Cost of Living Comparison Between Makarska and Zagreb Cost of Living Comparison Between Makarska and Zagreb

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,688 in Makarska versus $1,789 in Zagreb.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,591 in Makarska versus $2,672 in Zagreb.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,493 in Makarska versus $3,554 in Zagreb.

Living in Makarska costs roughly 6% less than in Zagreb, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Makarska 23% above, Zagreb 30% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.71 €15.28

$13.61 €11.74

30.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.8 €68.8

$60.1 €51.9

32.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.35 €7.20

$7.99 €6.89

4.51%

Cappuccino

$3.52 €3.04

$2.59 €2.23

35.91%

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

$4.09 €3.53

$3.03 €2.62

34.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.60

$2.64 €2.28

14.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.91 €5.10

$3.45 €2.98

71.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 €4.03

$4.62 €3.98

1.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 €1.04

$1.39 €1.20

-13.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.72 €1.49

$1.82 €1.57

-5.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.23 €2.79

$3.04 €2.63

6.25%

Eggs

$5.21 €4.49

$4.07 €3.51

28.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.03 €13.82

$16.18 €13.96

-0.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.06 €8.67

$12.77 €11.01

-21.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.23 €10.55

$18.32 €15.80

-33.24%

Apples (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$2.42 €2.09

-17.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 €1.40

$1.88 €1.62

-13.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 €1.88

$2.16 €1.86

0.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.91 €2.51

$2.62 €2.26

11.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.27 €1.96

$1.39 €1.20

63.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.11 €0.96

90.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 €1.39

$1.34 €1.16

20.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 €1.41

$1.33 €1.15

23.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.84 €5.04

$5.90 €5.09

-1.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.03 €6.93

$9.56 €8.25

-16.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 €1.27

$1.65 €1.42

-10.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 €1.29

$2.36 €2.04

-36.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.30 €1.13

$0.60 €0.51

116.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.21 €33.82

$58.4 €50.4

-32.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 €3.33

$2.28 €1.96

69.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 €1.46

$1.47 €1.26

14.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.85 €17.12

$10.76 €9.28

84.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.95 €1.68

-9.23%

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

$27.3K €23.5K

$28.1K €24.3K

-3.08%

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

$26.5K €22.9K

$27.2K €23.5K

-2.57%

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

$187 €162

$220 €190

-14.92%

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

$28.69 €24.74

$22.53 €19.43

27.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.52 €38.40

$40.79 €35.18

9.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.3 €43.38

$53.5 €46.13

-5.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.57 €12.56

$19.36 €16.70

-24.74%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.85

$9.15 €7.89

-0.55%

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

$441 €380

$541 €466

-18.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,974 €6,015

$10.6K €9,147

-34.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.5 €80.7

$108 €93.5

-13.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.51 €40.12

$46.72 €40.30

-0.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €90.9

$97.1 €83.8

8.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.2 €70.0

$111 €95.6

-26.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$701 €605

$906 €782

-22.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$535 €461

$683 €589

-21.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,081

$1,436 €1,239

-12.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$859 €741

$1,081 €933

-20.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,258 €3,672

$5,360 €4,623

-20.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,200 €2,760

$3,494 €3,013

-8.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,015 €1,738

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.72

3.25

14.46%

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

Last update for Makarska: August 31, 2026

Last update for Zagreb: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $701 in Makarska and $906 in Zagreb. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $80.0 in Makarska vs $60.0 in Zagreb. Groceries flip the comparison at $305 vs $333, with Makarska 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

Makarska vs Zagreb: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Makarska is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 6% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,532 in Makarska and $2,684 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: $701 in Makarska versus $906 in Zagreb. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $441 in Makarska versus $541 in Zagreb. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Zagreb. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,688 in Makarska versus $1,789 in Zagreb, a $2,500 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 6% less than in Zagreb. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.