Every rate below is sourced and dated. Figures are annual, in EUR, for a single person with one income.
On €100,000 a year as a founder taking dividends, Cyprus leaves you with €82,748 against €79,133 — a difference of €3,615 a year.
The income at which the answer changes, derived from the same rules as the tables below. Ranges stop where a regime stops being available, so nothing is claimed beyond it.
| Gross | 🇷🇴 Romania Employee |
🇨🇾 Cyprus Employee | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| €50,000 | €29,250 41.5% wedge |
€39,093 21.8% wedge |
€9,843 Cyprus keeps more |
| €100,000 | €58,500 41.5% wedge |
€71,036 29.0% wedge |
€12,536 Cyprus keeps more |
| €200,000 | €117,000 41.5% wedge |
€134,658 32.7% wedge |
€17,658 Cyprus keeps more |
| Gross | 🇷🇴 Romania PFA — sole trader (sistem real) |
🇨🇾 Cyprus Self-employed | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| €50,000 | €36,341 27.3% wedge |
€35,513 29.0% wedge |
€828 Romania keeps more |
| €100,000 | €80,850 19.1% wedge |
€66,407 33.6% wedge |
€14,443 Romania keeps more |
| €200,000 | €170,850 14.6% wedge |
€129,327 35.3% wedge |
€41,523 Romania keeps more |
| Gross | 🇷🇴 Romania Micro-SRL (1% turnover) + 16% dividend |
🇨🇾 Cyprus Non-dom dividends (15% corp · 0% SDC · 2.65% GHS) | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| €50,000 | €37,553 24.9% wedge |
€41,374 17.3% wedge |
€3,821 Cyprus keeps more |
| €100,000 | €79,133 20.9% wedge |
€82,748 17.3% wedge |
€3,615 Cyprus keeps more |
| €200,000 | €139,272 30.4% wedge |
€165,495 17.3% wedge |
€26,223 Cyprus keeps more |
Keeping more only matters if it buys more. Against the EU average, prices are 41.1% lower in Romania and 8.4% lower in Cyprus. So that €100,000 founder income is really worth €134,351 in Romania and €90,336 in Cyprus at EU-average prices — Romania comes out ahead once prices are counted.
Price levels: Eurostat — purchasing power parities, COICOP 2018 (prc_ppp_ind_1), Actual individual consumption (COICOP A01), 2025. Source