Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pula and Zagreb

For one person, living is cheaper in Pula: $1,580 a month against $1,770 in Zagreb, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Zagreb outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

76

Cost of Living Index in Pula
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Pula Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Zagreb
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Zagreb Living Index

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Pula

🇭🇷 Croatia

$1,580

/mo nomad

Zagreb

🇭🇷 Croatia

$1,770

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,580 per month in Pula vs $1,770 in Zagreb, rent included.

Pula $1,580
Zagreb $1,770

A couple spends around $2,515 per month in Pula vs $2,625 in Zagreb, rent included.

Pula $2,515
Zagreb $2,625

A family of three spends $3,450 per month in Pula vs $3,481 in Zagreb, rent included.

Pula $3,450
Zagreb $3,481

Pula is about 11% cheaper than Zagreb, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Pula and Zagreb sit above the global median – Pula by 17%, Zagreb by 31%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.68 €13.06

$12.30 €10.94

19.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €60.6

$62.9 €55.9

8.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.92 €7.94

$7.93 €7.05

12.48%

Cappuccino

$2.55 €2.27

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

$2.93 €2.60

$3.01 €2.68

-2.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 €1.86

$2.65 €2.36

-21.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.42 €3.05

$3.28 €2.92

4.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 €3.92

$4.60 €4.09

-4.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.10

$1.26 €1.12

-2.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 €1.65

$1.56 €1.39

19.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.18 €2.83

$2.83 €2.52

12.37%

Eggs

$3.78 €3.37

$3.89 €3.46

-2.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.95 €9.74

$14.96 €13.31

-26.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.79 €9.59

$11.93 €10.61

-9.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.80 €16.72

$18.22 €16.21

3.18%

Apples (1kg)

$1.98 €1.76

$2.31 €2.06

-14.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 €1.67

$1.77 €1.57

5.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.14 €1.90

$2.18 €1.94

-1.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.30

$2.58 €2.29

0.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 €1.21

$1.45 €1.29

-6.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 €1.19

$1.24 €1.10

7.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 €1.15

$1.21 €1.07

7.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 €1.08

$1.30 €1.16

-6.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.59 €4.97

$5.84 €5.19

-4.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.80 €6.94

$11.12 €9.90

-29.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 €1.64

$1.65 €1.47

12.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.14

$2.54 €2.26

-5.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €2.03

$0.60 €0.54

280.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.26 €29.58

$54.6 €48.59

-39.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 €2.91

$2.26 €2.01

45.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.22 €1.98

$1.41 €1.26

57.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.18 €19.73

$11.94 €10.62

85.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.83 €1.62

$1.91 €1.70

-4.19%

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

$26.0K €23.1K

$27.9K €24.8K

-6.85%

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

$26.6K €23.7K

$25.8K €22.9K

3.19%

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

$156 €139

$217 €193

-28.13%

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

$22.01 €19.58

$21.95 €19.53

0.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.37 €35.02

$37.99 €33.79

3.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.70 €44.21

$51.5 €45.80

-3.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.64 €33.48

$18.75 €16.68

100.75%

Cinema Ticket

$10.59 €9.42

$10.52 €9.36

0.67%

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

$240 €214

$493 €439

-51.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,826 €2,514

$10.0K €8,914

-71.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$114 €101

$109 €96.6

4.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.80 €32.74

$42.62 €37.91

-13.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$144 €128

$96.4 €85.7

49.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 €116

$110 €97.6

19.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$685 €609

$858 €763

-20.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$522 €464

$671 €596

-22.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,315 €1,170

$1,425 €1,267

-7.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$999 €889

$1,065 €947

-6.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,363 €3,881

$5,259 €4,678

-17.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,650 €3,246

$3,676 €3,270

-0.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,517 €1,349

$1,997 €1,776

-24.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.54

3.3

7.27%

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

Last update for Pula: October 18, 2026

Last update for Zagreb: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Pula

$522 33%

Zagreb

$671 37.9% 28.6% $149

Groceries & Markets

Pula

$301 19%

Zagreb

$321 18.1% 6.8% $20

Eating Out

Pula

$221 14%

Zagreb

$201 11.4% 9% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pula

$218 13.8%

Zagreb

$277 15.7% 27.4% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Pula

$192 12.1%

Zagreb

$161 9.1% 16% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Pula

$71 4.5%

Zagreb

$73 4.1% 2.3% $1.6

Getting Around

Pula

$57 3.6%

Zagreb

$66 3.8% 16.9% $9.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $685 in Pula versus $858 in Zagreb. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 32% higher in Zagreb, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Pula versus $63.0 in Zagreb. Groceries tell a different story – $301 in Pula vs $321 in Zagreb – so Pula wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇭🇷 Pula

🇭🇷 Zagreb

🕒 Local time

17:15 5:15 PM

Same time as Pula

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

52,220

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

Pula vs Zagreb: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,580 in Pula, $1,770 in Zagreb – roughly 12% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,370 per month in Pula and $2,654 in Zagreb. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pula, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $240 per month in Pula and $493 in Zagreb. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 7% more in Zagreb, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Pula, where all-in costs run around $1,580, than in Zagreb at $1,770. In Pula it covers expenses comfortably, while in Zagreb it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Zagreb has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,580 in Pula to $1,770 in Zagreb. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Pula. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Zagreb makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.