Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rijeka and Varazdin

For one person, living is cheaper in Varazdin: $1,286 a month against $1,588 in Rijeka, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Rijeka
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Rijeka Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Varazdin
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Varazdin Living Index

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Rijeka

🇭🇷 Croatia

$1,588

/mo nomad

Varazdin

🇭🇷 Croatia

$1,286

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rijeka and in Varazdin

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

A single person spends $1,588 per month in Rijeka vs $1,286 in Varazdin, rent included.

Rijeka $1,588
Varazdin $1,286

A couple spends around $2,430 per month in Rijeka vs $1,861 in Varazdin, rent included.

Rijeka $2,430
Varazdin $1,861

A family of three spends $3,272 per month in Rijeka vs $2,436 in Varazdin, rent included.

Rijeka $3,272
Varazdin $2,436

Rijeka costs about 23% more than Varazdin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Rijeka sits 17% above the global median, while Varazdin is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.58 €12.17

$11.03 €9.88

23.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.9 €64.4

$62.3 €55.9

15.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.95 €8.92

$10.03 €8.98

-0.80%

Cappuccino

$2.26 €2.02

$2.35 €2.10

-3.83%

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

$3.11 €2.79

$2.57 €2.30

21.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.68

$1.92 €1.72

-2.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 €3.36

$3.95 €3.54

-5.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.54 €4.07

$3.43 €3.07

32.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 €1.08

$1.23 €1.10

-2.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 €1.38

$1.63 €1.46

-5.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.44 €3.08

$2.49 €2.23

38.15%

Eggs

$3.65 €3.27

$3.47 €3.11

5.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.79 €14.15

$5.65 €5.07

179.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.15 €9.10

$8.59 €7.70

18.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 €12.73

$14.52 €13.01

-2.20%

Apples (1kg)

$1.64 €1.47

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.56

$1.70 €1.52

2.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.88 €1.69

$1.82 €1.63

3.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.29

$2.41 €2.16

5.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 €1.19

$1.22 €1.09

9.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 €1.14

$1.10 €0.98

15.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 €1.22

$1.09 €0.98

24.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.23

$1.14 €1.02

20.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.88 €5.27

Wine (Bottle)

$7.83 €7.02

$8.08 €7.24

-3.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 €1.47

$0.72 €0.64

127.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 €1.87

$2.19 €1.96

-4.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.75 €2.47

$1.31 €1.17

109.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.8 €48.25

$44.60 €39.97

20.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.57 €4.99

$3.46 €3.10

60.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 €1.28

$1.44 €1.29

-0.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.85 €24.96

$13.26 €11.88

110.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 €1.68

$1.68 €1.50

11.31%

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

$28.1K €25.2K

-0.14%

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

$24.9K €22.3K

$24.3K €21.8K

2.54%

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

$188 €168

$150 €135

24.76%

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

$24.20 €21.69

$14.09 €12.63

71.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.87 €35.73

$30.82 €27.62

29.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 €46.83

$42.94 €38.48

21.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.00 €9.86

$13.12 €11.76

-16.16%

Cinema Ticket

$10.34 €9.26

$9.12 €8.18

13.38%

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

$553 €495

$150 €135

267.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K €11.5K

$13.1K €11.7K

-2.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.2 €87.1

$72.2 €64.7

34.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.16 €36.88

$33.04 €29.61

24.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €90.9

$62.5 €56.0

62.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 €96.9

$73.6 €66.0

46.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$681 €610

$571 €511

19.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$523 €469

$428 €383

22.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,198 €1,074

$865 €775

38.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$869 €779

$471 €422

84.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 €3,585

$3,129 €2,804

27.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,809 €3,414

$2,476 €2,219

53.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,473 €1,320

$1,353 €1,213

8.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.73

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

Last update for Rijeka: October 26, 2026

Last update for Varazdin: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Rijeka

$523 33%

Varazdin

$428 33.3% 18.3% $96

Groceries & Markets

Rijeka

$292 18.4%

Varazdin

$242 18.8% 17.2% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rijeka

$252 15.9%

Varazdin

$195 15.2% 22.4% $56

Eating Out

Rijeka

$213 13.4%

Varazdin

$191 14.9% 10.5% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Rijeka

$157 9.9%

Varazdin

$109 8.5% 30.6% $48

Getting Around

Rijeka

$78 4.9%

Varazdin

$61 4.7% 22% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Rijeka

$73 4.6%

Varazdin

$61 4.8% 16.1% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $681 in Rijeka versus $571 in Varazdin. 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 9% 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 $72 in Rijeka versus $62 in Varazdin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $292 vs $242 – making Varazdin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇷 Rijeka

🇭🇷 Varazdin

🕒 Local time

07:08 7:08 AM

Same time as Rijeka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

107,964

43,782

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Varazdin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Rijeka is pricier by about 23%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,381 per month in Rijeka and $1,929 in Varazdin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Varazdin, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $571 there versus $681 in Rijeka.

Groceries cost about 21% more in Rijeka, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $72 in Rijeka and $62 in Varazdin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Varazdin, where all-in costs run around $1,286, than in Rijeka at $1,588. In Varazdin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rijeka it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Varazdin – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Varazdin. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Rijeka makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.