Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zagreb and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Zagreb: $1,750 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

85

Cost of Living Index in Zagreb
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Zagreb Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index

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Zagreb

🇭🇷 Croatia

$1,750

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Zagreb and in Austin, TX

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,750 in Zagreb versus $2,704 in Austin, TX.

Zagreb $1,750
Austin, TX $2,704

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,611 in Zagreb versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Zagreb $2,611
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,472 in Zagreb versus $5,562 in Austin, TX.

Zagreb $3,472
Austin, TX $5,562

Living in Zagreb costs roughly 35% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Zagreb 31% above, Austin, TX 102% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.46 €11.12

$20.22 $20.22

-38.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.1 €56.3

$85.0 $85.0

-25.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.30 €7.40

$12.35 $12.35

-32.79%

Cappuccino

$2.55 €2.27

$5.47 $5.47

-53.38%

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

$2.97 €2.65

$3.82 $3.82

-22.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 €2.34

$2.50 $2.50

5.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.31 €2.95

$8.06 $8.06

-58.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.50 €4.02

$8.99 $8.99

-49.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.14

$1.13 $1.13

13.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.66 €1.48

$3.78 $3.78

-56.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.70 €2.41

$3.25 $3.25

-16.92%

Eggs

$4.00 €3.57

$4.14 $4.14

-3.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.17 €13.54

$13.08 $13.08

15.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.00 €10.71

$14.31 $14.31

-16.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.64 €15.74

$15.96 $15.96

10.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €2.06

$4.38 $4.38

-47.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.53

$1.45 $1.45

18.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.07 €1.85

$4.54 $4.54

-54.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.50 €2.23

$4.19 $4.19

-40.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.35 €1.21

$2.63 $2.63

-48.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 €1.06

$2.36 $2.36

-50.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 €1.05

$1.76 $1.76

-32.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 €1.20

$2.16 $2.16

-37.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.91 €5.27

$9.81 $9.81

-39.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 €9.10

$14.72 $14.72

-30.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 €1.46

$2.78 $2.78

-41.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 €2.29

$3.48 $3.48

-26.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 €0.54

$1.49 $1.49

-59.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 €47.57

$40.51 $40.51

31.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.22 €1.98

$2.67 $2.67

-16.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 €1.28

$1.58 $1.58

-9.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.01 €10.72

$35.29 $35.29

-65.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.85 €1.65

$0.99 $0.99

86.87%

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

$28.4K €25.4K

$35.8K $35.8K

-20.56%

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

$27.5K €24.6K

$27.2K $27.2K

1.31%

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

$218 €195

$219 $219

-0.42%

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

$23.68 €21.13

$58.0 $58.0

-59.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.14 €36.71

$68.4 $68.4

-39.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 €44.75

$57.9 $57.9

-13.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €16.68

$14.82 $14.82

26.11%

Cinema Ticket

$8.76 €7.82

$14.13 $14.13

-38.00%

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

$489 €436

$1,509 $1,509

-67.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.0K €8,926

$21.5K $21.5K

-53.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 €95.0

$51.7 $51.7

105.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.58 €38.00

$44.05 $44.05

-3.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 €85.9

$85.1 $85.1

13.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 €96.5

$105 $105

2.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$861 €768

$1,932 $1,932

-55.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$652 €582

$1,272 $1,272

-48.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,459 €1,302

$3,670 $3,670

-60.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,038 €926

$2,525 $2,525

-58.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,152 €4,598

$7,617 $7,617

-32.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,551 €3,169

$3,199 $3,199

11.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,984 €1,771

$5,105 $5,105

-61.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.3

6.79

-51.40%

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

Last update for Zagreb: October 4, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Zagreb

$652 37.3%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2% 95.1% $620

Groceries & Markets

Zagreb

$318 18.2%

Austin, TX

$403 15.3% 26.6% $85

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zagreb

$283 16.2%

Austin, TX

$346 13.1% 22.1% $62

Eating Out

Zagreb

$203 11.6%

Austin, TX

$348 13.2% 71.4% $145

Clothing & Footwear

Zagreb

$159 9.1%

Austin, TX

$129 4.9% 19% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Zagreb

$68 3.9%

Austin, TX

$86 3.3% 27.3% $18

Getting Around

Zagreb

$65 3.7%

Austin, TX

$57 2.2% 12.5% $8.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $861 in Zagreb and $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 157% 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: $63.0 in Zagreb vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $403 per month, with Zagreb cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇭🇷 Zagreb

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

07:27 7:27 AM

00:27 12:27 AM

7 h behind Zagreb

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

767,131 Capital

974,447

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Zagreb Austin, TX 9,250 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Zagreb
Austin, TX

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

Zagreb vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zagreb wins on cost – living expenses run 55% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Zagreb the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 157% lower in Austin, TX. 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: $861 in Zagreb versus $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,750 per month in Zagreb versus $2,704 in Austin, TX – a 55% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Zagreb runs roughly 32% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,750 in Zagreb versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Zagreb but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Zagreb the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Zagreb delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,750 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Zagreb hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Zagreb and Austin, TX 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 Zagreb gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.