Moving to Romania from Japan
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Japan to Romania — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Japan to Romania, you would find that Romania is 20.0% cheaper than Japan overall. A ¥12,000,000 salary in Japan would need to be roughly RON287,000 in Romania to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Romanian. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Romania cheaper than Japan?
Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 51.2% more
Groceries
pay 43.3% less
Transportation
pay 13.1% less
Housing
pay 28.1% less
Childcare
pay 14.6% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 21.5% 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.
What salary do you need in Romania?
What does your salary buy?
¥12,000,000 → RON287,000
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 5% less than cities in Japan.
Compare cities head-to-head
Get free moving quotes to Romania
We've teamed up with a vetted network of international movers to help MyLifeElsewhere readers plan their move with confidence. Tell us about your move and get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes in under 2 minutes.
- ✅ Up to 5 quotes from screened movers
- ✅ Licensed and insured providers only
- ✅ 100% free — you choose who contacts you
Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Japan to Romania, based on official data.
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Japan to Romania.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Japan 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
Romania generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Japan leads in health coverage index.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Japan 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
Japan 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
Japan 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
Japan performs better than Romania across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), National Tax Agency Japan (2016), National Agency for Fiscal Administration (ANAF) (2016), The World Factbook (2013). How we calculate this
Weather in Romania vs Japan
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Tokyo | Bucharest |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 53°/37°F (12°/3°C) | 44°/27°F (7°/-3°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 73°/58°F (23°/14°C) | 74°/49°F (23°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 85°/72°F (30°/22°C) | 83°/57°F (28°/14°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 63°/49°F (17°/9°C) | 51°/34°F (10°/1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Tokyo | Bucharest |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 50°/34°F (9.8°/1.2°C) | 37°/23°F (2.8°/-4.8°C) |
| Feb | 52°/36°F (10.9°/2.1°C) | 42°/25°F (5.5°/-4.0°C) |
| Mar | 58°/41°F (14.2°/5.0°C) | 53°/32°F (11.4°/0.1°C) |
| Apr | 67°/50°F (19.4°/9.8°C) | 64°/41°F (18.0°/4.9°C) |
| May | 74°/58°F (23.6°/14.6°C) | 75°/49°F (24.0°/9.6°C) |
| Jun | 79°/65°F (26.1°/18.5°C) | 82°/56°F (27.7°/13.6°C) |
| Jul | 86°/72°F (29.9°/22.4°C) | 86°/60°F (29.8°/15.4°C) |
| Aug | 88°/74°F (31.3°/23.5°C) | 86°/59°F (29.8°/14.9°C) |
| Sep | 82°/69°F (27.5°/20.3°C) | 76°/51°F (24.6°/10.5°C) |
| Oct | 72°/59°F (22.0°/14.8°C) | 64°/42°F (17.9°/5.4°C) |
| Nov | 62°/48°F (16.7°/8.8°C) | 50°/33°F (9.8°/0.6°C) |
| Dec | 54°/39°F (12.0°/3.8°C) | 39°/26°F (3.8°/-3.4°C) |
Data:
Japan Meteorological Agency,
National Meteorological Administration
Can you move from Japan to Romania?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Japan 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.
Japan passport holder visiting Romania
Visa Free
Romania passport holder visiting Japan
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 Japan?
Yes — Romania is on average about 20% cheaper than Japan. City-level variation can be significant.
How much money do I need to move to Romania?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly RON71,750 in Romania on a ¥12,000,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Romania?
Internet is rarely the blocker — Romania has 35.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
Is Romania safe for expats?
Japan performs better than Romania across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Romania is 1.1 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.2 in Japan.
How is healthcare in Romania compared to Japan?
Romania generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Japan leads in health coverage index. There are 36.2 doctors per 10,000 people in Romania, compared to 26.5 in Japan. Romania scores 78 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Japan: 83).
What's the weather like in Romania compared to Japan?
The average high temperature in Bucharest is 63°F, compared to 69°F in Tokyo. Bucharest receives around 23.4 in of rainfall per year, while Tokyo gets 62.9 in.
What language do they speak in Romania?
The official language in Romania is Romanian. In Japan, the official language is Japanese.
