Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zagreb and Cakovec

For one person, living is cheaper in Cakovec: $1,335 a month against $1,770 in Zagreb, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Zagreb
🇭🇷 Croatia
$1,770
/mo nomad
Cakovec
🇭🇷 Croatia
$1,335
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Zagreb and in Cakovec

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

A single person spends $1,770 per month in Zagreb vs $1,335 in Cakovec, rent included.

  • Zagreb $1,770
  • Cakovec $1,335

A couple spends around $2,625 per month in Zagreb vs $1,949 in Cakovec, rent included.

  • Zagreb $2,625
  • Cakovec $1,949

A family of three spends $3,481 per month in Zagreb vs $2,564 in Cakovec, rent included.

  • Zagreb $3,481
  • Cakovec $2,564

Zagreb costs about 33% more than Cakovec, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Zagreb sits 31% above the global median, while Cakovec is 1% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Zagreb
Cakovec
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.30 €10.94
$7.07 €6.29
73.97%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$62.9 €55.9
$44.58 €39.65
41.05%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.93 €7.05
$7.98 €7.10
-0.63%
Cappuccino
$2.55 €2.27
$2.17 €1.93
17.51%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.01 €2.68
$2.08 €1.85
44.71%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.65 €2.36
$1.72 €1.53
54.07%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.28 €2.92
$2.54 €2.26
29.13%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.60 €4.09
$3.28 €2.92
40.24%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Zagreb
Cakovec
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.26 €1.12
$1.21 €1.08
4.13%
White Bread (500g)
$1.56 €1.39
$1.60 €1.42
-2.50%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.83 €2.52
$3.35 €2.98
-15.52%
Eggs
$3.89 €3.46
$3.47 €3.09
12.10%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.96 €13.31
$15.98 €14.21
-6.38%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.93 €10.61
$10.35 €9.20
15.27%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.22 €16.21
$9.97 €8.87
82.75%
Apples (1kg)
$2.31 €2.06
$1.63 €1.45
41.72%
Banana (1kg)
$1.77 €1.57
$1.75 €1.56
1.14%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.18 €1.94
$1.58 €1.41
37.97%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.58 €2.29
$1.61 €1.43
60.25%
Potato (1kg)
$1.45 €1.29
$1.38 €1.22
5.07%
Onion (1kg)
$1.24 €1.10
$1.32 €1.17
-6.06%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.21 €1.07
$0.82 €0.73
47.56%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.30 €1.16
$1.35 €1.20
-3.70%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.84 €5.19
$5.43 €4.83
7.55%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.12 €9.90
$7.49 €6.66
48.46%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.65 €1.47
$1.26 €1.12
30.95%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.54 €2.26
$1.92 €1.71
32.29%
🚌 Getting Around
Zagreb
Cakovec
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.60 €0.54
$2.35 €2.09
-74.47%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$54.6 €48.59
$61.9 €55.1
-11.74%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.26 €2.01
$5.60 €4.98
-59.64%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.41 €1.26
$1.38 €1.23
2.17%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.94 €10.62
$11.21 €9.98
6.51%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.91 €1.70
$1.68 €1.50
13.69%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.9K €24.8K
$26.2K €23.3K
6.62%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.8K €22.9K
$24.7K €21.9K
4.61%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Zagreb
Cakovec
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$217 €193
$190 €169
14.61%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$21.95 €19.53
$18.04 €16.05
21.67%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$37.99 €33.79
$33.29 €29.61
14.12%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Zagreb
Cakovec
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.5 €45.80
$52.6 €46.80
-2.15%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.75 €16.68
$22.41 €19.93
-16.33%
Cinema Ticket
$10.52 €9.36
$7.94 €7.07
32.49%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Zagreb
Cakovec
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$493 €439
$129 €115
282.54%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.0K €8,914
$8,329 €7,409
20.31%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Zagreb
Cakovec
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$109 €96.6
$97.2 €86.4
11.84%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.62 €37.91
$41.05 €36.51
3.82%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$96.4 €85.7
$86.9 €77.3
10.91%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$110 €97.6
$108 €96.2
1.40%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Zagreb
Cakovec
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$858 €763
$480 €427
78.66%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$671 €596
$381 €339
75.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,425 €1,267
$691 €615
106.14%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,065 €947
$518 €461
105.43%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,259 €4,678
$3,160 €2,810
66.45%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,676 €3,270
$2,235 €1,988
64.50%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Zagreb
Cakovec
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,997 €1,776
$1,295 €1,152
54.19%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.3
3.73
-11.53%

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

Last update for Zagreb: October 17, 2026

Last update for Cakovec: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Zagreb
$671
Cakovec
$381 43.1% $289
Groceries & Markets
Zagreb
$321
Cakovec
$269 16.1% $52
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Zagreb
$277
Cakovec
$241 13.1% $36
Eating Out
Zagreb
$201
Cakovec
$141 29.8% $60
Clothing & Footwear
Zagreb
$161
Cakovec
$150 6.7% $11
Sport & Entertainment
Zagreb
$73
Cakovec
$69 5.5% $4
Getting Around
Zagreb
$66
Cakovec
$84 26.3% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $858 in Zagreb versus $480 in Cakovec. 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 54% higher in Zagreb, 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 $63.0 in Zagreb versus $45.00 in Cakovec. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $321 vs $269 – making Cakovec the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇭🇷 Zagreb
🇭🇷 Cakovec
🕒 Local time
15:56 3:56 PM
15:56 3:56 PM
Same time as Zagreb
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
767,131 Capital
27,122
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Zagreb Cakovec 73 km
From you
  • Zagreb
  • Cakovec

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 Cakovec: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Zagreb or Cakovec?
Zagreb costs about 33% more than Cakovec, 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Zagreb and in Cakovec?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,654 per month in Zagreb and $2,002 in Cakovec. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Zagreb or Cakovec?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Cakovec, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Zagreb or in Cakovec?
Groceries cost about 19% more in Zagreb, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
How do dining costs compare in Zagreb and in Cakovec?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $63.0 in Zagreb and $45.00 in Cakovec. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Zagreb or in Cakovec?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Cakovec, where all-in costs run around $1,335, than in Zagreb at $1,770. In Cakovec it covers expenses comfortably, while in Zagreb it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Zagreb or Cakovec?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Cakovec costs $1,335 versus $1,770 in Zagreb. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Zagreb compared to Cakovec?
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.
Should I move to Zagreb or to Cakovec?
If budget matters most, go with Cakovec. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Zagreb makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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