Moving to Italy from Romania

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What to Expect

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

If you moved from Romania to Italy, you would find that Italy is 57.8% more expensive than Romania overall. A RON345,233 salary in Romania would need to be roughly €98,744 in Italy to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Catalan and Italian.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

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

What does your salary buy?

RON345,233 €98,744

To maintain the same standard of living in Italy

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 43.8% more

Groceries

pay 72.6% more

Transportation

pay 84.9% more

Housing

pay 2.2 times more

Childcare

pay 14.1% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 45.6% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate:1 RON = 0.1907 EUR(June 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 Italy cost about 38% more than cities in Romania.

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 Italy.

Moved in 2023
26,711 ↓ 16% vs 2022

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

Who's moving to Italy?

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

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

The numbers behind daily life in Italy compared to Romania.

Is it safe?

Homicide rateUnited Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

per 100,000 people per year

RO
1.3
IT
0.6
Road traffic deathsUnited Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

RO
9.6
IT
5.0

Italy performs significantly better than Romania across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per personWorld Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

RO
$2,614
IT
$4,993
Doctors per 10,000 peopleUnited Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

RO
34.7
IT
42.5

Italy generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Romania leads in healthcare spending per person.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deathsUnited Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

RO
46.0
IT
15.0
CO₂ emissions per capitaWorld Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

RO
3.7t
IT
5.1t

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

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 peopleUnited Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

RO
32.4
IT
31.5
Water stress levelUnited Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

RO
7.4%
IT
29.6%

Romania generally does better on infrastructure, though Italy leads in electricity per capita.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rateThe World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

RO
5.6%
IT
7.6%
GDP per capitaThe World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

RO
$40,500
IT
$52,700

Romania generally does better on employment & economy, though Italy leads in gdp per capita.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancyThe World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

RO
75.8 yrs
IT
82.6 yrs
Infant mortalityThe World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

RO
5.8
IT
3.2

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

Data: National Agency for Fiscal Administration (ANAF), The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

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

Avg. annual high / low

RomeRain: 31.7 in/yr (804 mm)
69°/50°F

Avg. annual high / low

MonthsBucharestRome
Jan–Mar44°/27°F (7°/-3°C)56°/39°F (13°/4°C)
Apr–Jun74°/49°F (23°/9°C)72°/53°F (22°/11°C)
Jul–Sep83°/57°F (28°/14°C)85°/63°F (29°/17°C)
Oct–Dec51°/34°F (10°/1°C)62°/45°F (17°/7°C)
View all months
MonthBucharestRome
Jan37°/23°F (2.8°/-4.8°C)53°/38°F (11.9°/3.1°C)
Feb42°/25°F (5.5°/-4.0°C)55°/38°F (13.0°/3.5°C)
Mar53°/32°F (11.4°/0.1°C)59°/41°F (15.2°/5.2°C)
Apr64°/41°F (18.0°/4.9°C)64°/46°F (17.7°/7.5°C)
May75°/49°F (24.0°/9.6°C)73°/53°F (22.8°/11.6°C)
Jun82°/56°F (27.7°/13.6°C)80°/60°F (26.9°/15.3°C)
Jul86°/60°F (29.8°/15.4°C)87°/64°F (30.3°/18.0°C)
Aug86°/59°F (29.8°/14.9°C)87°/65°F (30.6°/18.3°C)
Sep76°/51°F (24.6°/10.5°C)80°/59°F (26.5°/15.2°C)
Oct64°/42°F (17.9°/5.4°C)71°/52°F (21.4°/11.3°C)
Nov50°/33°F (9.8°/0.6°C)61°/44°F (15.9°/6.9°C)
Dec39°/26°F (3.8°/-3.4°C)55°/40°F (12.6°/4.2°C)

Data: National Meteorological Administration National Meteorological Administration, Italian Air Force- Department of Meteorology Italian Air Force- Department of Meteorology

Visitor Visa Requirements

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

Romania passport

Romania passport holder visiting Italy

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

Italy passport holder visiting Romania

Visa Free
Italy 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 Italy than Romania?

On average Italy is around 50% pricier than Romania, with notable variation by city.

How much money do I need to move to Italy?

Budget about €24,686 for 3 months in Italy (based on a RON345,233 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Italy?

Connectivity is usually fine (Italy: 31.5 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Italy offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?

Is Italy safe for expats?

Italy performs significantly better than Romania across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Italy is 0.6 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.3 in Romania.

How is healthcare in Italy compared to Romania?

Italy generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Romania leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 42.5 doctors per 10,000 people in Italy, compared to 34.7 in Romania. Italy scores 84 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Romania: 78).

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

The average high temperature in Rome is 69°F, compared to 63°F in Bucharest. Rome receives around 31.7 in of rainfall per year, while Bucharest gets 23.4 in.

What language do they speak in Italy?

The official languages in Italy are Catalan and Italian. In Romania, the official language is Romanian.

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At a Glance

RO IT
Population18,519,89961,095,551
CurrencyRomanian Leu (RON)Euro (€)
LanguagesRomanianCatalan, Italian
Driving sideRightRight
Calling code+40+39
Time zones11
Emergency number112112