Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ljubljana and Zagreb

For one person, living is cheaper in Zagreb: $1,761 a month against $2,073 in Ljubljana, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

102

Cost of Living Index in Ljubljana
Learn more

Ljubljana Living Index
85

Cost of Living Index in Zagreb
Learn more

Zagreb Living Index

Jump to prices

Ljubljana

🇸🇮 Slovenia

$2,073

/mo nomad

Zagreb

🇭🇷 Croatia

$1,761

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,073 in Ljubljana versus $1,761 in Zagreb.

Ljubljana $2,073
Zagreb $1,761

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,059 in Ljubljana versus $2,604 in Zagreb.

Ljubljana $3,059
Zagreb $2,604

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,045 in Ljubljana versus $3,447 in Zagreb.

Ljubljana $4,045
Zagreb $3,447

Living in Ljubljana is roughly 18% more expensive than in Zagreb, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ljubljana 54% above, Zagreb 30% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.76 €14.02

$12.50 €11.12

26.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.0 €59.6

$63.6 €56.6

5.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.07 €9.84

$8.33 €7.41

32.89%

Cappuccino

$2.85 €2.53

$2.51 €2.23

13.55%

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

$3.10 €2.76

$3.00 €2.67

3.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 €1.76

$2.54 €2.26

-22.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.01 €3.56

$3.27 €2.91

22.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 €3.95

$4.36 €3.88

1.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 €1.16

$1.23 €1.09

5.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.17 €1.93

$1.66 €1.48

30.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.08 €2.74

$2.72 €2.42

13.24%

Eggs

$4.05 €3.60

$3.87 €3.45

4.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.79 €13.15

$14.61 €12.99

1.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.03 €8.92

$11.95 €10.63

-16.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.84 €13.20

$17.44 €15.51

-14.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.19 €1.95

$2.31 €2.05

-5.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.55

$1.78 €1.59

-2.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 €2.02

$2.11 €1.88

7.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.55 €3.15

$2.50 €2.22

42.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.50 €1.34

$1.31 €1.17

14.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 €1.45

$1.19 €1.06

36.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 €1.52

$1.17 €1.04

46.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.74

$1.37 €1.22

-39.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.16 €5.48

$5.78 €5.14

6.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.62 €6.78

$10.23 €9.10

-25.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 €1.26

$1.61 €1.43

-11.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 €1.92

$2.48 €2.20

-12.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.66 €1.47

$0.57 €0.51

191.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.07 €37.42

$53.5 €47.63

-21.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.21 €1.97

$2.19 €1.95

0.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.29 €1.15

$1.42 €1.26

-9.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.24 €17.11

$11.67 €10.38

64.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.85 €1.65

$1.84 €1.64

0.54%

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

$29.4K €26.1K

$27.6K €24.6K

6.26%

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

$25.0K €22.2K

$27.2K €24.2K

-8.05%

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

$278 €248

$214 €190

30.11%

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

$16.61 €14.78

$23.36 €20.77

-28.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.72 €36.22

$41.16 €36.61

-1.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.8 €47.87

$51.1 €45.48

5.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.04 €21.38

$18.82 €16.74

27.74%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.58

$9.13 €8.12

17.96%

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

$658 €585

$501 €445

31.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K €12.5K

$9,878 €8,787

42.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$115 €102

$111 €98.3

4.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.95 €38.20

$42.93 €38.19

0.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €95.9

$98.0 €87.1

10.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$145 €129

$110 €98.3

31.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,090 €970

$868 €772

25.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$875 €779

$668 €594

31.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,074 €1,845

$1,463 €1,301

41.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,459 €1,298

$1,039 €924

40.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,492 €5,774

$5,031 €4,475

29.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,815 €4,283

$3,468 €3,085

38.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,929 €1,716

$1,937 €1,723

-0.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.52

3.3

6.67%

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

Last update for Ljubljana: October 11, 2026

Last update for Zagreb: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ljubljana

$875 42.2%

Zagreb

$668 37.9% 23.7% $208

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ljubljana

$336 16.2%

Zagreb

$278 15.8% 17% $57

Groceries & Markets

Ljubljana

$302 14.6%

Zagreb

$315 17.9% 4.5% $14

Eating Out

Ljubljana

$243 11.7%

Zagreb

$202 11.5% 16.6% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Ljubljana

$185 8.9%

Zagreb

$163 9.3% 12% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Ljubljana

$75 3.6%

Zagreb

$69 3.9% 7.9% $6

Getting Around

Ljubljana

$57 2.8%

Zagreb

$65 3.7% 13.5% $7.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,090 in Ljubljana and $868 in Zagreb. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zagreb pays 0% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $67.0 in Ljubljana vs $64.0 in Zagreb. Groceries flip the comparison at $302 vs $315, with Ljubljana cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇸🇮 Ljubljana

🇭🇷 Zagreb

🕒 Local time

05:25 5:25 AM

Same time as Ljubljana

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

285,604 Capital

767,131 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ljubljana Zagreb 120 km

From you

Ljubljana
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

Ljubljana vs Zagreb: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zagreb is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and leisure. The 18% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 0% 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: $1,090 in Ljubljana versus $868 in Zagreb. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Zagreb runs roughly 27% less than in Ljubljana. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $658 in Ljubljana versus $501 in Zagreb. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,761 in Zagreb versus $2,073 in Ljubljana, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Zagreb but tight or insufficient in Ljubljana. 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 Ljubljana, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Ljubljana 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 18% less than in Ljubljana. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.