Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Osijek and Zagreb

For one person, living is cheaper in Osijek: $1,437 a month against $1,772 in Zagreb, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Osijek, Croatia
Zagreb, Croatia
Osijek
🇭🇷 Croatia
$1,437
/mo nomad
Zagreb
🇭🇷 Croatia
$1,772
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,437 in Osijek versus $1,772 in Zagreb.

  • Osijek $1,437
  • Zagreb $1,772

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,217 in Osijek versus $2,619 in Zagreb.

  • Osijek $2,217
  • Zagreb $2,619

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,998 in Osijek versus $3,467 in Zagreb.

  • Osijek $2,998
  • Zagreb $3,467

Living in Osijek costs roughly 19% less than in Zagreb, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Osijek 6% above, Zagreb 30% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Osijek
Zagreb
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.21 €10.07
$12.33 €11.08
-9.08%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$56.3 €50.5
$63.9 €57.4
-12.01%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.05 €8.13
$8.01 €7.20
12.98%
Cappuccino
$2.67 €2.40
$2.50 €2.25
6.80%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.40 €3.06
$3.09 €2.77
10.03%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.87 €2.57
$2.62 €2.35
9.54%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.53 €4.97
$3.42 €3.07
61.70%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.50 €4.94
$4.51 €4.05
21.95%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Osijek
Zagreb
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.14 €1.02
$1.27 €1.14
-10.24%
White Bread (500g)
$1.48 €1.33
$1.60 €1.43
-7.50%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.78 €2.50
$2.68 €2.41
3.73%
Eggs
$3.46 €3.11
$3.95 €3.54
-12.41%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.63 €10.45
$14.58 €13.10
-20.23%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.66 €7.78
$11.47 €10.30
-24.50%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.54 €10.36
$17.35 €15.58
-33.49%
Apples (1kg)
$1.73 €1.56
$2.31 €2.07
-25.11%
Banana (1kg)
$1.64 €1.47
$1.65 €1.48
-0.61%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.82 €1.64
$2.19 €1.96
-16.89%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.62 €2.36
$2.56 €2.30
2.34%
Potato (1kg)
$1.32 €1.19
$1.36 €1.22
-2.94%
Onion (1kg)
$1.17 €1.05
$1.20 €1.08
-2.50%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.18 €1.06
$1.19 €1.07
-0.84%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.18 €1.06
$1.29 €1.16
-8.53%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.95 €5.35
$6.08 €5.46
-2.14%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.38 €7.53
$11.07 €9.94
-24.30%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.61 €1.44
$1.69 €1.51
-4.73%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.01 €1.80
$2.46 €2.21
-18.29%
🚌 Getting Around
Osijek
Zagreb
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.74 €1.56
$0.57 €0.51
205.26%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$37.15 €33.37
$53.2 €47.82
-30.22%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.19 €1.97
$2.18 €1.96
0.46%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.09 €0.98
$1.44 €1.29
-24.31%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$14.79 €13.28
$12.39 €11.13
19.37%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.89 €1.70
$1.90 €1.70
-0.53%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.3K €24.5K
$27.9K €25.1K
-2.14%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.9K €22.3K
$26.0K €23.4K
-4.45%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Osijek
Zagreb
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$193 €174
$215 €193
-10.06%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$21.77 €19.56
$22.34 €20.07
-2.55%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$44.37 €39.85
$38.73 €34.79
14.56%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Osijek
Zagreb
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.77 €39.32
$48.65 €43.70
-10.03%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$8.78 €7.88
$18.95 €17.02
-53.67%
Cinema Ticket
$9.90 €8.89
$10.41 €9.35
-4.90%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Osijek
Zagreb
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$414 €372
$499 €448
-17.10%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,095 €3,679
$9,720 €8,731
-57.87%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Osijek
Zagreb
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$104 €93.2
$109 €97.6
-4.51%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.98 €35.01
$42.23 €37.93
-7.70%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$97.7 €87.8
$102 €91.9
-4.46%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$109 €98.4
$111 €99.3
-0.95%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Osijek
Zagreb
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$652 €585
$888 €798
-26.64%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$435 €391
$683 €614
-36.31%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,189 €1,068
$1,468 €1,319
-19.03%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$835 €750
$1,066 €958
-21.70%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,761 €2,480
$5,275 €4,739
-47.66%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,173 €1,952
$3,670 €3,297
-40.78%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Osijek
Zagreb
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,343 €1,206
$1,975 €1,774
-31.98%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.67
3.3
11.21%

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

Last update for Osijek: October 26, 2026

Last update for Zagreb: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Osijek
$435
Zagreb
$683 57% $248
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Osijek
$259
Zagreb
$276 6.4% $17
Groceries & Markets
Osijek
$257
Zagreb
$314 22% $57
Eating Out
Osijek
$213
Zagreb
$202 5.2% $11
Clothing & Footwear
Osijek
$157
Zagreb
$164 3.9% $6.2
Sport & Entertainment
Osijek
$64
Zagreb
$69 9.2% $5.9
Getting Around
Osijek
$52
Zagreb
$65 25.3% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $652 in Osijek and $888 in Zagreb. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zagreb pays 47% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $56 in Osijek vs $64 in Zagreb for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $257 vs $314 per month, with Osijek cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇭🇷 Osijek
🇭🇷 Zagreb
🕒 Local time
19:48 7:48 PM
19:48 7:48 PM
Same time as Osijek
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
75,535
767,131 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Osijek Zagreb 210 km
From you
  • Osijek
  • 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
Osijek vs Zagreb: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Osijek cheaper than Zagreb?
Osijek is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and clothing. The 23% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Osijek or Zagreb?
On paper, salaries run 32% lower in Osijek. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Osijek and Zagreb?
Rent for a central apartment: $652 in Osijek versus $888 in Zagreb. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Osijek and in Zagreb?
Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Zagreb. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is eating out cheaper in Osijek or in Zagreb?
Dining out is cheaper in Osijek – a meal for two runs $56 versus $64 in Zagreb. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is it better to live in Osijek or in Zagreb?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Which city is safer, Osijek or Zagreb?
Safety-wise, Osijek 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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Osijek gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Zagreb. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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