Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rijeka and Zagreb

For one person, living is cheaper in Rijeka: $1,577 a month against $1,761 in Zagreb, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Rijeka
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Rijeka Living Index
85

Cost of Living Index in Zagreb
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Zagreb Living Index

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Rijeka

🇭🇷 Croatia

$1,577

/mo nomad

Zagreb

🇭🇷 Croatia

$1,761

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rijeka and in Zagreb

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

A single person spends $1,577 per month in Rijeka vs $1,761 in Zagreb, rent included.

Rijeka $1,577
Zagreb $1,761

A couple spends around $2,412 per month in Rijeka vs $2,604 in Zagreb, rent included.

Rijeka $2,412
Zagreb $2,604

A family of three spends $3,248 per month in Rijeka vs $3,447 in Zagreb, rent included.

Rijeka $3,248
Zagreb $3,447

Rijeka is about 10% cheaper than Zagreb, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Rijeka and Zagreb sit above the global median – Rijeka by 17%, Zagreb by 30%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 €11.69

$12.50 €11.12

5.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.2 €65.1

$63.6 €56.6

15.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.10 €8.98

$8.33 €7.41

21.25%

Cappuccino

$2.35 €2.09

$2.51 €2.23

-6.37%

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

$3.03 €2.70

$3.00 €2.67

1.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.74

$2.54 €2.26

-23.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.86 €3.43

$3.27 €2.91

18.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 €3.88

$4.36 €3.88

0.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.11

$1.23 €1.09

1.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.53 €1.37

$1.66 €1.48

-7.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.29 €2.93

$2.72 €2.42

20.96%

Eggs

$3.72 €3.31

$3.87 €3.45

-3.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.64 €13.91

$14.61 €12.99

7.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.25 €9.12

$11.95 €10.63

-14.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.21 €12.64

$17.44 €15.51

-18.52%

Apples (1kg)

$1.65 €1.47

$2.31 €2.05

-28.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.56

$1.78 €1.59

-1.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 €1.63

$2.11 €1.87

-13.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.62 €2.33

$2.50 €2.22

4.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.37 €1.22

$1.31 €1.17

4.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 €1.17

$1.19 €1.05

10.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 €1.17

$1.17 €1.04

12.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 €1.20

$1.37 €1.22

-1.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.92 €5.26

$5.78 €5.14

2.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.78 €6.92

$10.23 €9.10

-23.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 €1.43

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 €1.88

$2.48 €2.20

-14.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.21 €1.97

$0.57 €0.51

287.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.4 €48.37

$53.5 €47.62

1.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.73 €5.10

$2.19 €1.95

161.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 €1.28

$1.42 €1.26

1.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.76 €24.69

$11.67 €10.38

137.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.85 €1.64

$1.84 €1.64

0.54%

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

$26.0K €23.1K

$27.6K €24.6K

-5.92%

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

$24.7K €21.9K

$27.2K €24.2K

-9.21%

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

$185 €164

$214 €190

-13.64%

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

$23.53 €20.92

$23.36 €20.77

0.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.52 €34.26

$41.16 €36.60

-6.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 €48.12

$51.1 €45.47

5.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.04 €9.82

$18.82 €16.74

-41.34%

Cinema Ticket

$6.70 €5.96

$9.13 €8.12

-26.62%

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

$538 €479

$501 €445

7.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K €11.4K

$9,878 €8,786

29.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.9 €88.8

$111 €98.3

-9.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.00 €37.35

$42.93 €38.19

-2.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €89.9

$98.0 €87.1

3.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 €95.7

$110 €98.2

-2.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$693 €616

$868 €772

-20.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$525 €467

$668 €594

-21.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,205 €1,072

$1,463 €1,301

-17.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$859 €764

$1,039 €924

-17.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,045 €3,597

$5,031 €4,474

-19.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,954 €3,517

$3,468 €3,084

14.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,494 €1,329

$1,937 €1,723

-22.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.73

3.3

13.03%

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

Last update for Rijeka: October 11, 2026

Last update for Zagreb: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rijeka

$525 33.3%

Zagreb

$668 37.9% 27.2% $143

Groceries & Markets

Rijeka

$292 18.5%

Zagreb

$315 17.9% 8% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rijeka

$247 15.7%

Zagreb

$278 15.8% 12.8% $32

Eating Out

Rijeka

$212 13.4%

Zagreb

$202 11.5% 4.4% $9.3

Clothing & Footwear

Rijeka

$158 10%

Zagreb

$163 9.3% 3.2% $5.1

Getting Around

Rijeka

$76 4.8%

Zagreb

$65 3.7% 14.5% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Rijeka

$68 4.3%

Zagreb

$69 3.9% 2.8% $1.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $693 in Rijeka versus $868 in Zagreb. 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 30% higher in Zagreb, 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 $64.0 in Zagreb. Groceries tell a different story – $292 in Rijeka vs $315 in Zagreb – so Rijeka wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇭🇷 Rijeka

🇭🇷 Zagreb

🕒 Local time

12:39 12:39 PM

Same time as Rijeka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

107,964

767,131 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Rijeka Zagreb 130 km

From you

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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 Zagreb: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Zagreb is pricier by about 12%, 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 $2,642 in Zagreb. 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.

Groceries cost about 8% more in Zagreb, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $73.0 in Rijeka and $64.0 in Zagreb. 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 Zagreb at $1,761. In Rijeka it covers expenses comfortably, while in Zagreb 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, Zagreb makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.