Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Split and Zagreb

For one person, living costs are similar in Split and in Zagreb: $1,822 and $1,761 a month, rent and utilities included.

89

Cost of Living Index in Split
Learn more

Split Living Index
85

Cost of Living Index in Zagreb
Learn more

Zagreb Living Index

Jump to prices

Split

🇭🇷 Croatia

$1,822

/mo nomad

Zagreb

🇭🇷 Croatia

$1,761

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,822 per month in Split vs $1,761 in Zagreb, rent included.

Split $1,822
Zagreb $1,761

A couple spends around $2,797 per month in Split vs $2,604 in Zagreb, rent included.

Split $2,797
Zagreb $2,604

A family of three spends $3,771 per month in Split vs $3,447 in Zagreb, rent included.

Split $3,771
Zagreb $3,447

Split costs about 3% more than Zagreb, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Split and Zagreb sit above the global median – Split by 35%, Zagreb by 30%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.50 €14.67

$12.50 €11.12

32.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.4 €65.3

$63.6 €56.6

15.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.32 €10.07

$8.33 €7.41

35.89%

Cappuccino

$2.74 €2.44

$2.51 €2.23

9.16%

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

$4.10 €3.65

$3.00 €2.67

36.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 €2.55

$2.54 €2.26

12.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.63 €4.12

$3.27 €2.91

41.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.15 €4.58

$4.36 €3.88

18.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.13

$1.23 €1.09

3.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.89

$1.66 €1.48

28.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.59 €3.19

$2.72 €2.42

31.99%

Eggs

$4.15 €3.70

$3.87 €3.45

7.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.87 €12.34

$14.61 €12.99

-5.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.59 €8.53

$11.95 €10.63

-19.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.18 €11.72

$17.44 €15.51

-24.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.13 €1.90

$2.31 €2.05

-7.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 €1.64

$1.78 €1.59

3.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 €1.68

$2.11 €1.87

-10.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.86 €2.54

$2.50 €2.22

14.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 €1.42

$1.31 €1.17

21.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 €1.02

$1.19 €1.05

-3.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 €1.15

$1.17 €1.04

11.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 €1.11

$1.37 €1.22

-8.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.72 €5.09

$5.78 €5.14

-1.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.09 €8.08

$10.23 €9.10

-11.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.55

$1.61 €1.43

8.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €2.05

$2.48 €2.20

-6.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.65 €1.47

$0.57 €0.51

189.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.56 €35.18

$53.5 €47.62

-26.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.59 €3.20

$2.19 €1.95

63.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.10 €1.87

$1.42 €1.26

47.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.27 €26.03

$11.67 €10.38

150.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.85 €1.64

$1.84 €1.64

0.54%

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

$28.2K €25.1K

$27.6K €24.6K

1.93%

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

$24.9K €22.1K

$27.2K €24.2K

-8.43%

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

$207 €184

$214 €190

-3.45%

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

$19.93 €17.72

$23.36 €20.77

-14.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.20 €36.64

$41.16 €36.60

0.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.2 €55.3

$51.1 €45.47

21.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.92 €11.50

$18.82 €16.74

-31.35%

Cinema Ticket

$9.15 €8.14

$9.13 €8.12

0.22%

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

$604 €537

$501 €445

20.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K €10.5K

$9,878 €8,786

20.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.3 €82.1

$111 €98.3

-16.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.17 €35.73

$42.93 €38.19

-6.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 €99.7

$98.0 €87.1

14.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.1 €85.5

$110 €98.2

-12.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,024 €911

$868 €772

18.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$704 €626

$668 €594

5.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,727

$1,463 €1,301

32.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 €1,134

$1,039 €924

22.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,185 €6,391

$5,031 €4,474

42.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,032 €4,476

$3,468 €3,084

45.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,576 €1,402

$1,937 €1,723

-18.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.44

3.3

4.24%

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

Last update for Split: 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

Split

$704 38.6%

Zagreb

$668 37.9% 5.2% $36

Groceries & Markets

Split

$296 16.3%

Zagreb

$315 17.9% 6.4% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Split

$268 14.7%

Zagreb

$278 15.8% 4% $11

Eating Out

Split

$260 14.3%

Zagreb

$202 11.5% 22.2% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Split

$153 8.4%

Zagreb

$163 9.3% 6.2% $9.5

Sport & Entertainment

Split

$80 4.4%

Zagreb

$69 3.9% 13.8% $11

Getting Around

Split

$60 3.3%

Zagreb

$65 3.7% 8% $4.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,024 in Split 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 23% higher in Zagreb, 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 Split versus $64.0 in Zagreb. Groceries tell a different story – $296 in Split vs $315 in Zagreb – so Split wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇭🇷 Split

🇭🇷 Zagreb

🕒 Local time

14:24 2:24 PM

Same time as Split

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,830

767,131 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Split Zagreb 260 km

From you

Split
Zagreb

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 Zagreb: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Split is pricier by about 3%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,734 per month in Split 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 Zagreb, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 6% cheaper in Split – 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 Split and $64.0 in Zagreb. 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 Zagreb, where all-in costs run around $1,761, than in Split at $1,822. In Zagreb it covers expenses comfortably, while in Split it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Zagreb – 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 Zagreb. 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.