Moving to Romania from South Africa
What to Expect
Considering a move from South Africa to Romania? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from South Africa to Romania, you would find that Romania is 8.6% cheaper than South Africa overall. A ZAR1,200,000 salary in South Africa would need to be roughly RON315,000 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 South Africa?
How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 18.5% more
Groceries
pay 12.2% less
Transportation
pay 22.8% less
Housing
pay 20.7% less
Childcare
pay 87.2% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 12.0% more
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?
ZAR1,200,000 → RON315,000
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 10% less than cities in South Africa.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from South Africa to Romania.
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Romania compared to South Africa.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Romania performs significantly 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 significantly 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 significantly 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), South African Revenue Service (2017), National Agency for Fiscal Administration (ANAF) (2016). How we calculate this
Weather in Romania vs South Africa
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Johannesburg | Bucharest |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 77°/57°F (25°/14°C) | 44°/27°F (7°/-3°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 66°/45°F (19°/7°C) | 74°/49°F (23°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 67°/44°F (20°/7°C) | 83°/57°F (28°/14°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 76°/55°F (24°/13°C) | 51°/34°F (10°/1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Johannesburg | Bucharest |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 78°/58°F (25.6°/14.7°C) | 37°/23°F (2.8°/-4.8°C) |
| Feb | 77°/57°F (25.1°/14.1°C) | 42°/25°F (5.5°/-4.0°C) |
| Mar | 75°/56°F (24.0°/13.1°C) | 53°/32°F (11.4°/0.1°C) |
| Apr | 70°/51°F (21.1°/10.3°C) | 64°/41°F (18.0°/4.9°C) |
| May | 66°/45°F (18.9°/7.2°C) | 75°/49°F (24.0°/9.6°C) |
| Jun | 61°/39°F (16.0°/4.1°C) | 82°/56°F (27.7°/13.6°C) |
| Jul | 62°/39°F (16.7°/4.1°C) | 86°/60°F (29.8°/15.4°C) |
| Aug | 67°/43°F (19.4°/6.2°C) | 86°/59°F (29.8°/14.9°C) |
| Sep | 73°/49°F (22.8°/9.3°C) | 76°/51°F (24.6°/10.5°C) |
| Oct | 75°/52°F (23.8°/11.2°C) | 64°/42°F (17.9°/5.4°C) |
| Nov | 76°/55°F (24.2°/12.7°C) | 50°/33°F (9.8°/0.6°C) |
| Dec | 77°/57°F (25.2°/13.9°C) | 39°/26°F (3.8°/-3.4°C) |
Data:
South African Weather Service,
National Meteorological Administration
Can you move from South Africa to Romania?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between South Africa 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.
South Africa passport holder visiting Romania
Visa Required
Romania passport holder visiting South Africa
Visa FreeData: 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 South Africa?
On average Romania is about 9% less expensive than South Africa, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Romania?
Budget about RON78,750 for 3 months in Romania (based on a ZAR1,200,000 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: 35.8 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?
Romania performs significantly better than South Africa across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Romania is 1.1 per 100,000 people, compared to 43.7 in South Africa.
How is healthcare in Romania compared to South Africa?
Romania generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Africa leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 36.2 doctors per 10,000 people in Romania, compared to 7.9 in South Africa. Romania scores 78 on the WHO universal health coverage index (South Africa: 71).
What's the weather like in Romania compared to South Africa?
The average high temperature in Bucharest is 63°F, compared to 71°F in Johannesburg. Bucharest receives around 23.4 in of rainfall per year, while Johannesburg gets 28.1 in.
What language do they speak in Romania?
The official language in Romania is Romanian. In South Africa, the official languages are Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu.
Compare further: South Africa vs. Romania
At a Glance
ZA
|
RO
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population | 64,747,319 | 19,020,271 |
| Currency | South African Rand (ZAR) | Romanian Leu (RON) |
| Languages | Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu | Romanian |
| Driving side | Left | Right |
| Calling code | +27 | +40 |
| Time zones | 1 | 1 |
| Emergency number | 10111 | 112 |