Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zagreb and Ljubljana

For one person, living is cheaper in Zagreb: $1,761 a month against $2,073 in Ljubljana, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 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
102

Cost of Living Index in Ljubljana
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Ljubljana Living Index

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Zagreb

🇭🇷 Croatia

$1,761

/mo nomad

Ljubljana

🇸🇮 Slovenia

$2,073

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Zagreb and in Ljubljana

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,761 in Zagreb versus $2,073 in Ljubljana.

Zagreb $1,761
Ljubljana $2,073

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,604 in Zagreb versus $3,059 in Ljubljana.

Zagreb $2,604
Ljubljana $3,059

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,447 in Zagreb versus $4,045 in Ljubljana.

Zagreb $3,447
Ljubljana $4,045

Living in Zagreb costs roughly 15% less than in Ljubljana, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Zagreb 30% above, Ljubljana 54% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.50 €11.12

$15.76 €14.02

-20.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.6 €56.6

$67.0 €59.6

-5.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.33 €7.41

$11.07 €9.84

-24.75%

Cappuccino

$2.51 €2.23

$2.85 €2.53

-11.93%

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

$3.00 €2.67

$3.10 €2.76

-3.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 €2.26

$1.98 €1.76

28.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.27 €2.91

$4.01 €3.56

-18.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 €3.88

$4.44 €3.95

-1.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.09

$1.30 €1.16

-5.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.66 €1.48

$2.17 €1.93

-23.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.72 €2.42

$3.08 €2.74

-11.69%

Eggs

$3.87 €3.45

$4.05 €3.60

-4.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.61 €12.99

$14.79 €13.15

-1.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.95 €10.63

$10.03 €8.92

19.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.44 €15.51

$14.84 €13.20

17.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €2.05

$2.19 €1.95

5.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 €1.59

$1.74 €1.55

2.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.11 €1.88

$2.27 €2.02

-7.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.50 €2.22

$3.55 €3.15

-29.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.31 €1.17

$1.50 €1.34

-12.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 €1.06

$1.63 €1.45

-26.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 €1.04

$1.71 €1.52

-31.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.22

$0.83 €0.74

65.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.78 €5.14

$6.16 €5.48

-6.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.23 €9.10

$7.62 €6.78

34.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 €1.43

$1.42 €1.26

13.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 €2.20

$2.16 €1.92

14.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 €0.51

$1.66 €1.47

-65.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.5 €47.63

$42.07 €37.42

27.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.19 €1.95

$2.21 €1.97

-0.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 €1.26

$1.29 €1.15

10.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.67 €10.38

$19.24 €17.11

-39.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.64

$1.85 €1.65

-0.54%

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

$27.6K €24.6K

$29.4K €26.1K

-5.89%

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

$27.2K €24.2K

$25.0K €22.2K

8.76%

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

$214 €190

$278 €248

-23.14%

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

$23.36 €20.77

$16.61 €14.78

40.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.16 €36.61

$40.72 €36.22

1.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.1 €45.48

$53.8 €47.87

-5.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.82 €16.74

$24.04 €21.38

-21.71%

Cinema Ticket

$9.13 €8.12

$10.77 €9.58

-15.23%

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

$501 €445

$658 €585

-23.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,878 €8,787

$14.1K €12.5K

-29.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 €98.3

$115 €102

-4.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.93 €38.19

$42.95 €38.20

-0.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 €87.1

$108 €95.9

-9.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 €98.3

$145 €129

-24.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$868 €772

$1,090 €970

-20.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$668 €594

$875 €779

-23.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,463 €1,301

$2,074 €1,845

-29.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,039 €924

$1,459 €1,298

-28.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,031 €4,475

$6,492 €5,774

-22.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,468 €3,085

$4,815 €4,283

-27.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,937 €1,723

$1,929 €1,716

0.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.3

3.52

-6.25%

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

Last update for Zagreb: October 11, 2026

Last update for Ljubljana: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Zagreb

$668 37.9%

Ljubljana

$875 42.2% 31.1% $208

Groceries & Markets

Zagreb

$315 17.9%

Ljubljana

$302 14.6% 4.3% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zagreb

$278 15.8%

Ljubljana

$336 16.2% 20.6% $57

Eating Out

Zagreb

$202 11.5%

Ljubljana

$243 11.7% 19.9% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Zagreb

$163 9.3%

Ljubljana

$185 8.9% 13.7% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Zagreb

$69 3.9%

Ljubljana

$75 3.6% 8.6% $6

Getting Around

Zagreb

$65 3.7%

Ljubljana

$57 2.8% 11.9% $7.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $868 in Zagreb and $1,090 in Ljubljana. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zagreb pays 0% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $64.0 in Zagreb vs $67.0 in Ljubljana. Groceries flip the comparison at $315 vs $302, with Ljubljana cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇭🇷 Zagreb

🇸🇮 Ljubljana

🕒 Local time

18:18 6:18 PM

Same time as Zagreb

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

767,131 Capital

285,604 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Zagreb Ljubljana 120 km

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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 Ljubljana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zagreb is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and leisure. The 18% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 0% 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: $868 in Zagreb versus $1,090 in Ljubljana. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Zagreb runs roughly 27% less than in Ljubljana. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $501 in Zagreb versus $658 in Ljubljana. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,761 in Zagreb versus $2,073 in Ljubljana, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Zagreb but tight or insufficient in Ljubljana. The gap between the two cities makes Zagreb the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Zagreb and Ljubljana 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 18% less than in Ljubljana. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.