Moving to Sweden from Israel

moving to

What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Israel to Sweden — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Israel to Sweden, you would find that Sweden is 15.6% cheaper than Israel overall. A ₪227,786 salary in Israel would need to be roughly SEK569,194 in Sweden to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Swedish. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Stockholm averages 52°F vs 72°F in Jerusalem, making it significantly cooler.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Israel to Sweden.

What does your salary buy?

₪227,786 SEK569,194

To maintain the same standard of living in Sweden

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 20.9% less

Groceries

pay 9.4% more

Transportation

pay 16.1% more

Housing

pay 18.3% less

Childcare

pay 75.7% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 9.7% less

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 ILS = 3.18 SEK (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 Sweden cost about 22% less than cities in Israel.

Israel

Ashqelon 68%
Holon 65%

Sweden

Vasteras 51%
Jonkoping 48%

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

Real numbers on people moving from Israel to Sweden, and how the trend has changed.

Moved in 2023
75 ↑ 27% vs 2022

people moved from Israel to Sweden · OECD (latest data available)

Who's moving to Sweden?

Top countries of origin for Sweden's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

How Israel and Sweden stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

per 100,000 people per year

IL
1.6
SE
1.1
Feel safe walking at night United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

of residents who feel safe walking alone at night

IL
80%
SE
73%

Sweden generally does better on safety, though Israel leads in feel safe walking at night.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

IL
$4,033
SE
$7,770
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

IL
37.1
SE
71.5

Israel generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Sweden leads in doctors per 10,000 people.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

IL
15.0
SE
8.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

IL
5.8t
SE
3.6t

Sweden performs significantly better than Israel across all environment metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

IL
29.4
SE
40.4
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

IL
132.0%
SE
3.6%

Sweden generally does better on infrastructure, though Israel leads in internet access.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

IL
3.4%
SE
7.6%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

IL
$48,300
SE
$64,200

Israel generally does better on employment & economy, though Sweden leads in gdp per capita.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

IL
83.3 yrs
SE
82.7 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

IL
3.6
SE
2.3

Sweden generally does better on family life, though Israel leads in life expectancy.

Data: Israel Ministry of Finance Tax Authority, 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

Stockholm Rain: 21.5 in/yr (546 mm)
52° / 41°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Jerusalem Stockholm
Jan–Mar 58°/46°F (15°/8°C) 36°/28°F (2°/-2°C)
Apr–Jun 78°/60°F (25°/15°C) 61°/45°F (16°/7°C)
Jul–Sep 85°/67°F (29°/20°C) 69°/56°F (21°/13°C)
Oct–Dec 68°/55°F (20°/13°C) 43°/36°F (6°/2°C)
View all months
Month Jerusalem Stockholm
Jan 55°/44°F (12.8°/6.9°C) 34°/27°F (1.0°/-2.9°C)
Feb 57°/45°F (13.8°/7.1°C) 34°/26°F (1.2°/-3.2°C)
Mar 63°/49°F (17.0°/9.2°C) 40°/30°F (4.7°/-1.1°C)
Apr 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.1°C) 51°/37°F (10.7°/2.6°C)
May 79°/61°F (25.9°/16.0°C) 62°/45°F (16.5°/7.1°C)
Jun 83°/65°F (28.4°/18.2°C) 69°/53°F (20.8°/11.6°C)
Jul 86°/68°F (30.0°/20.2°C) 74°/59°F (23.6°/14.8°C)
Aug 86°/68°F (29.9°/20.0°C) 72°/58°F (22.1°/14.2°C)
Sep 83°/66°F (28.4°/18.7°C) 62°/50°F (16.6°/10.2°C)
Oct 78°/62°F (25.3°/16.8°C) 50°/42°F (10.1°/5.5°C)
Nov 68°/55°F (19.9°/12.8°C) 42°/35°F (5.4°/1.9°C)
Dec 59°/48°F (15.2°/9.0°C) 36°/30°F (2.5°/-1.2°C)

Data: Israel Meteorological Service Israel Meteorological Service, Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI) Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI)

Visitor Visa Requirements

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

Israel passport

Israel passport holder visiting Sweden

Visa Free
Israel passport holders can enter Sweden without a visa.
Sweden passport

Sweden passport holder visiting Israel

Electronic Travel Authorisation
Sweden 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 Sweden than Israel?

Generally yes: Sweden runs about 21% cheaper than Israel on average, though it depends heavily on the city.

How much money do I need to move to Sweden?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a ₪227,786 comparable salary, that's around SEK142,298 in Sweden for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Sweden?

With 40.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Sweden 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 Sweden.

Is Sweden safe for expats?

Sweden generally does better on safety, though Israel leads in feel safe walking at night. The homicide rate in Sweden is 1.1 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.6 in Israel. About 73% of people in Sweden feel safe walking alone at night.

How is healthcare in Sweden compared to Israel?

Israel generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Sweden leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 71.5 doctors per 10,000 people in Sweden, compared to 37.1 in Israel. Sweden scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Israel: 85).

What's the weather like in Sweden compared to Israel?

The average high temperature in Stockholm is 52°F, compared to 72°F in Jerusalem. Stockholm receives around 21.5 in of rainfall per year, while Jerusalem gets 21.1 in.

What language do they speak in Sweden?

The official language in Sweden is Swedish. In Israel, the official languages are Arabic and Hebrew.

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At a Glance

IL SE
Population 8,914,885 10,483,647
Currency Israeli New Sheqel (₪) Swedish Krona (SEK)
Languages Arabic, Hebrew Swedish
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +972 +46
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 100 112