Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zagreb and Cavtat

For one person, living is cheaper in Cavtat: $1,533 a month against $1,772 in Zagreb, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 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
74

Cost of Living Index in Cavtat
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Cavtat Living Index

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Zagreb

🇭🇷 Croatia

$1,772

/mo nomad

Cavtat

🇭🇷 Croatia

$1,533

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Zagreb and in Cavtat

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,772 in Zagreb versus $1,533 in Cavtat.

Zagreb $1,772
Cavtat $1,533

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,619 in Zagreb versus $2,319 in Cavtat.

Zagreb $2,619
Cavtat $2,319

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,467 in Zagreb versus $3,106 in Cavtat.

Zagreb $3,467
Cavtat $3,106

Living in Zagreb is roughly 16% more expensive than in Cavtat, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Zagreb 30% above, Cavtat 13% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.33 €11.01

$13.28 €11.86

-7.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.9 €57.1

$70.9 €63.4

-9.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.01 €7.16

$9.04 €8.07

-11.39%

Cappuccino

$2.50 €2.23

$2.51 €2.24

-0.40%

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

$3.09 €2.76

$3.27 €2.92

-5.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 €2.34

$2.28 €2.03

14.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.42 €3.05

$3.67 €3.28

-6.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 €4.03

$4.16 €3.71

8.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.13

$1.18 €1.05

7.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 €1.43

$1.53 €1.37

4.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 €2.40

$3.15 €2.81

-14.92%

Eggs

$3.95 €3.52

$3.74 €3.34

5.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.58 €13.03

$10.56 €9.44

38.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.47 €10.24

$9.66 €8.63

18.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.35 €15.50

$11.96 €10.68

45.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €2.06

$1.73 €1.54

33.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 €1.47

$1.73 €1.55

-4.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 €1.95

$2.01 €1.79

8.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 €2.29

$2.47 €2.21

3.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 €1.21

$1.33 €1.19

2.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 €1.08

$1.31 €1.17

-8.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 €1.06

$1.22 €1.09

-2.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.15

$1.21 €1.08

6.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.08 €5.43

$5.72 €5.10

6.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.07 €9.89

$6.96 €6.21

59.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 €1.51

$1.46 €1.30

15.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 €2.20

$1.99 €1.78

23.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 €0.50

$1.77 €1.58

-67.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.2 €47.55

$42.47 €37.93

25.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.18 €1.95

$3.15 €2.81

-30.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 €1.28

$1.11 €0.99

29.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.39 €11.06

$9.08 €8.11

36.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 €1.69

$1.76 €1.58

7.95%

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

$27.9K €24.9K

$38.4K €34.3K

-27.26%

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

$26.0K €23.2K

$25.9K €23.1K

0.57%

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

$215 €192

$188 €168

14.41%

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

$22.34 €19.95

$23.14 €20.67

-3.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.73 €34.59

$31.87 €28.47

21.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.65 €43.45

$50.7 €45.32

-4.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.95 €16.92

$14.57 €13.02

30.06%

Cinema Ticket

$10.41 €9.29

$8.89 €7.94

17.10%

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

$499 €446

$242 €216

106.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,720 €8,682

$8,108 €7,242

19.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 €97.0

$93.9 €83.9

15.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.23 €37.72

$38.80 €34.66

8.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €91.4

$106 €94.7

-3.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 €98.7

$106 €94.2

4.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$888 €793

$694 €619

28.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$683 €610

$535 €477

27.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,468 €1,312

$1,111 €993

32.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,066 €952

$839 €749

27.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,275 €4,712

$4,023 €3,593

31.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,670 €3,278

$3,291 €2,940

11.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,975 €1,764

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.3

4.35

-24.14%

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

Last update for Zagreb: October 25, 2026

Last update for Cavtat: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Zagreb

$683 38.5%

Cavtat

$535 34.9% 21.7% $148

Groceries & Markets

Zagreb

$314 17.7%

Cavtat

$261 17% 16.7% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zagreb

$276 15.6%

Cavtat

$243 15.9% 12% $33

Eating Out

Zagreb

$202 11.4%

Cavtat

$212 13.9% 5.3% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Zagreb

$164 9.2%

Cavtat

$155 10.1% 5.3% $8.7

Sport & Entertainment

Zagreb

$69 3.9%

Cavtat

$69 4.5% 1.4% $0.9

Getting Around

Zagreb

$65 3.7%

Cavtat

$58 3.8% 10.2% $6.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $888 in Zagreb and $694 in Cavtat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $64 in Zagreb vs $71 in Cavtat. Groceries flip the comparison at $314 vs $261, with Cavtat cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇭🇷 Zagreb

🇭🇷 Cavtat

🕒 Local time

07:26 7:26 AM

Same time as Zagreb

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

767,131 Capital

2,153

💱 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

Zagreb vs Cavtat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cavtat wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Zagreb. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Cavtat the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $2,658 in Zagreb and $2,299 in Cavtat to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $888 in Zagreb versus $694 in Cavtat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Zagreb – a meal for two runs $64 versus $71 in Cavtat. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,772 per month in Zagreb versus $1,533 in Cavtat – Cavtat is about 14% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Cavtat is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Zagreb and Cavtat are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.