Moving to Romania from Spain
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Spain to Romania — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Spain to Romania, you would find that Romania is 38.3% cheaper than Spain overall. A €67,000 salary in Spain would need to be roughly RON221,000 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?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Spain to Romania.
What does your salary buy?
€67,000 → RON221,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Romania
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 33.3% less
Groceries
pay 35.8% less
Transportation
pay 21.2% less
Housing
pay 55.6% less
Childcare
pay 11.1% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 17.7% 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.
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 34% less than cities in Spain.
Compare cities head-to-head
Get free moving quotes to Romania
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Spain to Romania, based on official data.
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Spain to Romania.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Spain performs better than Romania 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
Spain generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Romania 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
Spain generally does better on environment, though Romania leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
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
Spain generally does better on infrastructure, though Romania leads in water stress level.
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 generally does better on employment & economy, though Spain leads in gdp per capita.
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
Spain performs better than Romania across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Agencia Tributaria, Spain (2016), National Agency for Fiscal Administration (ANAF) (2016). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Madrid | Bucharest |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 55°/40°F (13°/4°C) | 44°/27°F (7°/-3°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 73°/53°F (23°/12°C) | 74°/49°F (23°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 86°/64°F (30°/18°C) | 83°/57°F (28°/14°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 58°/44°F (14°/7°C) | 51°/34°F (10°/1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Madrid | Bucharest |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 50°/37°F (9.8°/2.7°C) | 37°/23°F (2.8°/-4.8°C) |
| Feb | 54°/39°F (12.0°/3.7°C) | 42°/25°F (5.5°/-4.0°C) |
| Mar | 61°/43°F (16.3°/6.2°C) | 53°/32°F (11.4°/0.1°C) |
| Apr | 65°/46°F (18.2°/7.7°C) | 64°/41°F (18.0°/4.9°C) |
| May | 72°/52°F (22.2°/11.3°C) | 75°/49°F (24.0°/9.6°C) |
| Jun | 83°/61°F (28.2°/16.1°C) | 82°/56°F (27.7°/13.6°C) |
| Jul | 90°/66°F (32.1°/19.0°C) | 86°/60°F (29.8°/15.4°C) |
| Aug | 88°/66°F (31.3°/18.8°C) | 86°/59°F (29.8°/14.9°C) |
| Sep | 80°/60°F (26.4°/15.4°C) | 76°/51°F (24.6°/10.5°C) |
| Oct | 67°/51°F (19.4°/10.7°C) | 64°/42°F (17.9°/5.4°C) |
| Nov | 56°/43°F (13.5°/6.2°C) | 50°/33°F (9.8°/0.6°C) |
| Dec | 50°/38°F (10.0°/3.6°C) | 39°/26°F (3.8°/-3.4°C) |
Data:
Agencia Estatal de Meteorología,
National Meteorological Administration
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Spain 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.
Spain passport holder visiting Romania
Visa Free
Romania passport holder visiting Spain
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 Spain?
Yes — Romania is on average about 38% cheaper than Spain. City-level variation can be significant.
How much money do I need to move to Romania?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly RON55,250 in Romania on a €67,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Romania?
Internet is rarely the blocker — Romania has 35.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
Is Romania safe for expats?
Spain performs better than Romania across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Romania is 1.1 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.7 in Spain.
How is healthcare in Romania compared to Spain?
Spain generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Romania leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 36.2 doctors per 10,000 people in Romania, compared to 42.9 in Spain. Romania scores 78 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Spain: 85).
What's the weather like in Romania compared to Spain?
The average high temperature in Bucharest is 63°F, compared to 68°F in Madrid. Bucharest receives around 23.4 in of rainfall per year, while Madrid gets 16.6 in.
What language do they speak in Romania?
The official language in Romania is Romanian. In Spain, the official languages are Basque, Catalan, Galician and Spanish.
