Cost of Living Comparison Between Zagreb and Osijek Cost of Living Comparison Between Zagreb and Osijek

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,815 in Zagreb versus $1,456 in Osijek.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,718 in Zagreb versus $2,297 in Osijek.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,620 in Zagreb versus $3,139 in Osijek.

Living in Zagreb is roughly 25% more expensive than in Osijek, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Zagreb 32% above, Osijek 6% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.88 €11.96

$11.60 €10.00

19.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.3 €51.9

$58.8 €50.7

2.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.30 €7.16

$9.35 €8.06

-11.23%

Cappuccino

$2.63 €2.26

$2.79 €2.41

-5.73%

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

$3.17 €2.73

$3.42 €2.95

-7.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 €2.28

$2.90 €2.50

-8.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.93

$5.83 €5.02

-41.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.72 €4.07

$5.86 €5.05

-19.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 €1.16

$1.20 €1.03

12.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.55 €1.33

11.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.07 €2.65

$3.02 €2.60

1.66%

Eggs

$4.10 €3.53

$3.73 €3.22

9.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.57 €14.28

$12.21 €10.53

35.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.71 €10.96

$8.73 €7.52

45.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.87 €15.41

$12.40 €10.68

44.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 €1.98

$1.75 €1.51

31.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$1.74 €1.50

9.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 €1.88

$1.97 €1.69

10.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.71 €2.34

$2.73 €2.35

-0.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 €1.25

$1.30 €1.12

11.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 €0.92

$1.23 €1.06

-13.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 €1.14

$1.26 €1.09

5.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 €1.15

$1.20 €1.03

11.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.78 €4.98

$5.92 €5.10

-2.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.15 €7.89

$8.54 €7.36

7.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.64 €1.42

5.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 €2.15

$2.06 €1.78

20.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 €0.51

$1.68 €1.45

-64.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.2 €50.2

$38.19 €32.92

52.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 €1.95

$2.28 €1.97

-0.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 €1.24

$1.13 €0.97

26.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.00 €9.49

$15.10 €13.02

-27.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.60

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

$27.9K €24.1K

$27.2K €23.4K

2.66%

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

$27.6K €23.8K

$26.0K €22.4K

6.44%

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

$218 €188

$203 €175

7.23%

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

$22.03 €18.99

$22.46 €19.36

-1.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.41 €34.84

$44.98 €38.77

-10.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.8 €46.37

$49.22 €42.43

9.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.46 €16.78

$8.59 €7.40

126.54%

Cinema Ticket

$9.40 €8.11

$10.37 €8.94

-9.35%

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

$555 €478

$417 €359

33.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.9K €9,364

$4,366 €3,764

148.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 €94.4

$109 €93.7

0.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.46 €40.05

$40.85 €35.21

13.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.8 €85.2

$107 €92.6

-8.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 €96.0

$113 €97.0

-1.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$916 €789

$660 €569

38.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$700 €603

$432 €373

61.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,460 €1,259

$1,253 €1,080

16.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,067 €920

$871 €751

22.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,291 €4,561

$2,813 €2,425

88.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,520 €3,034

$2,215 €1,909

58.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,954 €1,685

$1,396 €1,203

40.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.25

3.72

-12.63%

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

Last update for Zagreb: September 6, 2026

Last update for Osijek: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $916 in Zagreb and $660 in Osijek. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zagreb pays 40% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $60.0 in Zagreb vs $59.0 in Osijek for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $331 vs $268 per month, with Osijek cheaper across the board.

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 cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 25% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 40% 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: $916 in Zagreb versus $660 in Osijek. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% 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 $59.0 versus $60.0 in Zagreb. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,456 in Osijek versus $1,815 in Zagreb, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Osijek but tight or insufficient in Zagreb. The gap between the two cities makes Osijek the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Osijek 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 Osijek 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 Osijek gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Zagreb. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.