Cost of Living Comparison Between Rijeka and Osijek Cost of Living Comparison Between Rijeka and Osijek

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,631 in Rijeka versus $1,456 in Osijek.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,514 in Rijeka versus $2,297 in Osijek.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,397 in Rijeka versus $3,139 in Osijek.

Living in Rijeka is roughly 12% more expensive than in Osijek, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rijeka 18% above, Osijek 6% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.85 €11.93

$11.60 €10.00

19.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.4 €64.1

$58.8 €50.7

26.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.49 €9.04

$9.35 €8.06

12.19%

Cappuccino

$2.37 €2.04

$2.79 €2.41

-15.05%

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

$3.14 €2.70

$3.42 €2.95

-8.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 €1.72

$2.90 €2.50

-31.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.91 €3.37

$5.83 €5.02

-32.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$5.86 €5.05

-19.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$1.20 €1.03

4.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 €1.40

$1.55 €1.33

5.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.45 €2.98

$3.02 €2.60

14.24%

Eggs

$3.81 €3.29

$3.73 €3.22

2.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.53 €14.25

$12.21 €10.53

35.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.72 €9.24

$8.73 €7.52

22.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.56 €12.55

$12.40 €10.68

17.42%

Apples (1kg)

$1.78 €1.53

$1.75 €1.51

1.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.74 €1.50

3.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.97 €1.69

-1.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.38

$2.73 €2.35

1.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.30 €1.12

5.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.35 €1.17

$1.23 €1.06

9.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.26 €1.09

9.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 €1.22

$1.20 €1.03

17.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.09 €5.25

$5.92 €5.10

2.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.96 €6.86

$8.54 €7.36

-6.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 €1.43

$1.64 €1.42

1.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.88

$2.06 €1.78

5.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.34 €2.02

$1.68 €1.45

39.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.6 €47.88

$38.19 €32.92

45.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.90 €5.09

$2.28 €1.97

158.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.13 €0.97

34.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.16

$15.10 €13.02

93.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.98 €1.70

$1.86 €1.60

6.45%

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

$26.9K €23.2K

$27.2K €23.4K

-0.93%

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

$26.1K €22.5K

$26.0K €22.4K

0.57%

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

$200 €172

$203 €175

-1.72%

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

$25.26 €21.77

$22.46 €19.36

12.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.65 €35.91

$44.98 €38.77

-7.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.1 €47.53

$49.22 €42.43

12.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.68 €10.07

$8.59 €7.40

35.97%

Cinema Ticket

$7.15 €6.16

$10.37 €8.94

-31.05%

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

$568 €490

$417 €359

36.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.1K €11.3K

$4,366 €3,764

200.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.8

$109 €93.7

-4.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.77 €37.73

$40.85 €35.21

7.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €91.0

$107 €92.6

-1.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 €98.6

$113 €97.0

1.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$728 €628

$660 €569

10.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$548 €472

$432 €373

26.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 €1,056

$1,253 €1,080

-2.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$902 €778

$871 €751

3.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,228 €3,644

$2,813 €2,425

50.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,063 €3,502

$2,215 €1,909

83.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,531 €1,320

$1,396 €1,203

9.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.73

3.72

0.27%

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

Last update for Rijeka: September 6, 2026

Last update for Osijek: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $728 in Rijeka and $660 in Osijek. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rijeka pays 10% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $74.0 in Rijeka vs $59.0 in Osijek for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $304 vs $268 per month, with Osijek cheaper across the board.

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 Osijek: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Osijek is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Getting Around. The 12% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 10% higher in Rijeka, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $728 in Rijeka versus $660 in Osijek. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Rijeka. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Osijek – a meal for two runs $59.0 versus $74.0 in Rijeka. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,456 in Osijek versus $1,631 in Rijeka, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Osijek but tight or insufficient in Rijeka. The gap between the two cities makes Osijek the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Rijeka and Osijek 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 Osijek gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Rijeka. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.