Moving to Belgium from Romania

moving to

What to Expect

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

If you moved from Romania to Belgium, you would find that Belgium is 2.0 times more expensive than Romania overall. A RON350,000 salary in Romania would need to be roughly €132,000 in Belgium to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Dutch, French and German.

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Is Belgium cheaper than Romania?

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 93.0% more

Groceries

pay 77.4% more

Transportation

pay 56.7% more

Housing

pay 2.6 times more

Childcare

pay 2.5 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 64.1% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 RON = 0.1881 EUR (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.

What salary do you need in Belgium?

What does your salary buy?

RON350,000 → €132,000

To maintain the same standard of living in Belgium

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 Belgium cost about 54% more than cities in Romania.

Romania

Brasov 39%
Timisoara 37%
Bacau 34%

Belgium

Brugge 56%
Hasselt 55%
Mons 53%
Charleroi 52%

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

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

Moved in 2023
12,889 ↓ 9% vs 2022

people moved from Romania to Belgium · OECD (latest data available)

Who's moving to Belgium?

Top countries of origin for Belgium's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

The numbers behind daily life in Belgium compared to Romania.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

RO
1.1
BE
1.1
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

RO
9.6
BE
4.6

Belgium performs significantly better than Romania across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

RO
$2,614
BE
$7,489
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

RO
36.2
BE
35.7

Romania generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Belgium 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

RO
46.0
BE
15.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

RO
3.7t
BE
7.3t

Romania generally does better on environment, though Belgium leads in air pollution deaths.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

RO
35.8
BE
44.2
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

RO
7.6%
BE
52.8%

Belgium generally does better on infrastructure, though Romania leads in water stress level.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

RO
6.0%
BE
5.9%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

RO
$22,538
BE
$60,750

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

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

RO
76.5 yrs
BE
82.3 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

RO
6.0
BE
3.1

Belgium performs significantly better than Romania across all family life metrics.

Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), National Agency for Fiscal Administration (ANAF) (2016), Service Public Fédéral Finances (2016). How we calculate this

Weather in Belgium vs Romania

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

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

Avg. annual high / low

Brussels Rain: 32.3 in/yr (820 mm)
57° / 44°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Bucharest Brussels
Jan–Mar 44°/27°F (7°/-3°C) 45°/34°F (7°/1°C)
Apr–Jun 74°/49°F (23°/9°C) 63°/47°F (17°/8°C)
Jul–Sep 83°/57°F (28°/14°C) 70°/54°F (21°/13°C)
Oct–Dec 51°/34°F (10°/1°C) 50°/40°F (10°/4°C)
View all months
Month Bucharest Brussels
Jan 37°/23°F (2.8°/-4.8°C) 42°/33°F (5.6°/0.7°C)
Feb 42°/25°F (5.5°/-4.0°C) 44°/33°F (6.4°/0.6°C)
Mar 53°/32°F (11.4°/0.1°C) 50°/37°F (9.9°/2.9°C)
Apr 64°/41°F (18.0°/4.9°C) 56°/41°F (13.1°/4.8°C)
May 75°/49°F (24.0°/9.6°C) 64°/48°F (17.7°/8.9°C)
Jun 82°/56°F (27.7°/13.6°C) 68°/53°F (20.0°/11.5°C)
Jul 86°/60°F (29.8°/15.4°C) 72°/56°F (22.4°/13.6°C)
Aug 86°/59°F (29.8°/14.9°C) 72°/56°F (22.5°/13.4°C)
Sep 76°/51°F (24.6°/10.5°C) 66°/51°F (18.7°/10.8°C)
Oct 64°/42°F (17.9°/5.4°C) 58°/46°F (14.4°/7.6°C)
Nov 50°/33°F (9.8°/0.6°C) 48°/39°F (9.1°/3.7°C)
Dec 39°/26°F (3.8°/-3.4°C) 44°/35°F (6.5°/1.9°C)

Data: National Meteorological Administration National Meteorological Administration, Institut Royal Météorologique Institut Royal Météorologique

Can you move from Romania to Belgium?

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Romania and Belgium. To live, work, or study long-term in Belgium, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Belgium's immigration authority.

Romania passport

Romania passport holder visiting Belgium

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

Belgium passport holder visiting Romania

Visa Free
Belgium passport holders can enter Romania 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 Belgium than Romania?

On average Belgium is around 100% pricier than Romania, with notable variation by city.

How much money do I need to move to Belgium?

Budget about €33,000 for 3 months in Belgium (based on a RON350,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Belgium?

Connectivity is usually fine (Belgium: 44.2 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Belgium offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?

Is Belgium safe for expats?

Belgium performs significantly better than Romania across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Belgium is 1.1 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.1 in Romania.

How is healthcare in Belgium compared to Romania?

Romania generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Belgium leads in health coverage index. There are 35.7 doctors per 10,000 people in Belgium, compared to 36.2 in Romania. Belgium scores 86 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Romania: 78).

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

The average high temperature in Brussels is 57°F, compared to 63°F in Bucharest. Brussels receives around 32.3 in of rainfall per year, while Bucharest gets 23.4 in.

What language do they speak in Belgium?

The official languages in Belgium are Dutch, French and German. In Romania, the official language is Romanian.

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At a Glance

RO BE
Population 19,020,271 11,941,781
Currency Romanian Leu (RON) Euro (€)
Languages Romanian Dutch, French, German
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +40 +32
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 112