Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rijeka and Zadar

For one person, living is cheaper in Rijeka: $1,577 a month against $1,687 in Zadar, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Zadar outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

77

Cost of Living Index in Rijeka
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Rijeka Living Index
82

Cost of Living Index in Zadar
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Zadar Living Index

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Rijeka

🇭🇷 Croatia

$1,577

/mo nomad

Zadar

🇭🇷 Croatia

$1,687

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rijeka and in Zadar

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

A single person spends $1,577 per month in Rijeka vs $1,687 in Zadar, rent included.

Rijeka $1,577
Zadar $1,687

A couple spends around $2,412 per month in Rijeka vs $2,572 in Zadar, rent included.

Rijeka $2,412
Zadar $2,572

A family of three spends $3,248 per month in Rijeka vs $3,457 in Zadar, rent included.

Rijeka $3,248
Zadar $3,457

Rijeka is about 7% cheaper than Zadar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Rijeka and Zadar sit above the global median – Rijeka by 17%, Zadar by 25%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 €11.69

$14.55 €12.95

-9.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.2 €65.1

$78.3 €69.7

-6.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.10 €8.98

$7.67 €6.83

31.68%

Cappuccino

$2.35 €2.09

$2.40 €2.13

-2.08%

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

$3.03 €2.70

$2.96 €2.63

2.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.74

$2.19 €1.95

-10.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.86 €3.43

$3.29 €2.92

17.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 €3.88

$4.54 €4.04

-3.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.11

$1.17 €1.04

6.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.53 €1.37

$1.63 €1.45

-6.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.29 €2.93

$3.14 €2.79

4.78%

Eggs

$3.72 €3.31

$3.77 €3.35

-1.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.64 €13.91

$10.80 €9.61

44.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.25 €9.12

$9.47 €8.43

8.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.21 €12.64

$12.03 €10.71

18.12%

Apples (1kg)

$1.65 €1.47

$1.98 €1.76

-16.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.56

$1.52 €1.35

15.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 €1.63

$2.16 €1.92

-15.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.62 €2.33

$2.60 €2.31

0.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.37 €1.22

$2.21 €1.97

-38.01%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 €1.17

$1.32 €1.18

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 €1.17

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 €1.20

$1.25 €1.12

8.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.92 €5.26

$5.59 €4.98

5.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.78 €6.92

$7.83 €6.97

-0.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 €1.43

$1.35 €1.20

19.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 €1.88

$1.41 €1.25

50.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.21 €1.97

$1.75 €1.56

26.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.4 €48.37

$43.69 €38.86

24.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.73 €5.10

$3.42 €3.04

67.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 €1.28

$2.22 €1.97

-35.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.76 €24.70

$22.05 €19.61

25.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.85 €1.64

$1.78 €1.59

3.93%

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

$26.0K €23.1K

$26.3K €23.4K

-0.94%

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

$24.7K €21.9K

$25.1K €22.3K

-1.67%

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

$185 €164

$182 €162

1.38%

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

$23.53 €20.93

$22.01 €19.58

6.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.52 €34.26

$40.17 €35.73

-4.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 €48.13

$56.1 €49.92

-3.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.04 €9.82

$17.02 €15.14

-35.14%

Cinema Ticket

$6.70 €5.96

$10.58 €9.41

-36.67%

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

$538 €479

$240 €214

124.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K €11.4K

$6,907 €6,144

84.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.9 €88.8

$88.4 €78.6

12.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.00 €37.36

$35.68 €31.74

17.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €89.9

$104 €92.7

-3.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 €95.8

$77.5 €69.0

38.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$693 €616

$904 €804

-23.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$525 €467

$681 €606

-22.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,205 €1,072

$1,460 €1,299

-17.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$859 €764

$1,135 €1,009

-24.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,045 €3,598

$4,481 €3,985

-9.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,954 €3,517

$4,044 €3,597

-2.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,494 €1,329

$1,360 €1,210

9.85%

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 11, 2026

Last update for Zadar: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rijeka

$525 33.3%

Zadar

$681 40.4% 29.8% $156

Groceries & Markets

Rijeka

$292 18.5%

Zadar

$267 15.8% 8.5% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rijeka

$247 15.7%

Zadar

$244 14.5% 1% $2.4

Eating Out

Rijeka

$212 13.4%

Zadar

$214 12.7% 1.3% $2.7

Clothing & Footwear

Rijeka

$158 10%

Zadar

$138 8.2% 12.8% $20

Getting Around

Rijeka

$76 4.8%

Zadar

$65 3.9% 14.4% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Rijeka

$68 4.3%

Zadar

$77 4.6% 14.5% $9.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $693 in Rijeka versus $904 in Zadar. 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 10% 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 $73.0 in Rijeka versus $78.0 in Zadar. Groceries tell a different story – $292 in Rijeka vs $267 in Zadar – so Zadar wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇭🇷 Rijeka

🇭🇷 Zadar

🕒 Local time

17:47 5:47 PM

Same time as Rijeka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

107,964

67,309

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Rijeka Zadar 150 km

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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 Zadar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Zadar is pricier by about 7%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,365 per month in Rijeka and $2,531 in Zadar. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Rijeka, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 9% cheaper in Zadar – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $73.0 in Rijeka and $78.0 in Zadar. 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 Rijeka, where all-in costs run around $1,577, than in Zadar at $1,687. In Rijeka it covers expenses comfortably, while in Zadar it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

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.

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