Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rijeka and Opatija

For one person, living is cheaper in Rijeka: $1,588 a month against $1,747 in Opatija, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Opatija outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Rijeka, Croatia
Opatija, Croatia
Rijeka
🇭🇷 Croatia
$1,588
/mo nomad
Opatija
🇭🇷 Croatia
$1,747
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rijeka and in Opatija

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Rijeka and in Opatija actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,588 per month in Rijeka vs $1,747 in Opatija, rent included.

  • Rijeka $1,588
  • Opatija $1,747

A couple spends around $2,430 per month in Rijeka vs $2,462 in Opatija, rent included.

  • Rijeka $2,430
  • Opatija $2,462

A family of three spends $3,272 per month in Rijeka vs $3,176 in Opatija, rent included.

  • Rijeka $3,272
  • Opatija $3,176

Rijeka is about 9% cheaper than Opatija, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Rijeka and Opatija sit above the global median – Rijeka by 17%, Opatija by 28%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Rijeka
Opatija
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.58 €12.20
$12.05 €10.83
12.70%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$71.9 €64.6
$65.2 €58.6
10.21%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.95 €8.94
$8.05 €7.23
23.60%
Cappuccino
$2.26 €2.03
$2.62 €2.35
-13.74%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.11 €2.80
$3.06 €2.75
1.63%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.88 €1.68
$1.90 €1.71
-1.05%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.75 €3.37
$3.33 €2.99
12.61%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.54 €4.08
$4.60 €4.13
-1.30%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Rijeka
Opatija
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.20 €1.08
$1.19 €1.07
0.84%
White Bread (500g)
$1.54 €1.39
$1.58 €1.42
-2.53%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.44 €3.09
$2.70 €2.42
27.41%
Eggs
$3.65 €3.28
$3.69 €3.31
-1.08%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.79 €14.18
$14.81 €13.31
6.62%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.15 €9.12
$10.00 €8.98
1.50%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.20 €12.76
$14.04 €12.62
1.14%
Apples (1kg)
$1.64 €1.48
$1.66 €1.49
-1.20%
Banana (1kg)
$1.74 €1.56
$1.73 €1.55
0.58%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.88 €1.69
$1.89 €1.70
-0.53%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.55 €2.29
$2.48 €2.23
2.82%
Potato (1kg)
$1.33 €1.20
$1.33 €1.19
-
Onion (1kg)
$1.27 €1.14
$1.26 €1.13
0.79%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.36 €1.23
$1.19 €1.07
14.29%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.37 €1.23
$1.31 €1.18
4.58%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.88 €5.28
$5.80 €5.21
1.38%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.83 €7.04
$7.75 €6.96
1.03%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.64 €1.47
$1.61 €1.44
1.86%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.09 €1.88
$2.19 €1.97
-4.57%
🚌 Getting Around
Rijeka
Opatija
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.75 €2.47
$1.71 €1.54
60.82%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$53.8 €48.37
$41.25 €37.06
30.52%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.57 €5.00
$4.44 €3.99
25.45%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.43 €1.28
$1.41 €1.26
1.42%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$27.85 €25.02
$12.12 €10.89
129.79%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.87 €1.68
$1.92 €1.73
-2.60%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.1K €25.2K
$28.0K €25.2K
0.19%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.9K €22.4K
$24.6K €22.1K
1.09%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rijeka
Opatija
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$188 €169
$192 €172
-2.12%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$24.20 €21.74
$22.37 €20.10
8.18%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$39.87 €35.82
$38.09 €34.22
4.67%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Rijeka
Opatija
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$52.3 €46.95
$57.5 €51.7
-9.11%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.00 €9.88
$17.18 €15.43
-35.97%
Cinema Ticket
$10.34 €9.29
$10.23 €9.19
1.08%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Rijeka
Opatija
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$553 €497
$492 €442
12.30%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.8K €11.5K
$9,745 €8,754
31.21%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Rijeka
Opatija
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$97.2 €87.3
$99.5 €89.4
-2.28%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.16 €36.97
$41.35 €37.14
-0.46%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$101 €91.1
$103 €92.5
-1.53%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$108 €97.2
$109 €98.0
-0.89%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Rijeka
Opatija
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$681 €612
$676 €607
0.75%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$523 €470
$718 €645
-27.07%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,198 €1,077
$973 €874
23.18%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$869 €780
$874 €785
-0.56%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,001 €3,594
$4,214 €3,786
-5.06%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,809 €3,422
$3,513 €3,156
8.43%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Rijeka
Opatija
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,473 €1,323
$1,212 €1,089
21.53%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.73
3.3
13.03%

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

Last update for Rijeka: October 26, 2026

Last update for Opatija: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Rijeka
$523
Opatija
$718 37.1% $194
Groceries & Markets
Rijeka
$292
Opatija
$283 3% $8.7
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rijeka
$252
Opatija
$252 0.2% $0.4
Eating Out
Rijeka
$213
Opatija
$198 7.3% $16
Clothing & Footwear
Rijeka
$157
Opatija
$159 1.4% $2.3
Getting Around
Rijeka
$78
Opatija
$60 23.2% $18
Sport & Entertainment
Rijeka
$73
Opatija
$78 6.9% $5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $681 in Rijeka versus $676 in Opatija. 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 22% higher in Rijeka, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $72 in Rijeka versus $65 in Opatija. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $292 vs $283 – making Opatija the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇭🇷 Rijeka
🇭🇷 Opatija
🕒 Local time
19:48 7:48 PM
19:48 7:48 PM
Same time as Rijeka
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
107,964
10,619
💱 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
  • Rijeka Opatija 11 km
From you
  • Rijeka
  • Opatija

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
Rijeka vs Opatija: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Rijeka or Opatija?
Opatija costs about 10% more than Rijeka, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from leisure. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Rijeka and in Opatija?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,381 per month in Rijeka and $2,621 in Opatija. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Rijeka compared to Opatija?
A central 1-bedroom goes for about $681 in Rijeka and $676 in Opatija. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.
How much does it cost to live in Rijeka compared to Opatija?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,588 in Rijeka and $1,747 in Opatija. That’s a gap of about 10%.
How expensive is transport in Rijeka compared to Opatija?
Public transport costs about 23% less in Opatija. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Rijeka or in Opatija?
$1,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,588 in Rijeka and $1,747 in Opatija. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Rijeka or Opatija?
It depends on your priorities. Rijeka has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,588 in Rijeka to $1,747 in Opatija. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How safe is Rijeka compared to Opatija?
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.

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