Moving to Romania from Greece

moving to

What to Expect

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

If you moved from Greece to Romania, you would find that Romania is 29.2% cheaper than Greece overall. A €67,000 salary in Greece would need to be roughly RON253,000 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 72°F in Athens, making it significantly cooler.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

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

What does your salary buy?

€67,000 → RON253,000

To maintain the same standard of living in Romania

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 23.5% less

Groceries

pay 29.3% less

Transportation

pay 27.4% less

Housing

pay 37.4% less

Childcare

pay 11.1% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 30.1% less

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 EUR = 5.34 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 17% less than cities in Greece.

Greece

Xanthi 43%
Kavala 42%

Romania

Brasov 39%
Timisoara 37%
Bacau 34%

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

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

Living there in 2020
8,458 ↑ 82% vs 2015

people born in Greece 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 Greece and Romania stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

GR
0.8
RO
1.1
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

GR
7.3
RO
9.6

Greece performs better than Romania across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

GR
$3,454
RO
$2,614
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

GR
65.8
RO
36.2

Greece generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Romania leads in healthcare spending per person.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

GR
23.0
RO
46.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

GR
5.0t
RO
3.7t

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

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

GR
44.7
RO
35.8
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

GR
20.3%
RO
7.6%

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

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

GR
8.5%
RO
6.0%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

GR
$26,948
RO
$22,538

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

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

GR
81.8 yrs
RO
76.5 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

GR
3.2
RO
6.0

Greece generally does better on family life, though Romania leads in literacy rate.

Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), GSIS, Greece (2016), National Agency for Fiscal Administration (ANAF) (2016), The World Factbook (2018). How we calculate this

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Athens Rain: 16.3 in/yr (414 mm)
72° / 54°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Athens Bucharest
Jan–Mar 57°/42°F (14°/6°C) 44°/27°F (7°/-3°C)
Apr–Jun 78°/57°F (26°/14°C) 74°/49°F (23°/9°C)
Jul–Sep 90°/67°F (32°/20°C) 83°/57°F (28°/14°C)
Oct–Dec 65°/50°F (18°/10°C) 51°/34°F (10°/1°C)
View all months
Month Athens Bucharest
Jan 54°/41°F (12.5°/5.2°C) 37°/23°F (2.8°/-4.8°C)
Feb 56°/42°F (13.5°/5.4°C) 42°/25°F (5.5°/-4.0°C)
Mar 60°/44°F (15.7°/6.7°C) 53°/32°F (11.4°/0.1°C)
Apr 68°/49°F (20.2°/9.6°C) 64°/41°F (18.0°/4.9°C)
May 79°/57°F (26.0°/13.9°C) 75°/49°F (24.0°/9.6°C)
Jun 88°/65°F (31.1°/18.2°C) 82°/56°F (27.7°/13.6°C)
Jul 92°/69°F (33.5°/20.8°C) 86°/60°F (29.8°/15.4°C)
Aug 92°/69°F (33.2°/20.7°C) 86°/59°F (29.8°/14.9°C)
Sep 85°/63°F (29.2°/17.3°C) 76°/51°F (24.6°/10.5°C)
Oct 74°/56°F (23.3°/13.4°C) 64°/42°F (17.9°/5.4°C)
Nov 65°/50°F (18.1°/9.8°C) 50°/33°F (9.8°/0.6°C)
Dec 57°/44°F (14.1°/6.8°C) 39°/26°F (3.8°/-3.4°C)

Data: Hellenic National Meteorological Service Hellenic National Meteorological Service, National Meteorological Administration National Meteorological Administration

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Greece 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.

Greece passport

Greece passport holder visiting Romania

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

Romania passport holder visiting Greece

Visa Free
Romania passport holders can enter Greece 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 Greece?

Generally yes: Romania runs about 29% cheaper than Greece on average, though it depends heavily on the city.

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 €67,000 comparable salary, that's around RON63,250 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 Greece and Romania.

Is Romania safe for expats?

Greece performs better than Romania across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Romania is 1.1 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.8 in Greece.

How is healthcare in Romania compared to Greece?

Greece generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Romania leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 36.2 doctors per 10,000 people in Romania, compared to 65.8 in Greece. Romania scores 78 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Greece: 77).

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

The average high temperature in Bucharest is 63°F, compared to 72°F in Athens. Bucharest receives around 23.4 in of rainfall per year, while Athens gets 16.3 in.

What language do they speak in Romania?

The official language in Romania is Romanian. In Greece, the official language is Greek.

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At a Glance

GR RO
Population 10,413,962 19,020,271
Currency Euro (€) Romanian Leu (RON)
Languages Greek Romanian
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +30 +40
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 112