Moving to New York from Israel

moving to

What to Expect

Considering a move from Israel to New York? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.

If you moved from Israel to New York, you would find that New York is 20.1% more expensive than Israel overall. A ₪227,786 salary in Israel would need to be roughly $69,802 in New York to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Albany averages 58°F vs 72°F in Jerusalem, making it significantly cooler.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Israel and New York.

What does your salary buy?

₪227,786 $69,802

To maintain the same standard of living in New York

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 17.8% less

Groceries

pay 44.0% more

Transportation

pay 1.9% more

Housing

pay 51.7% more

Childcare

pay 88.9% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 4.7% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 ILS = 0.3293 USD (July 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.

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 New York cost about 3% more than cities in Israel.

Israel

Ashqelon 68%
Holon 65%

New York

Queens 73%
Ithaca 62%

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 New York.

Moved in 2023
3,720 ↓ 2% vs 2022

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.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

The numbers behind daily life in New York compared to Israel.

How's the healthcare?

Adult obesity rate The World Factbook, 2022

share of adults with obesity

IL
26.1%
NY
29.9%

Israel performs better than New York across all health & wellbeing metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access The World Factbook, 2023

share of households with internet

IL
90.0%
NY
89.7%

Israel performs better than New York across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

IL
3.4%
NY
4.4%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

IL
$48,300
NY
$91,992

New York generally does better on employment & economy, though Israel leads in unemployment rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

IL
83.3 yrs
NY
77.7 yrs

Israel performs better than New York across all family life metrics.

Data: The World Factbook

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

Albany Rain: 39.4 in/yr (1000 mm)
58° / 39°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Jerusalem Albany
Jan–Mar 58°/46°F (15°/8°C) 37°/19°F (2°/-7°C)
Apr–Jun 78°/60°F (25°/15°C) 68°/47°F (20°/8°C)
Jul–Sep 85°/67°F (29°/20°C) 78°/58°F (26°/14°C)
Oct–Dec 68°/55°F (20°/13°C) 48°/31°F (9°/-1°C)
View all months
Month Jerusalem Albany
Jan 55°/44°F (12.8°/6.9°C) 31°/15°F (-0.8°/-9.7°C)
Feb 57°/45°F (13.8°/7.1°C) 35°/17°F (1.4°/-8.2°C)
Mar 63°/49°F (17.0°/9.2°C) 44°/26°F (6.9°/-3.5°C)
Apr 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.1°C) 58°/37°F (14.6°/2.9°C)
May 79°/61°F (25.9°/16.0°C) 69°/47°F (20.8°/8.4°C)
Jun 83°/65°F (28.4°/18.2°C) 78°/56°F (25.5°/13.6°C)
Jul 86°/68°F (30.0°/20.2°C) 82°/61°F (27.9°/16.3°C)
Aug 86°/68°F (29.9°/20.0°C) 80°/60°F (26.9°/15.5°C)
Sep 83°/66°F (28.4°/18.7°C) 72°/52°F (22.3°/10.9°C)
Oct 78°/62°F (25.3°/16.8°C) 60°/40°F (15.4°/4.2°C)
Nov 68°/55°F (19.9°/12.8°C) 48°/31°F (8.8°/-0.3°C)
Dec 59°/48°F (15.2°/9.0°C) 36°/21°F (2.1°/-6.0°C)

Data: Israel Meteorological Service Israel Meteorological Service, National Weather 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

Israel passport holder visiting United States

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

United States passport holder visiting Israel

Electronic Travel Authorisation
United States 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 New York than Israel?

On average New York is about 7% less expensive than Israel, with major cities narrowing the gap.

How much money do I need to move to New York?

Budget about $17,450 for 3 months in New York (based on a ₪227,786 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from New York?

From major New York cities the network usually holds up. Visa rules, your employer's stance on overseas employees, and tax residency in Israel and New York are what actually decide it long-term.

How is healthcare in New York compared to Israel?

Israel performs better than New York across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What's the weather like in New York compared to Israel?

The average high temperature in Albany is 58°F, compared to 72°F in Jerusalem. Albany receives around 39.4 in of rainfall per year, while Jerusalem gets 21.1 in.

What language do they speak in New York?

The official language in New York is English. In Israel, the official languages are Arabic and Hebrew.

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At a Glance

IL
Population 8,914,885 19,378,102
Currency Israeli New Sheqel (₪) United States Dollar ($)
Languages Arabic, Hebrew English
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +972 +1
Time zones 1 11
Emergency number 100 911