Moving to Israel from Switzerland
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Switzerland to Israel — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Switzerland to Israel, you would find that Israel is 16.9% cheaper than Switzerland overall. A CHF62,000 salary in Switzerland would need to be roughly ₪194,000 in Israel to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Arabic and Hebrew. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Jerusalem averages 72°F vs 55°F in Zurich, making it significantly warmer.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Israel cheaper than Switzerland?
The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 18.1% less
Groceries
pay 15.8% less
Transportation
pay 2.8% less
Housing
pay 19.1% less
Childcare
pay 38.8% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 14.7% less
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?
CHF62,000 → ₪194,000
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 10% less than cities in Switzerland.
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 Switzerland to Israel, and how the trend has changed.
people moved from Switzerland to Israel · OECD (latest data available)
Key Indicator Comparison
How Switzerland 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
Switzerland generally does better on safety, though Israel leads in feel safe walking at night.
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
Switzerland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Israel 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
Switzerland performs better than Israel 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
Switzerland generally does better on infrastructure, though Israel leads in electricity per capita.
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
Switzerland 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
Israel generally does better on family life, though Switzerland leads in life expectancy.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024), Swiss Federal Tax Administration (2016), Israel Ministry of Finance Tax Authority (2016), The World Factbook (2014). How we calculate this
Weather in Israel vs Switzerland
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Zurich | Jerusalem |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 41°/30°F (5°/-1°C) | 58°/46°F (15°/8°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) | 78°/60°F (25°/15°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 70°/53°F (21°/12°C) | 85°/67°F (29°/20°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 46°/36°F (8°/2°C) | 68°/55°F (20°/13°C) |
View all months
| Month | Zurich | Jerusalem |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36°/27°F (2.0°/-2.8°C) | 55°/44°F (12.8°/6.9°C) |
| Feb | 40°/29°F (4.2°/-1.9°C) | 57°/45°F (13.8°/7.1°C) |
| Mar | 47°/33°F (8.3°/0.6°C) | 63°/49°F (17.0°/9.2°C) |
| Apr | 55°/39°F (12.6°/3.7°C) | 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.1°C) |
| May | 63°/46°F (17.3°/7.7°C) | 79°/61°F (25.9°/16.0°C) |
| Jun | 69°/51°F (20.5°/10.8°C) | 83°/65°F (28.4°/18.2°C) |
| Jul | 73°/55°F (23.0°/12.8°C) | 86°/68°F (30.0°/20.2°C) |
| Aug | 72°/54°F (22.0°/12.4°C) | 86°/68°F (29.9°/20.0°C) |
| Sep | 66°/50°F (18.8°/10.0°C) | 83°/66°F (28.4°/18.7°C) |
| Oct | 56°/43°F (13.3°/6.2°C) | 78°/62°F (25.3°/16.8°C) |
| Nov | 44°/35°F (6.9°/1.4°C) | 68°/55°F (19.9°/12.8°C) |
| Dec | 37°/29°F (2.9°/-1.7°C) | 59°/48°F (15.2°/9.0°C) |
Data:
MeteoSwiss - Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology,
Israel Meteorological Service
Can you move from Switzerland to Israel?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Switzerland 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.
Switzerland passport holder visiting Israel
Electronic Travel Authorisation
Israel passport holder visiting Switzerland
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 Switzerland?
Generally yes: Israel runs about 17% cheaper than Switzerland on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
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 CHF62,000 comparable salary, that's around ₪48,500 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 Switzerland and Israel.
Is Israel safe for expats?
Switzerland generally does better on safety, though Israel leads in feel safe walking at night. The homicide rate in Israel is 1.6 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.6 in Switzerland. About 80% of people in Israel feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in Israel compared to Switzerland?
Switzerland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Israel leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 38.0 doctors per 10,000 people in Israel, compared to 44.8 in Switzerland. Israel scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Switzerland: 86).
What's the weather like in Israel compared to Switzerland?
The average high temperature in Jerusalem is 72°F, compared to 55°F in Zurich. Jerusalem receives around 21.1 in of rainfall per year, while Zurich gets 42.8 in.
What language do they speak in Israel?
The official languages in Israel are Arabic and Hebrew. In Switzerland, the official languages are French, Italian, Romansh and Swiss German.
