Moving to Israel from Turkey

moving to

What to Expect

Considering a move from Turkey to Israel? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.

If you moved from Turkey to Israel, you would find that Israel is 2.6 times more expensive than Turkey overall. A TRY3,700,000 salary in Turkey would need to be roughly ₪595,000 in Israel to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Arabic and Hebrew.

Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓

Is Israel cheaper than Turkey?

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 2.9 times more

Groceries

pay 2.6 times more

Transportation

pay 86.0% more

Housing

pay 3.3 times more

Childcare

pay 100.0% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 2.2 times more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 TRY = 0.0625 ILS (October 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.

What salary do you need in Israel?

What does your salary buy?

TRY3,700,000 → ₪595,000

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 76% more than cities in Turkey.

Turkey

Fethiye 59%
Istanbul 53%
Antalya 43%
Izmir 42%

Israel

Ramat Gan 79%
Netanya 74%
Beersheba 72%

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

What the data shows about people moving from Turkey to Israel.

Moved in 2023
89 ↑ 6% vs 2022

people moved from Turkey to Israel · OECD (latest data available)

Who's moving to Israel?

Top countries of origin for Israel's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

The numbers behind daily life in Israel compared to Turkey.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

TR
3.2
IL
1.6
Feel safe walking at night United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

of residents who feel safe walking alone at night

TR
61%
IL
80%

Israel performs significantly better than Turkey across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

TR
$1,769
IL
$4,033
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2023

affects wait times and access to care

TR
22.4
IL
38.0

Israel generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Turkey 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

TR
39.0
IL
15.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

TR
5.4t
IL
5.8t

Turkey generally does better on environment, though Israel leads in air pollution deaths.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

TR
23.4
IL
29.2
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

TR
47.9%
IL
132.0%

Turkey generally does better on infrastructure, though Israel leads in broadband per 100 people.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

TR
8.5%
IL
3.5%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

TR
$18,599
IL
$60,337

Turkey generally does better on employment & economy, though Israel leads in unemployment rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

TR
77.4 yrs
IL
83.2 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

TR
8.0
IL
2.7

Israel performs significantly better than Turkey across all family life metrics.

Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2011–2014), Revenue Administration, Government of Turkey (2016), Israel Ministry of Finance Tax Authority (2016). How we calculate this

Weather in Israel vs Turkey

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Istanbul Rain: 26.7 in/yr (678 mm)
65° / 51°F

Avg. annual high / low

Jerusalem Rain: 21.1 in/yr (537 mm)
72° / 57°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Istanbul Jerusalem
Jan–Mar 49°/38°F (10°/3°C) 58°/46°F (15°/8°C)
Apr–Jun 71°/54°F (21°/12°C) 78°/60°F (25°/15°C)
Jul–Sep 81°/64°F (27°/18°C) 85°/67°F (29°/20°C)
Oct–Dec 60°/48°F (16°/9°C) 68°/55°F (20°/13°C)
View all months
Month Istanbul Jerusalem
Jan 48°/37°F (8.7°/2.9°C) 55°/44°F (12.8°/6.9°C)
Feb 48°/37°F (9.1°/2.8°C) 57°/45°F (13.8°/7.1°C)
Mar 52°/39°F (11.2°/3.9°C) 63°/49°F (17.0°/9.2°C)
Apr 62°/46°F (16.5°/7.7°C) 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.1°C)
May 71°/54°F (21.4°/12.0°C) 79°/61°F (25.9°/16.0°C)
Jun 79°/61°F (26.0°/16.0°C) 83°/65°F (28.4°/18.2°C)
Jul 83°/65°F (28.4°/18.5°C) 86°/68°F (30.0°/20.2°C)
Aug 83°/66°F (28.5°/18.7°C) 86°/68°F (29.9°/20.0°C)
Sep 77°/60°F (25.0°/15.5°C) 83°/66°F (28.4°/18.7°C)
Oct 68°/54°F (20.1°/12.0°C) 78°/62°F (25.3°/16.8°C)
Nov 60°/47°F (15.3°/8.5°C) 68°/55°F (19.9°/12.8°C)
Dec 52°/42°F (11.1°/5.3°C) 59°/48°F (15.2°/9.0°C)

Data: Turkish State Meteorological Service Turkish State Meteorological Service, Israel Meteorological Service Israel Meteorological Service

Can you move from Turkey to Israel?

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Turkey 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.

Turkey passport

Turkey passport holder visiting Israel

Visa Required
Turkey passport holders need a visa to enter Israel.
Israel passport

Israel passport holder visiting Turkey

Visa Free
Israel passport holders can enter Turkey without a visa.

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 Israel than Turkey?

On average Israel is around 157% pricier than Turkey, with notable variation by city.

How much money do I need to move to Israel?

Budget about ₪148,750 for 3 months in Israel (based on a TRY3,700,000 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: 29.2 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?

Israel performs significantly better than Turkey across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Israel is 1.6 per 100,000 people, compared to 3.2 in Turkey. About 80% of people in Israel feel safe walking alone at night.

How is healthcare in Israel compared to Turkey?

Israel generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Turkey leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 38.0 doctors per 10,000 people in Israel, compared to 22.4 in Turkey. Israel scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Turkey: 76).

What's the weather like in Israel compared to Turkey?

The average high temperature in Jerusalem is 72°F, compared to 65°F in Istanbul. Jerusalem receives around 21.1 in of rainfall per year, while Istanbul gets 26.7 in.

What language do they speak in Israel?

The official languages in Israel are Arabic and Hebrew. In Turkey, the official language is Turkish.

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At a Glance

TR IL
Population 85,878,556 10,122,800
Currency Turkish Lira (TRY) Israeli New Sheqel (₪)
Languages Turkish Arabic, Hebrew
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +90 +972
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 100