Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makarska and Zagreb

For one person, living is cheaper in Makarska: $1,586 a month against $1,761 in Zagreb, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Zagreb outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

78

Cost of Living Index in Makarska
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Makarska Living Index
85

Cost of Living Index in Zagreb
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Zagreb Living Index

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Makarska

🇭🇷 Croatia

$1,586

/mo nomad

Zagreb

🇭🇷 Croatia

$1,761

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,586 in Makarska versus $1,761 in Zagreb.

Makarska $1,586
Zagreb $1,761

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,463 in Makarska versus $2,604 in Zagreb.

Makarska $2,463
Zagreb $2,604

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,339 in Makarska versus $3,447 in Zagreb.

Makarska $3,339
Zagreb $3,447

Living in Makarska costs roughly 10% less than in Zagreb, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Makarska 17% above, Zagreb 30% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.45 €15.52

$12.50 €11.12

39.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.0 €70.3

$63.6 €56.6

24.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.89 €7.02

$8.33 €7.41

-5.28%

Cappuccino

$3.34 €2.97

$2.51 €2.23

33.07%

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

$4.00 €3.56

$3.00 €2.67

33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 €2.73

$2.54 €2.26

20.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.64 €5.02

$3.27 €2.91

72.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.54 €4.04

$4.36 €3.88

4.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 €1.01

$1.23 €1.09

-8.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 €1.51

$1.66 €1.48

2.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.07 €2.73

$2.72 €2.42

12.87%

Eggs

$4.89 €4.35

$3.87 €3.45

26.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.33 €13.63

$14.61 €12.99

4.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.45

$11.95 €10.63

-20.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.73 €10.43

$17.44 €15.51

-32.74%

Apples (1kg)

$1.96 €1.74

$2.31 €2.05

-15.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 €1.35

$1.78 €1.59

-15.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 €1.87

$2.11 €1.88

-0.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.67 €2.38

$2.50 €2.22

6.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 €1.97

$1.31 €1.17

69.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.79

$1.19 €1.06

68.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.36

$1.17 €1.04

30.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 €1.45

$1.37 €1.22

18.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.55 €4.94

$5.78 €5.14

-3.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.65 €6.80

$10.23 €9.10

-25.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.22

$1.61 €1.43

-14.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 €1.32

$2.48 €2.20

-39.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 €1.36

$0.57 €0.51

168.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.51 €35.14

$53.5 €47.63

-26.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 €2.75

$2.19 €1.95

41.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 €1.27

$1.42 €1.26

0.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.02 €10.69

$11.67 €10.38

3.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.67 €1.49

$1.84 €1.64

-9.24%

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

$25.9K €23.1K

$27.6K €24.6K

-6.24%

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

$24.9K €22.2K

$27.2K €24.2K

-8.26%

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

$177 €158

$214 €190

-17.07%

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

$27.30 €24.28

$23.36 €20.77

16.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.91 €38.17

$41.16 €36.61

4.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.14 €41.04

$51.1 €45.48

-9.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.43 €14.61

$18.82 €16.74

-12.70%

Cinema Ticket

$8.98 €7.99

$9.13 €8.12

-1.64%

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

$413 €368

$501 €445

-17.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,923 €6,158

$9,878 €8,787

-29.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €78.0

$111 €98.3

-20.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.07 €40.09

$42.93 €38.19

4.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €93.5

$98.0 €87.1

7.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.2 €70.4

$110 €98.3

-28.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$692 €616

$868 €772

-20.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$516 €459

$668 €594

-22.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 €1,065

$1,463 €1,301

-18.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$877 €780

$1,039 €924

-15.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,594 €3,197

$5,031 €4,475

-28.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,232 €2,875

$3,468 €3,085

-6.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,937 €1,723

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.72

3.3

12.73%

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

Last update for Makarska: 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

Makarska

$516 32.5%

Zagreb

$668 37.9% 29.4% $152

Groceries & Markets

Makarska

$291 18.3%

Zagreb

$315 17.9% 8.4% $24

Eating Out

Makarska

$269 17%

Zagreb

$202 11.5% 24.7% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Makarska

$248 15.6%

Zagreb

$278 15.8% 12.5% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Makarska

$143 9%

Zagreb

$163 9.3% 14.1% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Makarska

$64 4%

Zagreb

$69 3.9% 8.2% $5.3

Getting Around

Makarska

$56 3.5%

Zagreb

$65 3.7% 16.5% $9.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $692 in Makarska and $868 in Zagreb. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $79.0 in Makarska vs $64.0 in Zagreb. Groceries flip the comparison at $291 vs $315, with Makarska cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇭🇷 Makarska

🇭🇷 Zagreb

🕒 Local time

13:28 1:28 PM

Same time as Makarska

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,809

767,131 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Makarska vs Zagreb: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Makarska is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. The 11% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,379 in Makarska and $2,642 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: $692 in Makarska versus $868 in Zagreb. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $413 in Makarska versus $501 in Zagreb. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Zagreb. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,586 in Makarska versus $1,761 in Zagreb, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Makarska but tight or insufficient in Zagreb. The gap between the two cities makes Makarska the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Makarska 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, Makarska 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 Makarska gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Zagreb. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.