Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zagreb and Hvar

For one person, living is cheaper in Hvar: $1,522 a month against $1,772 in Zagreb, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 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 Hvar
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Hvar Living Index

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Zagreb

🇭🇷 Croatia

$1,772

/mo nomad

Hvar

🇭🇷 Croatia

$1,522

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Zagreb and in Hvar

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,772 in Zagreb versus $1,522 in Hvar.

Zagreb $1,772
Hvar $1,522

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,619 in Zagreb versus $2,310 in Hvar.

Zagreb $2,619
Hvar $2,310

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,467 in Zagreb versus $3,097 in Hvar.

Zagreb $3,467
Hvar $3,097

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Zagreb 30% above, Hvar 12% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.33 €11.08

$13.08 €11.75

-5.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.9 €57.4

$72.8 €65.4

-12.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.01 €7.20

$9.13 €8.20

-12.27%

Cappuccino

$2.50 €2.25

$2.53 €2.27

-1.19%

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

$3.09 €2.77

$3.12 €2.80

-0.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 €2.35

$2.28 €2.05

14.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.42 €3.07

$3.54 €3.18

-3.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 €4.05

$4.09 €3.68

10.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.14

$1.19 €1.07

6.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 €1.43

$1.54 €1.39

3.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 €2.41

$2.99 €2.69

-10.37%

Eggs

$3.95 €3.54

$3.88 €3.49

1.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.58 €13.10

$10.69 €9.60

36.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.47 €10.30

$9.48 €8.52

20.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.35 €15.58

$11.72 €10.53

48.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €2.07

$1.72 €1.55

34.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 €1.48

$1.67 €1.50

-1.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 €1.96

$1.99 €1.79

10.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 €2.30

$2.57 €2.31

-0.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 €1.22

$1.29 €1.16

5.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 €1.08

$1.28 €1.15

-6.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 €1.07

$1.27 €1.14

-6.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.16

$1.20 €1.08

7.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.08 €5.46

$5.73 €5.14

6.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.07 €9.94

$6.89 €6.19

60.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 €1.51

$1.50 €1.35

12.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 €2.21

$1.99 €1.79

23.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 €0.51

$1.76 €1.58

-67.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.2 €47.82

$43.21 €38.82

23.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.18 €1.96

$3.08 €2.77

-29.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 €1.29

$1.11 €1.00

29.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.39 €11.13

$8.80 €7.91

40.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 €1.70

$1.78 €1.60

6.74%

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

$27.9K €25.1K

$38.2K €34.3K

-26.96%

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

$26.0K €23.4K

$26.6K €23.9K

-2.06%

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

$215 €193

$190 €170

13.26%

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

$22.34 €20.07

$22.50 €20.21

-0.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.73 €34.79

$31.64 €28.42

22.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.65 €43.70

$50.5 €45.37

-3.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.95 €17.02

$14.55 €13.07

30.24%

Cinema Ticket

$10.41 €9.35

$8.86 €7.96

17.49%

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

$499 €448

$243 €218

105.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,720 €8,731

$8,090 €7,267

20.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 €97.6

$94.0 €84.4

15.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.23 €37.93

$39.00 €35.03

8.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €91.9

$105 €94.2

-2.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 €99.3

$106 €94.8

4.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$888 €798

$681 €612

30.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$683 €614

$526 €473

29.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,468 €1,319

$1,116 €1,002

31.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,066 €958

$828 €744

28.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,275 €4,739

$4,155 €3,733

26.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,670 €3,297

$3,241 €2,911

13.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,975 €1,774

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 Hvar: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Zagreb

$683 38.5%

Hvar

$526 34.6% 22.9% $157

Groceries & Markets

Zagreb

$314 17.7%

Hvar

$260 17.1% 17.1% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zagreb

$276 15.6%

Hvar

$244 16% 11.6% $32

Eating Out

Zagreb

$202 11.4%

Hvar

$210 13.8% 4.1% $8.2

Clothing & Footwear

Zagreb

$164 9.2%

Hvar

$155 10.2% 5.6% $9.1

Sport & Entertainment

Zagreb

$69 3.9%

Hvar

$68 4.5% 1.8% $1.2

Getting Around

Zagreb

$65 3.7%

Hvar

$59 3.9% 9.2% $6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $888 in Zagreb and $681 in Hvar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $64 in Zagreb vs $73 in Hvar. Groceries flip the comparison at $314 vs $260, with Hvar cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇭🇷 Zagreb

🇭🇷 Hvar

🕒 Local time

16:43 4:43 PM

Same time as Zagreb

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

767,131 Capital

3,979

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Hvar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hvar is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and utilities. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $2,658 in Zagreb and $2,283 in Hvar 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 $681 in Hvar. 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 $73 in Hvar. 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 $1,522 in Hvar – a 16% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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

For families, Hvar 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.

Safety-wise, Zagreb and Hvar are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.