Moving to Iowa from Israel
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Israel to Iowa — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Israel to Iowa, you would find that Iowa is 27.8% cheaper than Israel overall. A ₪230,000 salary in Israel would need to be roughly $53,500 in Iowa to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Des Moines averages 60°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 Iowa cheaper than Israel?
The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 32.5% less
Groceries
pay 9.1% less
Transportation
pay 53.0% less
Housing
pay 23.3% less
Childcare
pay 20.2% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 20.5% 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 Iowa?
What does your salary buy?
₪230,000 → $53,500
To maintain the same standard of living in Iowa
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 Iowa cost about 28% less than cities in Israel.
Compare cities head-to-head
Get free moving quotes to Iowa
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Israel to Iowa, 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 Iowa stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Israel performs better than Iowa across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Israel performs better than Iowa 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
Iowa performs significantly better than Israel across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
Israel performs better than Iowa 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 Iowa vs Israel
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Jerusalem | Des Moines |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 58°/46°F (15°/8°C) | 39°/21°F (4°/-6°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 78°/60°F (25°/15°C) | 72°/52°F (22°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 85°/67°F (29°/20°C) | 82°/62°F (28°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 68°/55°F (20°/13°C) | 48°/31°F (9°/-1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Jerusalem | Des Moines |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 55°/44°F (12.8°/6.9°C) | 31°/14°F (-0.6°/-9.8°C) |
| Feb | 57°/45°F (13.8°/7.1°C) | 36°/19°F (2.3°/-7.3°C) |
| Mar | 63°/49°F (17.0°/9.2°C) | 49°/30°F (9.4°/-1.3°C) |
| Apr | 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.1°C) | 62°/41°F (16.8°/5.1°C) |
| May | 79°/61°F (25.9°/16.0°C) | 72°/52°F (22.4°/11.2°C) |
| Jun | 83°/65°F (28.4°/18.2°C) | 82°/62°F (27.6°/16.7°C) |
| Jul | 86°/68°F (30.0°/20.2°C) | 86°/67°F (29.8°/19.3°C) |
| Aug | 86°/68°F (29.9°/20.0°C) | 84°/65°F (28.8°/18.2°C) |
| Sep | 83°/66°F (28.4°/18.7°C) | 76°/55°F (24.5°/12.9°C) |
| Oct | 78°/62°F (25.3°/16.8°C) | 63°/43°F (17.3°/6.1°C) |
| Nov | 68°/55°F (19.9°/12.8°C) | 48°/31°F (8.8°/-0.8°C) |
| Dec | 59°/48°F (15.2°/9.0°C) | 34°/18°F (1.1°/-7.8°C) |
Data:
Israel Meteorological Service,
National Weather Service
Can you move from Israel to Iowa?
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 Iowa than Israel?
Generally yes: Iowa runs about 28% cheaper than Israel on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to Iowa?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a ₪230,000 comparable salary, that's around $13,375 in Iowa for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Iowa?
Working remotely from Iowa's major cities is generally feasible. The legal layer matters more — visa category, employer policy on overseas employees, and tax residency in Israel and Iowa.
How is healthcare in Iowa compared to Israel?
Israel performs better than Iowa across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Iowa compared to Israel?
The average high temperature in Des Moines is 60°F, compared to 72°F in Jerusalem. Des Moines receives around 36.0 in of rainfall per year, while Jerusalem gets 21.1 in.
What language do they speak in Iowa?
The official language in Iowa is English. In Israel, the official languages are Arabic and Hebrew.
