Moving to Romania from Poland

moving to

What to Expect

Considering a move from Poland to Romania? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.

If you moved from Poland to Romania, you would find that Romania is 10.0% cheaper than Poland overall. A PLN284,306 salary in Poland would need to be roughly RON280,480 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?

A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Poland and Romania.

What does your salary buy?

PLN284,306 RON280,480

To maintain the same standard of living in Romania

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 4.5% less

Groceries

pay 5.8% less

Transportation

pay 18.6% less

Housing

pay 44.4% less

Childcare

pay 22.9% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 8.2% less

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 PLN = 1.21 RON (July 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 13% less than cities in Poland.

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

What the data shows about people moving from Poland to Romania.

Living there in 2020
1,379 ↑ 711% vs 2015

people born in Poland 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

The numbers behind daily life in Romania compared to Poland.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

per 100,000 people per year

PL
0.7
RO
1.3
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

PL
6.5
RO
9.6

Poland performs better than Romania across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

PL
$3,939
RO
$2,614
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

affects wait times and access to care

PL
33.9
RO
34.7

Romania generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Poland leads in health coverage index.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

PL
41.0
RO
46.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

PL
7.6t
RO
3.7t

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

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

PL
23.0
RO
32.4
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

PL
32.1%
RO
7.4%

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

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

PL
2.9%
RO
5.6%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

PL
$44,100
RO
$40,500

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

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

PL
78.8 yrs
RO
75.8 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

PL
4.2
RO
5.8

Poland performs better than Romania across all family life metrics.

Data: Ministry of Finance, Poland, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Warsaw Rain: 20.9 in/yr (532 mm)
55° / 40°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Warsaw Bucharest
Jan–Mar 38°/26°F (3°/-3°C) 44°/27°F (7°/-3°C)
Apr–Jun 66°/46°F (19°/8°C) 74°/49°F (23°/9°C)
Jul–Sep 72°/53°F (22°/12°C) 83°/57°F (28°/14°C)
Oct–Dec 44°/33°F (7°/1°C) 51°/34°F (10°/1°C)
View all months
Month Warsaw Bucharest
Jan 33°/24°F (0.7°/-4.4°C) 37°/23°F (2.8°/-4.8°C)
Feb 36°/25°F (2.1°/-3.9°C) 42°/25°F (5.5°/-4.0°C)
Mar 44°/30°F (6.9°/-0.9°C) 53°/32°F (11.4°/0.1°C)
Apr 57°/38°F (13.9°/3.6°C) 64°/41°F (18.0°/4.9°C)
May 68°/47°F (19.8°/8.6°C) 75°/49°F (24.0°/9.6°C)
Jun 72°/53°F (22.1°/11.6°C) 82°/56°F (27.7°/13.6°C)
Jul 76°/57°F (24.6°/13.7°C) 86°/60°F (29.8°/15.4°C)
Aug 75°/55°F (23.9°/13.0°C) 86°/59°F (29.8°/14.9°C)
Sep 65°/48°F (18.4°/9.0°C) 76°/51°F (24.6°/10.5°C)
Oct 55°/40°F (12.8°/4.7°C) 64°/42°F (17.9°/5.4°C)
Nov 43°/33°F (5.9°/0.5°C) 50°/33°F (9.8°/0.6°C)
Dec 35°/26°F (1.6°/-3.1°C) 39°/26°F (3.8°/-3.4°C)

Data: Institute of Meteorology and Water Management Institute of Meteorology and Water Management, National Meteorological Administration National Meteorological Administration

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Poland 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.

Poland passport

Poland passport holder visiting Romania

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

Romania passport holder visiting Poland

Visa Free
Romania passport holders can enter Poland 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 Poland?

On average Romania is about 18% less expensive than Poland, with major cities narrowing the gap.

How much money do I need to move to Romania?

Budget about RON70,120 for 3 months in Romania (based on a PLN284,306 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?

Poland performs better than Romania across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Romania is 1.3 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.7 in Poland.

How is healthcare in Romania compared to Poland?

Romania generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Poland leads in health coverage index. There are 34.7 doctors per 10,000 people in Romania, compared to 33.9 in Poland. Romania scores 78 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Poland: 82).

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

The average high temperature in Bucharest is 63°F, compared to 55°F in Warsaw. Bucharest receives around 23.4 in of rainfall per year, while Warsaw gets 20.9 in.

What language do they speak in Romania?

The official language in Romania is Romanian. In Poland, the official language is Polish.

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At a Glance

PL RO
Population 38,093,101 18,519,899
Currency Polish Zloty (PLN) Romanian Leu (RON)
Languages Polish Romanian
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +48 +40
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 112