Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wausau, WI and Rijeka

For one person, living is cheaper in Rijeka: $1,594 a month against $1,756 in Wausau, WI, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

85

Cost of Living Index in Wausau, WI
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Wausau, WI Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Rijeka
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Rijeka Living Index

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Wausau, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$1,756

/mo nomad

Rijeka

🇭🇷 Croatia

$1,594

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Wausau, WI and in Rijeka

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

A single person spends $1,756 per month in Wausau, WI vs $1,594 in Rijeka, rent included.

Wausau, WI $1,756
Rijeka $1,594

A couple spends around $2,748 per month in Wausau, WI vs $2,442 in Rijeka, rent included.

Wausau, WI $2,748
Rijeka $2,442

A family of three spends $3,740 per month in Wausau, WI vs $3,289 in Rijeka, rent included.

Wausau, WI $3,740
Rijeka $3,289

Wausau, WI costs about 10% more than Rijeka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Wausau, WI and Rijeka sit above the global median – Wausau, WI by 30%, Rijeka by 18%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.20 $20.20

$13.57 €12.07

48.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.5 $74.5

$72.8 €64.8

2.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.58 $8.58

$9.99 €8.88

-14.11%

Cappuccino

$5.01 $5.01

$2.33 €2.07

115.02%

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

$2.84 $2.84

$3.14 €2.79

-9.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.88 €1.68

7.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.62 $5.62

$3.92 €3.49

43.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.60 $5.60

$4.55 €4.05

23.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.83 $0.83

$1.21 €1.08

-31.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.76 $2.76

$1.63 €1.45

69.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.31 $5.31

$3.38 €3.01

57.10%

Eggs

$4.44 $4.44

$3.78 €3.36

17.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.65 $8.65

$15.71 €13.97

-44.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.49 $6.49

$10.06 €8.95

-35.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 $13.53

$14.51 €12.91

-6.75%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 $4.13

$1.70 €1.51

142.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.68 €1.50

-13.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.83 $3.83

$1.81 €1.61

111.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.13 $4.13

$2.63 €2.34

57.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.31 €1.17

35.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 $2.44

$1.28 €1.14

90.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.36 €1.21

62.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.31 €1.16

-21.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.35 $8.35

$5.79 €5.15

44.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.96 $8.96

$7.73 €6.87

15.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.67 €1.48

18.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 $2.21

$2.13 €1.89

3.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 €2.01

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 €47.93

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.72 $2.72

$5.75 €5.11

-52.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.50 €1.34

8.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.12 $21.12

$27.89 €24.81

-24.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 $0.81

$1.96 €1.74

-58.67%

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

$33.5K $33.5K

$27.6K €24.5K

21.61%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$24.4K €21.7K

5.14%

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

$160 $160

$188 €167

-14.83%

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

$66.5 $66.5

$24.24 €21.56

174.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.3 $71.3

$39.78 €35.38

79.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.10 $30.10

$53.5 €47.60

-43.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.09 €9.86

Cinema Ticket

$6.03 $6.03

$10.63 €9.45

-43.27%

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

$1,855 $1,855

$535 €476

246.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.7K $24.7K

$12.6K €11.2K

95.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.25 $25.25

$99.3 €88.3

-74.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.16 $40.16

$41.34 €36.77

-2.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.0 $64.0

$101 €90.2

-36.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.8 $84.8

$109 €97.3

-22.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$939 $939

$693 €617

35.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$699 $699

$526 €467

33.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,548 $1,548

$1,169 €1,040

32.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,361 $1,361

$872 €775

56.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,774 $1,774

$4,200 €3,736

-57.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,809 $1,809

$4,001 €3,559

-54.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,488 $3,488

$1,527 €1,358

128.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.65

3.73

78.28%

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

Last update for Wausau, WI: October 19, 2026

Last update for Rijeka: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Wausau, WI

$699 39.8%

Rijeka

$526 33% 24.9% $174

Eating Out

Wausau, WI

$306 17.4%

Rijeka

$215 13.5% 29.7% $91

Groceries & Markets

Wausau, WI

$303 17.3%

Rijeka

$293 18.4% 3.3% $10

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wausau, WI

$298 17%

Rijeka

$252 15.8% 15.4% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Wausau, WI

$96 5.5%

Rijeka

$158 9.9% 64% $62

Sport & Entertainment

Wausau, WI

$42 2.4%

Rijeka

$75 4.7% 77.3% $33

Getting Around

Wausau, WI

$11 * 0.6%

Rijeka

$76 4.8% 603% $65

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $939 in Wausau, WI versus $693 in Rijeka. 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 128% higher in Wausau, WI, 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 Wausau, WI versus $73.0 in Rijeka. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $303 vs $293 – making Rijeka the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Wausau, WI

🇭🇷 Rijeka

🕒 Local time

22:56 10:56 PM

05:56 5:56 AM

7 h ahead of Wausau, WI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

38,435

107,964

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Wausau, WI Rijeka 7,510 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

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Wausau, WI
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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

Wausau, WI vs Rijeka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Wausau, WI is pricier by about 10%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,633 per month in Wausau, WI and $2,392 in Rijeka. 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,756 in Wausau, WI and $1,594 in Rijeka. That's a gap of about 10%.

Kindergarten costs $1,855 per month in Wausau, WI and $535 in Rijeka. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Rijeka, where all-in costs run around $1,594, than in Wausau, WI at $1,756. In Rijeka it covers expenses comfortably, while in Wausau, WI 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, Wausau, WI makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.