Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zagreb and Makarska

For one person, living is cheaper in Makarska: $1,615 a month against $1,772 in Zagreb, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Zagreb outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

85

Cost of Living Index in Zagreb
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Zagreb Living Index
77

Cost of Living Index in Makarska
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Makarska Living Index

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Zagreb

🇭🇷 Croatia

$1,772

/mo nomad

Makarska

🇭🇷 Croatia

$1,615

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Zagreb and in Makarska

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,772 in Zagreb versus $1,615 in Makarska.

Zagreb $1,772
Makarska $1,615

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,619 in Zagreb versus $2,504 in Makarska.

Zagreb $2,619
Makarska $2,504

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,467 in Zagreb versus $3,393 in Makarska.

Zagreb $3,467
Makarska $3,393

Living in Zagreb is roughly 10% more expensive than in Makarska, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Zagreb 30% above, Makarska 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.33 €11.08

$17.29 €15.53

-28.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.9 €57.4

$79.3 €71.2

-19.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.01 €7.20

Cappuccino

$2.50 €2.25

$3.16 €2.84

-20.89%

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

$3.09 €2.77

$3.92 €3.52

-21.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 €2.35

$2.96 €2.66

-11.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.42 €3.07

$5.54 €4.98

-38.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 €4.05

$4.83 €4.34

-6.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.14

$1.17 €1.05

8.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 €1.43

$1.66 €1.49

-3.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 €2.41

$3.16 €2.84

-15.19%

Eggs

$3.95 €3.54

$5.04 €4.53

-21.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.58 €13.10

$15.36 €13.80

-5.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.47 €10.30

$9.60 €8.62

19.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.35 €15.58

$11.87 €10.66

46.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €2.07

$1.88 €1.69

22.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 €1.48

$1.54 €1.38

7.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 €1.96

$2.06 €1.85

6.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 €2.30

$2.75 €2.47

-6.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 €1.22

$2.28 €2.04

-40.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 €1.08

$2.09 €1.88

-42.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 €1.07

$1.59 €1.43

-25.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.16

$1.62 €1.45

-20.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.08 €5.46

$5.66 €5.08

7.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.07 €9.94

$7.72 €6.94

43.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 €1.51

$1.41 €1.27

19.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 €2.21

$1.42 €1.27

73.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 €0.51

$1.73 €1.55

-67.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.2 €47.82

$48.80 €43.84

9.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.18 €1.96

$2.96 €2.66

-26.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 €1.29

$1.47 €1.32

-2.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.39 €11.13

$13.55 €12.17

-8.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 €1.70

$1.72 €1.54

10.47%

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

$27.9K €25.1K

$26.0K €23.4K

7.37%

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

$26.0K €23.4K

$25.4K €22.8K

2.55%

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

$215 €193

$182 €163

18.11%

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

$22.34 €20.07

$27.27 €24.50

-18.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.73 €34.79

$42.95 €38.58

-9.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.65 €43.70

$58.7 €52.7

-17.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.95 €17.02

$14.97 €13.45

26.59%

Cinema Ticket

$10.41 €9.35

$10.65 €9.57

-2.25%

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

$499 €448

$426 €383

17.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,720 €8,731

$6,821 €6,127

42.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 €97.6

$90.1 €81.0

20.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.23 €37.93

$44.62 €40.08

-5.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €91.9

$104 €93.5

-1.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 €99.3

$77.9 €69.9

41.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$888 €798

$673 €604

32.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$683 €614

$516 €463

32.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,468 €1,319

$1,165 €1,046

26.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,066 €958

$875 €786

21.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,275 €4,739

$4,347 €3,905

21.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,670 €3,297

$2,887 €2,594

27.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,975 €1,774

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.3

3.72

-11.29%

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

Last update for Zagreb: October 25, 2026

Last update for Makarska: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Zagreb

$683 38.5%

Makarska

$516 31.9% 24.5% $167

Groceries & Markets

Zagreb

$314 17.7%

Makarska

$294 18.2% 6.4% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zagreb

$276 15.6%

Makarska

$252 15.6% 8.6% $24

Eating Out

Zagreb

$202 11.4%

Makarska

$265 16.4% 31.5% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Zagreb

$164 9.2%

Makarska

$142 8.8% 12.9% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Zagreb

$69 3.9%

Makarska

$80 5% 15.1% $11

Getting Around

Zagreb

$65 3.7%

Makarska

$66 4.1% 1.8% $1.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $888 in Zagreb and $673 in Makarska. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $64 in Zagreb vs $79 in Makarska. Groceries flip the comparison at $314 vs $294, with Makarska cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇭🇷 Zagreb

🇭🇷 Makarska

🕒 Local time

21:28 9:28 PM

Same time as Zagreb

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

767,131 Capital

12,809

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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From you

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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 Makarska: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Makarska is about 9% cheaper overall, especially in clothing and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $2,658 in Zagreb and $2,423 in Makarska 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 $673 in Makarska. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $499 in Zagreb versus $426 in Makarska. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Zagreb. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $2,500 a month, though Makarska gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Makarska 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 Makarska are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.