Moving to North Korea from Israel

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What to Expect

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

If you moved from Israel to North Korea, and you’d need to navigate life in Korean. Expect a noticeable climate shift — P'yongyang averages 60°F vs 72°F in Jerusalem, making it significantly cooler.

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Key Indicator Comparison

The numbers behind daily life in North Korea compared to Israel.

How's the healthcare?

Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

IL
37.1
KP
36.7
Health coverage index United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access

IL
85
KP
68

Israel performs better than North Korea across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

IL
15.0
KP
86.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

IL
5.8t
KP
2.5t

Israel generally does better on environment, though North Korea leads in co₂ emissions per capita.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

IL
132.0%
KP
27.7%
Electricity per capita World Bank, 2023

annual consumption — reflects grid capacity

IL
6,772 kWh
KP
830 kWh

Israel generally does better on infrastructure, though North Korea leads in water stress level.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

IL
3.4%
KP
3.0%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

IL
$48,300
KP
$1,700

Israel generally does better on employment & economy, though North Korea 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
KP
71.8 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

IL
3.6
KP
22.2

Israel generally does better on family life, though North Korea leads in literacy rate.

Data: The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

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

P'yongyang Rain: 37.0 in/yr (940 mm)
60° / 42°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Jerusalem P'yongyang
Jan–Mar 58°/46°F (15°/8°C) 38°/20°F (4°/-7°C)
Apr–Jun 78°/60°F (25°/15°C) 72°/52°F (22°/11°C)
Jul–Sep 85°/67°F (29°/20°C) 81°/65°F (27°/18°C)
Oct–Dec 68°/55°F (20°/13°C) 50°/31°F (10°/0°C)
View all months
Month Jerusalem P'yongyang
Jan 55°/44°F (12.8°/6.9°C) 31°/13°F (-0.8°/-10.7°C)
Feb 57°/45°F (13.8°/7.1°C) 36°/18°F (2.4°/-7.8°C)
Mar 63°/49°F (17.0°/9.2°C) 48°/29°F (8.9°/-1.8°C)
Apr 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.1°C) 63°/41°F (17.1°/4.9°C)
May 79°/61°F (25.9°/16.0°C) 73°/52°F (22.6°/10.9°C)
Jun 83°/65°F (28.4°/18.2°C) 80°/62°F (26.7°/16.5°C)
Jul 86°/68°F (30.0°/20.2°C) 83°/69°F (28.6°/20.7°C)
Aug 86°/68°F (29.9°/20.0°C) 84°/69°F (28.9°/20.5°C)
Sep 83°/66°F (28.4°/18.7°C) 76°/58°F (24.7°/14.3°C)
Oct 78°/62°F (25.3°/16.8°C) 65°/44°F (18.2°/6.7°C)
Nov 68°/55°F (19.9°/12.8°C) 49°/31°F (9.4°/-0.3°C)
Dec 59°/48°F (15.2°/9.0°C) 35°/19°F (1.7°/-7.2°C)

Data: Israel Meteorological Service Israel Meteorological Service

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Israel and North Korea. To live, work, or study long-term in North Korea, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check North Korea's immigration authority.

Israel passport

Israel passport holder visiting North Korea

Visa Required
Israel passport holders need a visa to enter North Korea.
North Korea passport

North Korea passport holder visiting Israel

Visa Required
North Korea passport holders need a visa to enter Israel.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I work remotely from North Korea?

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

How is healthcare in North Korea compared to Israel?

Israel performs better than North Korea across all health & wellbeing metrics. There are 36.7 doctors per 10,000 people in North Korea, compared to 37.1 in Israel. North Korea scores 68 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Israel: 85).

What's the weather like in North Korea compared to Israel?

The average high temperature in P'yongyang is 60°F, compared to 72°F in Jerusalem. P'yongyang receives around 37.0 in of rainfall per year, while Jerusalem gets 21.1 in.

What language do they speak in North Korea?

The official language in North Korea is Korean. In Israel, the official languages are Arabic and Hebrew.

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At a Glance

IL KP
Population 8,914,885 25,955,138
Currency Israeli New Sheqel (₪) North Korean Won (KPW)
Languages Arabic, Hebrew Korean
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +972 +850
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 100