Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Catania and Zagreb

For one person, living is cheaper in Catania: $1,561 a month against $1,770 in Zagreb, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Catania
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Catania Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Zagreb
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Zagreb Living Index

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Catania

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,561

/mo nomad

Zagreb

🇭🇷 Croatia

$1,770

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Catania and in Zagreb

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Catania and in Zagreb actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,561 in Catania versus $1,770 in Zagreb.

Catania $1,561
Zagreb $1,770

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,390 in Catania versus $2,625 in Zagreb.

Catania $2,390
Zagreb $2,625

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,219 in Catania versus $3,481 in Zagreb.

Catania $3,219
Zagreb $3,481

Living in Catania costs roughly 12% less than in Zagreb, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Catania 15% above, Zagreb 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.12 €15.23

$12.30 €10.94

39.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.8 €49.62

$62.9 €55.9

-11.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.11 €9.88

$7.93 €7.05

40.10%

Cappuccino

$2.10 €1.86

$2.55 €2.27

-17.65%

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

$2.90 €2.58

$3.01 €2.68

-3.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 €1.84

$2.65 €2.36

-21.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.70 €5.96

$3.28 €2.92

104.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.09 €3.64

$4.60 €4.09

-11.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 €1.17

$1.26 €1.12

3.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.59 €1.41

$1.56 €1.39

1.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 €2.39

$2.83 €2.52

-5.30%

Eggs

$3.41 €3.03

$3.89 €3.46

-12.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.37 €10.12

$14.96 €13.31

-24.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.04 €10.71

$11.93 €10.61

0.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.66 €13.93

$18.22 €16.21

-14.05%

Apples (1kg)

$1.99 €1.77

$2.31 €2.06

-13.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 €1.50

$1.77 €1.57

-5.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.38 €1.23

$2.18 €1.94

-36.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.66 €2.37

$2.58 €2.29

3.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.56

$1.45 €1.29

21.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.31 €1.16

$1.24 €1.10

5.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 €1.09

$1.21 €1.07

1.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.47 €0.42

$1.30 €1.16

-63.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.57 €5.84

$5.84 €5.19

12.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 €7.02

$11.12 €9.90

-29.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 €1.56

$1.65 €1.47

6.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 €1.36

$2.54 €2.26

-39.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 €1.43

$0.60 €0.54

166.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.97 €32.89

$54.6 €48.59

-32.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.44 €3.95

$2.26 €2.01

96.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.98

$1.41 €1.26

-21.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.19 €19.74

$11.94 €10.62

85.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 €1.90

$1.91 €1.70

11.52%

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

$36.7K €32.6K

$27.9K €24.8K

31.42%

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

$37.0K €32.9K

$25.8K €22.9K

43.41%

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

$315 €280

$217 €193

45.01%

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

$10.58 €9.41

$21.95 €19.53

-51.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.75 €30.91

$37.99 €33.79

-8.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.0 €53.4

$51.5 €45.80

16.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.53 €12.92

$18.75 €16.68

-22.51%

Cinema Ticket

$9.16 €8.15

$10.52 €9.36

-12.93%

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

$447 €397

$493 €439

-9.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,707 €5,966

$10.0K €8,914

-33.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.8 €76.3

$109 €96.6

-21.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.89 €30.15

$42.62 €37.91

-20.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.2 €78.4

$96.4 €85.7

-8.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €114

$110 €97.6

16.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 €539

$858 €763

-29.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 €339

$671 €596

-43.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,153 €1,026

$1,425 €1,267

-19.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$783 €696

$1,065 €947

-26.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,254 €2,005

$5,259 €4,678

-57.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,522 €1,354

$3,676 €3,270

-58.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,763 €1,568

$1,997 €1,776

-11.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.55

3.3

7.58%

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

Last update for Catania: October 19, 2026

Last update for Zagreb: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Catania

$381 24.4%

Zagreb

$671 37.9% 75.8% $289

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Catania

$361 23.1%

Zagreb

$277 15.7% 23.1% $83

Groceries & Markets

Catania

$280 17.9%

Zagreb

$321 18.1% 14.8% $41

Eating Out

Catania

$257 16.5%

Zagreb

$201 11.4% 21.8% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Catania

$151 9.7%

Zagreb

$161 9.1% 6.4% $9.7

Sport & Entertainment

Catania

$78 5%

Zagreb

$73 4.1% 7.4% $5.8

Getting Around

Catania

$53 3.4%

Zagreb

$66 3.8% 24.4% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Catania and $858 in Zagreb. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zagreb pays 13% 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: $56.0 in Catania vs $63.0 in Zagreb for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $280 vs $321 per month, with Catania cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Catania

🇭🇷 Zagreb

🕒 Local time

12:48 12:48 PM

Same time as Catania

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

298,037

767,131 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Catania Zagreb 930 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Catania
Zagreb

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Catania vs Zagreb: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Catania is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and transport. The 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 13% lower in Zagreb. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $607 in Catania versus $858 in Zagreb. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,561 per month in Catania versus $1,770 in Zagreb – a 13% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Catania runs roughly 48% less than in Zagreb. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,561 in Catania versus $1,770 in Zagreb, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Catania but tight or insufficient in Zagreb. The gap between the two cities makes Catania the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Catania 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 Catania gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Zagreb. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.