Moving to South Africa from Romania
What to Expect
Considering a move from Romania to South Africa? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Romania to South Africa, you would find that South Africa is 9.4% more expensive than Romania overall. A RON350,000 salary in Romania would need to be roughly ZAR1,340,000 in South Africa to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is South Africa cheaper than Romania?
How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 15.6% less
Groceries
pay 13.9% more
Transportation
pay 29.6% more
Housing
pay 26.2% more
Childcare
pay 46.6% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 10.7% 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 South Africa?
What does your salary buy?
RON350,000 → ZAR1,340,000
To maintain the same standard of living in South Africa
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 South Africa cost about 11% 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 South Africa.
Who's moving to South Africa?
Top countries of origin for South Africa's foreign-born residents.
- 690,243
- 350,463
- 192,008
- 94,119
- 67,382
- 63,892
- · · ·
-
58.1,948
Romania
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in South Africa compared to Romania.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Romania performs better than South Africa across all safety metrics.
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 South Africa leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Romania performs better than South Africa across all environment metrics.
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
Romania generally does better on infrastructure, though South Africa leads in electricity per capita.
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
share of people below the poverty line
Romania performs better than South Africa across all employment & economy metrics.
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
percentage of adults who can read and write
Romania generally does better on family life, though South Africa leads in education spending.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), National Agency for Fiscal Administration (ANAF) (2016), South African Revenue Service (2017). How we calculate this
Weather in South Africa vs Romania
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Bucharest | Johannesburg |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 44°/27°F (7°/-3°C) | 77°/57°F (25°/14°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 74°/49°F (23°/9°C) | 66°/45°F (19°/7°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 83°/57°F (28°/14°C) | 67°/44°F (20°/7°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 51°/34°F (10°/1°C) | 76°/55°F (24°/13°C) |
View all months
| Month | Bucharest | Johannesburg |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 37°/23°F (2.8°/-4.8°C) | 78°/58°F (25.6°/14.7°C) |
| Feb | 42°/25°F (5.5°/-4.0°C) | 77°/57°F (25.1°/14.1°C) |
| Mar | 53°/32°F (11.4°/0.1°C) | 75°/56°F (24.0°/13.1°C) |
| Apr | 64°/41°F (18.0°/4.9°C) | 70°/51°F (21.1°/10.3°C) |
| May | 75°/49°F (24.0°/9.6°C) | 66°/45°F (18.9°/7.2°C) |
| Jun | 82°/56°F (27.7°/13.6°C) | 61°/39°F (16.0°/4.1°C) |
| Jul | 86°/60°F (29.8°/15.4°C) | 62°/39°F (16.7°/4.1°C) |
| Aug | 86°/59°F (29.8°/14.9°C) | 67°/43°F (19.4°/6.2°C) |
| Sep | 76°/51°F (24.6°/10.5°C) | 73°/49°F (22.8°/9.3°C) |
| Oct | 64°/42°F (17.9°/5.4°C) | 75°/52°F (23.8°/11.2°C) |
| Nov | 50°/33°F (9.8°/0.6°C) | 76°/55°F (24.2°/12.7°C) |
| Dec | 39°/26°F (3.8°/-3.4°C) | 77°/57°F (25.2°/13.9°C) |
Data:
National Meteorological Administration,
South African Weather Service
Can you move from Romania to South Africa?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Romania and South Africa. To live, work, or study long-term in South Africa, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check South Africa's immigration authority.
Romania passport holder visiting South Africa
Visa Free
South Africa passport holder visiting Romania
Visa RequiredData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in South Africa than Romania?
On average South Africa is around 9% pricier than Romania, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to South Africa?
Budget about ZAR335,000 for 3 months in South Africa (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 South Africa?
Connectivity is usually fine (South Africa: 5.3 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does South Africa offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is South Africa safe for expats?
Romania performs better than South Africa across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in South Africa is 43.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.1 in Romania.
How is healthcare in South Africa compared to Romania?
Romania generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Africa leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 7.9 doctors per 10,000 people in South Africa, compared to 36.2 in Romania. South Africa scores 71 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Romania: 78).
What's the weather like in South Africa compared to Romania?
The average high temperature in Johannesburg is 71°F, compared to 63°F in Bucharest. Johannesburg receives around 28.1 in of rainfall per year, while Bucharest gets 23.4 in.
What language do they speak in South Africa?
The official languages in South Africa are Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu. In Romania, the official language is Romanian.
Compare further: Romania vs. South Africa
At a Glance
RO
|
ZA
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population | 19,020,271 | 64,747,319 |
| Currency | Romanian Leu (RON) | South African Rand (ZAR) |
| Languages | Romanian | Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu |
| Driving side | Right | Left |
| Calling code | +40 | +27 |
| Time zones | 1 | 1 |
| Emergency number | 112 | 10111 |