The TRUTH... Cost Of Living USA vs. ROMANIA | Moving Abroad Pt. 26

There are a lot of differences when it comes to living abroad. One major difference is the cost of living!
We moved from Kansas City to central Romania and my husband kept the same job and position at his work. Which makes our situation the perfect comparison of apples to apples.
Let's find out if it is cheaper to live abroad when compared to the midwest region in the United States!
I am sharing and comparing the cost of rent, utilities, and groceries.
Thank you for experiencing life and learning with me today XOXO

[@sierramarie]

Thank you for being here! I am so thankful to experience life and learn with you! XOXO

[@MrQ454]

In Romania you would find ”organic food” at market, the ”Bio” food in the shops is more expensive but probably the most of food from all shops is more ”organic” than that of USA (in Europe there are different rule for food safety!)

[@johnkrieger185]

If you are spending $880 a month on food in Romania, you are eating out often and going to the supermarkets instead of grocery stores and farmer's markets and you are probably buying mostly American and imported products.

[@spetz911]

I don’t know much about Romania, but I think the fact that you needed a parking spot in the US tells about the quality of life more than any numbers.

[@silviuvelovici8307]

Interesting video. I did not expect expenses to be that high in Romania compared to the US. You need to take into account that you live in the most expensive city in Romania, probably more expensive than Bucharest.

[@sierramarie]

I did not either! That is a very good point & I think makes the comparison even better because the town in KC we lived in was also more expensive than other areas near by! I’m curious how this compares to other towns in Romania.

[@Superator69]

You think Bucharest is expensive, try LA or NYC 😂 not even close. And you don't have to live in a luxury apartment in Romania, you can get an apartment for 300 Euros in the hood in Bucharest in Colentina 😉 You think it's expensive compared to the US cause you're from the Midwest and the Midwest and the South are cheap compared to the coastal cities.

[@sierramarie]

This is true! The Midwest is relatively inexpensive when compared to those two major cities (from what I’ve heard). I know there are places in Cluj that have cheaper rent, but we went a little bougie in our case 😂🤷🏼‍♀️ If I did it all over again, I may choose the same place, because I just loved it too much! ☺️

[@realjx313]

Cluj is actually the most expensive city in Romania. Your rend is very high but that will vary based on location , size, age of the building and so on.The vast majority of people are gonna pay a lot less though. Plus, Romania has very high house ownership, much much higher than the US so very very few people rent.. For utilities, the energy is expensive nowadays due to the war in Ukraine so electricity, heating, hot water - and ofc because of this, utilities will be much higher in the winter. And mentioned this when you arrived but will mention it again, don't leave your AC on when you are out - only Americans leave it on. Food prices are way up because of the war in Ukraine, likely 40-50%. And dinner at 6 is way early, will guess you go to sleep at 9, the US goes to sleep early. And you do spend a lot on food, not sure how. You should buy more local products, try that vegetables market and buy what's in season. Anyway, you did not include 2 major expenses, healthcare and transportation. In the US healthcare is kinda a lot and so is transportation as cars are mandatory in almost all locations. BTW if you are still afraid to take the bus, you need to relax and just do it. You can also take cabs or Uber or Bolt and prices are quite affordable - even so, you don't wanna do that all the time so take the bus, it's like taking a plane or a train or w/e, no big deal.

[@sierramarie]

That makes a lot of sense that the war is affecting prices here! We noticed even from September to January food prices doubled. That’s funny dinner at 6 is early🤣 it’s interesting that everything runs later. Although, we do find ourselves staying up way later now that we live here! Our grocery bill is high here?!? We really don’t buy anything “extra” like snacks and stuff 🤔 it’s pretty much just avocado toast and dinner! So I wonder if it’s because we eat a lot of steak? I didn’t even think about health care! That would be an interesting point because the costs are very different. We haven’t had a consistent comparison for vehicles since our main transportation is walking- I learned “Mersul pe jos, face piciorul frumos! ☺️

[@silviuvelovici8307]

@@sierramarie You should try the farmers' markets for fruits and vegetables. Not only that they are cheaper but they taste so much better. You will be amazed by the smell and the flavor of the Romanian grown fruits and vegetables. (try to stay away from the imported ones)

[@sierramarie]

Yes, after the recommendations, I couldn’t stop thinking about that! I have plans to visit one for the first time Friday 😆 I’ll keep you posted!

[@realjx313]

@@sierramarie Energy prices are way up and energy prices tend to be a lot higher in Europe than in the US as it is. And that kinda also dragged food prices up but on top of it, Ukraine is a major agricultural producer so that made it significantly worse, globally but with Europe being impacted harder. And yeah the US goes to sleep quite early. Grocery bill, found out recently that foreign students on scholarship in Romania receive 65 Euros per month for food and before the price increases, they used to be able to manage with just that, somehow. Anyway, even avocado is not really grown in Romania so might not be all that cheap. Or for example, raw milk from the market might be 5 RON and way better than store bought while 1L of 3.5% fat Napolact might be some 10 RON in the supermarket. On the meat side, Romania is heavy on pork. Chicken to some extent but beef is not that popular - mutton is traditional during Easter and fish is eaten only every so often, except in areas where it's easier to get fresh fish - and this reminds me, look into the Danube Delta, it's a Unesco world heritage site. Healthcare, US has 2 major problems, weird and limited coverage, plus it's super expensive and this includes meds, not just visits to the doctor. Transportation, the key difference is that cars are mandatory almost everywhere in the US while outside of the US, not so much. And cars are quite very expensive in terms of TCO (total cost of ownership). A new pickup truck is gonna run you 700-800$ per month nowadays in the US. - ICE not electric, electric would be cheaper. In Europe cars are a bunch more expensive due to VAT but people drive smaller cars and gas is a lot more expensive but people drive about half as much so costs are gonna be similar overall, with the major difference that you can easily manage without a car so that expense is not mandatory.

[@realjx313]

@@sierramarie Try the cheeses too in the market , Romanians eat a lot of cheese but mostly local things.

[@LandOfRock1]

Hey guys, I am Romanian and recommending to give Oradea a shot and you will see that everything you spend will be half at the same quality and a city just as beautiful. Just visit some time and check it out🤗

[@sierramarie]

Thank you for the recommendation! ☺️ We will definitely visit sometime!

[@Natacha1111]

Hey, can you recommend a real estate site for apartments?

[@sierramarie]

@@Natacha1111 Yes! www.blitz.ro 🩷

[@andremauboussin2705]

Thanks for sharing. Best combo is to have U.S. level income, but live in Romania 😉. Beautiful country and people. My wife is Romanian and I look forward to spending at least part of the year there soon, but I'm blessed to have a very nice U.S. pension + 401K income. I hope you are enjoying a healthier and better overall quality of life there. ❤️

[@ciprian1979]

It's not a rule. In fact, I think that many employers pay the salary in two monthly installments. Certainly, 90% of state employees receive their salary in two monthly installments, e.g

[@geroldwaefler9485]

Would be more helpful if you make the costs per 1 person with 1 income and not cost for 2 persons and in the end saying in America was 2 salarys but in romania is now only with 1 salary, is little bit confusing to understand and for to make a clear picture...

[@sierramarie]

Sorry for the confusion- both places were based on 1 salary ☺️ I removed my salary for America since I didn’t have one in Romania!

[@steven_dekok]

The big key difference is being paid less in RON compared to USD. We are moving there in 4 years when our kids are done with school. We already have a family flat in Basov but that needs severe updating lol! Our investments will be paying us the equivalent of around $10K Euros per month so I think we'll be fine. You are spot on about how cheap it is to eat out, almost as cheap as cooking at home, which I absolutely love about Romania. We'll be living in Brasov and spending a lot of time in Poiana Brasov as well. Thank you for your videos!

[@sierramarie]

I have heard amazing things about Brasov! How exciting that you’ll be able to move there in a few years. Absolutely incredible! Thank you for your kind words 😊

[@maratonlegendelenemirei3352]

America is finished.

[@steven_dekok]

@@maratonlegendelenemirei3352 yes, especially if the demonrats get another 4 years. That means Agenda 2030 will come to fruition sooner.

[@ursdaniel]

At least in Romania we have a better internet Speed ....:))

[@sierramarie]

The best in the WORLD, faster than Usain Bolt in my experience!

[@ursdaniel]

@@sierramarie so, you ve run against Bolt....or is against the taxi ..?.I am so confused....ahahaha

[@sierramarie]

Well the scooter I know I can beat... the taxi drivers honestly thats debatable, a little fast here HA!

[@vald9698]

Just out of curiosity, when you did the math USA vs RO, did you also take out the taxes that you have to pay out of your pocket in USA (since in RO they are withheld). Also, considering that taxes here also pay for health insurance, did you also remove the cost of health insurance? Thing is, as far as I could note from other American expats` experience, moving to Europe starts to become more lucrative than staying and working in USA, only after you have babies (giving birth is also an expense u need to account for in USA, but not in Europe). Childcare is a big expense in USA, an approximate $1.000/month per child for kindergarden. Also, the college fund for the kids. These two categories of expenses are not needed in Europe and may help towards saving up more.

[@sierramarie]

That’s a good question! I did not calculate anything extra outside of just base living expenses, just to keep it simple ☺️

[@ramonasimut445]

Yep, your estimation is just about right (unfortunately).

[@sorinbolos9214]

As a person living in Cluj I think your housing and groceries expenses are in the normal range (high end), but your utilities are too high. Maybe you did your calculations using winter months. In the warm months the heating cost is close to zero. If you average over the entire year you should end up with at most 180$ per month.

[@sierramarie]

I’m really curious about this now 🤔 I’ll have to go back and look because we were here July 2022 but also had 3 months in other countries when we had to leave Romania. I’ll look into that!

[@sadiestockamp6697]

What is the site you used to find your apartment that you were scrolling through? I can't find it.

[@sierramarie]

www.blitz.ro It’s in Romania so I suggest google to translate☺️

[@robertalex7746]

One question if you don’t mind me. Is the salary the same like in the US or less? At the % rate you did, it sounds like in the US the salary was around 5k while in Ro is about 2k (doing a reverse % salary rate). If so, then the comparison is not correct, as it should be based on the same income. Also, regarding groceries, I think 880 is a lot (almost a full Romanian salary) and that it can be done for less i.e. 400-500€. Thoughts? Cheers

[@sierramarie]

That’s a good question! We did not take the American salary when we moved to Romania so I wouldn’t be able to use the same income. Also, I have since learned that groceries could be way less expensive than what I was paying 😬 Hind sight is 20/20 ☺️

[@TwinAAadventures]

I have friends and family in Romania and spent 2 months there last summer. You can expect to spend $800+ on groceries for a family of 3.

[@robertalex7746]

@@TwinAAadventures probably, if you’re in a vacation mood. But remember that 800$ is a full salary of the bagel lady from Covrigărie Luca. Anyway, I’m relocating back to Ro (Bucharest) after 16 years and I’ll give you an update after I did my month there.

[@69svejk]

Romania is not as cheap as it once was. But just to be clear when you calculated the percentages, in US you had two incomes and in Romania just one so that means the expenses (percentage) should be half then?

[@sierramarie]

No ☺️ in this case I took off my income altogether to make a fully comparable scenario!

[@bonnerescutv]

Hey Sierra, really interesting. I was doing some calculations on when you said you income was being used by 72% of expenses in Romania and 67% in America. So you did calculate your income into the american living but not into romanian correct? If you had kept a job and moved to romania you would have roughly been saving $3720 over your total expenses of 1730. So if you had kept your income you would have actually been spending almost 32% of your income in Romania which is a lot cheaper then in America. I think one of the biggest things is you were able to lose one stream of income and you were still able to basically live the same life as in America.

[@sierramarie]

That is a great question! Since I did not work in Romania I actually removed my income from the American %- that way the numbers were only reflecting my husband’s salary in both Romania and American. So the percentages will reflect our monthly expenses based on one salary ☺️ I would be curious how the numbers would have changed if I kept my salary as well!

[@bonnerescutv]

@@sierramarie oh great to know. Sorry if this is too personal but did you husband take a pay cut moving to Romania then? I’m wanting to move to Romania soon and am wondering if my job here in America would cut my wages. I ask because you said that your total cost in America per month was about $3650 and that was 67% of your salary. That would be about $5450 a month. Then you said total expense in Romania was $1730 and that was 72% of salary. That would make the salary $2400 roughly. That makes me hesitant to try to move to Romania with my current job.

[@sierramarie]

@bonnerescutv I completely understand where you’re coming from! Even though he worked for the same company he was hired through Romania and his salary was Romanian based. I wouldn’t necessarily consider it a pay cut because it was all relative to Romanian wages, cost of living etc since we weren’t being paid in American salary anymore. Sorry if that is confusing, but I hope that that helps! If you were able to move with your American salary that would be a huge huge blessing and I think that you would do just fine that way!

[@bonnerescutv]

@@sierramarie that makes total sense! Thank you so much for explaining and helping me figure that out.

[@sierramarie]

@@bonnerescutv You’re welcome! I really hope that you can try Romania out! We had such a life changing experience in Cluj ☺️

[@petruberinde5957]

Safety more bio food here and no stress in Romania

[@user-pu6mk6ck1v]

Hello. Do you live in Bucharest ? or other cities in Romania?

[@sierramarie]

We lived in Cluj-Napoca ☺️

[@sorinpreda6977]

În România i pay utilities 100 euros per month în Bucharest

[@sierramarie]

I think that is pretty close to what we paid in Cluj as well!

[@spencermonroe637]

Crazy I'm thinking of moving out there from kc mo too how do you get citizenship

[@sierramarie]

No way, What a small world!!! I’m not sure on citizenship due to us only staying for one year on a visa.

[@spencermonroe637]

@@sierramarie oh dang and right ya the us is just ridiculous in price and it's sad to complain about kc mo rent and mortgage prices but we at this point lol

[@sierramarie]

KC is definitely getting very expensive! I don’t think it will slow down anytime soon either 😱

[@sergerea]

Ive lived in Florida for about 5 years...my culture shock? These people are doing everything wrong...But with time, to be honest, i found out Americans are some of the nicest, sound people you can ever meet. I have no bad tings to say about the US, just that i loved it to bits!!! Thanks!

[@sierramarie]

Okay, I love this! It is so easy for all humans to be judgmental at first- but if we take the time to learn and get to know others, it’s amazing what we can find! Btw- are you from Romania originally?

[@sergerea]

@@sierramarie Yes I am, from Brasov. I live in the UK now because you see, I am a wonderer (not a homeless person, I have a job here). But, eversince i watched E.T .on TV, i became a fan of the US. So my dream came true when i was 19, been there, done that, LOVED IT! Wish I met someone from the midwest tho...

[@sierramarie]

I have heard so many great things about Brasov! That’s so cool that you were in Florida and now in the UK. I know what you mean about being a wanderer- once you start traveling and expanding your world of you, it’s hard to stop! If Scotland wasn’t so cold in the winter’s I would move there in a heartbeat 🙂

[@sergerea]

@@sierramarie Dont blame ya...Scots are REAL. Yes, exactly like that. You piss them off, youll get a punch in the face, you show them love, theyll be a friend for life, and then some...

[@sub4stuff]

Honestly, I think you are honest!

[@markdean1984]

More than 10 millions Romanians live outside Romania. That's half of that country population. That should tell you something.

[@augustiniumihaila4466]

You already find out that Cluj is the most expensive city in Romania, slightly 10% or more even compared to capital, Bucuresti (Bucharest as is spelled overboards). Lifecost in Cluj is almost as expensive as living in full seaside season.

[@sierramarie]

This is a really interesting comment, because we only experienced Cluj so we didn’t have a comparison other than the US. I would love to try some other cities in Romania!

[@augustiniumihaila4466]

Just try! =)) And for life cost, you will find most places at half prices Cluj, and many places twice as beautiful (hope my cousins in Cluj won't read this, or else I'm a dead man...)@@sierramarie

[@sierramarie]

🤣🤣 What are your top two places you would recommend??

[@augustiniumihaila4466]

Well, try two relatively small towns with huge hystorical amprent : Campulung Muscel in Wallachia and Targu Neamt in Moldavia. Check about. Otherwise .... all around country...

[@sierramarie]

@augustiniumihaila4466 I haven’t heard of these two yet- great advice, thank you!

[@ubuntuposix]

I also saw a British man living in Romania making comparisons, him arriving at the conclusion that its slightly better for him in Romania. Its interesting from one perspective, that you could have such comparisons, since the UK not long ago was an empire, it still owns Gibraltar in the Mediterranean sea and all over the world. Likewise for the US, even more actually. While Romania being in the south-east of Europe was a colony for all sorts of invaders (Ottoman Empire, Russian Empire, etc from Asia, Austrian Empire). You'd imagine there'd be a huge gap in living conditions. I guess technology evolution gradually narrows the gap between rich and poor. Like I visited a millionaire's house and the owner bragged about how rare and expensive this piece of marble wall is, etc. Ok, but i've seen much prettier (and even more luxurious looking) and more comfortable houses with a fraction of his house's cost. Possibly same here on a country level.

[@sierramarie]

That is so interesting! I wish that we would have been able to travel more in Romania to explore the different towns and villages ☹️ I’m curious how different parts of the country are.

[@decemvre]

How could you possibly spend $880 for food every month? 😅 Go to a farmers market and you'll find everything dirt cheap and healthy.

[@sierramarie]

The near is definitely the most expensive part! I love the farmers market for fresh produce and vegetables- plus it always smells amazing 🤩

[@jorjpudibond5701]

I live in a town in South Romania and the most I spent on food in 2023 is 200$ per month (1 person). And that is healthy food, bio & eco

[@atharvaveda87]

Yes high taxes But at least you are medically insured if you work 12 months you can get free of work until the child gets 24 months old also education is free. Overall Europe as a whole is quite socialist and I hope it finds the happy middle ground, good for the entrepreneurs and good for the employees

[@ppn194]

If you spend so much percentage in Romania, then you do not knpw where to make your shopping.

[@sierramarie]

There is definitely a lot to learn when moving to a new country about where to go and find the best deals!

[@user-Jab1000]

@@sierramarie $880/month for food is insane, for 2 people. I don't know much about Cluj, but just did a quick search and it appears they have quite a few farmer's markets (called Piata in Romania). In these markets you should be able to find fresh fruit and vegetables, an assortment of cheeses, and meats. Have your husband ask his Romanian colleagues which market is the best. In the grocery stores the prices are higher and the quality lower. The rent is also super expensive for the size, number of rooms and the fact that the bedroom doesn't really have an actual window to the outside. Try to take the public transportation. But a monthly pass (it's quite cheap) and look up the routes online. When in a trolley or a bus, they show what the next stop is. Or walk. In Romania you don't really need a gym.

[@sierramarie]

It’s really interesting because markets here in the USA are usually way more expensive- so I really had to change my view point that it’s the opposite in Romania!

[@user-Jab1000]

@@sierramarie It depends where you are. If you go to the Amish, it's a lot cheaper. But if you're in the suburbs, yes. We paid $5 for a big box of tomatoes from the Amish, and 45 min away, at one of those pop up farmers markets $18. 😂 I watched your other videos in the meantime and seen that you're moving to NC. You should find good produce there and relatively cheap. Watermelons are amazing.

[@sierramarie]

Oooo thanks for the tips! I saw there’s a farmers market downtown close to where we’re going so I’ll definitely check that out! & now I need to find me some Amish people ☺️

[@64marro]

as a man who lived in NY .. yes there are some differences. No offense, Europe as a whole has a lot more than America. You feel at home here, in America it is cold, consuming and a bit soulless. There are no big differences, but they exist and can put you in a state of nostalgia. and yes .. horrifying experience with these trucks. I don't know why Americans are obsessed with big cars with ridiculous consumption for the same distance traveled. Fuel is cheaper, but in the end it's more expensive if you have a 5700cm3 car that does the same job as a 1500cm3 car. And they are ugly and uncomfortable. For what? Going out to a restaurant in Europe is an event, in America it is a necessity, which no longer has charm. as for the water from the restaurant, I don't know, do you go out to drink water or get drunk?:))

[@sierramarie]

It is really interesting how different each and every part of the world is- & that’s what makes it so cool to travel to different parts. Very true that going to a restaurant and being rushed through the service takes away the specialness of it- also, touché about the drinking water comment 😂 There is definitely an obsession with trucks. I lived in the Midwest and I feel like the further south you get the more common it is to have a truck- as someone who lives in NY do you see trucks very often?

[@64marro]

@@sierramarie ,there are many in NY as well, no more than SUVs. and there is also a desire of many there to have a truck. Impressive but I didn't feel too comfortable driving a RAM. 5700cc? For what? :)))) 3 cars in one. And the eternal story of going to the gas station :))) aaa, and I don't like cars with automatic transmission.

[@sierramarie]

Th best thing about driving a truck is being able to hit the curbs without busting a rim hahaha Not that I would know or anything…. 😁

[@64marro]

@@sierramarie :)))))).you live in Romania, Ukraine is not far. Do you want a tank? :))))