Cost of Living Comparison Between Varazdin and Zagreb Cost of Living Comparison Between Varazdin and Zagreb

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,302 in Varazdin versus $1,738 in Zagreb.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,906 in Varazdin versus $2,574 in Zagreb.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,510 in Varazdin versus $3,409 in Zagreb.

Living in Varazdin costs roughly 25% less than in Zagreb, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Varazdin is 3% below, Zagreb is 30% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.43 €9.84

$11.78 €10.13

-2.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.6 €58.1

$69.1 €59.5

-2.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.12 €9.57

$9.49 €8.16

17.18%

Cappuccino

$2.32 €2.00

$2.43 €2.09

-4.53%

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

$2.32 €2.00

$3.16 €2.72

-26.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 €2.70

$2.36 €2.03

33.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.74 €3.21

$3.67 €3.16

1.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 €2.96

$4.67 €4.01

-26.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.35 €1.16

-12.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 €1.37

$1.87 €1.61

-14.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$2.66 €2.28

7.14%

Eggs

$3.32 €2.86

$3.65 €3.14

-9.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.58 €3.94

$10.88 €9.36

-57.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.11 €6.98

$9.92 €8.54

-18.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.59 €12.55

$12.72 €10.94

14.70%

Apples (1kg)

$1.42 €1.22

$1.88 €1.62

-24.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 €1.22

$1.66 €1.43

-14.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.43 €1.23

$1.98 €1.71

-27.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.22

$3.06 €2.64

-15.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.44 €1.24

-18.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 €0.98

$1.47 €1.26

-23.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.30 €1.12

-16.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 €0.87

$1.29 €1.11

-21.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.92 €5.09

$5.76 €4.96

2.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.12 €6.98

$9.49 €8.16

-14.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 €0.66

$1.84 €1.58

-58.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 €1.79

$2.30 €1.98

-9.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.97 €0.83

$0.64 €0.55

51.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.24 €20.85

$57.0 €49.05

-57.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 €2.66

$2.28 €1.96

35.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 €1.15

$1.07 €0.92

24.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.09 €7.82

$10.12 €8.70

-10.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.79 €1.54

-1.12%

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

$38.1K €32.7K

$35.1K €30.2K

8.59%

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

$25.7K €22.1K

$26.2K €22.5K

-1.70%

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

$152 €130

$208 €179

-26.94%

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

$21.00 €18.07

$20.19 €17.37

4.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.87 €28.27

$32.82 €28.23

0.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.9 €46.38

$50.7 €43.58

6.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.53 €12.50

$14.47 €12.44

0.41%

Cinema Ticket

$8.24 €7.08

$8.85 €7.61

-6.89%

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

$180 €154

$501 €431

-64.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,209 €7,061

$13.3K €11.4K

-38.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.1 €65.5

$98.3 €84.5

-22.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.18 €30.26

$39.43 €33.92

-10.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.7 €54.8

$98.2 €84.5

-35.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.5 €65.8

$117 €100

-34.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$593 €510

$873 €751

-32.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$440 €378

$662 €569

-33.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$868 €746

$1,467 €1,262

-40.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$493 €424

$1,079 €928

-54.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,290 €2,830

$5,268 €4,531

-37.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,557 €2,200

$3,255 €2,800

-21.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,401 €1,205

$1,886 €1,623

-25.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.12

3.72

10.75%

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

Last update for Varazdin: June 1, 2026

Last update for Zagreb: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $593 in Varazdin and $873 in Zagreb. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zagreb pays 35% 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: $68.0 in Varazdin vs $69.0 in Zagreb for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $231 vs $281 per month, with Varazdin cheaper across the board.

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

Varazdin vs Zagreb: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Varazdin is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around. The 33% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Zagreb earns 35% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $593 in Varazdin versus $873 in Zagreb. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $180 in Varazdin versus $501 in Zagreb. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Zagreb. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,302 in Varazdin versus $1,738 in Zagreb, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Varazdin but tight or insufficient in Zagreb. The gap between the two cities makes Varazdin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Varazdin is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Zagreb, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Varazdin and Zagreb are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Varazdin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Zagreb. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.