Moving to Romania from China

moving to

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 65.4% more expensive than China overall. A CN¥508,312 salary in China would need to be roughly RON442,403 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 ↓

How Far Will Your Money Go?

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

What does your salary buy?

CN¥508,312 RON442,403

To maintain the same standard of living in Romania

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 3.7 times more

Groceries

pay 21.3% more

Transportation

pay 44.2% more

Housing

pay 60.5% more

Childcare

pay 7.2% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 41.3% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 CNY = 0.6768 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.

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 32% more than cities in China.

China

Shanghai 36%
Ningbo 31%
Xiamen 28%
Jinan 27%

Romania

Baia Mare 34%

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.

Living there in 2020
6,544 ↑ 76% vs 2015

people born in China 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 China 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

CN
0.5
RO
1.3
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

CN
17.4
RO
9.6

China generally does better on safety, though Romania leads in road traffic deaths.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

CN
$1,487
RO
$2,614
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

affects wait times and access to care

CN
25.2
RO
34.7

China 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

CN
64.0
RO
46.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

CN
9.3t
RO
3.7t

Romania performs significantly better than China across all environment metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

CN
41.4
RO
32.4
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

CN
41.5%
RO
7.4%

China generally does better on infrastructure, though Romania leads in water stress level.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

CN
4.7%
RO
5.6%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

CN
$22,100
RO
$40,500

China generally does better on employment & economy, though Romania leads in gdp per capita.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

CN
76.1 yrs
RO
75.8 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

CN
6.8
RO
5.8

Romania generally does better on family life, though China leads in life expectancy.

Data: State Administration of Taxation, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Beijing Rain: 22.8 in/yr (578 mm)
64° / 44°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Beijing Bucharest
Jan–Mar 42°/22°F (6°/-6°C) 44°/27°F (7°/-3°C)
Apr–Jun 78°/55°F (26°/13°C) 74°/49°F (23°/9°C)
Jul–Sep 83°/66°F (29°/19°C) 83°/57°F (28°/14°C)
Oct–Dec 51°/32°F (11°/0°C) 51°/34°F (10°/1°C)
View all months
Month Beijing Bucharest
Jan 35°/15°F (1.6°/-9.4°C) 37°/23°F (2.8°/-4.8°C)
Feb 39°/20°F (4.0°/-6.9°C) 42°/25°F (5.5°/-4.0°C)
Mar 52°/31°F (11.3°/-0.6°C) 53°/32°F (11.4°/0.1°C)
Apr 68°/45°F (19.9°/7.2°C) 64°/41°F (18.0°/4.9°C)
May 80°/56°F (26.4°/13.2°C) 75°/49°F (24.0°/9.6°C)
Jun 87°/65°F (30.3°/18.2°C) 82°/56°F (27.7°/13.6°C)
Jul 87°/71°F (30.8°/21.6°C) 86°/60°F (29.8°/15.4°C)
Aug 85°/69°F (29.5°/20.4°C) 86°/59°F (29.8°/14.9°C)
Sep 78°/58°F (25.8°/14.2°C) 76°/51°F (24.6°/10.5°C)
Oct 66°/45°F (19.0°/7.3°C) 64°/42°F (17.9°/5.4°C)
Nov 50°/31°F (10.1°/-0.4°C) 50°/33°F (9.8°/0.6°C)
Dec 38°/20°F (3.3°/-6.9°C) 39°/26°F (3.8°/-3.4°C)

Data: China Meteorological Administration China Meteorological Administration, National Meteorological Administration National Meteorological Administration

Visitor Visa Requirements

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

China passport holder visiting Romania

Visa Required
China passport holders need a visa to enter Romania.
Romania passport

Romania passport holder visiting China

Visa Free
Romania passport holders can enter China 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 China?

Day-to-day costs in Romania run about 29% 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¥508,312 comparable salary, that's around RON110,601 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 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 1.3 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 34.7 doctors per 10,000 people in Romania, compared to 25.2 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 64°F in Beijing. Bucharest receives around 23.4 in of rainfall per year, while Beijing gets 22.8 in.

What language do they speak in Romania?

The official language in Romania is Romanian. In China, the official language is Chinese.

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At a Glance

CN RO
Population 1,410,539,758 18,519,899
Currency Chinese Yuan (CN¥) Romanian Leu (RON)
Languages Chinese Romanian
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +86 +40
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 110 112