Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zagreb and Split

For one person, living costs are similar in Zagreb and in Split: $1,761 and $1,822 a month, rent and utilities included.

85

Cost of Living Index in Zagreb
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Zagreb Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Split
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Split Living Index

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Zagreb

🇭🇷 Croatia

$1,761

/mo nomad

Split

🇭🇷 Croatia

$1,822

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Zagreb and in Split

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

A single person spends $1,761 per month in Zagreb vs $1,822 in Split, rent included.

Zagreb $1,761
Split $1,822

A couple spends around $2,604 per month in Zagreb vs $2,797 in Split, rent included.

Zagreb $2,604
Split $2,797

A family of three spends $3,447 per month in Zagreb vs $3,771 in Split, rent included.

Zagreb $3,447
Split $3,771

Zagreb is about 3% cheaper than Split, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Zagreb and Split sit above the global median – Zagreb by 30%, Split by 35%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.50 €11.12

$16.50 €14.67

-24.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.6 €56.6

$73.4 €65.3

-13.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.33 €7.41

$11.32 €10.07

-26.41%

Cappuccino

$2.51 €2.23

$2.74 €2.44

-8.39%

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

$3.00 €2.67

$4.10 €3.65

-26.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 €2.26

$2.87 €2.55

-11.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.27 €2.91

$4.63 €4.12

-29.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 €3.88

$5.15 €4.58

-15.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.09

$1.27 €1.13

-3.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.66 €1.48

$2.13 €1.89

-22.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.72 €2.42

$3.59 €3.19

-24.23%

Eggs

$3.87 €3.45

$4.15 €3.70

-6.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.61 €12.99

$13.87 €12.34

5.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.95 €10.63

$9.59 €8.53

24.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.44 €15.51

$13.18 €11.72

32.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €2.05

$2.13 €1.90

8.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 €1.59

$1.84 €1.64

-3.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.11 €1.87

$1.89 €1.68

11.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.50 €2.22

$2.86 €2.54

-12.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.31 €1.17

$1.59 €1.42

-17.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 €1.05

$1.15 €1.02

3.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 €1.04

$1.30 €1.15

-10.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.22

$1.25 €1.11

9.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.78 €5.14

$5.72 €5.09

1.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.23 €9.10

$9.09 €8.08

12.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 €1.43

$1.74 €1.55

-7.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 €2.20

$2.31 €2.05

7.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 €0.51

$1.65 €1.47

-65.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.5 €47.62

$39.56 €35.18

35.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.19 €1.95

$3.59 €3.20

-39.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 €1.26

$2.10 €1.87

-32.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.67 €10.38

$29.27 €26.03

-60.13%

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

$28.2K €25.1K

-1.89%

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

$27.2K €24.2K

$24.9K €22.1K

9.20%

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

$214 €190

$207 €184

3.57%

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

$23.36 €20.77

$19.93 €17.72

17.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.16 €36.60

$41.20 €36.64

-0.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.1 €45.47

$62.2 €55.3

-17.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.82 €16.74

$12.92 €11.50

45.67%

Cinema Ticket

$9.13 €8.12

$9.15 €8.14

-0.22%

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

$501 €445

$604 €537

-17.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,878 €8,786

$11.9K €10.5K

-16.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 €98.3

$92.3 €82.1

19.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.93 €38.19

$40.17 €35.73

6.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 €87.1

$112 €99.7

-12.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 €98.2

$96.1 €85.5

14.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$868 €772

$1,024 €911

-15.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$668 €594

$704 €626

-5.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,463 €1,301

$1,942 €1,727

-24.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,039 €924

$1,275 €1,134

-18.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,031 €4,474

$7,185 €6,391

-29.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,468 €3,084

$5,032 €4,476

-31.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,937 €1,723

$1,576 €1,402

22.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.3

3.44

-4.07%

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

Last update for Zagreb: October 11, 2026

Last update for Split: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Zagreb

$668 37.9%

Split

$704 38.6% 5.4% $36

Groceries & Markets

Zagreb

$315 17.9%

Split

$296 16.3% 6% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zagreb

$278 15.8%

Split

$268 14.7% 3.9% $11

Eating Out

Zagreb

$202 11.5%

Split

$260 14.3% 28.6% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Zagreb

$163 9.3%

Split

$153 8.4% 5.8% $9.5

Sport & Entertainment

Zagreb

$69 3.9%

Split

$80 4.4% 16% $11

Getting Around

Zagreb

$65 3.7%

Split

$60 3.3% 7.5% $4.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $868 in Zagreb versus $1,024 in Split. 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 23% higher in Zagreb, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $64.0 in Zagreb versus $73.0 in Split. Groceries tell a different story – $315 in Zagreb vs $296 in Split – so Split wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇭🇷 Zagreb

🇭🇷 Split

🕒 Local time

15:29 3:29 PM

Same time as Zagreb

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

767,131 Capital

149,830

💱 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 Split: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Split is pricier by about 3%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,642 per month in Zagreb and $2,734 in Split. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Interestingly, groceries are about 6% cheaper in Split – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

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

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Zagreb, where all-in costs run around $1,761, than in Split at $1,822. In Zagreb it covers expenses comfortably, while in Split it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Zagreb – 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 Zagreb. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Split makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.