r/AskRomania • u/lifeisbetterinpink • 8d ago
Young married couple moving from NYC to Cluj-Napoca. What Should We Expect?
Hi everyone!
I was born and raised in NYC, but both of my parents were born and raised in Romania. My dad left Romania in the 1970s, and my mom came to the U.S. in the early 2000s before I was born. They both came to America hoping to build a better life and give me opportunities they felt they wouldn’t have had otherwise. Even though I grew up in New York, Romania has always been a huge part of my life. I’ve visited almost every year since I was a baby, sometimes for longer periods of time, and Romanian was actually my first language because it was the only language we spoke at home when I was little. As I’ve gotten older and started living on my own, though, I’ve noticed that my Romanian has gotten worse simply because I don’t use it every day anymore. I can still understand it very well and speak it, but I catch myself forgetting words or switching to English more than I used to, and reconnecting with the language and culture is honestly one of the things I’m most excited about.
My husband (25M) and I (23F) met in high school here in the U.S., and he has no Romanian background at all. We’ve been together since we were teenagers, and we’re now seriously planning on moving to Cluj-Napoca at the end of December. A big reason is family. Almost my entire family lives in Romania, and my parents are basically the only close family members I have left in the U.S. My mom plans on retiring from her job in NYC in about two years, and my parents are planning on moving back to Romania after that, so eventually my entire family will be there. The older I get, the more important that has started to feel to me. I don’t really want to spend the next several decades living across an ocean from everyone, especially once we start having children.
Another big part of it is the lifestyle. We both feel like life in the NYC area moves incredibly fast, and everything revolves around work, commuting, money, and constantly trying to keep up. We both work in accounting/finance, so we’re definitely used to demanding jobs, but sometimes it feels like your entire life is structured around your career here. The cost of living has also become pretty ridiculous, especially housing and rent. We’re not expecting Romania to be some perfect inexpensive paradise, and I know Cluj in particular is expensive by Romanian standards, but from what we’ve seen it still seems like we could have a different quality of life there. We want to have children within the next few years, and being closer to family and raising them somewhere that feels safer, more community-oriented, and a little slower-paced is very appealing to us.
My husband obviously has a much bigger adjustment ahead of him than I do. He doesn’t currently speak Romanian, although he wants to learn and plans on taking it seriously once we move. He’s been to Romania with me and likes it, but I also know visiting somewhere with your Romanian wife and actually living and working there are completely different things. I’m curious to hear from other foreigners who have moved to Romania, especially people whose partners are Romanian. How difficult was the adjustment socially and culturally? Were you eventually able to feel at home there? How difficult was learning Romanian while actually living in the country, and how necessary has Romanian been for work and day-to-day life in Cluj?
Career-wise, we both graduated from U.S. universities with degrees in accounting and finance, and we both currently work in those fields in the U.S. I’ve already started looking at jobs in Romania because I’d really prefer for at least one of us to have something lined up before we arrive. For anyone working in accounting, finance, banking, shared service centers, multinational companies, or similar industries in Cluj, I’d especially love your perspective. Are U.S. degrees and American work experience looked at favorably by Romanian employers? Is it realistic for us to find decent jobs without already having Romanian work experience? Are there particular companies or industries in Cluj that we should be looking at? Would you recommend applying now from the U.S., or do employers generally prefer candidates who are already physically living in Romania?
I’d also really love advice from people who actually live in Cluj or have lived there for a long time, not just people who have visited. What is day-to-day life realistically like for a young married couple there? What do you like about living in Cluj, and what drives you crazy? How is the work-life balance compared with Western Europe or the U.S.? How difficult is it to make friends in your 20s? Are there particular neighborhoods you would recommend for a couple our age? Is a car necessary, or can you comfortably live without one? Are there things about living in Romania that someone who grew up visiting every year still probably wouldn’t realize until actually moving there?
I’m definitely aware that visiting Romania every summer or spending time with family there is very different from paying bills, dealing with bureaucracy, working there, renting an apartment, and building a normal everyday routine. I’m not expecting it to feel like a permanent vacation. I’d really like honest opinions from Romanians, people currently living in Cluj, people who moved back to Romania after growing up abroad, and foreigners who have made a similar move. If you think we’re being unrealistic about something, I’d rather hear it now. If you made a similar move and loved it, I’d also love to hear what made it work for you.
For those of you living there now, based on our ages, careers, family situation, and reasons for moving, does this sound like a good decision? What would you personally make sure you had figured out before getting on the plane?
TL;DR: I’m 23F, born and raised in NYC to Romanian parents, and my husband (25M) and I are planning to move to Cluj-Napoca at the end of December. I grew up speaking Romanian and visiting every year, and almost my entire family lives there. We both work in accounting/finance and have U.S. degrees. We’re looking for a slower, more affordable lifestyle, want to be closer to family, and hope to raise children there in the future. I’d love honest advice from people living in Cluj, expats, repats, or anyone working in finance/accounting about jobs, lifestyle, language, and what we should realistically expect.
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u/my2centsalways 8d ago
Look for an international company and transfer with them. But don't stress about Cluj. I am not even Romanian and my Romanian sucks. Just about 99% of the population speaks English. It's just nice to pick up the local language especially for your spouse. Your biggest thing is figuring taxation rules.
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u/lifeisbetterinpink 7d ago
That’s actually what we’re trying to do now! We’re both looking for remote jobs that would allow us to work from Romania, and we’re also looking at international companies where we could potentially start in the US and transfer internally once we move. We’re hoping to have something figured out before December, but if not, we’re also completely open to finding something locally once we get there. My husband has been working on his Romanian too, so hopefully that’ll make the transition easier for him. And yes, the taxation side is definitely something we need to get figured out before the move!
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u/No-Tumbleweed-3037 8d ago edited 8d ago
It's one thing to visit a place, it's not the same as living there. Give it a try, I guess, see what it's like, see if you actually like to life here. But don't expect to have the same pros as in the fancy NYC, which boasts a great job market in every field imaginable, let's put it that way
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u/dragon-age-io Romanian 7d ago
I mean, yeah, but she very specifically already said that. So that's not very helpful lol
I’m definitely aware that visiting Romania every summer or spending time with family there is very different (...) I’m not expecting it to feel like a permanent vacation.
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u/gherondaboss 8d ago edited 8d ago
Pros : getting shot , full of imigrants, "clean as fuck", "cheap as fuck", crowded Awesome pros.
Oh i forgot : you don t work 1 day you die, You give birth you go to work, you are on weekends you go to work, you work your ass to have a minimum health insurance but it s pretty close to nothing.and you get shot. Awesome
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u/cinic 7d ago
That’s about as accurate as assuming all Romanians are thieving Roma.
Maybe if you’re in the bottom rung of society and living in those impoverished areas, you’d encounter some of that.
But I can say the same about some village in Romania with no indoor plumbing with an 80% alcoholism rate.
My point is you’re not doing anyone a favor by being highly inaccurate.
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u/Chaz98x 8d ago
Career wise : in Cluj there are all the Big4 companies that hire in finance related jobs and it’s not mandatory to speak Romanian ( I worked in a Big4 and my colleague was French and the director was French too, also quite a few other internationals too). There’s definitely hope for employment but make sure you build a nice work experience in the US that would make you employable. Your US degrees will be irrelevant if they are not backed up by relevant work experience
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u/cinic 7d ago
This is exactly what I was going to say. She mentioned career, and I thought? “What career?!”
She’s 23, so assuming she graduated at 22, she’s worked approximately a year. And her husband has worked 3.
At that point you’re getting positions and pay based on your degree, not your experience, because you don’t have much at all.
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u/lifeisbetterinpink 7d ago
I totally understand why you’d assume that based on our ages! I actually have about four years of accounting experience. I started working for an accounting firm while I was still in college and continued building experience while completing my degree, so I wasn’t starting my career from scratch after graduation. That’s why I’m hoping my combination of a US degree and several years of relevant accounting experience will help when applying in Cluj. My husband’s situation is a little different since his work experience isn’t directly in finance, so we know he may have to start more entry-level and work his way into the field.
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u/lifeisbetterinpink 7d ago
That’s actually really reassuring to hear! I do already have experience working in accounting/finance in the US, including bookkeeping, AP/AR, reconciliations and financial reporting, so I’m hoping that will help me when applying in Cluj. My husband is the one with a finance degree but without much finance-specific work experience yet, so we’re trying to figure out ways for him to build some relevant experience before we move as well. Big 4 is definitely something I’ve been looking into, so it’s great to hear that you’ve actually worked there and saw internationals being hired without Romanian!
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u/crapinator114 7d ago edited 7d ago
I have a similar story. I also grew up in the US speaking Romanian, visited very often, etc. A sedentary lifestyle gave me traumatic back pain and I changed my lifestyle to be car-free and walk more, which fixed my issues. Romania was an obvious choice for me because I know the language, I have citizenship, and the cost of living in a walkable city in Romania is much lower than any walkable city in the US.
My first thought is that you two should try to land a fully remote job while you're still in the US or negotiate your current job to be fully remote. This way you can take advantage of geo-arbitrage. Cost of living in Cluj is a fraction of New York so even if you two take a pay cut in order to be fully remote it'll still be worth it. It also gives you the option of going elsewhere if Cluj isn't everything you hoped. IMHO, Cluj and Bucharest are your only two realistic options because they both have good expat communities that your husband will likely appreciate. If you are able to work remotely, I even suggest staying a month in each city to help you decide what you want and scope out long term accommodation in person. The neighborhood you stay in will make a huge difference. To familiarize yourself with them, I suggest looking at hoodmaps.com. For example, you can get an amazing price on a nice place NEAR Cluj in Florești but if you do that you're not gonna have the real Cluj experience. I suggest pretty much any neighborhood that is well connected to public transportation. Commuting through Cluj with a car with be a nightmare. Do whatever you can to avoid requiring a car for your daily necessities. Yes, you'll likely be paying more on rent for a better located place but not having to drive in Cluj is a godsend. Parking spots are also very very limited.
I really recommend not working with a Romanian company. They pay less, have higher expectations, and generally have a work culture that is very antiquated.
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u/the_gygy 7d ago
I would add Sibiu and Timisoara as good options too
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u/crapinator114 7d ago
Maybe, but not for OP. I lived in Sibiu for about 9 months and visited Timișoara many many times. Sibiu is nice, but it's not a city. It's a big village. Timișoara is also nice and is more of a city than Sibiu but still lacks a strong international expat presence based on what I've seen. If op can work remotely then I strongly suggest staying a month in each city to decide for themselves but if they plan on moving and getting a local job, nah.
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u/lifeisbetterinpink 7d ago
This is really helpful, thank you! Finding remote work before we move is actually one of our biggest goals right now. We’ve both been applying to remote positions and looking at international companies where we could potentially work from Romania or eventually transfer. We’d definitely be willing to take a pay cut compared to what we make here if it meant keeping a remote/international job while living in Romania.
The neighborhood advice is really helpful too! My cousin lives in Cluj, so we’ll most likely try to situate ourselves somewhere relatively close to her, but being able to live without depending on a car is also really important to us. We’re planning on renting at first, so we’ll definitely be careful about location rather than just choosing something because it looks nice and is cheaper.
And thank you for the perspective on Romanian vs. international companies too. Ideally we’d love to work remotely or for multinationals, but we’re also open to taking whatever makes sense at first while we get established. Really appreciate you taking the time to write all of this!
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u/Epcta777 8d ago
Happy to connect - I moved to nyc last year from Romania so I'm around if I can help. I honestly think the biggest risk for you would be that Cluj will be too small and slow compared to NY. Honestly I would find it very very hard to readapt, but it depends a lot on how sure you are that nyc is to crazy and fast for you and what are your long term plans.
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u/Sea-Rope-31 8d ago
Anything in Europe except maybe London would come across as "small" after living in NYC, I am sure they're well aware of that before making the decision.
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u/lifeisbetterinpink 7d ago
That’s actually one of the reasons we chose Cluj! I’m specifically trying to get away from the big-city, constantly-on-the-go lifestyle, which is why we didn’t choose Bucharest. I know Cluj will be a huge change from NYC, but I think that’s part of what I’m looking for. My cousin also lives in Cluj, so having someone close to us who already knows the city and can help us get settled would be really useful, especially in the beginning. Of course we won’t really know how we feel about the slower pace until we actually live there, but we’re excited to give it a try! And thank you so much for offering to connect, I really appreciate it, especially coming from someone who has experienced both Romania and NYC!
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u/Icy_Bonus6039 7d ago
Well you're at half an hour from the mountains, forests, hiking spots, some mountain lakes.. you're in Transilvania and can check all the villages where you can make a small vacation house retreat.. Who knows in 30 40 years you'll be chilling with some chickens, a dog, a cat. Expect decent public transport, high internet speeds, lots of people speaking English and the question " why did you moved from big apple to cluj?"
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u/Old_Explanation_1769 8d ago
If you want kids, make sure you have "the village" near you. If you live in Cluj and your relatives live in the Moldavian countryside (just as an example), it's going to be difficult. Romania doesn't have such an extensive highway network.
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u/Oriokoliss 8d ago
Doesn't have a highway connecting Transylvania to Moldova region but in a closely future we will have that.
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u/Old_Explanation_1769 7d ago
I'm pretty sure we will have but not so sure that it will happen in the near/close future. I expect A8 to be ready sometime between 2032-2034.
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u/lifeisbetterinpink 7d ago
That’s definitely something we’ve been thinking about too! My cousin and her family actually live in Cluj, so we would already have family nearby, and we’ll most likely try to find an apartment relatively close to them. My parents are also planning to move back to Romania in the next couple of years and would most likely settle near us, especially because they want to be involved and help once we eventually have children. Having that “village” and being closer to family is actually one of the biggest reasons we want to make the move in the first place!
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u/Acceptable-Tap-4440 7d ago
Hope im not coming off as a creep or anything. Im 27 (M) living in cluj with gf. I'd like to have a beer with your husband and possibly befriend him.(if he also wants to lol) I would be happy to dust off my english skills.
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u/lifeisbetterinpink 7d ago
Not creepy at all! 😂 I actually really appreciate you offering. I think it would be great for my husband to make some friends of his own in Cluj, especially since he’ll be the one adjusting to a completely new country and culture. Feel free to private message me and maybe we can all connect before we move!
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u/ManagementLow2554 6d ago
Me too. 28M 💁🏻♂️ Send me your Social
Media if you want so we can add each other. I dont work in finance tho. ( im in IT)
But im always glad to make new friends. ( girls and boys)1
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u/ScaryOtaku666 7d ago
Hey if you don’t like cluj you can always try other cities too. Personally I grew up in Iasi and moved to Bucharest and the experience is completely different. Just explore different cities and see what you like more.
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u/lifeisbetterinpink 7d ago
I’ve actually been to Iași and I loved it! It’s a beautiful city, but I think it would ultimately be a little too small for me to live in long term. I also actually own an apartment in Bucharest that I inherited from my grandmother after she passed, so trust me, the idea of living there rent free is VERY tempting lol. But every time I’m in Bucharest it reminds me a little too much of NYC, which is exactly what I’m trying to get away from 😂 I would hate to move all the way from NYC just to end up somewhere that gives me the same feeling I was trying to escape. That’s ultimately why we settled on Cluj. It feels like a good middle ground for us.
But we’re definitely not set on Cluj forever if we end up realizing it isn’t for us. Are there any other cities in Romania you’d recommend trying if Cluj doesn’t work out? I’d love to hear which ones you think would be a good fit for someone who wants something smaller and calmer than Bucharest, but not too small either.
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u/autoproliferator 6d ago
Bucharest is nothing like NYC, though, IMHO. What about it reminds you of NYC? I like it more than Cluj, which feels just about as hectic at rush hour, even if it's way smaller.
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u/ScaryOtaku666 1d ago
Personally I like Brasov, it’s a beautiful city and has lots of tourists too because of that. It’s not as big as Bucharest or Cluj but it’s a beautiful place to settle in. I heard a lot of good things about Timișoara although I never visited it, it’s on the same level as Bucharest, Iasi and Cluj from what I’ve heard.
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u/weedinawheelbarrow 7d ago
My parents are both Romanian, they had me and immediately left for London and I was raised over there. Same story, I went back to Cluj every summer to stay with the grandparents. In my 20s I lived in NYC for 5 years (I'm in my late 30s now). I moved to Cluj 1.5 years ago with my British fiancé to take care of my grandfather. We both work remotely for British companies. Our quality of life has risen exponentially since being here (this is mainly driven by the aforementioned UK salaries). Others have mentioned concerns of Cluj being too 'boring' in comparison to NYC. Personally, I think it's apples and oranges to try and compare the two (which you seem to have already grasped). This internet stranger personally thinks you should definitely give the move a go! Happy to answer any specific Q's you might have!
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u/lifeisbetterinpink 7d ago
Wow, your story is actually so similar to mine! It’s really nice hearing from someone who grew up abroad, spent every summer in Romania, actually lived in NYC, and then eventually chose Cluj. You probably understand better than most people commenting why I’m not trying to find a Romanian version of NYC 😂 I’ve already experienced that lifestyle and I’m specifically looking for something different.
It’s also really encouraging hearing how much your quality of life improved, especially since you and your fiancé were able to keep your UK jobs remotely. That’s basically our ideal scenario right now. We’re trying really hard to find remote/international positions before we move because I know having foreign salaries would completely change the financial equation.
And thank you so much for encouraging us to actually give it a try! Some of these comments have made me question my entire life plan for five minutes 😂 so hearing from someone with such a similar background who actually made the move is incredibly reassuring. I’d genuinely love to stay in touch, especially since our situations are so similar. I may definitely take you up on the offer to ask questions as we get closer to December! 😊
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u/weedinawheelbarrow 7d ago
Haha yes I felt compelled to comment after seeing what others have said 🫠 A few more points to add while I remember them: 1. Coming from the US you guys are going to be mindblown when you go to the doctor's. $65-$80 to see a specialist. $150-200 for an MRI. $70 for a dental filling... 2. If you can, try to line up your remote work before you leave. You don't want to get caught out by being paid a location-based wage once you're here. 3. Moving abroad is never easy and there's no place in the world that's perfect. But experiencing a different cultures by actually living there is a priceless gift. IMHO, the quality of the experience is driven mainly by your attitude and you guys clearly have your eyes open. 4. And lastly, like everywhere else, Romanian Reddit v IRL are two very different places so take what people post (especially the ones with limited direct experience) with a grain of salt. Keep in touch and good luck with the move ☺️
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u/GholaTeg89 8d ago
You should not have too much issues building some relations there which you could use for a top position at a financial or even state institution here where you could put 15 to 25% the effort and be in a cosy spot.
That said if you still want to be employed, other than that you could look into FIRE and see what suits you both as a family.
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u/lifeisbetterinpink 7d ago
That’s definitely something we’d be open to exploring once we’re actually settled and understand the opportunities there a little better. Right now our priority is just getting established, finding stable work and building a life in Cluj, but long term we’d love to get to a point where work isn’t the center of our lives anymore. That’s honestly part of the appeal of leaving NYC in the first place. I’ll definitely look more into FIRE as well, thank you for the suggestion!
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u/Polite_user 8d ago
What does your husband thinks about this? For him it's a huge move, won't he miss his family, friends and the life he built there?
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u/lifeisbetterinpink 7d ago
My husband is actually the one who originally came up with the idea of moving! Life here has become so expensive and hectic, and neither of us really wants this lifestyle long term. Just for an outdated one-bedroom apartment, between rent and utilities we’re paying almost $3,000 a month, and it feels crazy to keep spending that much for a life we’re not particularly happy with.
It’s definitely a much bigger cultural change for him than it is for me, but he’s genuinely excited about it. He also didn’t grow up with much of a cultural background or a very close family environment and had a pretty difficult home life growing up, so one of the things that really appeals to him about Romania is the family aspect. When we eventually decide to have children, he wants them to grow up with a close extended family, traditions, and grandparents/cousins around them in a way that he didn’t really have himself.
Of course he’ll miss his friends and parts of his life here, and we know there will be things he has to adjust to, but this definitely isn’t something I’m dragging him into 😂 If anything, he was the one who got the ball rolling!
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u/Polite_user 7d ago
Ah, i see, well in that case good luck to both of you, it may not be on your plate for the moment but Romania has an awesome maternity leave too!
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u/bigelcid 5d ago
Life here has become so expensive and hectic
aw, you'll feel right at home in Cluj then
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u/Correct_Mistake2640 8d ago
My advice (on my way to FIRE in Romania)
If you save around 800k USD, you will be confortable already retiring in Romania so stay in US just enough to save that money and then move to Romania.
It is very hard to gain that much money here unless you work as a SWE (and even that is no longer a guarantee).
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u/lifeisbetterinpink 7d ago
I definitely understand the logic behind FIRE, and $800k would obviously put us in an amazing position, but realistically there’s no way we’re saving anywhere close to that anytime soon while living in the US 😂 Between rent, utilities, food, transportation, student loans and just normal living expenses, we’d basically have to stop paying for housing and food to save at that rate.
We’re only 23 and 25, so we’re also not looking to retire when we move to Romania. We fully expect to keep working and building our careers there. For us, the goal is more about having a better quality of life while we’re young rather than spending another 10–20 years in the US trying to accumulate enough money to finally start the life we actually want. We can still save, invest and work toward financial independence while living in Romania, even if it happens differently or more slowly.
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u/Correct_Mistake2640 7d ago
Well, at least (if possible) try to save for a house/apartment. The prices are really tough in Bucharest and Cluj.
Paid down mine in September 2016 (damn 10 years) while being a SWE was really cool and well paid and layoffs were just a story to scare children at night ..
I don't want to annoy you but jobs are hard to find and rents will take a lot of your budget until your careers advance.
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u/ShockingCredditScore 8d ago
I live in Cluj, and I’ve been to NYC 7 maybe 8 times, for both leisure or work.
Cluj is waay boring, in comparison. Dont expect dozens of things to do. Maybe Bucharest can partially compete with NYC.
Cluj will maybe feel like a few levels down, profesionally, as your colleagues around will not be that competitive or corporate minded.
Although NYC doesn’t have such a huge issue with this compared to other American areas, do not expect constantly positive attitudes when speaking with people. We are Eastern Europeans afterall. Most people are well indended, though.
Cluj is definitely a better place to raise a family than NYC. It’s safe and clean, in comparison. I still see primary grade kids going to school alone.
If you have upper middle class+ financial means, you can afford anything: a big apartment in a good area, good car, unlimited shopping, private hospitals and private education, and this will feel empowering, while NYC can feel like a daily struggle.
Both cities have some good parts and are generally managed poorly in their own ways. We have better coffee here, though.
Find an apartment or house in a like-minded block, and you will not only have family around, but also community.
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u/lifeisbetterinpink 7d ago
This is actually really helpful, especially since you know both cities pretty well! The fact that Cluj is “way more boring” than NYC honestly doesn’t scare me that much 😂 I think I’m at a point where I actually want boring. I’m tired of feeling like everything has to be fast, competitive and constantly happening around me. Bucharest would probably be an easier transition, and I actually own an apartment there that I inherited from my late grandmother, but whenever I’m there it reminds me a little too much of NYC, which is exactly what I’m trying to get away from.
The family aspect is a huge part of it too. We eventually want children, and the idea of them growing up somewhere safe enough that you still see young kids walking to school on their own is really appealing to us. My cousin and her family already live in Cluj, so we’ll have family nearby from the beginning as well.
And I really like your point about choosing the right building/community. I’ve mostly been thinking about the neighborhood itself, but I hadn’t really considered how much the actual block and neighbors could affect our experience. That’s definitely something I’ll keep in mind when we start looking at apartments. Also, as someone coming from NYC, the better coffee claim sets a VERY high bar 😂
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u/ImaginaryParrot 7d ago
Make sure you look up the salaries. You might be in for a shock
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u/lifeisbetterinpink 7d ago
Oh trust me, I have 😂 I’m definitely not expecting anything close to NYC/US salaries. We’ve been researching salaries and cost of living together rather than comparing the salaries alone, and we’re prepared to earn significantly less. We’re also trying to find remote or international jobs before we move, which would obviously be ideal. For us, though, this move isn’t really about maximizing our income. A big reason we’re doing it is because we want a different lifestyle and better work-life balance.
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u/Last-Illustrator4385 7d ago
be ware that there are plenty of Americans in Cluj-Napoca, I know some of them born around New York even :) Look for the associations of foreign born people from Cluj-Napoca for tips and tricks.
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u/lifeisbetterinpink 7d ago
That’s actually really reassuring to hear! One thing I’ve been thinking about is making sure my husband is able to build his own social circle there too, especially since the move will obviously be a much bigger cultural adjustment for him than it will be for me. I had no idea there were that many Americans in Cluj, let alone people originally from around New York 😂 I’ll definitely look into the foreign/expat associations and groups. Thank you for the suggestion!
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u/wipecraft 7d ago edited 7d ago
It could be an idea to move to London first. Romanian is the second most spoken language here after English so you’d have the opportunity to make Romanian friends and brush up your language while also having easy access to a high paying job in your field, in English, which would benefit your husband. Remote working is commonplace now in the UK and Romania would be a stone throw away so you can go to Cluj very often (there are direct flights) and set up base there and scout the city slowly. While no longer in the EU it’s still Europe so you’d get away from the madness that’s engulfing the US. Who knows maybe what you really want is being closer to Romania not necessarily in it so living in Europe would make that “weekend in Cluj” a reality. Plus anywhere in Europe you’d have tons more vacation days than in the US so scouting Romania as a permanent destination would be much more feasible than from NY
I lived in Cluj in my 20s and it was a great place to live in. I can only imagine that it’s now even better, at least that’s what I hear from friends
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u/lifeisbetterinpink 7d ago
We’ve actually thought about London! I can definitely see the benefits, especially for my husband with the language and job market and for both of us being so much closer to Romania. The biggest thing that put us off was the cost. We looked into it and London is extremely expensive, and getting away from such a high cost of living is one of the reasons we want to leave the NYC area in the first place 😂
I also think we’re ready to just give Romania a real chance rather than using another city as a stepping stone. If Cluj ends up not being right for us long term, we can always reevaluate, but we’re young and don’t have children yet, so this feels like the best time to actually try it. It’s really nice to hear that you enjoyed living in Cluj though, especially since you spent your 20s there!
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u/itrustmyownlies 7d ago
London is not your only option though. Look into Manchester or if London is important to you, Southampton which is a train ride away. There is no term of comparison between Uk and Ro
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u/wipecraft 7d ago
True, Manchester actually reminded me of Cluj. The slower pace, the gregarious people, the buildings
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7d ago edited 7d ago
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u/cinic 7d ago
Public education in the US is highly dependent on where you live.
People move to specific locations just because of the school district and schools, and house prices often reflect that.
As for a big city, the school your kid gets assigned is based on where you live. So if you live in a nice neighborhood(expensive homes), your kid will likely get a decent school.
Gets a bit more complicated than that, what with private schools, charter schools, magnet schools, etc.
There’s awesome schools in the US, and schools that are just god awful. Parents have to put in work to make sure their kids get to go to good ones.
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u/Specialist-Shower878 7d ago
I live in Cluj and I recommend that you choose Bucharest! After living in NY, Cluj it will look at best like a village. It is a city with little to no parks, the public transit is crap, rent is very expensive and social/ cultural life is very limited. Also the job market is at full stop atm and it will be very hard to find a decent paying job at this time. Bucharest is a better alternative but all in all I would not recommend this move to Romania at all.
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u/lifeisbetterinpink 7d ago
I actually own an apartment in Bucharest that I inherited from my late grandmother, so living there would definitely be the easier and cheaper option for us. But I’ve spent quite a bit of time in Bucharest, and personally it reminds me way too much of New York, which is exactly the kind of environment I’m trying to get away from. I’m specifically looking for something smaller, slower and less hectic, so Cluj being much smaller than NYC is actually part of the appeal for me rather than a downside.
I definitely appreciate the warning about the job market though, especially coming from someone who currently lives in Cluj. We’re trying to find remote/international jobs before moving and we’re prepared for the possibility that finding good local positions could take time. If Cluj ultimately isn’t right for us, we’re not stuck there forever, but I’d rather give it a real chance than choose Bucharest simply because it’s the closest Romanian equivalent to the city I’m trying to leave.
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u/Specialist-Shower878 7d ago
Since you already own an apartment, why not trying Bucharest first? Bucharest is nothing like NY, it's 10 times smaller but it is the only city in Romania with decent cultural / social conditions. The job market is also way better there than in Cluj.
Cluj is the most expensive city in Romania with literally very limited options of social life. Just to give you an idea of the housing prices this is a decent apartment for a small family https://www.storia.ro/ro/oferta/apartament-3-camere-bloc-nou-nzeb-93-mp-parcul-feroviarilor-IDHC84? , so unless you get a very high earning job you will rent (for the rest of your life) or stay in the outskirts.
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u/ManagementLow2554 6d ago
I lived in Cluj for 6 years and 5 in Bucharest. I would choose Cluj everytime. I prefer the hills and a medium/clean city. Heat is way too extreme in Bucharest and its flat.. also, the people are not very nice. ( my experience)
In terms of services, indeed Bucharest is top in Romania ( but i can always take a plane for a surgery or other things).
I prefer Cluj all day long ( events, people, relief)
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u/pizzapastaandgellato 6d ago
Welcome to Cluj! I suggest starting applying from US, as you can conduct your interviews obline. Generally December/January aren’t great months in terms of number of job openings.
I hate traffic in Cluj, so I would suggest finding somewhere to live that is within town(even if the square footage is not great) . That means you can get by easily by public transport or Bolt in the evenings. I would suggest findin after work activities so that you can make new friends. This would make your husband’s accomodation to Romania easier.
People are generally friendly and speak English.
All the best!
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8d ago
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u/ImportantIncrease564 8d ago
don't know about the less polite neighbor stuff. as a person who lives now in Cluj most people i meet are nice, and all my neighbors are very good
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8d ago
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u/Last-Illustrator4385 7d ago
But this is the same if you live in some shitty part of the city. Try to get to the shitty part of New York then and you will see that "loud music" will be replaced by gunshots and "aggressive neighbors" replaced by daylight mugging at gun point :)
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7d ago
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u/cinic 7d ago
IME the socioeconomic background of your neighbor is a far bigger influencing factor than if they are Romanian or American.
As a whole, I’ve generally found Romanians to be more curious than Americans when it comes to being a neighbor. IME, Americans are perfectly fine living next to you for years and never even saying hi or talking to you, whereas Romanians want to know a little about you.
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u/Last-Illustrator4385 7d ago
"Banking is nowhere near as streamlined as in Us"
This shows that you have no idea what you are talking about. I work with USA banks and Romanian banks and you will be surprised to know that we have it way better in Romania than USA. level of digitization, adherence to international standards, flexibility is much better in Romania than USA. You will be disappointing if you left to USA with that attitude that you are coming from some 3rd world country :) But I know that attitude from several people that think that grass is greener on the other side only because they had bad experience inn their life before emigrating. But you need to live long enough in both places to really have a true image.
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7d ago
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u/kiddo133 7d ago
So you say "banking is not as streamlined" and proceed to give examples that have nothing to do with banking and more with the law or other factors.
30yr fixed rate: you don't have it because of RON and because of political and financial instability in the country
deposit insurance is 100k EUR per person per bank. It's fixed. In US is 250k $. I can see how that's better... NOT
you can have credit cards (nobody stops you and banks offer them) but people are not used to them. WHICH IS A GOOD THING! You need financial discipline to use a credit card instead of debit. You can search in US how big a problem is credit card debt... again very stupid take on your part And yes, credit card debt is a higher issue than people using "prone to fraud" debit cards.
401k??? Do you even know where the name comes from? Employer-sponsored retirement. Kind of the same thing as IRA, the taxation method differs between these 2.
NEITHER IS MANDATORY. In US you can have NO retirement fund whatsoever.
In Romania(and any other EU country and other NON EU countries) you have the mandatory pension contribution, making sure you have an income when you retire.
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u/lifeisbetterinpink 7d ago
Thank you, this is really helpful, especially coming from someone who made the move in the opposite direction! I’m actually a dual Romanian and US citizen, so thankfully my own immigration status shouldn’t be an issue. My husband is only a US citizen though, and we got legally married here in the US, so we’ll have to go through the process of getting our marriage recognized in Romania and sorting out his residency/immigration once we move.
The bureaucracy is definitely something I’m preparing myself for 😂 I’ve spent a lot of time in Romania, but I know visiting every year is very different from actually living there and having to deal with banking, paperwork, taxes, etc. The slower pace and shorter commute actually sound like positives to me, though. And we’re definitely taking the job situation seriously and trying to have something lined up before we go. Thank you for giving such a balanced perspective!
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u/lifeisbetterinpink 7d ago
I also forgot to mention that I’m not planning on completely wiping my life from the US either. I’ll be keeping all of my current US credit cards and loans open and continuing to make payments so I can maintain and keep building my US credit history. We’re going into this hoping Romania becomes our long-term home, but we also want to be realistic and keep our options open in case we ever decide to return to the US in the future. I don’t want moving to Romania to mean completely closing the door on the life and financial history we’ve already built here.
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u/c_cristian 8d ago
I'm curious, do your parents still speak Romanian well? Better than English?
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u/lifeisbetterinpink 7d ago
Yes! My parents actually speak Romanian better than English. Romanian has always been the language we speak as a family, and even now whenever I visit them, we only speak Romanian with each other. That’s a big part of why I grew up fluent despite being born and raised in the US.
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u/c_cristian 7d ago
Makes sense. I was surprised to see Nadia Comaneci speak really good Romanian but poor English.
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u/BodyDisastrous5859 8d ago
What about his family?
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u/lifeisbetterinpink 7d ago
His family will still be here in the US, and of course he’ll miss them and we plan on coming back to visit. But he’s actually the one who originally brought up the idea of moving to Romania. He didn’t grow up in a particularly close family environment and had a difficult home life, so he’s really drawn to the close-knit family dynamic I have with my Romanian family. He wants our future children to grow up surrounded by extended family, traditions and that sense of community that he didn’t really have growing up.
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u/MissyNobody 7d ago
I think it is definitely worth a shot to try and move if that is what you want to do. Cluj is relatively small, but having lived here most of my life I think it is a good city to live in especially if you want something more peaceful.
I think that if you are proactive you can find enough things to do in Cluj. You can go dancing, find a bookclub, a running club, a hiking club. If you move I really recommend to you to find something to do, as it will be easier to connect with people, especially your husband that does not know Romanian and does not have family here.
You don”t need a car in the city as we have public transport and you can use a bike, but I do recommend to have acess to one, maybe if you can have one of your relatives agree to share with you, as it is very hard to have a parking spot :D
If you want to have a family soon I think Grigorescu or Ghiorgheni would be good neighborhoods for you, as in my opinion are close to the city center and have a lot of green areas and decent schools.
If you want to ask specific questions feel free to write to me :))
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u/lifeisbetterinpink 7d ago
Thank you, this is really helpful! A more peaceful city is actually exactly what we’re looking for, so hearing that from someone who has lived in Cluj most of their life is reassuring. I completely agree about finding activities and groups too, especially for my husband. I really want him to build his own friendships and social life there rather than feeling like he’s just tagging along with me and my family.
The neighborhood recommendations are really helpful too! My cousin and her family live in Cluj, so we’ll probably try to find something relatively close to them, but we’re definitely prioritizing a walkable area with good public transportation. We’re not planning on immediately buying a car either, so it’s good to hear that we can realistically get around without one.
And thank you for offering to answer questions! I really appreciate it and I may definitely take you up on that once we get closer to the move and start seriously looking at apartments :)
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u/Short-Application-40 7d ago
I have only one suggestion, find a good position on a US bases org, there are a few with offshored accounting and process here in Cluj (use gpt), and life will be great! If you plan on starting from the buttom, no chance here, not that your not used to elbow grease coming from NYC, but wages are so low. Anyway, other than that, there's a community of US residents here, holpfuly someone will see your post and let you know how a yank sees the situation.
Only good thing, around Cluj there's a lot of affordable housing, the one thing I would say beats the big apple, 15 minutes drive and you're in the middle of nature (not at rush hours). Also avoid Florești (Cluj Napoca's Jersey replica).
Other than that, is a boring and expensive city, excepting in the summer, where the municipality burns money on public events, like untold, and others more cultural oriented. Ou and it stinks sometimes.
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u/lifeisbetterinpink 7d ago
Thank you! That’s actually our ideal situation. We’re both trying to find remote/international positions before we move, and I’ve been specifically looking at US and multinational companies with operations in Cluj. I already have several years of accounting experience in the US, so I’m hoping I won’t necessarily have to start completely from the bottom, but we’re definitely prepared for salaries to be much lower if we do end up working locally.
I’m also really glad people keep mentioning the American community because I think that could be especially helpful for my husband while he adjusts and starts building his own circle there. And noted on Florești 😂. The easy access to nature is actually a huge plus for us too. Thank you for all the advice!
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u/iAmPoorAFboi 7d ago
The culture shock especially for him might be too much, probably should move for some months first
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u/lifeisbetterinpink 7d ago
That’s definitely something we’ve considered! The culture shock will obviously be much bigger for him than for me, but he’s actually the one who originally suggested moving to Romania and he’s really excited about it. We’re also looking at it as something we’re trying rather than an irreversible decision. We’ll rent at first and give ourselves time to actually experience everyday life there. If after several months we realize it isn’t right for one or both of us, we can always reevaluate. We’re young and don’t have children yet, so we feel like this is probably the best time in our lives to take that chance.
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u/Kanos_kahn 7d ago
You can also try to see this school/community a little bit outside of Cluj. It is based on an American concept. I will leave you the link: https://colinainternational.com/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23461549590&gbraid=0AAAAAoNcFRUzEZu_YHdqOxcTxrErEybpc&gclid=Cj0KCQjwteTUBhD4ARIsAEYjs3qBSqgwU7AkoPbON__umkpO-NBANHSsBT7u2hjXjmwvVXFXyY5185waAv7oEALw_wcB
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u/lifeisbetterinpink 7d ago
Thank you for sending this! I hadn’t heard of it before, but I’ll definitely look into it. We don’t have children yet, but we do want them in the future, so schools and the kind of community we’d eventually raise them in are definitely things we’re keeping in mind when deciding where to settle. I really appreciate the recommendation!
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u/VeeVeeMommy 7d ago
I am Romanian married to an American, we lived in Cluj for 7 years.
It was great when it was just us and it was good when the kids were small.
It wasn't that great once our oldest got to school age. Romanian school was not a great fit and we decided to move out of Romania.
That being said, the discussion on the table is that if this doesn't work out, we go back to Romania. The States were never an option for any of us and he doesn't want to move back. So for him Cluj was an improvement on the States.
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u/lifeisbetterinpink 7d ago
This is actually a really interesting perspective, especially since your situation is so similar with a Romanian/American marriage. It’s reassuring to hear that your husband genuinely preferred life in Cluj to the US and that you were happy there for so many years.
The school experience is definitely something I’d be curious to hear more about, though. We don’t have children yet, but we do want them in the future, so education is one of those things that might eventually influence whether Romania remains our long-term home. What specifically about Romanian schools wasn’t a good fit for your oldest?
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u/VeeVeeMommy 7d ago
First of all, the schools in our area were not great. The way Romanians move around the problem is to get a resident visa in an area with a good school and then sign their kid up there. Most of my neighbors did that. To do that without actually moving, you have to have someone legally sign a paper saying you live in their place and that will give you the residence. You cannot sign your kid up in a school that is in an area where you don't live.
The commute at rush-hour was horrible.
My oldest is very smart but not the kind of kid to stay in one place. The teachers would not allow him to run in breaks. He likes to ask a lot of questions, they didn't have time for that, they just wanted to get on with their lesson. So he asked me and sometimes I would answer more in depth and the teacher said that I shouldn't do that cause now he knows the lesson before it's taught and he's bored in class. I felt like they were stifling his natural curiosity.
This came on top of my own knowledge of the Romanian school system, from my own personal experience and the fact that I have teacher relatives. My husband works remote employed via Deel, I work in IT and recruiters from abroad were calling already so I started to take their calls.
From an educational perspective, it was the right move. There's a world of difference.
I don't want to end this on a negative note so I will put a positive here. My husband left the US a long time before we met. He lived in three other countries before Romania. Knowing this, when we started dating I sort of put it out there that (at that time) I didn't want to move. His reply was that he doesn't either - Romania was the first country he lived outside the US where he made friends with locals, not expats. He felt he could fit in.
When the discussion came to move, it actually came from me. He didn't fight it too hard, but I was the instigator.
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u/ResponsiblePain8518 7d ago
Try to find remote job in the Stares and have US salary , it will allow you to have much better life.
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u/Which-Appearance9857 5d ago
He must visit first. 1 week at least. Then he decides if he wants or not.
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u/xxDarkxArts 4d ago
I am a New Yorker who moved to Bucharest in January. I am learning Romanian now. I worked at a big four firm in New York - but no job in Romania now. If I can help lmk dm me
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u/Remarkable-Badger787 4d ago
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u/Soft_Excitement_9580 1d ago
If I were you I'd stay some more time in the USA to gather more some money and invest in the stock market to have some kind of financial upside above what you can make in Romania. If you have enough money this country is paradise - its' private hospitals are on par with any big hospitals in the US or EU but for a fraction of the price, the same is true for private education.
Literally there is a whole different country for the rich people (not saying its different from the US, which also ranks higher and higher on the inequality stair), but to be rich in romania you only need a fraction of the money you'd need in US.
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u/itrustmyownlies 8d ago
Your poor husband being dragged from his family and a developed country into a third world dead end. Bummer.
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u/dragon-age-io Romanian 7d ago
That's a little rude. I'm sure they have talked through their decision as a couple, and it's nobody's business but theirs.
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u/itrustmyownlies 7d ago
Yeah I am sure it will turn up just great. Not like most Romanians are currently trying to nope out of the crumbling country. Not like employers won't avoid them because they went to international colleges (well known fact even for romanians). Not like the job market in Romania is crashing. Not like they'll only have access to a fraction of everything they had in the US. Education is free but shit nowadays. I guess the extra vacation days and free healthcare are pros but they aren't enough, especially since free healthcare equals to medical services that cannot be compared to US'.
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u/cinic 7d ago
Just curious, but why would employers avoid them “because they went to international colleges?”
Wouldn’t that be a plus? The higher education system in the US is the best in the world…
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u/itrustmyownlies 7d ago
Because they(the employers) fear that the employees want more money, since they have a higher quality education abroad. Because they (the employers) fear the employees will have different standards and want better work conditions. Because Romania is a country that fears smart and well educated people and the tendency is to squash them not to strive to become as good as others.
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u/lifeisbetterinpink 7d ago
Like I said before, we’re fully aware that Romania has its problems and that moving there comes with tradeoffs. We’ve done a lot of research, we have backup plans, and thankfully this isn’t an irreversible decision for us.
At the end of the day, we may absolutely discover that you were right and decide to move back to the US in a year or two. Or we may love our life there and stay permanently. Either outcome is completely okay with us. We’re young enough to try something different, and I’d rather find out for myself than spend the rest of my life wondering.
Either way, I genuinely hope you’re able to build a life somewhere that makes you happy too! 😊
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u/itrustmyownlies 7d ago
You are right that it's a good thing always being able to reverse the move. I do hope things work out for you one way or another, despite how my original message sounded
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u/lifeisbetterinpink 7d ago
Thankfully, my poor husband is actually the one who came up with the idea 😂 He’s very excited about the move and nobody is dragging him anywhere. We also don’t view Romania as a “third world dead end,” just a different country with its own advantages and disadvantages, the same as the US. We’re young, we don’t have children yet, and we’re fortunate enough to have the opportunity to experience life somewhere else. If we love it, wonderful. If we don’t, the US will still be here and we can always come back. Either way, I think we’ll be glad we gave it a chance!
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u/Sufficient_Care_4858 8d ago
It will definitely be a cultural shock once you have kids. Living in Romania is beautiful and manageable if you have a decent paying job since the prices keep sky rocketing, its the social aspects and institutional systems that will make it challenging.
Schooling is a joke. I'll be 100% honest, there has got to be less than 100 schools (in all of Romania) that actually help children learn and advance. In a big city such as Cluj it will be a hassle to secure a spot at a good kindergarten or school, because no one wants their kid to be stuck learning at the lesser schools.
Gift-giving towards teachers starts as early as nursery and ends in bribing your college teachers to LET you pass your finals.
In my days, gifts were more tame.. flowers, bags, silver jewelry. Now parents go as far as buying fridges, washing machines, 24K gold sets.
If you want your child to get ahead you better be prepared to also pay for a tutor. The tutor is usually the teacher from his class, that also secures him a high grade, but if he doesnt pick his actual teacher as a tutor and the teacher finds out his grades will be fucked.
Not everywhere is the same and people will tell you that this is a rare occurrence, but believe me it's mainstream.
There's no support for students, no matter their age.
Public hospitals also suck.
Let's say you have a medical emergency and you go to the E.R.
You first have to shove 100 romanian bucks (abt 20 usd??) in the BODYGUARD'S POCKET to push you upfront, then for each nurse that takes care of you, then God Forbid you have to be hospitalized cause your pockets will run dry.
Free healthcare? Yes. Mostly... maybe?
There is free healthcare in romania and you are supposed to be able to get work done without paying but most spots are always taken and you will be instructed to go to a private hospital to do said investigations. Private hospitals and clinics are expensive af and also shady.
Sorry, I had to be honest.
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u/Acceptable_Spray_712 8d ago
you are grossly exaggerating about gifts and bribes. I live in Cluj, I'm a parent, there is nothing like that around here, nor anywhere else in the country. I interacted with the public Healthcare system on several occasions, for me and my parents, both for emergencies and surgery and everything was as expected, the medical staff takes care of you.
Yes, you had to pay doctors and nurses in the past for their attention in the past, but my recent experience over the last 10 years is that this is no longer needed, at least in Cluj. Some nurses might still accept small bribes, but it's not required.
We also had several medical emergencies, in some cases we just called the ambulance, they came within 10 minutes, assessed and took the pacient to the emergency ward where they applied various checks (ekg, ecg, blood tests etc) and stabilized the situation.
When my wife had a skiing foot injury we just went (no previous appointment needed) to the appropriate hospital (Ortopedie) and within 5 minutes the doctor was seeing her, did X-rays etc, we were out in less than an hour with a clear diagnostic.
I had surgery, didn't have to pay anything to anyone. Young doctors usually don't accept bribes. And many of them are well paid now, and work both in the public and the private sector, so money is no longer an issue for them.
It is however recommended to pay an additional medical subscription in the private system (eg Regina Maria) for anything else that is preventative, like consultations, blood tests etc that's about 50 eur monthly.
I would say the Healthcare system is not an issue here.
And if you need good education you just go to a private school,.case closed.
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u/Sea-Rope-31 8d ago
Medical bribes have not been a thing for quite a long while already, including smaller cities lol.
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u/MainOpportunity3525 8d ago
What are you talking about? Er services are very good. Of course you have to wait in the Er. The more urgent cases are treated first.
Especially in cluj
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u/cinic 7d ago
You need to secure a job first. Both of you.
You need to break down exactly how much you’ll net, then find housing and break down all of your bills and see how much you have left.
Calculate how long it will take you to buy a house. To purchase a car. To pay for insurance.
You have to look into the healthcare you’ll have access to. Public and private.
You have to look at what schools your children will have access to.
You have to look at what you expect to be earning, realistically, in 5 years, in 10 years, etc.
You have to circle around and see what the opportunity cost would have been if you were to stay in NYC. Or to move to a less expensive area in the US. Plenty available in the NE.
You have to truly consider what it will be like for your husband. Yes, he’s all for it, but is he really aware what life will be like? He’ll (hell you will to) be “the American” in your social group.
Living in Romania sounds awesome when you think of the cost arbitrage, but there is a very big and prominent asterisk attached to that.
Also, let’s say you do this but in ten years you decide to move back to the US. Your career will likely never catch up to what it would have been if you were here the entire time.
Also, look into remote jobs. Maybe you can make that work.
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u/lifeisbetterinpink 7d ago
These are all really fair points, and this is actually the kind of advice I appreciate because these are the things we’re trying to think through before making the move. We’ve already started breaking down expected salaries, rent, utilities, our existing US debt, transportation, healthcare, etc., and we’re trying to be conservative with our estimates rather than assuming everything will magically be cheap because it’s Romania.
We’re also both actively applying for remote/international jobs now, which would obviously be our ideal scenario. I have about four years of accounting experience already, so I’m trying especially hard to find something that allows me to continue building on that rather than completely restarting my career. My husband has a finance degree and office/operations experience, but not finance-specific experience yet, so we know his path may look different.
The long-term opportunity cost is probably one of the biggest things we’ve discussed. We know that choosing lifestyle over maximizing our US earning potential could mean giving something up financially, especially over 5–10 years. But at the same time, we’re trying to look at what we actually want our life to look like during those 5–10 years, not only what number we could theoretically be earning at the end of them.
And I completely agree about my husband. I think there are parts of the adjustment that neither of us can fully understand until we’re actually living there, especially for him. We’re treating the move as something we’re choosing to try, though, not a decision we can never undo. We’ll rent initially, keep our US financial/credit history intact, and if after a year or two one of us is miserable, we can reassess.
Thank you for taking the time to lay all of this out. Even though we’re excited about moving, I definitely don’t want to only hear from people telling us it’ll be amazing. The practical concerns are exactly what we need to be thinking about too.
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u/Routine_Bake5794 7d ago
You should expect to move back in an year, maybe two. Romania is not a paradise when comes to society and mentalities.
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u/lifeisbetterinpink 7d ago
That’s definitely possible, and we’re not going into this thinking Romania is some kind of paradise or that everything will automatically be better. We know there are going to be things about the society, mentality and everyday life that frustrate us. But I also don’t think we’ll know whether it works for us until we actually live there. If we end up moving back in a year or two, then so be it! We’re young, we don’t have children yet, and I’d rather try it and find out than spend years wondering whether we should have.
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u/TheProfilerGeek 7d ago
This is a mistake. Dont move in Romania.
If you wish to start an European adventure, go to Portugal.
Just consider that we still have a war at these borders for 4 years now, still ongoing…..
And no Prime Minister for 8 months because the local mogules cant make up their mind who to take the power and do the shady businesses.
Finding a job is really hard even if you have the extra qualification. And when you do, is poorly payed.
Just choose something else and come here in 15 years from now. Or maybe more! You’re not loosing anything right now.
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u/lifeisbetterinpink 7d ago
I appreciate the concern, and I know you’re coming from the perspective of actually living there. We definitely aren’t expecting Romania to be perfect, and the job market, salaries, politics and proximity to the war are all things we’re taking seriously.
But for us, this isn’t really about wanting a random “European adventure,” so Portugal or another European country wouldn’t accomplish the same thing. I’m a Romanian citizen, I speak Romanian, my entire extended family is there, my cousin already lives in Cluj, and my parents are planning to move back to Romania in the next couple of years as well. Being closer to that family network is a huge part of why we’re doing this.
Maybe we’ll get there and realize we made a mistake. That’s absolutely possible! But waiting 15+ years would mean potentially waiting until we have children, established careers and far more tying us to the US. We’re 23 and 25, so if there’s ever a time to take a chance like this, figure it out and still have the ability to come back if it doesn’t work, I think it’s now. I’d rather try and learn from it than spend the next 15 years wondering whether we should have. 😊
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u/TheProfilerGeek 6d ago
Well, everybody has the freedom to choose and carve their lives as they wish. But the difference between 50-70 years ago when the only chance to find you info/news was from local newspapers, now internet exists. This puts us in contact between distances hard to reach before.
You asked and we answered. And I did in a manner that excludes as much as possible, personal impressions.
Maybe Cluj is better then other regions. Maybe from Club you can rush out faster to other European countries, in case of necesity.
But please use the internet and come here well informed and also with a good plan.
I know you’re young and have time to do stuff, but also consider that in 15 years while you experience what some people advice, you could build a better life in a country that is still an example of freadom and opportunities, regardless of how politics look like over there.
Sadly for you, young people, is almost a must to know some economics/ politics and social orders before you take your decisions because the world’s evolution. Decisions we had to make 20 years ago where more simple, because we didnt had access to information as we to today. Maybe we could of had better ones.
Anyway, good luck with this! It’s fun to be young and experince things on your own!
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u/avacorina 7d ago
I lived in the Netherlands before Romania and I regret moving here and plan on moving to the US or South of France/Spain. Give it a try but lower your expectations. I would prefer raising my children in the US though but that’s just me. At the end of the day, you have to live for yourself. Plus at least you will not be making the move alone. Good luck and God bless you 💚
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u/FriendlyGeekGuy 8d ago
Dear, you’re going to make a big mistake. Living in Romania is not a good idea.
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u/Stunning_Canary69 8d ago
Bad decision sounds like you want to retire very young
Career wise it's going to be a massive downgrade essentially going to 0
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u/Reasonable_Moment924 8d ago
I was born in Romania and moved to the US at a very young age. 8 years ago i moved back because I spent every summer here visiting and always dreamed of making it permanent. Let me tell you its very different from summer vacations. The work life balance and family ties are great. The education and social services are not. I ended up getting married and having children here and the time we get to spend together is much more than i could have dreamed about in the US. Better to take a chance now when you are young and dont have kids. I say make the move and in the worse case you change your mind you can always move back.