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: $2,218 in Ljubljana versus $1,789 in Zagreb.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,151 in Ljubljana versus $2,672 in Zagreb.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,084 in Ljubljana versus $3,554 in Zagreb.

Living in Ljubljana is roughly 24% more expensive than in Zagreb, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ljubljana 61% above, Zagreb 30% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.48 €14.22

$13.61 €11.74

21.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.8 €60.3

$60.1 €51.9

16.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.44 €9.87

$7.99 €6.90

43.18%

Cappuccino

$3.12 €2.69

$2.59 €2.23

20.46%

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

$3.23 €2.79

$3.03 €2.62

6.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 €1.76

$2.64 €2.28

-22.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.04 €3.49

$3.45 €2.98

17.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.73 €4.08

$4.62 €3.98

2.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 €1.21

$1.39 €1.20

0.72%

White Bread (500g)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.82 €1.57

23.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.28 €2.83

$3.04 €2.63

7.89%

Eggs

$4.12 €3.55

$4.07 €3.51

1.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.17 €13.09

$16.18 €13.96

-6.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.38 €8.95

$12.77 €11.02

-18.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.66 €12.65

$18.32 €15.81

-19.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.04

$2.42 €2.09

-2.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.50

$1.88 €1.62

-7.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 €2.05

$2.16 €1.87

9.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.76 €3.24

$2.62 €2.26

43.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.58 €1.36

$1.39 €1.20

13.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 €1.41

$1.11 €0.96

47.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 €1.61

$1.34 €1.16

38.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 €0.81

$1.33 €1.15

-29.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.57 €5.67

$5.90 €5.09

11.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.32 €7.18

$9.56 €8.25

-12.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 €1.26

$1.65 €1.42

-11.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 €1.89

$2.36 €2.04

-7.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.78 €1.53

$0.60 €0.51

196.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.27 €37.34

$58.4 €50.4

-25.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.22 €1.92

$2.28 €1.97

-2.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 €1.16

$1.47 €1.26

-8.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.90 €17.17

$10.76 €9.29

84.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 €1.64

$1.95 €1.68

-2.56%

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

$30.0K €25.9K

$28.1K €24.3K

6.57%

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

$25.3K €21.9K

$27.2K €23.5K

-6.88%

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

$308 €266

$220 €190

39.93%

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

$17.64 €15.22

$22.53 €19.44

-21.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.11 €38.93

$40.79 €35.20

10.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.0 €49.19

$53.5 €46.15

6.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.85 €21.44

$19.36 €16.70

28.36%

Cinema Ticket

$10.98 €9.47

$9.15 €7.90

20.00%

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

$677 €584

$541 €467

25.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K €12.7K

$10.6K €9,151

38.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$115 €99.2

$108 €93.5

6.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.76 €39.48

$46.72 €40.32

-2.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 €98.7

$97.1 €83.8

17.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$149 €129

$111 €95.6

34.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,164 €1,004

$906 €782

28.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$910 €786

$683 €589

33.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,152 €1,857

$1,436 €1,239

49.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,444 €1,246

$1,081 €933

33.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,794 €5,862

$5,360 €4,625

26.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,141 €4,436

$3,494 €3,015

47.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,017 €1,741

$2,015 €1,739

0.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.61

3.25

11.08%

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

Last update for Ljubljana: September 1, 2026

Last update for Zagreb: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,164 in Ljubljana and $906 in Zagreb. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ljubljana pays 0% 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: $70.0 in Ljubljana vs $60.0 in Zagreb. Groceries flip the comparison at $313 vs $333, with Ljubljana 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 Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 24% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 0% higher in Ljubljana, 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: $1,164 in Ljubljana versus $906 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 35% less than in Ljubljana. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $677 in Ljubljana versus $541 in Zagreb. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,789 in Zagreb versus $2,218 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 24% less than in Ljubljana. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.