Living in East Jerusalem, Palestinian Territories

East Jerusalem is a mid-sized city in West Bank, the Palestinian Territories (250,000 to 1 million people in the city proper). It has a mild climate, averaging 18°C over the year with about 416 mm of rain. We estimate a couple needs about €3,089 a month to live centrally. For foreigners, long-term residency in the Palestinian Territories is hard to obtain.

See how East Jerusalem ranks for you

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Est. cost: €3,089; a month for a couple
Climate: 18°C; 416 mm rain a year
Size: Mid-sized; 250,000 to 1 million people
Safety: 52/100; country-level
Residency: Hard to obtain; for most foreigners

Limited data for Palestinian Territories. Figures for safety, healthcare, cost of living and political stability in the Palestinian Territories are country-level estimates from World Bank indicators, each named with its year. We have no tax, English, social openness or internet speed figures for the Palestinian Territories, so the quiz scores those factors conservatively and this page leaves them out.

What stands out about East Jerusalem

Long-term residency is hard to obtain

Residency and visas

Hard to obtain. No general immigration route exists: Israel controls entry and the population registry, and current rules foreclose long-term residence for all foreigners except spouses of Palestinians (a route that is itself largely frozen).

For short visits, 156 of 198 passports can enter visa-free and 42 need a visa in advance.

Source: OurNextCity residency dataset, hand-reviewed approximations researched against published immigration rules. Not legal advice: check the official source before you apply. Short-stay entry from the passport-index dataset (ilyankou, MIT).

Healthcare

The Palestinian Territories scores 54 out of 100 for healthcare, stronger than 8% of the cities we compare.

Source: Country-level estimate, the same for every city in the Palestinian Territories: life expectancy at birth (SP.DYN.LE00.IN, 2024) and current health spending per person in US dollars (SH.XPD.CHEX.PC.CD, 2023), calibrated to the 0 to 100 scale of our reference tables. Source: The World Bank (World Development Indicators, Worldwide Governance Indicators), CC BY 4.0.

Climate

East Jerusalem averages 18°C across the year with about 416 mm of rain, which makes it mild and dry. It is warmer than 45% of the 1225 cities we track, and it sits near the coast.

Source: Temperature from the Open-Meteo historical weather archive, daily means for 2019 to 2023; rainfall from TerraClimate (University of Idaho) 1991 to 2020 normals. Annual averages; monthly breakdowns are not in our dataset yet.

Safety and stability

The Palestinian Territories scores 52 out of 100 on safety, safer than 20% of the cities we compare. Its estimated democracy score is 3.6 out of 10.

Source: Country-level estimate, the same for every city in the Palestinian Territories: country-level homicide rate per 100,000 people (VC.IHR.PSRC.P5, 2022) and Worldwide Governance Indicators Political Stability and Absence of Violence estimate (GOV_WGI_PV.EST, 2025), calibrated to the 0 to 100 scale of our reference tables (higher is safer). Stability: Worldwide Governance Indicators Voice and Accountability estimate (GOV_WGI_VA.EST, 2025), calibrated to the EIU Democracy Index scale. Source: The World Bank (World Development Indicators, Worldwide Governance Indicators), CC BY 4.0.

Cost of living

We estimate a couple needs about €3,089 a month to live centrally in East Jerusalem, 13% above the €2,729 median across the 900 cities we compare. That makes it more affordable than 31% of them.

Source: OurNextCity model from the price level of GDP relative to the United States, from GDP per person in US dollars and at purchasing power parity (NY.GDP.PCAP.CD/NY.GDP.PCAP.PP.CD, 2025), calibrated to our country-level cost index (New York = 100) and scaled up for larger cities. An estimate for comparing cities, not a budget. Source: The World Bank (World Development Indicators, Worldwide Governance Indicators), CC BY 4.0.

Questions couples ask about East Jerusalem

Is East Jerusalem a good place to live for couples?

It depends on what the two of you weigh most. It is weaker on safety and healthcare. Our figures for the Palestinian Territories are partial: no tax, English, social openness or internet speed data, and country-level World Bank estimates for the rest. Expect a mild, dry climate (18°C average). OurNextCity has each partner answer 12 questions privately, then ranks East Jerusalem and 914 other cities for both of you at once.

How much does it cost a couple to live in East Jerusalem?

We estimate about €3,089 a month for a couple living centrally, 13% above the €2,729 median across the cities we compare. It is a model estimate from the World Bank price level of GDP for the Palestinian Territories, calibrated to our country-level cost index adjusted for city size, so use it to compare cities rather than to set a budget.

Can foreigners live in the Palestinian Territories long term?

Our assessment: hard to obtain. No general immigration route exists: Israel controls entry and the population registry, and current rules foreclose long-term residence for all foreigners except spouses of Palestinians (a route that is itself largely frozen).

What is the weather like in East Jerusalem?

East Jerusalem averages 18°C across the year with about 416 mm of rain, which makes it mild and dry. It is warmer than 45% of the cities we track.