Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zagreb and Osijek

For one person, living is cheaper in Osijek: $1,437 a month against $1,772 in Zagreb, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 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
69

Cost of Living Index in Osijek
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Osijek Living Index

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Zagreb

🇭🇷 Croatia

$1,772

/mo nomad

Osijek

🇭🇷 Croatia

$1,437

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Zagreb and in Osijek

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,772 in Zagreb versus $1,437 in Osijek.

Zagreb $1,772
Osijek $1,437

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,619 in Zagreb versus $2,217 in Osijek.

Zagreb $2,619
Osijek $2,217

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,467 in Zagreb versus $2,998 in Osijek.

Zagreb $3,467
Osijek $2,998

Living in Zagreb is roughly 23% more expensive than in Osijek, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Zagreb 30% above, Osijek 6% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.33 €11.08

$11.21 €10.07

9.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.9 €57.4

$56.3 €50.5

13.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.01 €7.20

$9.05 €8.13

-11.49%

Cappuccino

$2.50 €2.25

$2.67 €2.40

-6.37%

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

$3.09 €2.77

$3.40 €3.06

-9.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 €2.35

$2.87 €2.57

-8.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.42 €3.07

$5.53 €4.97

-38.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 €4.05

$5.50 €4.94

-18.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.14

$1.14 €1.02

11.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 €1.43

$1.48 €1.33

8.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 €2.41

$2.78 €2.50

-3.60%

Eggs

$3.95 €3.54

$3.46 €3.11

14.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.58 €13.10

$11.63 €10.45

25.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.47 €10.30

$8.66 €7.78

32.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.35 €15.58

$11.54 €10.36

50.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €2.07

$1.73 €1.56

33.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 €1.48

$1.64 €1.47

0.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 €1.96

$1.82 €1.64

20.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 €2.30

$2.62 €2.36

-2.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 €1.22

$1.32 €1.19

3.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 €1.08

$1.17 €1.05

2.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 €1.07

$1.18 €1.06

0.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.16

$1.18 €1.06

9.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.08 €5.46

$5.95 €5.35

2.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.07 €9.94

$8.38 €7.53

32.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 €1.51

$1.61 €1.44

4.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 €2.21

$2.01 €1.80

22.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 €0.51

$1.74 €1.56

-67.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.2 €47.82

$37.15 €33.37

43.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.18 €1.96

$2.19 €1.97

-0.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 €1.29

$1.09 €0.98

32.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.39 €11.13

$14.79 €13.28

-16.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 €1.70

$1.89 €1.70

0.53%

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

$27.9K €25.1K

$27.3K €24.5K

2.19%

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

$26.0K €23.4K

$24.9K €22.3K

4.66%

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

$215 €193

$193 €174

11.18%

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

$22.34 €20.07

$21.77 €19.56

2.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.73 €34.79

$44.37 €39.85

-12.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.65 €43.70

$43.77 €39.32

11.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.95 €17.02

$8.78 €7.88

115.83%

Cinema Ticket

$10.41 €9.35

$9.90 €8.89

5.15%

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

$499 €448

$414 €372

20.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,720 €8,731

$4,095 €3,679

137.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 €97.6

$104 €93.2

4.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.23 €37.93

$38.98 €35.01

8.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €91.9

$97.7 €87.8

4.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 €99.3

$109 €98.4

0.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$888 €798

$652 €585

36.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$683 €614

$435 €391

57.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,468 €1,319

$1,189 €1,068

23.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,066 €958

$835 €750

27.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,275 €4,739

$2,761 €2,480

91.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,670 €3,297

$2,173 €1,952

68.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,975 €1,774

$1,343 €1,206

47.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.3

3.67

-10.08%

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

Last update for Zagreb: October 25, 2026

Last update for Osijek: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Zagreb

$683 38.5%

Osijek

$435 30.3% 36.3% $248

Groceries & Markets

Zagreb

$314 17.7%

Osijek

$257 17.9% 18% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zagreb

$276 15.6%

Osijek

$259 18.1% 6% $17

Eating Out

Zagreb

$202 11.4%

Osijek

$213 14.8% 5.4% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Zagreb

$164 9.2%

Osijek

$157 11% 3.8% $6.2

Sport & Entertainment

Zagreb

$69 3.9%

Osijek

$64 4.4% 8.5% $5.9

Getting Around

Zagreb

$65 3.7%

Osijek

$52 3.6% 20.2% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $888 in Zagreb and $652 in Osijek. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zagreb pays 47% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $64 in Zagreb vs $56 in Osijek for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $314 vs $257 per month, with Osijek cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇭🇷 Zagreb

🇭🇷 Osijek

🕒 Local time

21:32 9:32 PM

Same time as Zagreb

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

767,131 Capital

75,535

💱 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 Osijek: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Osijek is about 19% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 47% 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 $652 in Osijek. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Zagreb. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Osijek – a meal for two runs $56 versus $64 in Zagreb. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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

Expats usually find Osijek gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Zagreb. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.