Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Split and Karlovac

For one person, living is cheaper in Karlovac: $1,222 a month against $1,851 in Split, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Split
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Split Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Karlovac
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Karlovac Living Index

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Split

🇭🇷 Croatia

$1,851

/mo nomad

Karlovac

🇭🇷 Croatia

$1,222

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Split and in Karlovac

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Split and in Karlovac actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,851 in Split versus $1,222 in Karlovac.

Split $1,851
Karlovac $1,222

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,848 in Split versus $1,821 in Karlovac.

Split $2,848
Karlovac $1,821

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,844 in Split versus $2,419 in Karlovac.

Split $3,844
Karlovac $2,419

Living in Split is roughly 52% more expensive than in Karlovac, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Split is 36% above, Karlovac is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.02 €15.29

$11.20 €10.06

51.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.1 €67.4

$44.46 €39.94

68.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.40 €10.24

$7.61 €6.84

49.80%

Cappuccino

$2.70 €2.43

$1.96 €1.76

37.76%

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

$4.11 €3.69

$2.45 €2.20

67.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 €2.52

$1.61 €1.45

74.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.67 €4.20

$2.43 €2.19

92.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.18 €4.65

$2.46 €2.21

110.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.16

$1.13 €1.02

14.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.92

$1.13 €1.02

88.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.73 €3.35

$1.53 €1.38

143.79%

Eggs

$4.16 €3.74

$3.16 €2.84

31.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.71 €12.31

$9.05 €8.13

51.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 €8.54

$9.86 €8.86

-3.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.88 €11.57

$12.02 €10.80

7.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.19 €1.97

$1.97 €1.77

11.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 €1.64

$1.84 €1.66

-0.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 €1.72

$1.83 €1.64

4.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.88 €2.59

$2.01 €1.81

43.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.58 €1.42

$1.38 €1.24

14.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 €1.04

$1.06 €0.95

8.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 €1.16

$1.63 €1.46

-20.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 €1.15

$1.17 €1.05

9.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.71 €5.13

$5.69 €5.11

0.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.14 €8.21

$6.67 €5.99

37.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 €1.56

$1.61 €1.45

7.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 €1.98

$2.31 €2.07

-4.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.66 €1.49

$3.33 €2.99

-50.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.84 €34.89

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.80 €3.42

$5.66 €5.09

-32.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.11 €1.90

$1.09 €0.98

93.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.30 €26.32

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 €1.75

$1.69 €1.52

15.38%

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

$28.0K €25.2K

$26.3K €23.6K

6.58%

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

$24.7K €22.2K

0.08%

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

$212 €191

$178 €160

18.94%

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

$20.36 €18.29

$27.68 €24.86

-26.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.88 €36.72

$38.87 €34.91

5.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.0 €53.9

$38.63 €34.70

55.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.12 €11.78

$18.24 €16.39

-28.07%

Cinema Ticket

$10.60 €9.52

$6.55 €5.88

61.83%

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

$604 €543

$427 €384

41.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K €10.6K

$6,876 €6,176

71.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.2 €83.8

$89.3 €80.2

4.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.54 €35.52

$49.51 €44.47

-20.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 €102

$88.8 €79.8

27.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.0 €88.0

$78.3 €70.3

25.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,016 €913

$478 €429

112.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$722 €648

$349 €313

106.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,906 €1,712

$733 €659

160.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,322 €1,188

$530 €477

149.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,099 €6,377

$2,746 €2,467

158.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,158 €4,633

$2,382 €2,139

116.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 €1,415

$1,399 €1,257

12.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.44

3.72

-7.53%

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

Last update for Split: October 27, 2026

Last update for Karlovac: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Split

$722 39%

Karlovac

$349 28.5% 51.7% $373

Groceries & Markets

Split

$296 16%

Karlovac

$245 20.1% 17.2% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Split

$273 14.8%

Karlovac

$245 20.1% 10.4% $28

Eating Out

Split

$264 14.3%

Karlovac

$169 13.9% 35.9% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Split

$155 8.4%

Karlovac

$138 11.3% 11.1% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Split

$81 4.4%

Karlovac

$52 4.2% 36.3% $30

Getting Around

Split

$60 3.2%

Karlovac

$24 * 2% 59.2% $35

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,016 in Split and $478 in Karlovac. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Split pays 13% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $75 in Split vs $44 in Karlovac for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $296 vs $245 per month, with Karlovac cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇭🇷 Split

🇭🇷 Karlovac

🕒 Local time

21:26 9:26 PM

Same time as Split

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,830

41,869

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Split Karlovac 230 km

From you

Split
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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

Split vs Karlovac: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Karlovac is about 34% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 13% higher in Split, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,016 in Split versus $478 in Karlovac. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Split. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,851 per month in Split versus $1,222 in Karlovac – Karlovac is about 34% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $1,222 in Karlovac versus $1,851 in Split, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Karlovac but tight or insufficient in Split. The gap between the two cities makes Karlovac 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, Split and Karlovac are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Karlovac wins on affordability, Split on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.