Moving to Romania from Turkey
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Turkey to Romania — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Turkey to Romania, you would find that Romania is 2.1% cheaper than Turkey overall. A TRY3,700,000 salary in Turkey would need to be roughly RON346,000 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 ↓Is Romania cheaper than Turkey?
Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 24.7% more
Groceries
pay 21.3% more
Transportation
pay 14.3% less
Housing
pay 9.1% less
Childcare
pay 35.3% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 6.6% 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 Romania?
What does your salary buy?
TRY3,700,000 → RON346,000
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 21% less than cities in Turkey.
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 Turkey to Romania, based on official data.
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Turkey to Romania.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Turkey generally does better on safety, though Romania leads in homicide rate.
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
Turkey generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Romania leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Turkey 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
Romania generally does better on infrastructure, though Turkey 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 generally does better on employment & economy, though Turkey leads in poverty 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
percentage of adults who can read and write
Romania generally does better on family life, though Turkey leads in life expectancy.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Revenue Administration, Government of Turkey (2016), National Agency for Fiscal Administration (ANAF) (2016). How we calculate this
Weather in Romania vs Turkey
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Istanbul | Bucharest |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 49°/38°F (10°/3°C) | 44°/27°F (7°/-3°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 71°/54°F (21°/12°C) | 74°/49°F (23°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 81°/64°F (27°/18°C) | 83°/57°F (28°/14°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 60°/48°F (16°/9°C) | 51°/34°F (10°/1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Istanbul | Bucharest |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 48°/37°F (8.7°/2.9°C) | 37°/23°F (2.8°/-4.8°C) |
| Feb | 48°/37°F (9.1°/2.8°C) | 42°/25°F (5.5°/-4.0°C) |
| Mar | 52°/39°F (11.2°/3.9°C) | 53°/32°F (11.4°/0.1°C) |
| Apr | 62°/46°F (16.5°/7.7°C) | 64°/41°F (18.0°/4.9°C) |
| May | 71°/54°F (21.4°/12.0°C) | 75°/49°F (24.0°/9.6°C) |
| Jun | 79°/61°F (26.0°/16.0°C) | 82°/56°F (27.7°/13.6°C) |
| Jul | 83°/65°F (28.4°/18.5°C) | 86°/60°F (29.8°/15.4°C) |
| Aug | 83°/66°F (28.5°/18.7°C) | 86°/59°F (29.8°/14.9°C) |
| Sep | 77°/60°F (25.0°/15.5°C) | 76°/51°F (24.6°/10.5°C) |
| Oct | 68°/54°F (20.1°/12.0°C) | 64°/42°F (17.9°/5.4°C) |
| Nov | 60°/47°F (15.3°/8.5°C) | 50°/33°F (9.8°/0.6°C) |
| Dec | 52°/42°F (11.1°/5.3°C) | 39°/26°F (3.8°/-3.4°C) |
Data:
Turkish State Meteorological Service,
National Meteorological Administration
Can you move from Turkey to Romania?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Turkey 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.
Turkey passport holder visiting Romania
Visa Required
Romania passport holder visiting Turkey
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 Turkey?
Costs in Romania and Turkey are broadly similar overall, though categories like rent and dining differ between cities.
How much money do I need to move to Romania?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly RON86,500 in Romania on a TRY3,700,000 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?
Turkey generally does better on safety, though Romania leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in Romania is 1.1 per 100,000 people, compared to 3.2 in Turkey.
How is healthcare in Romania compared to Turkey?
Turkey generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Romania leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 36.2 doctors per 10,000 people in Romania, compared to 22.4 in Turkey. Romania scores 78 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Turkey: 76).
What's the weather like in Romania compared to Turkey?
The average high temperature in Bucharest is 63°F, compared to 65°F in Istanbul. Bucharest receives around 23.4 in of rainfall per year, while Istanbul gets 26.7 in.
What language do they speak in Romania?
The official language in Romania is Romanian. In Turkey, the official language is Turkish.
