Moving to Romania from New Zealand
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from New Zealand to Romania — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from New Zealand to Romania, you would find that Romania is 44.0% cheaper than New Zealand overall. A NZ$130,000 salary in New Zealand would need to be roughly RON195,000 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 New Zealand?
The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 21.1% less
Groceries
pay 42.3% less
Transportation
pay 30.7% less
Housing
pay 59.2% less
Childcare
pay 46.8% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 38.2% 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?
NZ$130,000 → RON195,000
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 27% less than cities in New Zealand.
Compare cities head-to-head
Get free moving quotes to Romania
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from New Zealand to Romania, and how the trend has changed.
Key Indicator Comparison
How New Zealand and Romania stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
New Zealand generally does better on safety, though Romania leads in homicide rate.
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 New Zealand 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
New Zealand 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
New Zealand 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
New Zealand 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
New Zealand performs better than Romania across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), New Zealand Inland Revenue Department (2016), National Agency for Fiscal Administration (ANAF) (2016). How we calculate this
Weather in Romania vs New Zealand
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Auckland | Bucharest |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 74°/61°F (23°/16°C) | 44°/27°F (7°/-3°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 63°/51°F (18°/11°C) | 74°/49°F (23°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 60°/47°F (15°/8°C) | 83°/57°F (28°/14°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 67°/55°F (20°/13°C) | 51°/34°F (10°/1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Auckland | Bucharest |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 74°/61°F (23.6°/16.0°C) | 37°/23°F (2.8°/-4.8°C) |
| Feb | 75°/62°F (24.1°/16.5°C) | 42°/25°F (5.5°/-4.0°C) |
| Mar | 73°/59°F (22.6°/14.9°C) | 53°/32°F (11.4°/0.1°C) |
| Apr | 68°/55°F (20.0°/12.7°C) | 64°/41°F (18.0°/4.9°C) |
| May | 63°/51°F (17.4°/10.6°C) | 75°/49°F (24.0°/9.6°C) |
| Jun | 59°/47°F (15.2°/8.4°C) | 82°/56°F (27.7°/13.6°C) |
| Jul | 58°/46°F (14.3°/7.5°C) | 86°/60°F (29.8°/15.4°C) |
| Aug | 59°/47°F (14.9°/8.2°C) | 86°/59°F (29.8°/14.9°C) |
| Sep | 62°/49°F (16.4°/9.7°C) | 76°/51°F (24.6°/10.5°C) |
| Oct | 64°/52°F (17.7°/11.2°C) | 64°/42°F (17.9°/5.4°C) |
| Nov | 67°/55°F (19.5°/12.8°C) | 50°/33°F (9.8°/0.6°C) |
| Dec | 71°/59°F (21.8°/14.9°C) | 39°/26°F (3.8°/-3.4°C) |
Data:
New Zealand National Meteorological Service,
National Meteorological Administration
Can you move from New Zealand to Romania?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between New Zealand 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.
New Zealand passport holder visiting Romania
Visa Free
Romania passport holder visiting New Zealand
Electronic Travel AuthorisationData: 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 New Zealand?
Generally yes: Romania runs about 44% cheaper than New Zealand 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 NZ$130,000 comparable salary, that's around RON48,750 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 New Zealand and Romania.
Is Romania safe for expats?
New Zealand 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 New Zealand.
How is healthcare in Romania compared to New Zealand?
Romania generally does better on health & wellbeing, though New Zealand leads in health coverage index. There are 36.2 doctors per 10,000 people in Romania, compared to 36.1 in New Zealand. Romania scores 78 on the WHO universal health coverage index (New Zealand: 85).
What's the weather like in Romania compared to New Zealand?
The average high temperature in Bucharest is 63°F, compared to 66°F in Auckland. Bucharest receives around 23.4 in of rainfall per year, while Auckland gets 43.3 in.
What language do they speak in Romania?
The official language in Romania is Romanian. In New Zealand, the official languages are English, Māori and New Zealand Sign Language.
