Moving to Israel from New Zealand
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from New Zealand to Israel — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from New Zealand to Israel, you would find that Israel is 47.2% more expensive than New Zealand overall. A NZ$130,000 salary in New Zealand would need to be roughly ₪339,000 in Israel to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Arabic and Hebrew. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Israel cheaper than New Zealand?
The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 84.0% more
Groceries
pay 22.1% more
Transportation
pay 50.3% more
Housing
pay 49.1% more
Childcare
pay 64.6% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 47.6% more
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 Israel?
What does your salary buy?
NZ$130,000 → ₪339,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Israel
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 Israel cost about 63% more than cities in New Zealand.
Compare cities head-to-head
Get free moving quotes to Israel
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from New Zealand to Israel, and how the trend has changed.
people moved from New Zealand to Israel · OECD (latest data available)
Key Indicator Comparison
How New Zealand and Israel stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
New Zealand generally does better on safety, though Israel leads in road traffic deaths.
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 generally does better on health & wellbeing, though New Zealand leads in health coverage index.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
New Zealand generally does better on environment, though Israel leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
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 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 significantly better than New Zealand across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), New Zealand Inland Revenue Department (2016), Israel Ministry of Finance Tax Authority (2016). How we calculate this
Weather in Israel vs New Zealand
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Auckland | Jerusalem |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 74°/61°F (23°/16°C) | 58°/46°F (15°/8°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 63°/51°F (18°/11°C) | 78°/60°F (25°/15°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 60°/47°F (15°/8°C) | 85°/67°F (29°/20°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 67°/55°F (20°/13°C) | 68°/55°F (20°/13°C) |
View all months
| Month | Auckland | Jerusalem |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 74°/61°F (23.6°/16.0°C) | 55°/44°F (12.8°/6.9°C) |
| Feb | 75°/62°F (24.1°/16.5°C) | 57°/45°F (13.8°/7.1°C) |
| Mar | 73°/59°F (22.6°/14.9°C) | 63°/49°F (17.0°/9.2°C) |
| Apr | 68°/55°F (20.0°/12.7°C) | 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.1°C) |
| May | 63°/51°F (17.4°/10.6°C) | 79°/61°F (25.9°/16.0°C) |
| Jun | 59°/47°F (15.2°/8.4°C) | 83°/65°F (28.4°/18.2°C) |
| Jul | 58°/46°F (14.3°/7.5°C) | 86°/68°F (30.0°/20.2°C) |
| Aug | 59°/47°F (14.9°/8.2°C) | 86°/68°F (29.9°/20.0°C) |
| Sep | 62°/49°F (16.4°/9.7°C) | 83°/66°F (28.4°/18.7°C) |
| Oct | 64°/52°F (17.7°/11.2°C) | 78°/62°F (25.3°/16.8°C) |
| Nov | 67°/55°F (19.5°/12.8°C) | 68°/55°F (19.9°/12.8°C) |
| Dec | 71°/59°F (21.8°/14.9°C) | 59°/48°F (15.2°/9.0°C) |
Data:
New Zealand National Meteorological Service,
Israel Meteorological Service
Can you move from New Zealand to Israel?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between New Zealand and Israel. To live, work, or study long-term in Israel, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Israel's immigration authority.
New Zealand passport holder visiting Israel
Electronic Travel Authorisation
Israel passport holder visiting New Zealand
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 Israel than New Zealand?
Day-to-day costs in Israel run about 47% higher than New Zealand on average; specific cities can swing further.
How much money do I need to move to Israel?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a NZ$130,000 comparable salary, that's around ₪84,750 in Israel for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Israel?
With 29.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Israel can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in New Zealand and Israel.
Is Israel safe for expats?
New Zealand generally does better on safety, though Israel leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in Israel is 1.6 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.5 in New Zealand.
How is healthcare in Israel compared to New Zealand?
Israel generally does better on health & wellbeing, though New Zealand leads in health coverage index. There are 38.0 doctors per 10,000 people in Israel, compared to 36.1 in New Zealand. Israel scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (New Zealand: 85).
What's the weather like in Israel compared to New Zealand?
The average high temperature in Jerusalem is 72°F, compared to 66°F in Auckland. Jerusalem receives around 21.1 in of rainfall per year, while Auckland gets 43.3 in.
What language do they speak in Israel?
The official languages in Israel are Arabic and Hebrew. In New Zealand, the official languages are English, Māori and New Zealand Sign Language.
