Moving to Israel from South Africa
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from South Africa to Israel — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from South Africa to Israel, you would find that Israel is 2.4 times more expensive than South Africa overall. A ZAR1,200,000 salary in South Africa would need to be roughly ₪540,000 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 South Africa?
The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 2.8 times more
Groceries
pay 86.0% more
Transportation
pay 67.4% more
Housing
pay 2.9 times more
Childcare
pay 5.8 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 2.7 times 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?
ZAR1,200,000 → ₪540,000
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 100% more than cities in South Africa.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from South Africa to Israel, and how the trend has changed.
people moved from South Africa to Israel · OECD (latest data available)
Key Indicator Comparison
How South Africa and Israel stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
of residents who feel safe walking alone at night
per 100,000 people per year
Israel performs significantly better than South Africa across all safety metrics.
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 South Africa 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 South Africa 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
Israel generally does better on infrastructure, though South Africa 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
share of people below the poverty line
Israel generally does better on employment & economy, though South Africa 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
percentage of adults who can read and write
Israel generally does better on family life, though South Africa leads in education spending.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2011–2014), South African Revenue Service (2017), Israel Ministry of Finance Tax Authority (2016). How we calculate this
Weather in Israel vs South Africa
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Johannesburg | Jerusalem |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 77°/57°F (25°/14°C) | 58°/46°F (15°/8°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 66°/45°F (19°/7°C) | 78°/60°F (25°/15°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 67°/44°F (20°/7°C) | 85°/67°F (29°/20°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 76°/55°F (24°/13°C) | 68°/55°F (20°/13°C) |
View all months
| Month | Johannesburg | Jerusalem |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 78°/58°F (25.6°/14.7°C) | 55°/44°F (12.8°/6.9°C) |
| Feb | 77°/57°F (25.1°/14.1°C) | 57°/45°F (13.8°/7.1°C) |
| Mar | 75°/56°F (24.0°/13.1°C) | 63°/49°F (17.0°/9.2°C) |
| Apr | 70°/51°F (21.1°/10.3°C) | 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.1°C) |
| May | 66°/45°F (18.9°/7.2°C) | 79°/61°F (25.9°/16.0°C) |
| Jun | 61°/39°F (16.0°/4.1°C) | 83°/65°F (28.4°/18.2°C) |
| Jul | 62°/39°F (16.7°/4.1°C) | 86°/68°F (30.0°/20.2°C) |
| Aug | 67°/43°F (19.4°/6.2°C) | 86°/68°F (29.9°/20.0°C) |
| Sep | 73°/49°F (22.8°/9.3°C) | 83°/66°F (28.4°/18.7°C) |
| Oct | 75°/52°F (23.8°/11.2°C) | 78°/62°F (25.3°/16.8°C) |
| Nov | 76°/55°F (24.2°/12.7°C) | 68°/55°F (19.9°/12.8°C) |
| Dec | 77°/57°F (25.2°/13.9°C) | 59°/48°F (15.2°/9.0°C) |
Data:
South African Weather Service,
Israel Meteorological Service
Can you move from South Africa to Israel?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between South Africa 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.
South Africa passport holder visiting Israel
Electronic Travel Authorisation
Israel passport holder visiting South Africa
Visa FreeData: 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 South Africa?
Day-to-day costs in Israel run about 140% higher than South Africa 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 ZAR1,200,000 comparable salary, that's around ₪135,000 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 South Africa and Israel.
Is Israel safe for expats?
Israel performs significantly better than South Africa across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Israel is 1.6 per 100,000 people, compared to 43.7 in South Africa. About 80% of people in Israel feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in Israel compared to South Africa?
Israel generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Africa leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 38.0 doctors per 10,000 people in Israel, compared to 7.9 in South Africa. Israel scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (South Africa: 71).
What's the weather like in Israel compared to South Africa?
The average high temperature in Jerusalem is 72°F, compared to 71°F in Johannesburg. Jerusalem receives around 21.1 in of rainfall per year, while Johannesburg gets 28.1 in.
What language do they speak in Israel?
The official languages in Israel are Arabic and Hebrew. In South Africa, the official languages are Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu.
Compare further: South Africa vs. Israel
At a Glance
ZA
|
IL
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population | 64,747,319 | 10,122,800 |
| Currency | South African Rand (ZAR) | Israeli New Sheqel (₪) |
| Languages | Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu | Arabic, Hebrew |
| Driving side | Left | Right |
| Calling code | +27 | +972 |
| Time zones | 1 | 1 |
| Emergency number | 10111 | 100 |