Moving to New Zealand from Israel
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Israel to New Zealand — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Israel to New Zealand, you would find that New Zealand is 32.1% cheaper than Israel overall. A ₪240,000 salary in Israel would need to be roughly NZ$91,900 in New Zealand to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English, Māori and New Zealand Sign Language. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is New Zealand cheaper than Israel?
The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 45.6% less
Groceries
pay 18.1% less
Transportation
pay 33.5% less
Housing
pay 32.9% less
Childcare
pay 39.3% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 32.2% 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 New Zealand?
What does your salary buy?
₪240,000 → NZ$91,900
To maintain the same standard of living in New Zealand
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 New Zealand cost about 39% less than cities in Israel.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Israel to New Zealand, and how the trend has changed.
people moved from Israel to New Zealand · OECD (latest data available)
Who's moving to New Zealand?
Top countries of origin for New Zealand's foreign-born residents.
- 286,746
- 144,207
- 122,506
- 85,289
- 73,846
- 70,412
Key Indicator Comparison
How Israel and New Zealand stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Israel generally does better on safety, though New Zealand leads in homicide rate.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Israel performs better than New Zealand across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Israel generally does better on environment, though New Zealand leads in air pollution deaths.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
New Zealand 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
the highest marginal rate on personal income
Israel generally does better on employment & economy, though New Zealand leads in top income tax rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
Israel performs better than New Zealand across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Israel Ministry of Finance Tax Authority (2016), New Zealand Inland Revenue Department (2016). How we calculate this
Weather in New Zealand vs Israel
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Jerusalem | Auckland |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 58°/46°F (15°/8°C) | 74°/61°F (23°/16°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 78°/60°F (25°/15°C) | 63°/51°F (18°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 85°/67°F (29°/20°C) | 60°/47°F (15°/8°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 68°/55°F (20°/13°C) | 67°/55°F (20°/13°C) |
View all months
| Month | Jerusalem | Auckland |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 55°/44°F (12.8°/6.9°C) | 74°/61°F (23.6°/16.0°C) |
| Feb | 57°/45°F (13.8°/7.1°C) | 75°/62°F (24.1°/16.5°C) |
| Mar | 63°/49°F (17.0°/9.2°C) | 73°/59°F (22.6°/14.9°C) |
| Apr | 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.1°C) | 68°/55°F (20.0°/12.7°C) |
| May | 79°/61°F (25.9°/16.0°C) | 63°/51°F (17.4°/10.6°C) |
| Jun | 83°/65°F (28.4°/18.2°C) | 59°/47°F (15.2°/8.4°C) |
| Jul | 86°/68°F (30.0°/20.2°C) | 58°/46°F (14.3°/7.5°C) |
| Aug | 86°/68°F (29.9°/20.0°C) | 59°/47°F (14.9°/8.2°C) |
| Sep | 83°/66°F (28.4°/18.7°C) | 62°/49°F (16.4°/9.7°C) |
| Oct | 78°/62°F (25.3°/16.8°C) | 64°/52°F (17.7°/11.2°C) |
| Nov | 68°/55°F (19.9°/12.8°C) | 67°/55°F (19.5°/12.8°C) |
| Dec | 59°/48°F (15.2°/9.0°C) | 71°/59°F (21.8°/14.9°C) |
Data:
Israel Meteorological Service,
New Zealand National Meteorological Service
Can you move from Israel to New Zealand?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Israel and New Zealand. To live, work, or study long-term in New Zealand, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check New Zealand's immigration authority.
Israel passport holder visiting New Zealand
Electronic Travel Authorisation
New Zealand 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 New Zealand than Israel?
Generally yes: New Zealand runs about 32% cheaper than Israel on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to New Zealand?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a ₪240,000 comparable salary, that's around NZ$22,975 in New Zealand for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from New Zealand?
With 38.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, New Zealand 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 New Zealand.
Is New Zealand safe for expats?
Israel generally does better on safety, though New Zealand leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in New Zealand is 1.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.6 in Israel.
How is healthcare in New Zealand compared to Israel?
Israel performs better than New Zealand across all health & wellbeing metrics. There are 36.1 doctors per 10,000 people in New Zealand, compared to 38.0 in Israel. New Zealand scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Israel: 85).
What's the weather like in New Zealand compared to Israel?
The average high temperature in Auckland is 66°F, compared to 72°F in Jerusalem. Auckland receives around 43.3 in of rainfall per year, while Jerusalem gets 21.1 in.
What language do they speak in New Zealand?
The official languages in New Zealand are English, Māori and New Zealand Sign Language. In Israel, the official languages are Arabic and Hebrew.