Moving to Romania from United States
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from United States to Romania — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from United States to Romania, you would find that Romania is 38.3% cheaper than United States overall. A $75,000 salary in United States would need to be roughly RON173,943 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 United States to Romania.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → RON173,943
To maintain the same standard of living in Romania
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 31.1% less
Groceries
pay 44.8% less
Transportation
pay 15.8% less
Housing
pay 66.3% less
Childcare
pay 64.1% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 43.8% 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 56% less than cities in United States.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from United States to Romania, and how the trend has changed.
Key Indicator Comparison
How United States 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
Romania performs significantly better than United States 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
Romania generally does better on health & wellbeing, though United States 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
United States 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
United States 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
United States 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
United States performs better than Romania across all family life metrics.
Data: Internal Revenue Service, 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 | Washington | Bucharest |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 48°/28°F (9°/-2°C) | 44°/27°F (7°/-3°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 75°/51°F (24°/11°C) | 74°/49°F (23°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 85°/62°F (29°/17°C) | 83°/57°F (28°/14°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 57°/35°F (14°/2°C) | 51°/34°F (10°/1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Washington | Bucharest |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42°/24°F (5.8°/-4.5°C) | 37°/23°F (2.8°/-4.8°C) |
| Feb | 46°/26°F (8.0°/-3.3°C) | 42°/25°F (5.5°/-4.0°C) |
| Mar | 56°/33°F (13.1°/0.5°C) | 53°/32°F (11.4°/0.1°C) |
| Apr | 67°/42°F (19.3°/5.6°C) | 64°/41°F (18.0°/4.9°C) |
| May | 75°/51°F (23.9°/10.7°C) | 75°/49°F (24.0°/9.6°C) |
| Jun | 84°/61°F (28.8°/16.1°C) | 82°/56°F (27.7°/13.6°C) |
| Jul | 88°/65°F (31.1°/18.6°C) | 86°/60°F (29.8°/15.4°C) |
| Aug | 87°/64°F (30.3°/17.9°C) | 86°/59°F (29.8°/14.9°C) |
| Sep | 79°/56°F (26.3°/13.5°C) | 76°/51°F (24.6°/10.5°C) |
| Oct | 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.6°C) | 64°/42°F (17.9°/5.4°C) |
| Nov | 58°/35°F (14.2°/1.8°C) | 50°/33°F (9.8°/0.6°C) |
| Dec | 46°/27°F (7.8°/-2.7°C) | 39°/26°F (3.8°/-3.4°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service,
National Meteorological Administration
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between United States 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 States passport holder visiting Romania
Visa Free
Romania passport holder visiting United States
Visa RequiredData: 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 States?
Generally yes: Romania runs about 49% cheaper than United States 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 $75,000 comparable salary, that's around RON43,486 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 United States and Romania.
Is Romania safe for expats?
Romania performs significantly better than United States across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Romania is 1.3 per 100,000 people, compared to 6.4 in United States.
How is healthcare in Romania compared to United States?
Romania generally does better on health & wellbeing, though United States leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 34.7 doctors per 10,000 people in Romania, compared to 36.1 in United States. Romania scores 78 on the WHO universal health coverage index (United States: 86).
What's the weather like in Romania compared to United States?
The average high temperature in Bucharest is 63°F, compared to 66°F in Washington. Bucharest receives around 23.4 in of rainfall per year, while Washington gets 41.5 in.
What language do they speak in Romania?
The official language in Romania is Romanian. In United States, the official language is English.
