Moving to Israel from Saudi Arabia
What to Expect
Considering a move from Saudi Arabia to Israel? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Saudi Arabia to Israel, you would find that Israel is 2.3 times more expensive than Saudi Arabia overall. A SAR281,786 salary in Saudi Arabia would need to be roughly ₪390,271 in Israel to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Jerusalem averages 72°F vs 92°F in Riyadh, making it significantly cooler.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Saudi Arabia and Israel.
What does your salary buy?
SAR281,786 → ₪390,271
To maintain the same standard of living in Israel
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 4.5 times more
Groceries
pay 60.4% more
Transportation
pay 97.2% more
Housing
pay 95.8% more
Childcare
pay 2.4 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 77.0% 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.
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 57% more than cities in Saudi Arabia.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Israel compared to Saudi Arabia.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Saudi Arabia 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 Saudi Arabia leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Israel performs significantly better than Saudi Arabia across all environment metrics.
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
Saudi Arabia generally does better on infrastructure, though Israel leads in water stress level.
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
Saudi Arabia generally does better on employment & economy, though Israel leads in unemployment 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
percentage of adults who can read and write
Israel generally does better on family life, though Saudi Arabia leads in education spending.
Data: Department of Zakat and Income Tax, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Riyadh | Jerusalem |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 75°/50°F (24°/10°C) | 58°/46°F (15°/8°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 101°/72°F (38°/22°C) | 78°/60°F (25°/15°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 109°/77°F (43°/25°C) | 85°/67°F (29°/20°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 84°/56°F (29°/13°C) | 68°/55°F (20°/13°C) |
View all months
| Month | Riyadh | Jerusalem |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.9°C) | 55°/44°F (12.8°/6.9°C) |
| Feb | 74°/49°F (23.3°/9.3°C) | 57°/45°F (13.8°/7.1°C) |
| Mar | 82°/56°F (27.7°/13.2°C) | 63°/49°F (17.0°/9.2°C) |
| Apr | 92°/65°F (33.3°/18.4°C) | 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.1°C) |
| May | 103°/74°F (39.4°/23.4°C) | 79°/61°F (25.9°/16.0°C) |
| Jun | 109°/78°F (42.6°/25.3°C) | 83°/65°F (28.4°/18.2°C) |
| Jul | 111°/80°F (43.7°/26.4°C) | 86°/68°F (30.0°/20.2°C) |
| Aug | 111°/79°F (43.7°/26.3°C) | 86°/68°F (29.9°/20.0°C) |
| Sep | 105°/73°F (40.6°/22.9°C) | 83°/66°F (28.4°/18.7°C) |
| Oct | 96°/65°F (35.5°/18.2°C) | 78°/62°F (25.3°/16.8°C) |
| Nov | 83°/56°F (28.1°/13.3°C) | 68°/55°F (19.9°/12.8°C) |
| Dec | 72°/47°F (22.1°/8.4°C) | 59°/48°F (15.2°/9.0°C) |
Data:
National Center for Meteorology,
Israel Meteorological Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Saudi Arabia 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.
Saudi Arabia passport holder visiting Israel
Visa Required
Israel passport holder visiting Saudi Arabia
Visa RequiredData: 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 Saudi Arabia?
On average Israel is around 71% pricier than Saudi Arabia, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Israel?
Budget about ₪97,568 for 3 months in Israel (based on a SAR281,786 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Israel?
Connectivity is usually fine (Israel: 29.4 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Israel offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Israel safe for expats?
Saudi Arabia 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 0.8 in Saudi Arabia.
How is healthcare in Israel compared to Saudi Arabia?
Israel generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Saudi Arabia leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 37.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Israel, compared to 30.8 in Saudi Arabia. Israel scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Saudi Arabia: 74).
What's the weather like in Israel compared to Saudi Arabia?
The average high temperature in Jerusalem is 72°F, compared to 92°F in Riyadh. Jerusalem receives around 21.1 in of rainfall per year, while Riyadh gets 4.4 in.
What language do they speak in Israel?
The official languages in Israel are Arabic and Hebrew. In Saudi Arabia, the official language is Arabic.
