F (-0.6°/-8.6°C) |
| Feb | 57°/45°F (13.8°/7.1°C) | 35°/20°F (1.8°/-6.6°C) |
| Mar | 63°/49°F (17.0°/9.2°C) | 47°/29°F (8.1°/-1.6°C) |
| Apr | 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.1°C) | 59°/39°F (15.0°/3.8°C) |
| May | 79°/61°F (25.9°/16.0°C) | 70°/48°F (21.1°/9.1°C) |
| Jun | 83°/65°F (28.4°/18.2°C) | 80°/58°F (26.5°/14.5°C) |
| Jul | 86°/68°F (30.0°/20.2°C) | 84°/64°F (28.9°/17.7°C) |
| Aug | 86°/68°F (29.9°/20.0°C) | 82°/63°F (27.7°/17.2°C) |
| Sep | 83°/66°F (28.4°/18.7°C) | 75°/54°F (23.8°/12.4°C) |
| Oct | 78°/62°F (25.3°/16.8°C) | 62°/43°F (16.8°/6.0°C) |
| Nov | 68°/55°F (19.9°/12.8°C) | 48°/32°F (9.0°/0.2°C) |
| Dec | 59°/48°F (15.2°/9.0°C) | 35°/21°F (1.6°/-6.3°C) |
Data:
Israel Meteorological Service,
National Weather Service
Can you move from Israel to Illinois?
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 Illinois than Israel?
On average Illinois is about 17% less expensive than Israel, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Illinois?
Budget about $15,325 for 3 months in Illinois (based on a ₪230,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Illinois?
From major Illinois cities the network usually holds up. Visa rules, your employer's stance on overseas employees, and tax residency in Israel and Illinois are what actually decide it long-term.
How is healthcare in Illinois compared to Israel?
Israel performs better than Illinois across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Illinois compared to Israel?
The average high temperature in Chicago is 59°F, compared to 72°F in Jerusalem. Chicago receives around 36.9 in of rainfall per year, while Jerusalem gets 21.1 in.
What language do they speak in Illinois?
The official language in Illinois is English. In Israel, the official languages are Arabic and Hebrew.
