Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rijeka and Pula

For one person, living costs are similar in Rijeka and in Pula: $1,594 and $1,580 a month, rent and utilities included.

Rijeka
🇭🇷 Croatia
$1,594
/mo nomad
Pula
🇭🇷 Croatia
$1,580
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rijeka and in Pula

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 Pula actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,594 per month in Rijeka vs $1,580 in Pula, rent included.

  • Rijeka $1,594
  • Pula $1,580

A couple spends around $2,442 per month in Rijeka vs $2,515 in Pula, rent included.

  • Rijeka $2,442
  • Pula $2,515

A family of three spends $3,289 per month in Rijeka vs $3,450 in Pula, rent included.

  • Rijeka $3,289
  • Pula $3,450

Rijeka costs about 1% more than Pula, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Rijeka and Pula sit above the global median – Rijeka by 18%, Pula by 17%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Rijeka
Pula
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.57 €12.07
$14.68 €13.06
-7.56%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$72.8 €64.8
$68.1 €60.6
6.85%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.99 €8.88
$8.92 €7.94
12.00%
Cappuccino
$2.33 €2.07
$2.55 €2.27
-8.63%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.14 €2.79
$2.93 €2.60
7.17%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.88 €1.68
$2.09 €1.86
-10.05%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.92 €3.49
$3.42 €3.05
14.62%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.55 €4.05
$4.41 €3.92
3.17%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Rijeka
Pula
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.21 €1.08
$1.23 €1.10
-1.63%
White Bread (500g)
$1.63 €1.45
$1.86 €1.65
-12.37%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.38 €3.01
$3.18 €2.83
6.29%
Eggs
$3.78 €3.36
$3.78 €3.37
-
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.71 €13.97
$10.95 €9.74
43.47%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.06 €8.95
$10.79 €9.59
-6.77%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.51 €12.91
$18.80 €16.72
-22.82%
Apples (1kg)
$1.70 €1.51
$1.98 €1.76
-14.14%
Banana (1kg)
$1.68 €1.50
$1.87 €1.67
-10.16%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.81 €1.61
$2.14 €1.90
-15.42%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.63 €2.34
$2.59 €2.30
1.54%
Potato (1kg)
$1.31 €1.17
$1.36 €1.21
-3.68%
Onion (1kg)
$1.28 €1.14
$1.33 €1.19
-3.76%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.36 €1.21
$1.30 €1.15
4.62%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.31 €1.16
$1.22 €1.08
7.38%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.79 €5.15
$5.59 €4.97
3.58%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.73 €6.87
$7.80 €6.94
-0.90%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.67 €1.48
$1.85 €1.64
-9.73%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.13 €1.89
$2.40 €2.14
-11.25%
🚌 Getting Around
Rijeka
Pula
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.26 €2.01
$2.28 €2.03
-0.88%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$53.9 €47.93
$33.26 €29.58
62.00%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.75 €5.11
$3.28 €2.91
75.30%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.50 €1.34
$2.22 €1.98
-32.43%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$27.89 €24.81
$22.18 €19.73
25.74%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.96 €1.74
$1.83 €1.62
7.10%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.6K €24.5K
$26.0K €23.1K
6.00%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.4K €21.7K
$26.6K €23.7K
-8.29%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rijeka
Pula
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$188 €167
$156 €139
20.19%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$24.24 €21.56
$22.01 €19.58
10.13%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$39.78 €35.38
$39.37 €35.02
1.04%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Rijeka
Pula
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$53.5 €47.60
$49.70 €44.21
7.67%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.09 €9.86
$37.64 €33.48
-70.54%
Cinema Ticket
$10.63 €9.45
$10.59 €9.42
0.38%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Rijeka
Pula
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$535 €476
$240 €214
122.79%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.6K €11.2K
$2,826 €2,514
347.37%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Rijeka
Pula
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$99.3 €88.3
$114 €101
-12.70%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.34 €36.77
$36.80 €32.74
12.34%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$101 €90.2
$144 €128
-29.80%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$109 €97.3
$131 €116
-16.26%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Rijeka
Pula
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$693 €617
$685 €609
1.26%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$526 €467
$522 €464
0.77%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,169 €1,040
$1,315 €1,170
-11.14%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$872 €775
$999 €889
-12.76%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,200 €3,736
$4,363 €3,881
-3.72%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,001 €3,559
$3,650 €3,246
9.63%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Rijeka
Pula
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,527 €1,358
$1,517 €1,349
0.67%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.73
3.54
5.37%

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

Last update for Rijeka: October 18, 2026

Last update for Pula: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Rijeka
$526
Pula
$522 0.8% $4
Groceries & Markets
Rijeka
$293
Pula
$301 2.7% $8
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rijeka
$252
Pula
$218 13.6% $34
Eating Out
Rijeka
$215
Pula
$221 2.6% $5.5
Clothing & Footwear
Rijeka
$158
Pula
$192 21.1% $33
Getting Around
Rijeka
$76
Pula
$57 25.5% $19
Sport & Entertainment
Rijeka
$75
Pula
$71 5.2% $3.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $693 in Rijeka versus $685 in Pula. 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 1% higher in Rijeka, 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 $73.0 in Rijeka versus $68.0 in Pula. Groceries tell a different story – $293 in Rijeka vs $301 in Pula – so Rijeka wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇭🇷 Rijeka
🇭🇷 Pula
🕒 Local time
18:56 6:56 PM
18:56 6:56 PM
Same time as Rijeka
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
107,964
52,220
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Rijeka Pula 69 km
From you
  • Rijeka
  • Pula

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 Pula: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Rijeka and in Pula compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,594 in Rijeka, $1,580 in Pula – roughly 1% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.
What salary covers living expenses in Rijeka compared to Pula?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,392 per month in Rijeka and $2,370 in Pula. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Rijeka and Pula?
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.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Rijeka and Pula?
Kindergarten costs $535 per month in Rijeka and $240 in Pula. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Interestingly, groceries are about 3% cheaper in Rijeka – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Pula, where all-in costs run around $1,580, than in Rijeka at $1,594. In Pula it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rijeka it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Rijeka or Pula?
Families tend to lean toward Pula – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Is Rijeka or Pula safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Rijeka and Pula?
If budget matters most, go with Pula. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Rijeka makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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