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 8.4% more expensive than Israel overall. A ₪228,480 salary in Israel would need to be roughly $59,768 in Illinois to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Springfield averages 63°F vs 72°F in Jerusalem, making it significantly cooler.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Israel and Illinois.
What does your salary buy?
₪228,480 → $59,768
To maintain the same standard of living in Illinois
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 23.5% less
Groceries
pay 22.5% more
Transportation
pay 13.1% less
Housing
pay 35.7% more
Childcare
pay 75.2% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 9.5% 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.
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 12% less than cities in Israel.
Compare cities head-to-head
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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
Israel performs better than Illinois 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.
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 | Springfield |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 58°/46°F (15°/8°C) | 42°/25°F (6°/-4°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 78°/60°F (25°/15°C) | 74°/52°F (23°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 85°/67°F (29°/20°C) | 83°/61°F (29°/16°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 68°/55°F (20°/13°C) | 52°/33°F (11°/1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Jerusalem | Springfield |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 55°/44°F (12.8°/6.9°C) | 35°/19°F (1.6°/-7.4°C) |
| Feb | 57°/45°F (13.8°/7.1°C) | 40°/23°F (4.4°/-5.2°C) |
| Mar | 63°/49°F (17.0°/9.2°C) | 52°/32°F (11.2°/0.1°C) |
| Apr | 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.1°C) | 65°/42°F (18.1°/5.8°C) |
| May | 79°/61°F (25.9°/16.0°C) | 75°/53°F (23.8°/11.4°C) |
| Jun | 83°/65°F (28.4°/18.2°C) | 83°/62°F (28.4°/16.6°C) |
| Jul | 86°/68°F (30.0°/20.2°C) | 86°/65°F (30.1°/18.6°C) |
| Aug | 86°/68°F (29.9°/20.0°C) | 85°/64°F (29.4°/17.6°C) |
| Sep | 83°/66°F (28.4°/18.7°C) | 79°/55°F (26.1°/12.6°C) |
| Oct | 78°/62°F (25.3°/16.8°C) | 66°/44°F (19.1°/6.6°C) |
| Nov | 68°/55°F (19.9°/12.8°C) | 52°/34°F (11.3°/1.1°C) |
| Dec | 59°/48°F (15.2°/9.0°C) | 38°/22°F (3.5°/-5.3°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 Illinois than Israel?
On average Illinois is about 20% less expensive than Israel, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Illinois?
Budget about $14,942 for 3 months in Illinois (based on a ₪228,480 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 Springfield is 63°F, compared to 72°F in Jerusalem. Springfield receives around 37.4 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.
