top of page
< Back

Apartments in Jerusalem

Apartments in Jerusalem

Looking for apartments in Jerusalem? This page gives international buyers and tenants a practical picture of Jerusalem: what is on the market, who lives there, how the process works and what to check before you sign.

Official market data — Jerusalem (Israel CBS, 2026)

  • Average apartment price in Jerusalem: ₪3,089,000 (change vs. H1 2025: 0%)

  • National average: ₪2,392,000 in H1 2026 (+3.9% vs. H1 2025); the CBS housing price index for February–March 2026 was down 1.2% year on year

  • Average monthly rent in Jerusalem: ₪5,280 (CBS, Q1 2026)

  • Purchase tax for a foreign resident or investor: 8% up to ₪6,055,070 and 10% above; bank financing for non-residents is capped at 50% of the property value (up to 75% for an Israeli resident buying a single home)

Source: Israel Central Bureau of Statistics — average apartment prices for the first half of 2026 (published 15 September 2026), the housing price index (published 15 May 2026) and the Q1 2026 rent survey. These are city-wide averages; the actual price depends on the neighborhood, size, floor and condition. Before any decision we show you real transactions recorded with the Israel Tax Authority in the area you are considering.

Below you will find what Jerusalem offers, which areas suit which buyers and tenants, what the local market looks like and how Kobi Elkayam Real Estate helps clients who are searching from abroad.

Jerusalem at a glance

Jerusalem is Israel's capital and largest city, spread over hills at roughly 800 metres above sea level, with a dry, cool climate and a municipal by-law that requires stone-clad facades – which gives even new buildings their distinctive look.

The city's housing market is shaped by its communities: religious and secular neighbourhoods sit side by side, and a large share of central apartments are owned by diaspora families from North America, France and the United Kingdom who visit for holidays and festivals.

Getting around:The light rail crosses the city from Pisgat Ze'ev to Mount Herzl, the high-speed railway reaches Ben Gurion Airport and Tel Aviv from Yitzhak Navon station in under an hour, and Highway 1 connects to the coast.

Apartments in Jerusalem

Jerusalem attracts three kinds of overseas clients: families who want a second home they will actually use, people planning a move to Israel, and investors who want a rental in a market with structural demand. Below is what each should know.

Israelis describe apartments by rooms rather than bedrooms (a 3-room apartment has two bedrooms), quote sizes in square metres, and distinguish sharply between buildings with and without an elevator, parking and a safe room (mamad). In Jerusalem the newest buildings offer all three; older stock often offers none, which is reflected in the price and in the urban-renewal potential.

  • For a holiday or family home –proximity to the sea, the centre or your community matters more than yield; consider who will manage the property between visits

  • For a move to Israel –most clients rent for a year first, then buy once schools, work and community are settled

  • For investment –model purchase tax at investor rates, realistic rent, management costs and Israeli and home-country tax before comparing yields

  • For all three –an Israeli lawyer, a clear view of the building's registration and planning status, and a local team that can act when you are not here

Neighbourhoods to know in Jerusalem

Before you compare individual listings, decide which part of Jerusalem suits you. The main areas are:

  • Rehavia, Talbieh and the city centre –garden neighbourhoods from the 1920s and 1930s, walking distance to the Old City, the Knesset and the Great Synagogue

  • German Colony, Baka and Old Katamon –Templer and Arab-style stone houses along Emek Refaim and Derech Beit Lechem, cafés and the First Station

  • Mamilla and the King David area –the luxury quarter between Jaffa Gate and the centre – David's Village, Mamilla Mall and hotel residences

  • Nachlaot and Mahane Yehuda –nineteenth-century courtyard neighbourhoods next to the market, popular with students and artists

  • Arnona, Talpiot and Malha –newer southern neighbourhoods with larger apartments and easier parking

  • Har Nof, Ramot and Ramat Eshkol –family neighbourhoods with strong Anglo and religious communities

  • Ein Kerem and the western hills –village houses, artists and the Hadassah medical centre

Housing stock and who buys in Jerusalem

What you will find on the market: historic stone houses in the German Colony, Baka and Nachlaot, 1970s ring-neighbourhood blocks with large family apartments, and a wave of new luxury projects and towers around the centre and the entrance to the city.

Who you will be competing with: religious and traditional families from the United States, the United Kingdom and France, diaspora buyers who want a home near the Old City for holidays, students at the Hebrew University and the yeshivot, and investors who rent to them.

Many central apartments trade between overseas owners and are marketed in English; the same apartment can look very different in price depending on whether it has an elevator, parking, a safe room and a stone-restored facade.

Costs and taxes to plan for

  • Purchase tax (mas rechisha) –progressive, filed with the Israel Tax Authority; non-residents and buyers of a second home pay higher brackets than Israeli first-home buyers, and rates change, so model this first

  • Legal fees –your lawyer's fee is customarily a small percentage of the price plus VAT, and on new-build purchases the developer's lawyer also charges a capped registration fee

  • Agent fee –customarily a percentage of the price plus VAT, paid by each side to its own agent

  • Registration and ILA fees –Land Registry fees, or ILA consent and lease fees on state land

  • Ongoing –arnona, building fees, insurance, and Israeli tax on rental income if you let the property

  • On exit –capital-gains tax (mas shevach) with exemptions and indexation, and possibly a betterment levy if planning rights were added

Mortgages: Israeli banks lend to non-residents, but the Bank of Israel caps loan-to-value, and buyers who are not Israeli residents are generally treated like investors – a lower cap than resident first-home buyers, typically up to about half of the value – with documentation of foreign income and assets. A mortgage broker who works with overseas clients shortens this considerably.

How Kobi Elkayam Real Estate helps

  • Search and shortlisting in Jerusalem –agency, private and off-market sources, screened in person

  • Video and in-person viewings –timed to your visits to Israel

  • Negotiation –against verified transaction data, through your lawyer

  • Professional team –introductions to real-estate lawyers, tax advisers, mortgage brokers and appraisers who work with overseas clients

  • Developer projects and complex deals –access to the group's own projects and to combination and urban-renewal opportunities

  • After the purchase –management, letting and renovation partners so the property works while you are abroad

Can a foreigner buy apartments in Jerusalem?

Yes. Non-residents can buy freely in Israel and hold the property in their own name. You will need an Israeli lawyer, a tax file number for the purchase-tax filing and a way to transfer funds in shekels; a notarised power of attorney lets your lawyer sign if you cannot be in Israel.

How long does a purchase in Jerusalem take?

From an accepted offer to signing a contract is usually two to four weeks of legal checks and negotiation. Completion follows the payment schedule in the contract – often two to four months for a resale, and the construction timeline for a new-build purchase. Registration of title follows completion.

What is the difference between Tabu and ILA property?

Tabu property is registered freehold in the Land Registry. ILA property is state land held on a long-term lease from the Israel Land Authority, which is the majority of land in Israel. Both are bought and sold normally, but ILA leases carry their own consent and fee rules, and some leases to non-residents have specific conditions your lawyer will check.

Is Jerusalem a good place for a holiday home or an investment?

Religious and traditional families from the United States, the United Kingdom and France, diaspora buyers who want a home near the Old City for holidays, students at the Hebrew University and the yeshivot, and investors who rent to them – that is the demand you would be buying into. Many central apartments trade between overseas owners and are marketed in English; the same apartment can look very different in price depending on whether it has an elevator, parking, a safe room and a stone-restored facade. For a holiday home, the question is how much you will use it and who will manage it between visits; for an investment, model purchase tax, realistic rent and management before comparing with other cities.

Related guides

Talk to us about a purchase in Jerusalem.Call +972-53-658-4252, write to support@kobielkayamrealestateltd.com, orleave your detailsand a member of the team will get back to you in English, French or Hebrew.

Related guides

bottom of page
Language · שפה · Langue