Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hvar and Zagreb

For one person, living is cheaper in Hvar: $1,522 a month against $1,772 in Zagreb, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Hvar
Learn more

Hvar Living Index
85

Cost of Living Index in Zagreb
Learn more

Zagreb Living Index

Jump to prices

Hvar

🇭🇷 Croatia

$1,522

/mo nomad

Zagreb

🇭🇷 Croatia

$1,772

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hvar 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 Hvar and in Zagreb actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,522 in Hvar versus $1,772 in Zagreb.

Hvar $1,522
Zagreb $1,772

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,310 in Hvar versus $2,619 in Zagreb.

Hvar $2,310
Zagreb $2,619

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,097 in Hvar versus $3,467 in Zagreb.

Hvar $3,097
Zagreb $3,467

Living in Hvar costs roughly 14% less than in Zagreb, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hvar 12% above, Zagreb 30% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.08 €11.75

$12.33 €11.08

6.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.8 €65.4

$63.9 €57.5

13.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.13 €8.20

$8.01 €7.20

13.98%

Cappuccino

$2.53 €2.27

$2.50 €2.25

1.20%

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

$3.12 €2.80

$3.09 €2.77

0.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 €2.05

$2.62 €2.35

-12.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.54 €3.18

$3.42 €3.07

3.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.09 €3.68

$4.51 €4.05

-9.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 €1.07

$1.27 €1.14

-6.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 €1.39

$1.60 €1.43

-3.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.99 €2.69

$2.68 €2.41

11.57%

Eggs

$3.88 €3.49

$3.95 €3.55

-1.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.69 €9.60

$14.58 €13.10

-26.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.48 €8.52

$11.47 €10.30

-17.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.72 €10.53

$17.35 €15.59

-32.45%

Apples (1kg)

$1.72 €1.55

$2.31 €2.07

-25.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 €1.50

$1.65 €1.48

1.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 €1.79

$2.19 €1.96

-9.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.57 €2.31

$2.56 €2.30

0.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 €1.16

$1.36 €1.22

-5.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 €1.15

$1.20 €1.08

6.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 €1.14

$1.19 €1.07

6.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 €1.08

$1.29 €1.16

-6.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.73 €5.14

$6.08 €5.46

-5.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.89 €6.19

$11.07 €9.94

-37.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.35

$1.69 €1.51

-11.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.79

$2.46 €2.21

-19.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.76 €1.58

$0.57 €0.51

208.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.21 €38.83

$53.2 €47.83

-18.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 €2.77

$2.18 €1.96

41.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 €1.00

$1.44 €1.29

-22.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.80 €7.91

$12.39 €11.13

-28.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.78 €1.60

$1.90 €1.70

-6.32%

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

$38.2K €34.4K

$27.9K €25.1K

36.91%

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

$26.6K €23.9K

$26.0K €23.4K

2.11%

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

$190 €171

$215 €193

-11.71%

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

$22.50 €20.22

$22.34 €20.07

0.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.64 €28.43

$38.73 €34.80

-18.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.5 €45.38

$48.65 €43.71

3.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.55 €13.07

$18.95 €17.02

-23.22%

Cinema Ticket

$8.86 €7.96

$10.41 €9.35

-14.89%

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

$243 €218

$499 €448

-51.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,090 €7,269

$9,720 €8,733

-16.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.0 €84.4

$109 €97.6

-13.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.00 €35.04

$42.23 €37.94

-7.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €94.2

$102 €91.9

2.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 €94.8

$111 €99.3

-4.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$681 €612

$888 €798

-23.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$526 €473

$683 €614

-22.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,116 €1,002

$1,468 €1,319

-24.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$828 €744

$1,066 €958

-22.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,155 €3,734

$5,275 €4,740

-21.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,241 €2,912

$3,670 €3,297

-11.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,975 €1,774

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.35

3.3

31.82%

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

Last update for Hvar: October 26, 2026

Last update for Zagreb: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hvar

$526 34.6%

Zagreb

$683 38.5% 29.7% $157

Groceries & Markets

Hvar

$260 17.1%

Zagreb

$314 17.7% 20.6% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hvar

$244 16%

Zagreb

$276 15.6% 13.2% $32

Eating Out

Hvar

$210 13.8%

Zagreb

$202 11.4% 3.9% $8.2

Clothing & Footwear

Hvar

$155 10.2%

Zagreb

$164 9.2% 5.9% $9.1

Sport & Entertainment

Hvar

$68 4.5%

Zagreb

$69 3.9% 1.8% $1.2

Getting Around

Hvar

$59 3.9%

Zagreb

$65 3.7% 10.1% $6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $681 in Hvar and $888 in Zagreb. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $73 in Hvar vs $64 in Zagreb. Groceries flip the comparison at $260 vs $314, with Hvar cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇭🇷 Hvar

🇭🇷 Zagreb

🕒 Local time

12:03 12:03 PM

Same time as Hvar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,979

767,131 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Hvar Zagreb 300 km

From you

Hvar
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

Hvar vs Zagreb: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hvar is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and utilities. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $2,283 in Hvar and $2,658 in Zagreb to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $681 in Hvar versus $888 in Zagreb. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Zagreb – a meal for two runs $64 versus $73 in Hvar. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,522 per month in Hvar versus $1,772 in Zagreb – a 16% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,500. Hvar is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Hvar 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, Hvar 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.