Moving to Romania from United Arab Emirates

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What to Expect

Everything you need to know before relocating from United Arab Emirates to Romania — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.

If you moved from United Arab Emirates to Romania, you would find that Romania is 8.0% cheaper than United Arab Emirates overall. A AED275,438 salary in United Arab Emirates would need to be roughly RON207,152 in Romania to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Romanian. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Bucharest averages 63°F vs 93°F in Abu Dhabi, making it significantly cooler.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

What to expect for your wallet after moving from United Arab Emirates to Romania.

What does your salary buy?

AED275,438 RON207,152

To maintain the same standard of living in Romania

Calculate with your salary →

Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day

Restaurants

pay 80.0% more

Groceries

pay 10.5% less

Transportation

pay 0.4% more

Housing

pay 59.9% less

Childcare

pay 1.0% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 44.9% less

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 AED = 1.25 RON (July 2026)

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 28% less than cities in United Arab Emirates.

United Arab Emirates

Dubai 60%
Al Ain 48%

Romania

Baia Mare 34%

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

How many people actually move from United Arab Emirates to Romania, based on official data.

Living there in 2020
514 ↑ 3854% vs 2015

people born in United Arab Emirates live in Romania · UN DESA

Who's moving to Romania?

Top countries of origin for Romania's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

Key indicators for anyone considering a move from United Arab Emirates to Romania.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

per 100,000 people per year

AE
0.5
RO
1.3
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

AE
5.9
RO
9.6

United Arab Emirates performs better than Romania across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

AE
$3,727
RO
$2,614
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

affects wait times and access to care

AE
29.1
RO
34.7

Romania generally does better on health & wellbeing, though United Arab Emirates leads in health coverage index.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

AE
70.0
RO
46.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

AE
18.3t
RO
3.7t

Romania performs significantly better than United Arab Emirates across all environment metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

AE
40.0
RO
32.4
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

AE
1533.3%
RO
7.4%

United Arab Emirates generally does better on infrastructure, though Romania leads in water stress level.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

AE
2.7%
RO
5.6%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

AE
$75,600
RO
$40,500

United Arab Emirates performs better than Romania across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

AE
79.6 yrs
RO
75.8 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

AE
5.1
RO
5.8

United Arab Emirates generally does better on family life, though Romania leads in literacy rate.

Data: Ministry of Finance, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Abu Dhabi Rain: 3.5 in/yr (89 mm)
93° / 68°F

Avg. annual high / low

Bucharest Rain: 23.4 in/yr (594 mm)
63° / 41°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Abu Dhabi Bucharest
Jan–Mar 78°/56°F (26°/14°C) 44°/27°F (7°/-3°C)
Apr–Jun 99°/72°F (37°/22°C) 74°/49°F (23°/9°C)
Jul–Sep 106°/81°F (41°/27°C) 83°/57°F (28°/14°C)
Oct–Dec 87°/64°F (31°/18°C) 51°/34°F (10°/1°C)
View all months
Month Abu Dhabi Bucharest
Jan 75°/53°F (23.8°/11.8°C) 37°/23°F (2.8°/-4.8°C)
Feb 76°/56°F (24.6°/13.2°C) 42°/25°F (5.5°/-4.0°C)
Mar 83°/60°F (28.6°/15.8°C) 53°/32°F (11.4°/0.1°C)
Apr 92°/66°F (33.4°/19.1°C) 64°/41°F (18.0°/4.9°C)
May 101°/73°F (38.4°/22.8°C) 75°/49°F (24.0°/9.6°C)
Jun 103°/77°F (39.6°/24.8°C) 82°/56°F (27.7°/13.6°C)
Jul 108°/82°F (42.0°/27.6°C) 86°/60°F (29.8°/15.4°C)
Aug 107°/84°F (41.5°/28.7°C) 86°/59°F (29.8°/14.9°C)
Sep 104°/78°F (40.1°/25.6°C) 76°/51°F (24.6°/10.5°C)
Oct 96°/71°F (35.8°/21.8°C) 64°/42°F (17.9°/5.4°C)
Nov 87°/64°F (30.6°/17.5°C) 50°/33°F (9.8°/0.6°C)
Dec 78°/57°F (25.7°/14.1°C) 39°/26°F (3.8°/-3.4°C)

Data: National Meteorological Administration National Meteorological Administration

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between United Arab Emirates 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.

United Arab Emirates passport

United Arab Emirates passport holder visiting Romania

Visa Free
United Arab Emirates passport holders can enter Romania without a visa.
Romania passport

Romania passport holder visiting United Arab Emirates

Visa Free
Romania passport holders can enter United Arab Emirates without a visa.

Data: 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 United Arab Emirates?

Yes — Romania is on average about 40% cheaper than United Arab Emirates. 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 RON51,788 in Romania on a AED275,438 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 32.4 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?

United Arab Emirates 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 United Arab Emirates.

How is healthcare in Romania compared to United Arab Emirates?

Romania generally does better on health & wellbeing, though United Arab Emirates leads in health coverage index. There are 34.7 doctors per 10,000 people in Romania, compared to 29.1 in United Arab Emirates. Romania scores 78 on the WHO universal health coverage index (United Arab Emirates: 82).

What's the weather like in Romania compared to United Arab Emirates?

The average high temperature in Bucharest is 63°F, compared to 93°F in Abu Dhabi. Bucharest receives around 23.4 in of rainfall per year, while Abu Dhabi gets 3.5 in.

What language do they speak in Romania?

The official language in Romania is Romanian. In United Arab Emirates, the official language is Arabic.

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At a Glance

AE RO
Population 9,915,803 18,519,899
Currency United Arab Emirates Dirham (AED) Romanian Leu (RON)
Languages Arabic Romanian
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +971 +40
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 999 112