Moving to Romania from Bosnia and Herzegovina

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What to Expect

Everything you need to know before relocating from Bosnia and Herzegovina to Romania — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.

If you moved from Bosnia and Herzegovina to Romania, you would find that Romania is 10.2% more expensive than Bosnia and Herzegovina overall. A BAM130,000 salary in Bosnia and Herzegovina would need to be roughly RON391,000 in Romania to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Romanian.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

What to expect for your wallet after moving from Bosnia and Herzegovina to Romania.

What does your salary buy?

BAM130,000 → RON391,000

To maintain the same standard of living in Romania

Calculate with your salary →

Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day

Restaurants

pay 22.0% more

Groceries

pay 10.3% less

Transportation

pay 10.2% less

Housing

pay 23.8% more

Childcare

pay 44.8% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 36.9% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 BAM = 2.73 RON (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.

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 Romania cost about 2% less than cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Mostar 34%

Romania

Brasov 39%
Timisoara 37%
Bacau 34%

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

How many people actually move from Bosnia and Herzegovina to Romania, based on official data.

Living there in 2020
160 ↑ 1355% vs 2015

people born in Bosnia and Herzegovina live in Romania · UN DESA

Who's moving to Romania?

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

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Bosnia and Herzegovina to Romania.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

BA
1.2
RO
1.1
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

BA
13.7
RO
9.6

Romania performs significantly better than Bosnia and Herzegovina across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

BA
$1,989
RO
$2,614
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

BA
25.8
RO
36.2

Bosnia and Herzegovina generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Romania leads in doctors per 10,000 people.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

BA
55.0
RO
46.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

BA
6.5t
RO
3.7t

Romania performs significantly better than Bosnia and Herzegovina across all environment metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

BA
29.4
RO
35.8
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

BA
2.1%
RO
7.6%

Bosnia and Herzegovina generally does better on infrastructure, though Romania leads in broadband per 100 people.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

BA
11.0%
RO
6.0%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

BA
$10,382
RO
$22,538

Bosnia and Herzegovina generally does better on employment & economy, though Romania leads in unemployment rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

BA
78.0 yrs
RO
76.5 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

BA
5.5
RO
6.0

Bosnia and Herzegovina generally does better on family life, though Romania leads in education spending.

Sources: World Bank (2015–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Indirect Taxation Authority of Bosnia and Herzegovina (2016), National Agency for Fiscal Administration (ANAF) (2016), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Sarajevo Rain: 37.4 in/yr (950 mm)
62° / 42°F

Avg. annual high / low

Bucharest Rain: 23.4 in/yr (594 mm)
63° / 41°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Sarajevo Bucharest
Jan–Mar 45°/30°F (7°/-1°C) 44°/27°F (7°/-3°C)
Apr–Jun 70°/48°F (21°/9°C) 74°/49°F (23°/9°C)
Jul–Sep 79°/56°F (26°/13°C) 83°/57°F (28°/14°C)
Oct–Dec 51°/37°F (11°/3°C) 51°/34°F (10°/1°C)
View all months
Month Sarajevo Bucharest
Jan 39°/27°F (4.1°/-2.9°C) 37°/23°F (2.8°/-4.8°C)
Feb 44°/29°F (6.6°/-1.9°C) 42°/25°F (5.5°/-4.0°C)
Mar 53°/35°F (11.5°/1.4°C) 53°/32°F (11.4°/0.1°C)
Apr 62°/41°F (16.5°/5.1°C) 64°/41°F (18.0°/4.9°C)
May 71°/48°F (21.4°/9.0°C) 75°/49°F (24.0°/9.6°C)
Jun 78°/55°F (25.4°/12.6°C) 82°/56°F (27.7°/13.6°C)
Jul 82°/58°F (27.8°/14.2°C) 86°/60°F (29.8°/15.4°C)
Aug 83°/58°F (28.3°/14.3°C) 86°/59°F (29.8°/14.9°C)
Sep 72°/51°F (22.5°/10.4°C) 76°/51°F (24.6°/10.5°C)
Oct 63°/44°F (17.3°/6.5°C) 64°/42°F (17.9°/5.4°C)
Nov 51°/37°F (10.6°/2.8°C) 50°/33°F (9.8°/0.6°C)
Dec 40°/29°F (4.3°/-1.7°C) 39°/26°F (3.8°/-3.4°C)

Data: Federal Hydrometeorological Service of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Federal Hydrometeorological Service of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, National Meteorological Administration National Meteorological Administration

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Romania. To live, work, or study long-term in Romania, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Romania's immigration authority.

Bosnia and Herzegovina passport

Bosnia and Herzegovina passport holder visiting Romania

Visa Free
Bosnia and Herzegovina passport holders can enter Romania without a visa.
Romania passport

Romania passport holder visiting Bosnia and Herzegovina

Visa Free
Romania passport holders can enter Bosnia and Herzegovina 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 Romania than Bosnia and Herzegovina?

No — Romania is on average about 10% more expensive than Bosnia and Herzegovina. City-level variation matters.

How much money do I need to move to Romania?

Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly RON97,750 in Romania on a BAM130,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).

Can I work remotely from Romania?

Internet is rarely the blocker — Romania has 35.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.

Is Romania safe for expats?

Romania performs significantly better than Bosnia and Herzegovina across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Romania is 1.1 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.2 in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

How is healthcare in Romania compared to Bosnia and Herzegovina?

Bosnia and Herzegovina generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Romania leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 36.2 doctors per 10,000 people in Romania, compared to 25.8 in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Romania scores 78 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Bosnia and Herzegovina: 66).

What's the weather like in Romania compared to Bosnia and Herzegovina?

The average high temperature in Bucharest is 63°F, compared to 62°F in Sarajevo. Bucharest receives around 23.4 in of rainfall per year, while Sarajevo gets 37.4 in.

What language do they speak in Romania?

The official language in Romania is Romanian. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the official languages are Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian.

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At a Glance

BA RO
Population 3,140,095 19,020,271
Currency Bosnia-Herzegovina Convertible Mark (BAM) Romanian Leu (RON)
Languages Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian Romanian
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +387 +40
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 112