Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zadar and Split

For one person, living is cheaper in Zadar: $1,687 a month against $1,822 in Split, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

82

Cost of Living Index in Zadar
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Zadar Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Split
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Split Living Index

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Zadar

🇭🇷 Croatia

$1,687

/mo nomad

Split

🇭🇷 Croatia

$1,822

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Zadar and in Split

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 Split actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,687 per month in Zadar vs $1,822 in Split, rent included.

Zadar $1,687
Split $1,822

A couple spends around $2,572 per month in Zadar vs $2,797 in Split, rent included.

Zadar $2,572
Split $2,797

A family of three spends $3,457 per month in Zadar vs $3,771 in Split, rent included.

Zadar $3,457
Split $3,771

Zadar is about 7% cheaper than Split, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Zadar and Split sit above the global median – Zadar by 25%, Split by 35%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.55 €12.95

$16.50 €14.68

-11.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.3 €69.7

$73.4 €65.3

6.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.67 €6.83

$11.32 €10.07

-32.24%

Cappuccino

$2.40 €2.13

$2.74 €2.44

-12.41%

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

$2.96 €2.63

$4.10 €3.65

-27.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 €1.95

$2.87 €2.55

-23.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.29 €2.92

$4.63 €4.12

-28.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.54 €4.04

$5.15 €4.58

-11.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.04

$1.27 €1.13

-7.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 €1.45

$2.13 €1.89

-23.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.14 €2.79

$3.59 €3.19

-12.53%

Eggs

$3.77 €3.35

$4.15 €3.70

-9.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.80 €9.61

$13.87 €12.34

-22.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.47 €8.43

$9.59 €8.53

-1.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.03 €10.71

$13.18 €11.73

-8.73%

Apples (1kg)

$1.98 €1.76

$2.13 €1.90

-7.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 €1.35

$1.84 €1.64

-17.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.16 €1.92

$1.89 €1.68

14.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.60 €2.31

$2.86 €2.54

-9.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.97

$1.59 €1.42

38.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 €1.18

$1.15 €1.02

14.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 €1.17

$1.30 €1.15

1.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 €1.12

$1.25 €1.11

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.59 €4.98

$5.72 €5.09

-2.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.83 €6.97

$9.09 €8.08

-13.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 €1.20

$1.74 €1.55

-22.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 €1.25

$2.31 €2.05

-38.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.75 €1.56

$1.65 €1.47

6.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.69 €38.86

$39.56 €35.19

10.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.42 €3.04

$3.59 €3.20

-4.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.22 €1.97

$2.10 €1.87

5.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.05 €19.61

$29.27 €26.04

-24.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.78 €1.59

$1.85 €1.64

-3.78%

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

$26.3K €23.4K

$28.2K €25.1K

-6.82%

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

$25.1K €22.3K

$24.9K €22.1K

0.84%

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

$182 €162

$207 €184

-11.77%

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

$22.01 €19.58

$19.93 €17.73

10.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.17 €35.73

$41.20 €36.65

-2.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.1 €49.92

$62.2 €55.3

-9.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.02 €15.14

$12.92 €11.50

31.73%

Cinema Ticket

$10.58 €9.41

$9.15 €8.14

15.63%

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

$240 €214

$604 €537

-60.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,907 €6,144

$11.9K €10.5K

-41.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.4 €78.6

$92.3 €82.1

-4.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.68 €31.74

$40.17 €35.73

-11.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €92.7

$112 €99.7

-7.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.5 €69.0

$96.1 €85.5

-19.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$904 €804

$1,024 €911

-11.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$681 €606

$704 €626

-3.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,460 €1,299

$1,942 €1,728

-24.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,135 €1,009

$1,275 €1,134

-10.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,481 €3,985

$7,185 €6,391

-37.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,044 €3,597

$5,032 €4,476

-19.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,360 €1,210

$1,576 €1,402

-13.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.54

3.44

2.91%

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

Last update for Zadar: October 11, 2026

Last update for Split: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Zadar

$681 40.4%

Split

$704 38.6% 3.3% $23

Groceries & Markets

Zadar

$267 15.8%

Split

$296 16.3% 11% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zadar

$244 14.5%

Split

$268 14.7% 9.5% $23

Eating Out

Zadar

$214 12.7%

Split

$260 14.3% 21.4% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Zadar

$138 8.2%

Split

$153 8.4% 11.4% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Zadar

$77 4.6%

Split

$80 4.4% 4.1% $3.2

Getting Around

Zadar

$65 3.9%

Split

$60 3.3% 7.6% $4.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $904 in Zadar versus $1,024 in Split. 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 16% 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 $78.0 in Zadar versus $73.0 in Split. Groceries tell a different story – $267 in Zadar vs $296 in Split – so Zadar wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇭🇷 Zadar

🇭🇷 Split

🕒 Local time

08:44 8:44 AM

Same time as Zadar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

67,309

149,830

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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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

Zadar vs Split: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Split is pricier by about 8%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,531 per month in Zadar and $2,734 in Split. 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 11% 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 $78.0 in Zadar and $73.0 in Split. 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 $1,687, than in Split at $1,822. 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.