An Italian wants to move to Romania on a €1,400 pension. On expat forums some say he will live “more than well”; others say that without owning a home he is better off in Cambodia — a debate covered by Mediafax.

A pensioner near Roman writes that in the countryside, with local produce, the sum is more than enough; his wife had surgery in Romania covered by the Italian system. An Italian here for 25 years agrees: you live well if you skip expensive restaurants and luxury shops. Near Bârlad, another notes many empty houses.

Sceptics focus on rent: estimates from €350 in central Arad to €400–500. A public-sector pensioner here for ten years says he cannot manage on the pension alone — he still works, his wife has a job — and calls Romania “the most expensive in all of Europe.”

Tax talk is heated. After fiscal residency some pay 10% to Romania’s tax authority on private pensions; Italian public-sector pensions generally stay taxed in Italy, with citizenship-related exceptions under the bilateral treaty. For healthcare, users mention the S1 form.

The cautious advice: a few trial months before relocating, to check prices, housing and social life. “At a certain age, leaps into the void are off the table.”

Source: “Romania is Europe’s most expensive country. Better Cambodia!” (Mediafax)