ItalyvsRomania
Live 2026 data · Tuition, rent, visa, salaries, PR pathways & more
Romania
57
GoScore
Budget/mo
$550
Salary/mo
$1,000
Italy
51
GoScore
Budget/mo
$1,090
Salary/mo
$1,962
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 51). A 2-year master's costs $19,200 in Romania — 41% less than Italy, saving $13,500.
Italy wins for working professionals (GoScore 51 vs 49). Professionals in Romania retain $302/month after expenses — $51/month more than in Italy.
Romania is stronger for permanent residence (GoScore 63 vs 57). PR takes ~5 years in Romania vs ~5 years in Italy.
Italy vs Romania: Complete Cost & Immigration Analysis 2026
Total Cost of a 2-Year Master's Degree
Total cost of attendance in Italy — tuition ($6,540) plus living ($26,160) — is $32,700. In Romania: $19,200 ($6,000 tuition + $13,200 living).Romania is 41% cheaper, saving $13,500 over the degree.
Can Students Cover Rent With Part-Time Work?
In Italy, 20 hrs/week at $8/hr earns $654/month — covering 75% 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 Italy retains $251/month from $1,962. In Romania: $302/month from $1,000. Over 5 years the gap compounds to $3,060. Tech salaries: $3,815/mo (Italy) vs $2,200/mo (Romania).
Permanent Residency Timeline
Italy: PR pathway ~5 years. Romania: ~5 years. Post-study work visas: 12 months (Italy) and 9 months (Romania). Student visa fee: $55 vs $120.
IELTS Score Required
Minimum IELTS band: 6.0 (Italy) and 5.5 (Romania). Romania has a lower threshold — beneficial for applicants close to their target band. Take a free IELTS mock test on mockDe to benchmark your exact skill-level gaps before applying.
| Metric | 🇮🇹 Italy | 🇷🇴 Romania |
|---|---|---|
| Study GoScore | 51 | 57 |
| Work GoScore | 51 | 49 |
| Settle GoScore | 57 | 63 |
| Public university tuition / yr | $3,270 | $3,000 |
| Monthly student budget | $1,090 | $550 |
| Avg net salary / month | $1,962 | $1,000 |
| Rent 1-bed (city centre) | $1,199/mo | $420/mo |
| Post-study work visa | 12 months | 9 months |
| PR pathway | 5 years | 5 years |
| Safety index | 55 / 100 | 63 / 100 |
Fascinating Facts: Italy & Romania
Understanding a country beyond spreadsheets — unique facts about each destination that shape the experience of living and working there.
🇮🇹 Italy
- 1.
Italy has more UNESCO World Heritage Sites (58) than any country in the world — uniquely valuable for students in architecture, art history, and design.
Source: UNESCO 2024
- 2.
The University of Bologna, founded in 1088, is the world's oldest continuously operating university.
- 3.
Italy's fashion, luxury, and automotive industries (Ferrari, Lamborghini, Gucci, Prada, Armani) collectively employ over 1.5 million people, creating unique career paths unavailable elsewhere.
- 4.
Italy introduced the Digital Nomad Visa in 2024, targeting remote workers earning €28,000+/year with a straightforward application process.
Source: Italian Ministry of Interior 2024
- 5.
Italian public universities charge €0–4,000/year for non-EU students — with some of the world's cheapest engineering and medical degrees.
Source: MIUR Italy 2024
🇷🇴 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.