GreecevsRomania
Live 2026 data · Tuition, rent, visa, salaries, PR pathways & more
Romania
57
GoScore
Budget/mo
$550
Salary/mo
$1,000
Greece
55
GoScore
Budget/mo
$850
Salary/mo
$1,200
AI insights unavailable
Study Abroad GoScore Ranking
GoScore 0-100 · Weights: affordability, PR pathway, safety, career & quality of life
Key Comparison Metrics
Public university tuition / year
Monthly student budget
Part-time wage / hour
Student visa fee
Post-study work visa
IELTS band required
Safety index
Quick Verdict — 2026
Romania wins for students (GoScore 57 vs 55). A 2-year master's costs $19,200 in Romania — 27% less than Greece, saving $7,200.
Romania wins for working professionals (GoScore 49 vs 48). Professionals in Romania retain $302/month after expenses — $152/month more than in Greece.
Romania is stronger for permanent residence (GoScore 63 vs 61). PR takes ~5 years in Romania vs ~5 years in Greece.
Greece vs Romania: Complete Cost & Immigration Analysis 2026
Total Cost of a 2-Year Master's Degree
Total cost of attendance in Greece — tuition ($6,000) plus living ($20,400) — is $26,400. In Romania: $19,200 ($6,000 tuition + $13,200 living).Romania is 27% cheaper, saving $7,200 over the degree.
Can Students Cover Rent With Part-Time Work?
In Greece, 20 hrs/week at $5/hr earns $400/month — covering 95% of outside-city rent. In Romania, the same hours earn $320/month — covering 119% of rent.
Real Monthly Savings After Living Expenses
After rent, groceries, transport, and utilities, a professional in Greece retains $150/month from $1,200. In Romania: $302/month from $1,000. Over 5 years the gap compounds to $9,120. Tech salaries: $2,000/mo (Greece) vs $2,200/mo (Romania).
Permanent Residency Timeline
Greece: PR pathway ~5 years. Romania: ~5 years. Post-study work visas: 12 months (Greece) and 9 months (Romania). Student visa fee: $180 vs $120.
IELTS Score Required
Minimum IELTS band: 5.5 (Greece) and 5.5 (Romania).Take a free IELTS mock test on mockDe to benchmark your exact skill-level gaps before applying.
| Metric | 🇬🇷 Greece | 🇷🇴 Romania |
|---|---|---|
| Study GoScore | 55 | 57 |
| Work GoScore | 48 | 49 |
| Settle GoScore | 61 | 63 |
| Public university tuition / yr | $3,000 | $3,000 |
| Monthly student budget | $850 | $550 |
| Avg net salary / month | $1,200 | $1,000 |
| Rent 1-bed (city centre) | $650/mo | $420/mo |
| Post-study work visa | 12 months | 9 months |
| PR pathway | 5 years | 5 years |
| Safety index | 63 / 100 | 63 / 100 |
Fascinating Facts: Greece & Romania
Understanding a country beyond spreadsheets — unique facts about each destination that shape the experience of living and working there.
🇬🇷 Greece
- 1.
Greece is the world's 10th most visited country (82 million tourists in 2023), creating permanent demand in tourism, hospitality, and tech sectors.
Source: UNWTO 2024
- 2.
Athens' startup ecosystem doubled in size between 2020 and 2024, with Workable, Viva Wallet, and Persefoni all reaching unicorn valuations.
- 3.
The Golden Visa programme (€250,000 property investment) grants 5-year renewable residency — one of Europe's most affordable investor visas.
Source: Enterprise Greece 2024
- 4.
Greece has the world's largest merchant fleet by tonnage — shipping remains a multi-billion-dollar industry creating finance, logistics, and engineering careers.
Source: UNCTAD 2023
🇷🇴 Romania
- 1.
Romania produces more software engineers per capita than any other EU country — Bucharest is now a major Eastern European tech hub.
Source: Invest Romania 2024
- 2.
Cluj-Napoca (Romania) hosts the UNTOLD festival — one of Europe's top 5 music festivals — reflecting a surprisingly vibrant cultural and creative economy.
- 3.
Romania's flat 10% income tax rate and growing startup ecosystem attracted over $500 million in tech investment in 2023.
Source: Romanian Startups 2024
- 4.
Romania has more castles per square kilometre than any country in Europe — Transylvania's heritage creates unique tourism and hospitality opportunities.
Popular Comparisons
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Data Sources
Editorial
Compiled by mockDe Editorial Team
Verified by IELTS-certified advisors with study-abroad counselling experience.
Freshness
Data reflects 2026 benchmarks.
Last reviewed June 2026.
AI verdict cached permanently; regenerated on data change.
All figures in USD. AI insights by Gemini Pro. Values are indicative — verify official sources before making relocation decisions.