Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Split and Zadar

For one person, living is cheaper in Zadar: $1,696 a month against $1,846 in Split, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

90

Cost of Living Index in Split
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Split Living Index
82

Cost of Living Index in Zadar
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Zadar Living Index

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Split

🇭🇷 Croatia

$1,846

/mo nomad

Zadar

🇭🇷 Croatia

$1,696

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Split 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 Split and in Zadar actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,846 per month in Split vs $1,696 in Zadar, rent included.

Split $1,846
Zadar $1,696

A couple spends around $2,840 per month in Split vs $2,573 in Zadar, rent included.

Split $2,840
Zadar $2,573

A family of three spends $3,833 per month in Split vs $3,450 in Zadar, rent included.

Split $3,833
Zadar $3,450

Split costs about 9% more than Zadar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Split and Zadar sit above the global median – Split by 36%, Zadar by 25%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.91 €15.04

$14.51 €12.91

16.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.5 €67.1

$79.2 €70.4

-4.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.04 €9.82

$7.68 €6.84

43.75%

Cappuccino

$2.75 €2.44

$2.53 €2.25

8.70%

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

$4.17 €3.71

$2.93 €2.61

42.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 €2.53

$2.11 €1.88

35.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.63 €4.12

$3.46 €3.08

33.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.16 €4.59

$4.58 €4.07

12.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.18

$1.12 €1.00

17.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 €1.90

$1.70 €1.51

25.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.75 €3.33

$3.02 €2.68

24.17%

Eggs

$4.12 €3.67

$3.83 €3.41

7.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.70 €12.19

$10.88 €9.68

25.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.26 €8.24

$9.51 €8.46

-2.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.28 €11.81

$12.16 €10.81

9.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.12 €1.89

$1.89 €1.68

12.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 €1.64

$1.57 €1.40

17.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 €1.68

$2.07 €1.84

-8.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.88 €2.56

$2.59 €2.31

11.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.58 €1.41

$2.21 €1.96

-28.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 €1.08

$1.33 €1.18

-9.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 €1.17

$1.32 €1.17

-0.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 €1.08

$1.21 €1.07

0.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.64 €5.01

$5.66 €5.04

-0.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.88 €7.90

$8.07 €7.17

10.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 €1.58

$1.38 €1.23

28.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 €2.00

$1.48 €1.31

51.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.66 €1.47

$1.75 €1.55

-5.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.91 €35.50

$43.98 €39.12

-9.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.80 €3.38

$3.28 €2.92

15.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 €1.91

$2.23 €1.98

-3.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.99 €26.67

$22.02 €19.59

36.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.88 €1.67

$1.81 €1.61

3.87%

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

$27.6K €24.5K

$26.5K €23.6K

3.84%

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

$25.1K €22.3K

$24.8K €22.0K

1.22%

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

$207 €185

$182 €162

14.15%

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

$20.50 €18.24

$22.19 €19.74

-7.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.66 €37.06

$40.87 €36.35

1.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.6 €53.9

$56.0 €49.79

8.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.25 €11.79

$16.74 €14.89

-20.85%

Cinema Ticket

$10.52 €9.35

$10.66 €9.48

-1.31%

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

$612 €544

$247 €220

147.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K €10.3K

$6,857 €6,099

69.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.2 €82.9

$89.3 €79.4

4.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.48 €36.01

$35.91 €31.94

12.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 €101

$104 €92.9

8.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.1 €88.1

$79.1 €70.3

25.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,016 €904

$898 €799

13.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$720 €640

$686 €610

4.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,900 €1,690

$1,445 €1,285

31.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,310 €1,165

$1,116 €993

17.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,428 €6,607

$4,649 €4,135

59.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,098 €4,535

$4,028 €3,583

26.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,596 €1,420

$1,412 €1,256

13.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.44

3.54

-2.82%

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

Last update for Split: October 19, 2026

Last update for Zadar: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Split

$720 39%

Zadar

$686 40.4% 4.7% $34

Groceries & Markets

Split

$295 16%

Zadar

$267 15.8% 9.4% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Split

$270 14.6%

Zadar

$245 14.4% 9.2% $25

Eating Out

Split

$263 14.2%

Zadar

$216 12.8% 17.8% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Split

$156 8.5%

Zadar

$139 8.2% 10.9% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Split

$82 4.4%

Zadar

$77 4.6% 5.3% $4.4

Getting Around

Split

$61 3.3%

Zadar

$65 3.9% 7.1% $4.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,016 in Split versus $898 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 13% higher in Split, 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 $75.0 in Split versus $79.0 in Zadar. Groceries tell a different story – $295 in Split vs $267 in Zadar – so Zadar wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇭🇷 Split

🇭🇷 Zadar

🕒 Local time

12:47 12:47 PM

Same time as Split

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,830

67,309

💱 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

Split vs Zadar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Split is pricier by about 9%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,769 per month in Split and $2,544 in Zadar. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 10% more in Split, 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 $75.0 in Split and $79.0 in Zadar. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Zadar, where all-in costs run around $1,696, than in Split at $1,846. In Zadar it covers expenses comfortably, while in Split it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Zadar – 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 Zadar. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Split makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.