Cost of Living Comparison Between Rijeka and Makarska Cost of Living Comparison Between Rijeka and Makarska

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,585 in Rijeka versus $1,536 in Makarska.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,394 in Rijeka versus $2,449 in Makarska.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,202 in Rijeka versus $3,362 in Makarska.

Living in Rijeka is roughly 3% more expensive than Makarska, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rijeka 18% above, Makarska 15% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.94 €11.05

$16.36 €13.98

-20.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.6 €60.3

$81.3 €69.5

-13.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.25 €8.75

$8.13 €6.95

26.08%

Cappuccino

$2.34 €1.99

$3.38 €2.88

-30.77%

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

$3.58 €3.06

$3.60 €3.07

-0.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 €1.85

$2.67 €2.28

-19.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.40 €3.76

$4.68 €4.00

-5.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.84 €4.14

$3.85 €3.29

25.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.01

$1.20 €1.02

-1.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 €1.36

$1.38 €1.17

15.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.99 €3.40

$3.00 €2.56

33.00%

Eggs

$3.54 €3.02

$5.24 €4.47

-32.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.44 €14.04

$18.25 €15.59

-9.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.77 €9.19

$11.61 €9.92

-7.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.32 €12.23

$11.77 €10.06

21.67%

Apples (1kg)

$1.60 €1.36

$1.58 €1.35

1.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.46

$1.62 €1.38

5.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 €1.51

$2.11 €1.80

-16.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.21

$2.52 €2.15

2.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 €1.05

$1.48 €1.26

-16.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 €1.13

$1.47 €1.25

-10.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 €0.93

$0.95 €0.81

14.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 €1.00

$1.14 €0.97

2.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.86 €5.01

$5.23 €4.46

12.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.51 €7.27

$7.14 €6.10

19.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.32

$1.33 €1.14

16.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.80

$1.35 €1.16

56.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.99 €1.70

$1.77 €1.51

12.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.2 €47.12

$42.34 €36.16

30.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.65 €4.82

$3.08 €2.63

83.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 €1.19

$1.10 €0.94

26.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.37 €25.08

$8.84 €7.55

232.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.75 €1.50

0.57%

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

$38.0K €32.4K

$37.5K €32.0K

1.14%

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

$25.8K €22.0K

$25.8K €22.1K

-0.13%

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

$186 €159

$188 €160

-0.69%

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

$22.72 €19.41

$23.26 €19.87

-2.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.43 €28.55

$30.61 €26.14

9.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.6 €44.88

$53.1 €45.34

-1.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.25 €13.02

$14.99 €12.80

1.73%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 €7.74

$8.27 €7.06

9.67%

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

$288 €246

$237 €202

21.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.7K €14.3K

$1,399 €1,195

1096.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.1

$106 €90.3

-13.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.31 €29.30

$46.71 €39.89

-26.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.6 €84.2

$139 €119

-29.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 €89.1

$106 €90.4

-1.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$656 €561

$676 €577

-2.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$526 €449

$463 €395

13.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,046 €893

$1,029 €879

1.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$766 €654

$780 €666

-1.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,258 €3,636

$4,722 €4,033

-9.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,014 €3,428

$3,272 €2,795

22.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,577 €1,346

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.63

4.7

-1.49%

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

Last update for Rijeka: April 26, 2026

Last update for Makarska: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $656 in Rijeka and $676 in Makarska. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $71.0 in Rijeka vs $81.0 in Makarska. Groceries flip the comparison at $296 vs $294, 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

Rijeka vs Makarska: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Makarska is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 3% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,377 in Rijeka and $2,304 in Makarska 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: $656 in Rijeka versus $676 in Makarska. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $288 in Rijeka versus $237 in Makarska. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Rijeka. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,536 in Makarska versus $1,585 in Rijeka, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Makarska but tight or insufficient in Rijeka. 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 Rijeka, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Rijeka and Makarska 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 3% less than in Rijeka. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.