Cost of Living Comparison Between Ljubljana and Zagreb Cost of Living Comparison Between Ljubljana and Zagreb

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,031 in Ljubljana versus $1,738 in Zagreb.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,021 in Ljubljana versus $2,574 in Zagreb.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,012 in Ljubljana versus $3,409 in Zagreb.

Living in Ljubljana is roughly 17% more expensive than Zagreb, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ljubljana 52% above, Zagreb 30% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.11 €14.73

$11.78 €10.14

45.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.5 €58.9

$69.1 €59.5

-0.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.34 €8.04

$9.49 €8.17

-1.58%

Cappuccino

$2.55 €2.19

$2.43 €2.09

4.94%

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

$3.16 €2.72

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$2.36 €2.03

-15.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.74 €3.22

$3.67 €3.16

1.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 €3.94

$4.67 €4.02

-1.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 €1.28

$1.35 €1.16

10.37%

White Bread (500g)

$2.08 €1.79

$1.87 €1.61

11.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.79 €2.40

$2.66 €2.29

4.89%

Eggs

$3.94 €3.39

$3.65 €3.14

7.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.14 €11.31

$10.88 €9.37

20.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.91 €9.39

$9.92 €8.54

9.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.90 €11.11

$12.72 €10.95

1.42%

Apples (1kg)

$1.98 €1.70

$1.88 €1.62

5.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$1.66 €1.43

3.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 €1.83

$1.98 €1.71

7.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.40 €2.93

$3.06 €2.64

11.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.35 €1.16

$1.44 €1.24

-6.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 €1.41

$1.47 €1.26

11.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.65 €1.42

$1.30 €1.12

26.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 €0.81

$1.29 €1.11

-27.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.85 €5.04

$5.76 €4.96

1.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.25 €7.10

$9.49 €8.17

-13.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 €1.22

$1.84 €1.58

-22.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.30 €1.98

-12.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.46 €1.26

$0.64 €0.55

128.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.46 €37.41

$57.0 €49.09

-23.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.28 €1.96

$2.28 €1.97

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.12 €0.96

$1.07 €0.92

4.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.97 €17.19

$10.12 €8.71

97.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.70 €1.47

$1.79 €1.54

-5.03%

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

$28.5K €24.5K

$35.1K €30.2K

-18.76%

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

$28.1K €24.2K

$26.2K €22.5K

7.27%

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

$283 €244

$208 €179

36.60%

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

$18.81 €16.19

$20.19 €17.38

-6.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.61 €32.38

$32.82 €28.25

14.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.9 €43.82

$50.7 €43.61

0.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.03 €15.53

$14.47 €12.45

24.60%

Cinema Ticket

$9.20 €7.92

$8.85 €7.62

3.95%

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

$550 €474

$501 €432

9.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.3K €12.3K

$13.3K €11.4K

7.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.0

$98.3 €84.6

3.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.49 €40.02

$39.43 €33.95

17.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €89.7

$98.2 €84.5

6.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 €117

$117 €100

16.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 €866

$873 €751

15.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$820 €706

$662 €570

23.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,046 €1,762

$1,467 €1,263

39.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,473 €1,268

$1,079 €929

36.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,622 €5,700

$5,268 €4,535

25.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,097 €4,388

$3,255 €2,802

56.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,980 €1,705

$1,886 €1,624

4.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.84

3.72

3.23%

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

Last update for Ljubljana: June 1, 2026

Last update for Zagreb: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,006 in Ljubljana and $873 in Zagreb. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ljubljana pays 5% 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: $68.0 in Ljubljana vs $69.0 in Zagreb. Groceries flip the comparison at $294 vs $281, with Zagreb cheaper for home cooking.

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 Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 17% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Ljubljana pays 5% more on average, 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: $1,006 in Ljubljana versus $873 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 31% less than in Ljubljana. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $550 in Ljubljana versus $501 in Zagreb. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,738 in Zagreb versus $2,031 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 17% less than in Ljubljana. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.