Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zadar and Rijeka

For one person, living is cheaper in Rijeka: $1,588 a month against $1,683 in Zadar, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Zadar outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

81

Cost of Living Index in Zadar
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Zadar Living Index
77

Cost of Living Index in Rijeka
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Rijeka Living Index

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Zadar

🇭🇷 Croatia

$1,683

/mo nomad

Rijeka

🇭🇷 Croatia

$1,588

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,683 per month in Zadar vs $1,588 in Rijeka, rent included.

Zadar $1,683
Rijeka $1,588

A couple spends around $2,565 per month in Zadar vs $2,430 in Rijeka, rent included.

Zadar $2,565
Rijeka $2,430

A family of three spends $3,446 per month in Zadar vs $3,272 in Rijeka, rent included.

Zadar $3,446
Rijeka $3,272

Zadar costs about 6% more than Rijeka.

Both Zadar and Rijeka sit above the global median – Zadar by 24%, Rijeka by 17%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.50 €12.99

$13.58 €12.16

6.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.7 €71.4

$71.9 €64.4

10.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.05 €7.21

$9.95 €8.91

-19.10%

Cappuccino

$2.51 €2.25

$2.26 €2.02

11.06%

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

$3.01 €2.70

$3.11 €2.79

-3.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 €1.88

$1.88 €1.68

11.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.44 €3.08

$3.75 €3.36

-8.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 €3.90

$4.54 €4.06

-4.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.06

$1.20 €1.08

-1.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.72 €1.54

$1.54 €1.38

11.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.00 €2.69

$3.44 €3.08

-12.79%

Eggs

$3.92 €3.51

$3.65 €3.27

7.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.87 €9.74

$15.79 €14.14

-31.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.63 €8.62

$10.15 €9.09

-5.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.69 €10.47

$14.20 €12.72

-17.68%

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 €1.68

$1.64 €1.47

14.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 €1.42

$1.74 €1.55

-9.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 €1.94

$1.88 €1.69

15.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.57 €2.30

$2.55 €2.29

0.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 €2.03

$1.33 €1.19

69.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.30 €1.17

$1.27 €1.14

2.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 €1.18

$1.36 €1.22

-2.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 €1.07

$1.37 €1.23

-12.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.53 €4.95

$5.88 €5.27

-5.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.95 €7.12

$7.83 €7.01

1.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.28

$1.64 €1.47

-12.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 €1.27

$2.09 €1.87

-32.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.81 €1.62

$2.75 €2.47

-34.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.27 €39.65

$53.8 €48.22

-17.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.93

$5.57 €4.99

-41.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.27 €2.03

$1.43 €1.28

58.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.15 €19.83

$27.85 €24.95

-20.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.67

$1.87 €1.68

-0.53%

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

$25.8K €23.1K

$28.1K €25.2K

-8.25%

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

$24.5K €21.9K

$24.9K €22.3K

-1.56%

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

$179 €160

$188 €168

-4.76%

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

$21.76 €19.48

$24.20 €21.67

-10.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.49 €35.36

$39.87 €35.71

-0.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.85 €36.59

$52.3 €46.81

-21.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 €14.81

$11.00 €9.85

50.27%

Cinema Ticket

$10.80 €9.67

$10.34 €9.26

4.45%

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

$246 €220

$553 €495

-55.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,722 €6,020

$12.8K €11.5K

-47.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.7 €79.5

$97.2 €87.1

-8.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.75 €32.01

$41.16 €36.86

-13.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €91.8

$101 €90.8

1.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.0 €69.0

$108 €96.9

-28.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$877 €785

$681 €610

28.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$694 €621

$523 €469

32.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,461 €1,309

$1,198 €1,073

21.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,146 €1,026

$869 €778

31.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,679 €4,191

$4,001 €3,583

16.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,010 €3,591

$3,809 €3,412

5.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,407 €1,260

$1,473 €1,319

-4.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.54

3.73

-5.09%

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

Last update for Zadar: October 26, 2026

Last update for Rijeka: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Zadar

$694 41.2%

Rijeka

$523 33% 24.5% $170

Groceries & Markets

Zadar

$268 15.9%

Rijeka

$292 18.4% 9% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zadar

$240 14.3%

Rijeka

$252 15.9% 4.9% $12

Eating Out

Zadar

$217 12.9%

Rijeka

$213 13.4% 1.5% $3.3

Clothing & Footwear

Zadar

$137 8.1%

Rijeka

$157 9.9% 14.5% $20

Getting Around

Zadar

$66 3.9%

Rijeka

$78 4.9% 17.3% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Zadar

$62 3.7%

Rijeka

$73 4.6% 16.8% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $877 in Zadar versus $681 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 5% higher in Rijeka, 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 $80 in Zadar versus $72 in Rijeka. Groceries tell a different story – $268 in Zadar vs $292 in Rijeka – so Zadar wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇭🇷 Zadar

🇭🇷 Rijeka

🕒 Local time

07:59 7:59 AM

Same time as Zadar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

67,309

107,964

💱 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

Zadar vs Rijeka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zadar costs about 6% more than Rijeka, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,525 per month in Zadar and $2,381 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $681 there versus $877 in Zadar.

Interestingly, groceries are about 8% cheaper in Zadar – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80 in Zadar and $72 in Rijeka. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,683 in Zadar and $1,588 in Rijeka. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Zadar has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,588 in Rijeka to $1,683 in Zadar. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.