Moving to Romania from China
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from China to Romania — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from China to Romania, you would find that Romania is 25.9% more expensive than China overall. A CN¥500,000 salary in China would need to be roughly RON445,000 in Romania to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Romanian.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Romania cheaper than China?
The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 2.6 times more
Transportation
pay 34.2% more
Housing
pay 31.7% more
Childcare
pay 39.7% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 17.3% more
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
What salary do you need in Romania?
What does your salary buy?
CN¥500,000 → RON445,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Romania
Calculate with your salary →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 18% more than cities in China.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from China to Romania, and how the trend has changed.
Key Indicator Comparison
How China and Romania stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
China generally does better on safety, though Romania leads in road traffic deaths.
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
China generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Romania leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Romania performs significantly better than China across all environment metrics.
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
China generally does better on infrastructure, though Romania leads in water stress level.
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
China generally does better on employment & economy, though Romania leads in gdp per capita.
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
percentage of adults who can read and write
China generally does better on family life, though Romania leads in literacy rate.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), State Administration of Taxation (2016), National Agency for Fiscal Administration (ANAF) (2016). How we calculate this
Weather in Romania vs China
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Shanghai | Bucharest |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 49°/36°F (10°/2°C) | 44°/27°F (7°/-3°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 73°/60°F (23°/16°C) | 74°/49°F (23°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 86°/74°F (30°/23°C) | 83°/57°F (28°/14°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 62°/47°F (17°/9°C) | 51°/34°F (10°/1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Shanghai | Bucharest |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 46°/33°F (7.7°/0.5°C) | 37°/23°F (2.8°/-4.8°C) |
| Feb | 47°/35°F (8.6°/1.5°C) | 42°/25°F (5.5°/-4.0°C) |
| Mar | 55°/41°F (12.7°/5.1°C) | 53°/32°F (11.4°/0.1°C) |
| Apr | 65°/51°F (18.6°/10.6°C) | 64°/41°F (18.0°/4.9°C) |
| May | 74°/60°F (23.5°/15.7°C) | 75°/49°F (24.0°/9.6°C) |
| Jun | 81°/69°F (27.2°/20.3°C) | 82°/56°F (27.7°/13.6°C) |
| Jul | 89°/77°F (31.6°/24.8°C) | 86°/60°F (29.8°/15.4°C) |
| Aug | 89°/76°F (31.5°/24.7°C) | 86°/59°F (29.8°/14.9°C) |
| Sep | 81°/69°F (27.2°/20.5°C) | 76°/51°F (24.6°/10.5°C) |
| Oct | 72°/58°F (22.3°/14.7°C) | 64°/42°F (17.9°/5.4°C) |
| Nov | 62°/47°F (16.7°/8.6°C) | 50°/33°F (9.8°/0.6°C) |
| Dec | 51°/36°F (10.6°/2.4°C) | 39°/26°F (3.8°/-3.4°C) |
Data:
China Meteorological Administration,
National Meteorological Administration
Can you move from China to Romania?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between China 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.
China passport holder visiting Romania
Visa Required
Romania passport holder visiting China
Visa FreeData: 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 China?
Day-to-day costs in Romania run about 26% higher than China 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 CN¥500,000 comparable salary, that's around RON111,250 in Romania for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Romania?
With 35.8 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 China and Romania.
Is Romania safe for expats?
China generally does better on safety, though Romania leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in Romania is 1.1 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.5 in China.
How is healthcare in Romania compared to China?
China 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 31.1 in China. Romania scores 78 on the WHO universal health coverage index (China: 81).
What's the weather like in Romania compared to China?
The average high temperature in Bucharest is 63°F, compared to 68°F in Shanghai. Bucharest receives around 23.4 in of rainfall per year, while Shanghai gets 43.8 in.
What language do they speak in Romania?
The official language in Romania is Romanian. In China, the official language is Chinese.
