Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zagreb and Catania

For one person, living is cheaper in Catania: $1,560 a month against $1,772 in Zagreb, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

85

Cost of Living Index in Zagreb
Learn more

Zagreb Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Catania
Learn more

Catania Living Index

Jump to prices

Zagreb

🇭🇷 Croatia

$1,772

/mo nomad

Catania

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,560

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Zagreb and in Catania

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,772 in Zagreb versus $1,560 in Catania.

Zagreb $1,772
Catania $1,560

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,619 in Zagreb versus $2,361 in Catania.

Zagreb $2,619
Catania $2,361

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,467 in Zagreb versus $3,163 in Catania.

Zagreb $3,467
Catania $3,163

Living in Zagreb is roughly 14% more expensive than in Catania, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Zagreb 30% above, Catania 15% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.33 €11.08

$16.63 €14.94

-25.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.9 €57.4

$55.1 €49.46

16.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.01 €7.20

$11.11 €9.98

-27.90%

Cappuccino

$2.50 €2.25

$2.16 €1.94

15.74%

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

$3.09 €2.77

$2.99 €2.68

3.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 €2.35

$2.08 €1.87

25.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.42 €3.07

$6.54 €5.87

-47.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 €4.05

$4.24 €3.81

6.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.14

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 €1.43

$1.67 €1.50

-4.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 €2.41

$2.56 €2.30

4.69%

Eggs

$3.95 €3.54

$3.41 €3.07

15.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.58 €13.10

$11.34 €10.19

28.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.47 €10.30

$11.82 €10.62

-2.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.35 €15.58

$15.62 €14.03

11.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €2.07

$1.99 €1.79

16.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 €1.48

$1.68 €1.51

-1.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 €1.96

$1.39 €1.25

57.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 €2.30

$2.63 €2.37

-2.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 €1.22

$1.75 €1.57

-22.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 €1.08

$1.26 €1.13

-4.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 €1.07

$1.27 €1.14

-6.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.16

$0.43 €0.39

200.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.08 €5.46

$6.82 €6.12

-10.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.07 €9.94

$7.60 €6.83

45.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 €1.51

$1.83 €1.64

-7.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 €2.21

$1.52 €1.36

61.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 €0.51

$1.54 €1.38

-62.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.2 €47.82

$38.74 €34.80

37.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.18 €1.96

$4.39 €3.94

-50.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 €1.29

$1.15 €1.03

25.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.39 €11.13

$22.20 €19.95

-44.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 €1.70

$2.04 €1.84

-6.86%

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

$27.9K €25.1K

$35.6K €32.0K

-21.59%

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

$26.0K €23.4K

$36.4K €32.7K

-28.58%

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

$215 €193

$307 €275

-29.91%

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

$22.34 €20.07

$10.53 €9.46

112.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.73 €34.79

$35.24 €31.66

9.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.65 €43.70

$53.6 €48.11

-9.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.95 €17.02

$14.42 €12.95

31.41%

Cinema Ticket

$10.41 €9.35

$9.06 €8.14

14.90%

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

$499 €448

$449 €404

11.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,720 €8,731

$6,702 €6,021

45.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 €97.6

$84.2 €75.6

29.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.23 €37.93

$33.47 €30.07

26.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €91.9

$86.7 €77.8

18.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 €99.3

$128 €115

-13.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$888 €798

$638 €573

39.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$683 €614

$400 €360

70.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,468 €1,319

$1,115 €1,002

31.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,066 €958

$764 €686

39.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,275 €4,739

$2,060 €1,851

156.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,670 €3,297

$1,478 €1,327

148.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,975 €1,774

$1,759 €1,580

12.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.3

3.55

-7.04%

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

Last update for Zagreb: October 25, 2026

Last update for Catania: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Zagreb

$683 38.5%

Catania

$400 25.7% 41.4% $283

Groceries & Markets

Zagreb

$314 17.7%

Catania

$277 17.8% 11.5% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zagreb

$276 15.6%

Catania

$352 22.6% 27.7% $76

Eating Out

Zagreb

$202 11.4%

Catania

$254 16.3% 25.9% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Zagreb

$164 9.2%

Catania

$149 9.6% 8.7% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Zagreb

$69 3.9%

Catania

$72 4.6% 3.2% $2.2

Getting Around

Zagreb

$65 3.7%

Catania

$55 3.5% 15.2% $9.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $888 in Zagreb and $638 in Catania. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zagreb pays 12% 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: $64 in Zagreb vs $55 in Catania for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $314 vs $277 per month, with Catania cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇭🇷 Zagreb

🇮🇹 Catania

🕒 Local time

00:45 12:45 AM

Same time as Zagreb

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

767,131 Capital

298,037

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Zagreb Catania 930 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Zagreb
Catania

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 Catania: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Catania is about 12% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, utilities, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 12% higher in Zagreb, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $888 in Zagreb versus $638 in Catania. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,772 per month in Zagreb versus $1,560 in Catania – Catania is about 12% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Catania runs roughly 27% less than in Zagreb. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,500. Catania is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Catania is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Zagreb, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Catania gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Zagreb. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.