Cost of Living Comparison Between Rijeka and Petrinja Cost of Living Comparison Between Rijeka and Petrinja

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,616 in Rijeka versus $1,545 in Petrinja.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,401 in Rijeka versus $2,401 in Petrinja.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Rijeka versus $3,256 in Petrinja.

Living in Rijeka is roughly 5% more expensive than Petrinja, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rijeka 21% above, Petrinja 15% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.78 €10.90

$16.42 €14.00

-22.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.1

$80.1 €68.3

-13.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.36 €8.84

$8.28 €7.06

25.12%

Cappuccino

$2.33 €1.99

$3.39 €2.90

-31.27%

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

$3.46 €2.95

$3.73 €3.18

-7.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.86

$2.58 €2.20

-15.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.30 €3.67

$4.51 €3.85

-4.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.91 €4.19

$3.84 €3.28

27.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 €1.01

$1.14 €0.97

4.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 €1.38

$1.37 €1.17

18.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.12 €3.51

$3.03 €2.58

35.97%

Eggs

$3.58 €3.05

$4.96 €4.23

-27.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.35 €13.95

$18.16 €15.49

-9.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.82 €9.23

$11.54 €9.85

-6.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.33 €12.22

$11.41 €9.73

25.59%

Apples (1kg)

$1.63 €1.39

$1.65 €1.41

-1.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.46

$1.55 €1.32

10.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.72 €1.47

$2.18 €1.86

-21.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.21

$2.48 €2.11

4.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 €1.01

$1.49 €1.27

-20.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.31 €1.11

$1.41 €1.20

-7.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 €0.96

$0.89 €0.76

25.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 €0.99

$1.13 €0.97

3.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.94 €5.06

$5.34 €4.55

11.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.31 €7.08

$7.09 €6.05

17.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 €1.33

$1.34 €1.14

16.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 €1.79

$1.38 €1.17

51.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.92 €1.64

$1.78 €1.52

7.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.2 €47.12

$42.68 €36.40

29.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.67 €4.84

$3.03 €2.59

87.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 €1.17

$1.07 €0.91

28.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.02

$8.72 €7.44

236.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.78 €1.52

$1.70 €1.45

4.71%

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

$38.4K €32.7K

$38.6K €32.9K

-0.49%

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

$26.6K €22.7K

$26.4K €22.5K

0.78%

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

$187 €159

$186 €159

0.46%

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

$22.44 €19.14

$23.28 €19.85

-3.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.40 €28.49

$29.58 €25.23

12.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 €44.94

$51.3 €43.77

2.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.00 €12.80

$14.48 €12.35

3.59%

Cinema Ticket

$9.41 €8.03

$8.24 €7.02

14.20%

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

$289 €247

$244 €208

18.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.1K

$1,370 €1,169

1105.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.7 €79.1

$106 €90.6

-12.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.11 €29.95

$46.86 €39.97

-25.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.3 €84.7

$138 €118

-28.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 €87.8

$103 €88.2

-0.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$657 €561

$660 €563

-0.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$536 €457

$464 €396

15.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,036 €884

$1,041 €888

-0.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$772 €658

$778 €664

-0.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,252 €3,627

$4,096 €3,494

3.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,985 €3,399

$2,899 €2,473

37.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,545 €1,318

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 21, 2026

Last update for Petrinja: April 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $657 in Rijeka and $660 in Petrinja. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69 in Rijeka vs $80 in Petrinja. Groceries flip the comparison at $297 vs $290, with Petrinja 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 Petrinja: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rijeka and Petrinja differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($1,616 vs $1,545 including rent). Petrinja is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,424 in Rijeka and $2,318 in Petrinja 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: $657 in Rijeka versus $660 in Petrinja. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Petrinja runs roughly 29% less than in Rijeka. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $289 in Rijeka versus $244 in Petrinja. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,545 in Petrinja versus $1,616 in Rijeka, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Petrinja but tight or insufficient in Rijeka. The gap between the two cities makes Petrinja 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 Petrinja 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 Petrinja gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Rijeka. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.