Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zagreb and Rijeka

For one person, living is cheaper in Rijeka: $1,577 a month against $1,761 in Zagreb, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 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
77

Cost of Living Index in Rijeka
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Rijeka Living Index

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Zagreb

🇭🇷 Croatia

$1,761

/mo nomad

Rijeka

🇭🇷 Croatia

$1,577

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Zagreb and in Rijeka

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

A single person spends $1,761 per month in Zagreb vs $1,577 in Rijeka, rent included.

Zagreb $1,761
Rijeka $1,577

A couple spends around $2,604 per month in Zagreb vs $2,412 in Rijeka, rent included.

Zagreb $2,604
Rijeka $2,412

A family of three spends $3,447 per month in Zagreb vs $3,248 in Rijeka, rent included.

Zagreb $3,447
Rijeka $3,248

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

Both Zagreb and Rijeka sit above the global median – Zagreb by 30%, Rijeka by 17%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.50 €11.12

$13.14 €11.69

-4.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.6 €56.6

$73.2 €65.1

-13.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.33 €7.41

$10.10 €8.98

-17.52%

Cappuccino

$2.51 €2.23

$2.35 €2.09

6.81%

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

$3.00 €2.67

$3.03 €2.70

-0.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 €2.26

$1.95 €1.74

30.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.27 €2.91

$3.86 €3.43

-15.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 €3.88

$4.37 €3.88

-0.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.09

$1.25 €1.11

-1.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.66 €1.48

$1.53 €1.37

8.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.72 €2.42

$3.29 €2.93

-17.33%

Eggs

$3.87 €3.45

$3.72 €3.31

4.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.61 €12.99

$15.64 €13.91

-6.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.95 €10.63

$10.25 €9.12

16.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.44 €15.51

$14.21 €12.64

22.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €2.05

$1.65 €1.47

40.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 €1.59

$1.75 €1.56

1.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.11 €1.88

$1.83 €1.63

15.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.50 €2.22

$2.62 €2.33

-4.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.31 €1.17

$1.37 €1.22

-4.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 €1.06

$1.32 €1.17

-9.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 €1.04

$1.32 €1.17

-11.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.22

$1.35 €1.20

1.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.78 €5.14

$5.92 €5.26

-2.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.23 €9.10

$7.78 €6.92

31.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 €1.43

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 €2.20

$2.12 €1.88

16.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 €0.51

$2.21 €1.97

-74.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.5 €47.63

$54.4 €48.37

-1.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.19 €1.95

$5.73 €5.10

-61.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 €1.26

$1.44 €1.28

-1.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.67 €10.38

$27.76 €24.70

-57.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.64

$1.85 €1.64

-0.54%

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

$27.6K €24.6K

$26.0K €23.1K

6.29%

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

$27.2K €24.2K

$24.7K €21.9K

10.14%

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

$214 €190

$185 €164

15.79%

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

$23.36 €20.77

$23.53 €20.93

-0.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.16 €36.61

$38.52 €34.26

6.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.1 €45.48

$54.1 €48.13

-5.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.82 €16.74

$11.04 €9.82

70.47%

Cinema Ticket

$9.13 €8.12

$6.70 €5.96

36.27%

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

$501 €445

$538 €479

-6.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,878 €8,787

$12.8K €11.4K

-22.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 €98.3

$99.9 €88.8

10.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.93 €38.19

$42.00 €37.36

2.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 €87.1

$101 €89.9

-3.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 €98.3

$108 €95.8

2.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$868 €772

$693 €616

25.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$668 €594

$525 €467

27.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,463 €1,301

$1,205 €1,072

21.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,039 €924

$859 €764

20.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,031 €4,475

$4,045 €3,598

24.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,468 €3,085

$3,954 €3,517

-12.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,937 €1,723

$1,494 €1,329

29.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.3

3.73

-11.53%

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

Last update for Zagreb: October 11, 2026

Last update for Rijeka: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Zagreb

$668 37.9%

Rijeka

$525 33.3% 21.4% $143

Groceries & Markets

Zagreb

$315 17.9%

Rijeka

$292 18.5% 7.4% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zagreb

$278 15.8%

Rijeka

$247 15.7% 11.4% $32

Eating Out

Zagreb

$202 11.5%

Rijeka

$212 13.4% 4.6% $9.3

Clothing & Footwear

Zagreb

$163 9.3%

Rijeka

$158 10% 3.1% $5.1

Sport & Entertainment

Zagreb

$69 3.9%

Rijeka

$68 4.3% 2.7% $1.9

Getting Around

Zagreb

$65 3.7%

Rijeka

$76 4.8% 17% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $868 in Zagreb versus $693 in Rijeka. 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 30% 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 $64.0 in Zagreb versus $73.0 in Rijeka. Groceries tell a different story – $315 in Zagreb vs $292 in Rijeka – so Rijeka wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇭🇷 Zagreb

🇭🇷 Rijeka

🕒 Local time

02:19 2:19 AM

Same time as Zagreb

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

767,131 Capital

107,964

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 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 Rijeka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Zagreb is pricier by about 12%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,642 per month in Zagreb and $2,365 in Rijeka. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Rijeka, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 8% more in Zagreb, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $64.0 in Zagreb and $73.0 in Rijeka. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Rijeka, where all-in costs run around $1,577, than in Zagreb at $1,761. In Rijeka it covers expenses comfortably, while in Zagreb it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Rijeka – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Rijeka. 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.