Moving to Romania from Chile

moving to

What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Chile to Romania — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Chile to Romania, you would find that Romania is 11.7% more expensive than Chile overall. A CLF1,762 salary in Chile would need to be roughly RON382,986 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 73°F in Santiago, making it significantly cooler.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Chile to Romania.

What does your salary buy?

CLF1,762 RON382,986

To maintain the same standard of living in Romania

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 26.1% more

Groceries

pay 12.7% less

Transportation

pay 0.9% more

Housing

pay 14.3% less

Childcare

pay 53.2% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 2.3% less

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 CLF = 195.27 RON (July 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.

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

Real numbers on people moving from Chile to Romania, and how the trend has changed.

Living there in 2020
157 ↑ 528% vs 2015

people born in Chile 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

How Chile and Romania stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

per 100,000 people per year

CL
6.7
RO
1.3
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

CL
10.3
RO
9.6

Romania performs significantly better than Chile across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

CL
$3,612
RO
$2,614
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

CL
31.7
RO
34.7

Romania generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Chile leads in health coverage index.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

CL
18.0
RO
46.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

CL
3.9t
RO
3.7t

Chile generally does better on environment, though Romania leads in co₂ emissions per capita.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

CL
22.7
RO
32.4
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

CL
9.0%
RO
7.4%

Chile generally does better on infrastructure, though Romania leads in broadband per 100 people.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

CL
9.0%
RO
5.6%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

CL
$29,500
RO
$40,500

Romania generally does better on employment & economy, though Chile leads in poverty rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

CL
79.8 yrs
RO
75.8 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

CL
6.5
RO
5.8

Chile generally does better on family life, though Romania leads in infant mortality.

Data: Chilean Tax Administration, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Santiago Rain: 13.5 in/yr (342 mm)
73° / 48°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Santiago Bucharest
Jan–Mar 84°/55°F (29°/12°C) 44°/27°F (7°/-3°C)
Apr–Jun 66°/44°F (19°/7°C) 74°/49°F (23°/9°C)
Jul–Sep 63°/41°F (17°/5°C) 83°/57°F (28°/14°C)
Oct–Dec 79°/51°F (26°/10°C) 51°/34°F (10°/1°C)
View all months
Month Santiago Bucharest
Jan 86°/56°F (30.1°/13.3°C) 37°/23°F (2.8°/-4.8°C)
Feb 85°/55°F (29.5°/12.8°C) 42°/25°F (5.5°/-4.0°C)
Mar 81°/53°F (27.4°/11.4°C) 53°/32°F (11.4°/0.1°C)
Apr 74°/47°F (23.1°/8.6°C) 64°/41°F (18.0°/4.9°C)
May 65°/44°F (18.5°/6.4°C) 75°/49°F (24.0°/9.6°C)
Jun 60°/41°F (15.7°/5.0°C) 82°/56°F (27.7°/13.6°C)
Jul 60°/39°F (15.3°/3.9°C) 86°/60°F (29.8°/15.4°C)
Aug 63°/41°F (17.1°/5.1°C) 86°/59°F (29.8°/14.9°C)
Sep 67°/44°F (19.4°/6.8°C) 76°/51°F (24.6°/10.5°C)
Oct 73°/47°F (22.9°/8.6°C) 64°/42°F (17.9°/5.4°C)
Nov 79°/51°F (26.1°/10.3°C) 50°/33°F (9.8°/0.6°C)
Dec 84°/54°F (28.8°/12.2°C) 39°/26°F (3.8°/-3.4°C)

Data: Dirección Meteorológica de Chile Dirección Meteorológica de Chile, National Meteorological Administration National Meteorological Administration

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Chile 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.

Chile passport

Chile passport holder visiting Romania

Visa Free
Chile passport holders can enter Romania without a visa.
Romania passport

Romania passport holder visiting Chile

Visa Free
Romania passport holders can enter Chile 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 Chile?

Day-to-day costs in Romania run about 11% higher than Chile on average; specific cities can swing further.

How much money do I need to move to Romania?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a CLF1,762 comparable salary, that's around RON95,746 in Romania for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Romania?

With 32.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Romania can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Chile and Romania.

Is Romania safe for expats?

Romania performs significantly better than Chile across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Romania is 1.3 per 100,000 people, compared to 6.7 in Chile.

How is healthcare in Romania compared to Chile?

Romania generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Chile leads in health coverage index. There are 34.7 doctors per 10,000 people in Romania, compared to 31.7 in Chile. Romania scores 78 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Chile: 82).

What's the weather like in Romania compared to Chile?

The average high temperature in Bucharest is 63°F, compared to 73°F in Santiago. Bucharest receives around 23.4 in of rainfall per year, while Santiago gets 13.5 in.

What language do they speak in Romania?

The official language in Romania is Romanian. In Chile, the official language is Spanish.

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At a Glance

CL RO
Population 18,430,408 18,519,899
Currency Chilean Unit of Account (UF) (CLF) Romanian Leu (RON)
Languages Spanish Romanian
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +56 +40
Time zones 2 1
Emergency number 131 112