Moving to Romania from Iceland
What to Expect
Considering a move from Iceland to Romania? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Iceland to Romania, you would find that Romania is 46.9% cheaper than Iceland overall. A ISK9,423,000 salary in Iceland would need to be roughly RON122,333 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 45°F in Reykjavik, making it significantly warmer.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Iceland and Romania.
What does your salary buy?
ISK9,423,000 → RON122,333
To maintain the same standard of living in Romania
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 51.3% less
Groceries
pay 57.9% less
Transportation
pay 56.2% less
Housing
pay 44.7% less
Childcare
pay 8.6% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 59.4% 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.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Iceland to Romania.
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Romania compared to Iceland.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Iceland performs better than Romania across all safety metrics.
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
Iceland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Romania leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Iceland 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
Iceland 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
Iceland 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
Iceland performs better than Romania across all family life metrics.
Data: Directorate of Internal Revenue, 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 | Reykjavik | Bucharest |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 37°/28°F (3°/-2°C) | 44°/27°F (7°/-3°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 48°/38°F (9°/4°C) | 74°/49°F (23°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 54°/45°F (12°/7°C) | 83°/57°F (28°/14°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 39°/31°F (4°/-1°C) | 51°/34°F (10°/1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Reykjavik | Bucharest |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35°/27°F (1.9°/-3.0°C) | 37°/23°F (2.8°/-4.8°C) |
| Feb | 37°/28°F (2.8°/-2.1°C) | 42°/25°F (5.5°/-4.0°C) |
| Mar | 38°/28°F (3.2°/-2.0°C) | 53°/32°F (11.4°/0.1°C) |
| Apr | 42°/33°F (5.7°/0.4°C) | 64°/41°F (18.0°/4.9°C) |
| May | 49°/38°F (9.4°/3.6°C) | 75°/49°F (24.0°/9.6°C) |
| Jun | 53°/44°F (11.7°/6.7°C) | 82°/56°F (27.7°/13.6°C) |
| Jul | 56°/47°F (13.3°/8.3°C) | 86°/60°F (29.8°/15.4°C) |
| Aug | 55°/46°F (13.0°/7.9°C) | 86°/59°F (29.8°/14.9°C) |
| Sep | 50°/41°F (10.1°/5.0°C) | 76°/51°F (24.6°/10.5°C) |
| Oct | 44°/36°F (6.8°/2.2°C) | 64°/42°F (17.9°/5.4°C) |
| Nov | 38°/30°F (3.4°/-1.3°C) | 50°/33°F (9.8°/0.6°C) |
| Dec | 36°/27°F (2.2°/-2.8°C) | 39°/26°F (3.8°/-3.4°C) |
Data:
Icelandic Meteorological Office,
National Meteorological Administration
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Iceland 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.
Iceland passport holder visiting Romania
Visa Free
Romania passport holder visiting Iceland
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 Iceland?
On average Romania is about 64% less expensive than Iceland, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Romania?
Budget about RON30,583 for 3 months in Romania (based on a ISK9,423,000 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?
Iceland performs better than Romania across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Romania is 1.3 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.1 in Iceland.
How is healthcare in Romania compared to Iceland?
Iceland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Romania leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 34.7 doctors per 10,000 people in Romania, compared to 45.2 in Iceland. Romania scores 78 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Iceland: 89).
What's the weather like in Romania compared to Iceland?
The average high temperature in Bucharest is 63°F, compared to 45°F in Reykjavik. Bucharest receives around 23.4 in of rainfall per year, while Reykjavik gets 31.4 in.
What language do they speak in Romania?
The official language in Romania is Romanian. In Iceland, the official language is Icelandic.
