Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zagreb and Pula

For one person, living is cheaper in Pula: $1,580 a month against $1,770 in Zagreb, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Zagreb outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Zagreb
🇭🇷 Croatia
$1,770
/mo nomad
Pula
🇭🇷 Croatia
$1,580
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Zagreb and in Pula

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

A single person spends $1,770 per month in Zagreb vs $1,580 in Pula, rent included.

  • Zagreb $1,770
  • Pula $1,580

A couple spends around $2,625 per month in Zagreb vs $2,515 in Pula, rent included.

  • Zagreb $2,625
  • Pula $2,515

A family of three spends $3,481 per month in Zagreb vs $3,450 in Pula, rent included.

  • Zagreb $3,481
  • Pula $3,450

Zagreb costs about 12% more than Pula, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Zagreb and Pula sit above the global median – Zagreb by 31%, Pula by 17%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Zagreb
Pula
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.30 €10.94
$14.68 €13.06
-16.21%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$62.9 €55.9
$68.1 €60.6
-7.71%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.93 €7.05
$8.92 €7.94
-11.10%
Cappuccino
$2.55 €2.27
$2.55 €2.27
-
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.01 €2.68
$2.93 €2.60
2.73%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.65 €2.36
$2.09 €1.86
26.79%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.28 €2.92
$3.42 €3.05
-4.09%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.60 €4.09
$4.41 €3.92
4.31%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Zagreb
Pula
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.26 €1.12
$1.23 €1.10
2.44%
White Bread (500g)
$1.56 €1.39
$1.86 €1.65
-16.13%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.83 €2.52
$3.18 €2.83
-11.01%
Eggs
$3.89 €3.46
$3.78 €3.37
2.91%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.96 €13.31
$10.95 €9.74
36.62%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.93 €10.61
$10.79 €9.59
10.57%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.22 €16.21
$18.80 €16.72
-3.09%
Apples (1kg)
$2.31 €2.06
$1.98 €1.76
16.67%
Banana (1kg)
$1.77 €1.57
$1.87 €1.67
-5.35%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.18 €1.94
$2.14 €1.90
1.87%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.58 €2.29
$2.59 €2.30
-0.39%
Potato (1kg)
$1.45 €1.29
$1.36 €1.21
6.62%
Onion (1kg)
$1.24 €1.10
$1.33 €1.19
-6.77%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.21 €1.07
$1.30 €1.15
-6.92%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.30 €1.16
$1.22 €1.08
6.56%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.84 €5.19
$5.59 €4.97
4.47%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.12 €9.90
$7.80 €6.94
42.56%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.65 €1.47
$1.85 €1.64
-10.81%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.54 €2.26
$2.40 €2.14
5.83%
🚌 Getting Around
Zagreb
Pula
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.60 €0.54
$2.28 €2.03
-73.68%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$54.6 €48.59
$33.26 €29.58
64.25%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.26 €2.01
$3.28 €2.91
-31.10%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.41 €1.26
$2.22 €1.98
-36.49%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.94 €10.62
$22.18 €19.73
-46.17%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.91 €1.70
$1.83 €1.62
4.37%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.9K €24.8K
$26.0K €23.1K
7.35%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.8K €22.9K
$26.6K €23.7K
-3.09%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Zagreb
Pula
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$217 €193
$156 €139
39.14%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$21.95 €19.53
$22.01 €19.58
-0.27%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$37.99 €33.79
$39.37 €35.02
-3.51%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Zagreb
Pula
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.5 €45.80
$49.70 €44.21
3.60%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.75 €16.68
$37.64 €33.48
-50.19%
Cinema Ticket
$10.52 €9.36
$10.59 €9.42
-0.66%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Zagreb
Pula
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$493 €439
$240 €214
105.24%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.0K €8,914
$2,826 €2,514
254.58%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Zagreb
Pula
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$109 €96.6
$114 €101
-4.46%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.62 €37.91
$36.80 €32.74
15.82%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$96.4 €85.7
$144 €128
-33.28%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$110 €97.6
$131 €116
-16.05%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Zagreb
Pula
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$858 €763
$685 €609
25.31%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$671 €596
$522 €464
28.57%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,425 €1,267
$1,315 €1,170
8.30%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,065 €947
$999 €889
6.59%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,259 €4,678
$4,363 €3,881
20.55%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,676 €3,270
$3,650 €3,246
0.74%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Zagreb
Pula
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,997 €1,776
$1,517 €1,349
31.66%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.3
3.54
-6.78%

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

Last update for Zagreb: October 17, 2026

Last update for Pula: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Zagreb
$671
Pula
$522 22.2% $149
Groceries & Markets
Zagreb
$321
Pula
$301 6.3% $20
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Zagreb
$277
Pula
$218 21.5% $60
Eating Out
Zagreb
$201
Pula
$221 9.9% $20
Clothing & Footwear
Zagreb
$161
Pula
$192 19.1% $31
Sport & Entertainment
Zagreb
$73
Pula
$71 2.3% $1.6
Getting Around
Zagreb
$66
Pula
$57 14.4% $9.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $858 in Zagreb versus $685 in Pula. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 32% higher in Zagreb, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $63.0 in Zagreb versus $68.0 in Pula. Groceries tell a different story – $321 in Zagreb vs $301 in Pula – so Pula wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇭🇷 Zagreb
🇭🇷 Pula
🕒 Local time
18:04 6:04 PM
18:04 6:04 PM
Same time as Zagreb
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
767,131 Capital
52,220
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Zagreb Pula 200 km
From you
  • Zagreb
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Pula: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Zagreb and in Pula compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,770 in Zagreb, $1,580 in Pula – roughly 12% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.
What salary covers living expenses in Zagreb compared to Pula?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,654 per month in Zagreb and $2,370 in Pula. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Zagreb and Pula?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Pula, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Zagreb and Pula?
Kindergarten costs $493 per month in Zagreb and $240 in Pula. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 7% more in Zagreb, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Pula, where all-in costs run around $1,580, than in Zagreb at $1,770. In Pula it covers expenses comfortably, while in Zagreb it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Zagreb and Pula?
It depends on your priorities. Zagreb has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,580 in Pula to $1,770 in Zagreb. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Zagreb or Pula safer for residents?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
How do I decide between Zagreb and Pula?
If budget matters most, go with Pula. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Zagreb makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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