Moving to Romania from Switzerland
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Switzerland to Romania — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Switzerland to Romania, you would find that Romania is 63.5% cheaper than Switzerland overall. A CHF60,598 salary in Switzerland would need to be roughly RON122,200 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?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Switzerland to Romania.
What does your salary buy?
CHF60,598 → RON122,200
To maintain the same standard of living in Romania
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 64.6% less
Groceries
pay 60.2% less
Transportation
pay 56.4% less
Housing
pay 71.3% less
Childcare
pay 78.5% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 61.9% 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 61% less than cities in Switzerland.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Switzerland to Romania, and how the trend has changed.
Key Indicator Comparison
How Switzerland and Romania stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Switzerland 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
Switzerland 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
Switzerland performs better than Romania 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
Switzerland performs better than Romania across all infrastructure metrics.
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
Switzerland generally does better on employment & economy, though Romania leads in top income tax rate.
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
Switzerland performs better than Romania across all family life metrics.
Data: Swiss Federal Tax Administration, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Bern | Bucharest |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 41°/30°F (5°/-1°C) | 44°/27°F (7°/-3°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) | 74°/49°F (23°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 70°/53°F (21°/12°C) | 83°/57°F (28°/14°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 46°/36°F (8°/2°C) | 51°/34°F (10°/1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Bern | Bucharest |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36°/27°F (2.0°/-2.8°C) | 37°/23°F (2.8°/-4.8°C) |
| Feb | 40°/29°F (4.2°/-1.9°C) | 42°/25°F (5.5°/-4.0°C) |
| Mar | 47°/33°F (8.3°/0.6°C) | 53°/32°F (11.4°/0.1°C) |
| Apr | 55°/39°F (12.6°/3.7°C) | 64°/41°F (18.0°/4.9°C) |
| May | 63°/46°F (17.3°/7.7°C) | 75°/49°F (24.0°/9.6°C) |
| Jun | 69°/51°F (20.5°/10.8°C) | 82°/56°F (27.7°/13.6°C) |
| Jul | 73°/55°F (23.0°/12.8°C) | 86°/60°F (29.8°/15.4°C) |
| Aug | 72°/54°F (22.0°/12.4°C) | 86°/59°F (29.8°/14.9°C) |
| Sep | 66°/50°F (18.8°/10.0°C) | 76°/51°F (24.6°/10.5°C) |
| Oct | 56°/43°F (13.3°/6.2°C) | 64°/42°F (17.9°/5.4°C) |
| Nov | 44°/35°F (6.9°/1.4°C) | 50°/33°F (9.8°/0.6°C) |
| Dec | 37°/29°F (2.9°/-1.7°C) | 39°/26°F (3.8°/-3.4°C) |
Data:
MeteoSwiss - Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology,
National Meteorological Administration
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Switzerland 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.
Switzerland passport holder visiting Romania
Visa Free
Romania passport holder visiting Switzerland
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 Switzerland?
Generally yes: Romania runs about 64% cheaper than Switzerland on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to Romania?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a CHF60,598 comparable salary, that's around RON30,550 in Romania for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Romania?
With 32.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Romania can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Switzerland and Romania.
Is Romania safe for expats?
Switzerland performs better than Romania across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Romania is 1.3 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.5 in Switzerland.
How is healthcare in Romania compared to Switzerland?
Switzerland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Romania leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 34.7 doctors per 10,000 people in Romania, compared to 44.4 in Switzerland. Romania scores 78 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Switzerland: 86).
What's the weather like in Romania compared to Switzerland?
The average high temperature in Bucharest is 63°F, compared to 55°F in Bern. Bucharest receives around 23.4 in of rainfall per year, while Bern gets 42.8 in.
What language do they speak in Romania?
The official language in Romania is Romanian. In Switzerland, the official languages are French, Italian, Romansh and Swiss German.
