Cost of Living Comparison Between Cascais and Zagreb Cost of Living Comparison Between Cascais and Zagreb

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,240 in Cascais versus $1,717 in Zagreb.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,477 in Cascais versus $2,576 in Zagreb.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,714 in Cascais versus $3,434 in Zagreb.

Living in Cascais is roughly 30% more expensive than in Zagreb, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cascais 68% above, Zagreb 29% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.84 €12.12

$11.53 €10.09

20.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.27 €40.52

$69.1 €60.5

-33.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.13 €8.00

$9.03 €7.91

1.11%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.55

$2.43 €2.13

19.75%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 €1.89

$3.04 €2.66

-28.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.38

$2.48 €2.17

-36.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.25 €1.97

$3.79 €3.32

-40.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 €3.03

$4.73 €4.15

-26.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 €0.92

$1.31 €1.14

-19.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 €1.59

$1.96 €1.71

-7.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$2.63 €2.31

-29.66%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.76

$3.83 €3.36

-17.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.22 €9.83

$10.89 €9.54

3.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.78 €6.82

$9.45 €8.27

-17.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.49 €12.69

$12.74 €11.16

13.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.49 €2.18

$1.87 €1.64

33.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.44

$1.75 €1.53

-6.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

Tomato (1kg)

$2.87 €2.51

$2.96 €2.59

-3.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 €1.33

$1.45 €1.27

4.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 €1.74

$1.41 €1.23

40.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.65 €1.45

$1.28 €1.12

28.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 €0.82

$1.31 €1.15

-28.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.99 €5.25

$5.75 €5.03

4.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.96 €6.97

$9.30 €8.14

-14.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 €1.10

$1.86 €1.63

-32.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 €2.35

$2.22 €1.95

20.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.79 €2.45

$0.59 €0.52

372.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.13 €40.40

$58.1 €50.9

-20.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.28 €3.75

$2.26 €1.98

89.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 €0.76

$1.06 €0.93

-17.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.45 €12.66

$10.22 €8.95

41.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.71 €1.49

12.28%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$34.2K €29.9K

$34.3K €30.0K

-0.32%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$39.6K €34.7K

$26.5K €23.2K

49.28%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$148 €130

$209 €183

-29.35%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$21.68 €18.99

$20.14 €17.64

7.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.69 €36.51

$32.85 €28.77

26.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 €60.2

$50.4 €44.12

36.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.50 €10.07

$14.41 €12.62

-20.19%

Cinema Ticket

$8.47 €7.42

$9.00 €7.88

-5.89%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$608 €532

$511 €448

18.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K €13.9K

$13.1K €11.4K

21.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.9 €76.1

$102 €89.0

-14.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.35 €33.59

$39.74 €34.80

-3.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 €82.4

$96.1 €84.2

-2.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.9 €79.6

$118 €103

-22.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,696 €1,485

$881 €771

92.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,262 €1,105

$671 €588

88.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,736 €3,272

$1,520 €1,331

145.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,687 €2,353

$1,052 €921

155.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,915 €6,056

$4,920 €4,309

40.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,882 €4,276

$3,240 €2,838

50.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,308 €2,022

$1,915 €1,677

20.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

3.72

2.42%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Cascais: July 13, 2026

Last update for Zagreb: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,696 in Cascais and $881 in Zagreb. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cascais pays 21% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $46.00 in Cascais vs $69.0 in Zagreb for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $264 vs $280 per month, with Cascais cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Cascais vs Zagreb: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zagreb is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 30% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 21% higher in Cascais, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,696 in Cascais versus $881 in Zagreb. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Cascais pay roughly 6% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Zagreb – a meal for two runs $69.0 versus $46.00 in Cascais. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,717 in Zagreb versus $2,240 in Cascais, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Zagreb but tight or insufficient in Cascais. The gap between the two cities makes Zagreb the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Zagreb is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Cascais, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cascais and Zagreb are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Zagreb gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Cascais. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.