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 41.0% cheaper than United Arab Emirates overall. A AED280,000 salary in United Arab Emirates would need to be roughly RON214,000 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?

AED280,000 → RON214,000

To maintain the same standard of living in Romania

Calculate with your salary →

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

Restaurants

pay 20.9% more

Groceries

pay 17.3% less

Transportation

pay 3.6% less

Housing

pay 70.6% less

Childcare

pay 6.6% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 53.9% less

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 AED = 1.3 RON (October 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 26% less than cities in United Arab Emirates.

United Arab Emirates

Dubai 58%
Al Ain 42%
Fujairah 35%

Romania

Brasov 39%
Timisoara 37%
Bacau 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 World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

AE
0.7
RO
1.1
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 World Bank, 2023

affects wait times and access to care

AE
29.9
RO
36.2

United Arab Emirates generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Romania leads in healthcare spending per person.

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 World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

AE
40.8
RO
35.8
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

AE
1509.9%
RO
7.6%

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

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

AE
2.2%
RO
6.0%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

AE
$50,274
RO
$22,538

United Arab Emirates generally does better on employment & economy, though Romania leads in poverty rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

AE
83.1 yrs
RO
76.5 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

AE
3.8
RO
6.0

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

Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Ministry of Finance (2016), National Agency for Fiscal Administration (ANAF) (2016), The World Factbook (2003). How we calculate this

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 41% 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 RON53,500 in Romania on a AED280,000 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?

United Arab Emirates 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 United Arab Emirates.

How is healthcare in Romania compared to United Arab Emirates?

United Arab Emirates 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 29.9 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 11,513,149 19,020,271
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