Moving to Romania from Macedonia

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What to Expect

Everything you need to know before relocating from Macedonia to Romania — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.

If you moved from Macedonia to Romania, you would find that Romania is 18.8% more expensive than Macedonia overall. A MKD4,100,000 salary in Macedonia would need to be roughly RON423,000 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 ↓

How Far Will Your Money Go?

What to expect for your wallet after moving from Macedonia to Romania.

What does your salary buy?

MKD4,100,000 → RON423,000

To maintain the same standard of living in Romania

Calculate with your salary →

Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day

Restaurants

pay 37.3% more

Groceries

pay 8.2% more

Transportation

pay 3.8% less

Housing

pay 28.4% more

Childcare

pay 70.9% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 30.1% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 MKD = 0.0867 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 6% less than cities in Macedonia.

Macedonia

Kumanovo 38%
Tetovo 37%

Romania

Brasov 39%
Timisoara 37%
Bacau 34%

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

How many people actually move from Macedonia to Romania, based on official data.

Living there in 2020
242 ↓ 84% vs 2015

people born in Macedonia 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

Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Macedonia to Romania.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

MK
1.5
RO
1.1
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

MK
5.7
RO
9.6

Macedonia generally does better on safety, though Romania leads in homicide rate.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

MK
$1,808
RO
$2,614
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

MK
29.4
RO
36.2

Macedonia 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

MK
62.0
RO
46.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

MK
4.0t
RO
3.7t

Romania performs significantly better than Macedonia across all environment metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

MK
29.9
RO
35.8
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

MK
52.5%
RO
7.6%

Macedonia generally does better on infrastructure, though Romania leads in broadband per 100 people.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

MK
12.3%
RO
6.0%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

MK
$10,490
RO
$22,538

Romania generally does better on employment & economy, though Macedonia leads in top income tax rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

MK
76.6 yrs
RO
76.5 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

MK
2.5
RO
6.0

Macedonia 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), Public Revenue Office (2016), National Agency for Fiscal Administration (ANAF) (2016), The World Factbook (2020). How we calculate this

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Skopje Rain: 19.8 in/yr (504 mm)
65° / 43°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Skopje Bucharest
Jan–Mar 47°/30°F (9°/-1°C) 44°/27°F (7°/-3°C)
Apr–Jun 74°/49°F (23°/9°C) 74°/49°F (23°/9°C)
Jul–Sep 84°/57°F (29°/14°C) 83°/57°F (28°/14°C)
Oct–Dec 54°/35°F (12°/2°C) 51°/34°F (10°/1°C)
View all months
Month Skopje Bucharest
Jan 39°/26°F (4.0°/-3.6°C) 37°/23°F (2.8°/-4.8°C)
Feb 47°/30°F (8.4°/-1.3°C) 42°/25°F (5.5°/-4.0°C)
Mar 56°/35°F (13.6°/1.9°C) 53°/32°F (11.4°/0.1°C)
Apr 65°/42°F (18.6°/5.4°C) 64°/41°F (18.0°/4.9°C)
May 75°/50°F (23.9°/10.0°C) 75°/49°F (24.0°/9.6°C)
Jun 81°/55°F (27.4°/13.0°C) 82°/56°F (27.7°/13.6°C)
Jul 86°/59°F (29.8°/14.8°C) 86°/60°F (29.8°/15.4°C)
Aug 86°/58°F (30.0°/14.6°C) 86°/59°F (29.8°/14.9°C)
Sep 79°/53°F (26.1°/11.4°C) 76°/51°F (24.6°/10.5°C)
Oct 67°/43°F (19.5°/6.3°C) 64°/42°F (17.9°/5.4°C)
Nov 52°/35°F (11.2°/1.4°C) 50°/33°F (9.8°/0.6°C)
Dec 42°/28°F (5.3°/-2.2°C) 39°/26°F (3.8°/-3.4°C)

Data: HydroMeteorological Service of Republic of North Macedonia HydroMeteorological Service of Republic of North Macedonia, National Meteorological Administration National Meteorological Administration

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Macedonia 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.

Macedonia passport

Macedonia passport holder visiting Romania

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

Romania passport holder visiting Macedonia

Visa Free
Romania passport holders can enter Macedonia 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 Macedonia?

No — Romania is on average about 19% more expensive than Macedonia. City-level variation matters.

How much money do I need to move to Romania?

Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly RON105,750 in Romania on a MKD4,100,000 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?

Macedonia generally does better on safety, though Romania leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in Romania is 1.1 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.5 in Macedonia.

How is healthcare in Romania compared to Macedonia?

Macedonia 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 29.4 in Macedonia. Romania scores 78 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Macedonia: 74).

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

The average high temperature in Bucharest is 63°F, compared to 65°F in Skopje. Bucharest receives around 23.4 in of rainfall per year, while Skopje gets 19.8 in.

What language do they speak in Romania?

The official language in Romania is Romanian. In Macedonia, the official language is Macedonian.

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At a Glance

MK RO
Population 1,820,909 19,020,271
Currency Macedonian Denar (MKD) Romanian Leu (RON)
Languages Macedonian Romanian
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +389 +40
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 112