Moving to Romania from Canada
What to Expect
Considering a move from Canada to Romania? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Canada to Romania, you would find that Romania is 28.8% cheaper than Canada overall. A CA$106,294 salary in Canada would need to be roughly RON216,451 in Romania to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Romanian. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Bucharest averages 63°F vs 52°F in Ottawa, making it significantly warmer.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Canada and Romania.
What does your salary buy?
CA$106,294 → RON216,451
To maintain the same standard of living in Romania
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 18.2% less
Groceries
pay 42.2% less
Transportation
pay 16.9% less
Housing
pay 55.5% less
Childcare
pay 30.9% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 36.7% 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.
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 29% less than cities in Canada.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Canada to Romania.
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Romania compared to Canada.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Canada generally does better on safety, though Romania leads in homicide rate.
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
Romania generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Canada leads in health coverage index.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Canada generally does better on environment, though Romania leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
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
Canada performs better than Romania across all infrastructure metrics.
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
Canada generally does better on employment & economy, though Romania leads in top income tax 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
Canada performs better than Romania across all family life metrics.
Data: Canada Revenue Agency, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Ottawa | Bucharest |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 27°/10°F (-3°/-12°C) | 44°/27°F (7°/-3°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 64°/45°F (18°/7°C) | 74°/49°F (23°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 75°/55°F (24°/13°C) | 83°/57°F (28°/14°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 41°/25°F (5°/-4°C) | 51°/34°F (10°/1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Ottawa | Bucharest |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 21°/4°F (-6.1°/-15.3°C) | 37°/23°F (2.8°/-4.8°C) |
| Feb | 25°/8°F (-4.1°/-13.3°C) | 42°/25°F (5.5°/-4.0°C) |
| Mar | 36°/19°F (2.2°/-7.1°C) | 53°/32°F (11.4°/0.1°C) |
| Apr | 51°/33°F (10.8°/0.6°C) | 64°/41°F (18.0°/4.9°C) |
| May | 66°/46°F (19.1°/7.7°C) | 75°/49°F (24.0°/9.6°C) |
| Jun | 75°/55°F (23.8°/12.7°C) | 82°/56°F (27.7°/13.6°C) |
| Jul | 80°/60°F (26.5°/15.4°C) | 86°/60°F (29.8°/15.4°C) |
| Aug | 77°/57°F (24.9°/14.1°C) | 86°/59°F (29.8°/14.9°C) |
| Sep | 67°/48°F (19.5°/9.1°C) | 76°/51°F (24.6°/10.5°C) |
| Oct | 54°/37°F (12.5°/3.0°C) | 64°/42°F (17.9°/5.4°C) |
| Nov | 41°/27°F (4.8°/-2.8°C) | 50°/33°F (9.8°/0.6°C) |
| Dec | 27°/12°F (-3.0°/-11.1°C) | 39°/26°F (3.8°/-3.4°C) |
Data:
Meteorological Service of Canada,
National Meteorological Administration
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Canada 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.
Canada passport holder visiting Romania
Visa Free
Romania passport holder visiting Canada
Electronic Travel AuthorisationData: 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 Canada?
On average Romania is about 37% less expensive than Canada, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Romania?
Budget about RON54,113 for 3 months in Romania (based on a CA$106,294 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Romania?
Connectivity is usually fine (Romania: 32.4 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Romania offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Romania safe for expats?
Canada generally does better on safety, though Romania leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in Romania is 1.3 per 100,000 people, compared to 2.3 in Canada.
How is healthcare in Romania compared to Canada?
Romania generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Canada leads in health coverage index. There are 34.7 doctors per 10,000 people in Romania, compared to 25.0 in Canada. Romania scores 78 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Canada: 91).
What's the weather like in Romania compared to Canada?
The average high temperature in Bucharest is 63°F, compared to 52°F in Ottawa. Bucharest receives around 23.4 in of rainfall per year, while Ottawa gets 37.1 in.
What language do they speak in Romania?
The official language in Romania is Romanian. In Canada, the official languages are English and French.
