Moving to United Arab Emirates from Israel

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What to Expect

Everything you need to know before relocating from Israel to United Arab Emirates — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.

If you moved from Israel to United Arab Emirates, you would find that United Arab Emirates is 16.5% cheaper than Israel overall. A ₪227,786 salary in Israel would need to be roughly AED234,001 in United Arab Emirates to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Abu Dhabi averages 93°F vs 72°F in Jerusalem, making it significantly warmer.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

What to expect for your wallet after moving from Israel to United Arab Emirates.

What does your salary buy?

₪227,786 AED234,001

To maintain the same standard of living in United Arab Emirates

Calculate with your salary →

Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day

Restaurants

pay 63.5% less

Groceries

pay 32.7% less

Transportation

pay 32.6% less

Housing

pay 73.6% more

Childcare

pay 42.5% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 0.5% less

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 ILS = 1.21 AED (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 United Arab Emirates cost about 22% less than cities in Israel.

Israel

Ashqelon 68%
Holon 65%

United Arab Emirates

Dubai 60%
Al Ain 48%

Compare cities head-to-head

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Key Indicator Comparison

Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Israel to United Arab Emirates.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

per 100,000 people per year

IL
1.6
AE
0.5
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

IL
4.2
AE
5.9

Israel generally does better on safety, though United Arab Emirates leads in homicide rate.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

IL
$4,033
AE
$3,727
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

IL
37.1
AE
29.1

Israel generally does better on health & wellbeing, though United Arab Emirates leads in healthcare spending per person.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

IL
15.0
AE
70.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

IL
5.8t
AE
18.3t

Israel performs better than United Arab Emirates 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
AE
40.0
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

IL
132.0%
AE
1533.3%

United Arab Emirates generally does better on infrastructure, though Israel 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%
AE
2.7%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

IL
$48,300
AE
$75,600

United Arab Emirates performs significantly better than Israel across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

IL
83.3 yrs
AE
79.6 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

IL
3.6
AE
5.1

Israel generally does better on family life, though United Arab Emirates leads in literacy rate.

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

Abu Dhabi Rain: 3.5 in/yr (89 mm)
93° / 68°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Jerusalem Abu Dhabi
Jan–Mar 58°/46°F (15°/8°C) 78°/56°F (26°/14°C)
Apr–Jun 78°/60°F (25°/15°C) 99°/72°F (37°/22°C)
Jul–Sep 85°/67°F (29°/20°C) 106°/81°F (41°/27°C)
Oct–Dec 68°/55°F (20°/13°C) 87°/64°F (31°/18°C)
View all months
Month Jerusalem Abu Dhabi
Jan 55°/44°F (12.8°/6.9°C) 75°/53°F (23.8°/11.8°C)
Feb 57°/45°F (13.8°/7.1°C) 76°/56°F (24.6°/13.2°C)
Mar 63°/49°F (17.0°/9.2°C) 83°/60°F (28.6°/15.8°C)
Apr 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.1°C) 92°/66°F (33.4°/19.1°C)
May 79°/61°F (25.9°/16.0°C) 101°/73°F (38.4°/22.8°C)
Jun 83°/65°F (28.4°/18.2°C) 103°/77°F (39.6°/24.8°C)
Jul 86°/68°F (30.0°/20.2°C) 108°/82°F (42.0°/27.6°C)
Aug 86°/68°F (29.9°/20.0°C) 107°/84°F (41.5°/28.7°C)
Sep 83°/66°F (28.4°/18.7°C) 104°/78°F (40.1°/25.6°C)
Oct 78°/62°F (25.3°/16.8°C) 96°/71°F (35.8°/21.8°C)
Nov 68°/55°F (19.9°/12.8°C) 87°/64°F (30.6°/17.5°C)
Dec 59°/48°F (15.2°/9.0°C) 78°/57°F (25.7°/14.1°C)

Data: Israel Meteorological Service Israel Meteorological Service

Visitor Visa Requirements

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

Israel passport

Israel passport holder visiting United Arab Emirates

Visa Free
Israel passport holders can enter United Arab Emirates without a visa.
United Arab Emirates passport

United Arab Emirates passport holder visiting Israel

Electronic Travel Authorisation
United Arab Emirates 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 United Arab Emirates than Israel?

Yes — United Arab Emirates is on average about 15% cheaper than Israel. City-level variation can be significant.

How much money do I need to move to United Arab Emirates?

Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly AED58,500 in United Arab Emirates on a ₪227,786 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).

Can I work remotely from United Arab Emirates?

Internet is rarely the blocker — United Arab Emirates has 40.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.

Is United Arab Emirates safe for expats?

Israel generally does better on safety, though United Arab Emirates leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in United Arab Emirates is 0.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.6 in Israel.

How is healthcare in United Arab Emirates compared to Israel?

Israel generally does better on health & wellbeing, though United Arab Emirates leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 29.1 doctors per 10,000 people in United Arab Emirates, compared to 37.1 in Israel. United Arab Emirates scores 82 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Israel: 85).

What's the weather like in United Arab Emirates compared to Israel?

The average high temperature in Abu Dhabi is 93°F, compared to 72°F in Jerusalem. Abu Dhabi receives around 3.5 in of rainfall per year, while Jerusalem gets 21.1 in.

What language do they speak in United Arab Emirates?

The official language in United Arab Emirates is Arabic. In Israel, the official languages are Arabic and Hebrew.

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At a Glance

IL AE
Population 8,914,885 9,915,803
Currency Israeli New Sheqel (₪) United Arab Emirates Dirham (AED)
Languages Arabic, Hebrew Arabic
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +972 +971
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 100 999