Cost of Living Comparison Between Zagreb and Varazdin Cost of Living Comparison Between Zagreb and Varazdin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,738 in Zagreb versus $1,302 in Varazdin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,574 in Zagreb versus $1,906 in Varazdin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,409 in Zagreb versus $2,510 in Varazdin.

Living in Zagreb is roughly 33% more expensive than Varazdin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Zagreb is 30% above, Varazdin is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.78 €10.13

$11.43 €9.84

3.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.1 €59.5

$67.6 €58.1

2.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.49 €8.16

$11.12 €9.57

-14.66%

Cappuccino

$2.43 €2.09

$2.32 €2.00

4.74%

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

$3.16 €2.72

$2.32 €2.00

36.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 €2.03

$3.14 €2.70

-24.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.67 €3.16

$3.74 €3.21

-1.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 €4.01

$3.45 €2.96

35.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 €1.16

$1.18 €1.02

14.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.87 €1.61

$1.60 €1.37

16.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 €2.28

$2.85 €2.45

-6.67%

Eggs

$3.65 €3.14

$3.32 €2.86

9.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.88 €9.36

$4.58 €3.94

137.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.92 €8.54

$8.11 €6.98

22.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.72 €10.94

$14.59 €12.55

-12.82%

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 €1.62

$1.42 €1.22

32.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$1.42 €1.22

16.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.43 €1.23

38.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.06 €2.64

$2.59 €2.22

18.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.18 €1.02

22.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 €1.26

$1.13 €0.98

30.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 €1.12

$1.08 €0.93

20.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.01 €0.87

27.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.76 €4.96

$5.92 €5.09

-2.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.49 €8.16

$8.12 €6.98

16.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 €1.58

$0.76 €0.66

142.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 €1.98

$2.08 €1.79

10.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.64 €0.55

$0.97 €0.83

-34.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.0 €49.05

$24.24 €20.85

135.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.28 €1.96

$3.10 €2.66

-26.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.92

$1.33 €1.15

-19.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.12 €8.70

$9.09 €7.82

11.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 €1.54

$1.77 €1.52

1.13%

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

$35.1K €30.2K

$38.1K €32.7K

-7.91%

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

$26.2K €22.5K

$25.7K €22.1K

1.73%

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

$208 €179

$152 €130

36.87%

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

$20.19 €17.37

$21.00 €18.07

-3.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.82 €28.23

$32.87 €28.27

-0.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.7 €43.58

$53.9 €46.38

-6.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.47 €12.44

$14.53 €12.50

-0.41%

Cinema Ticket

$8.85 €7.61

$8.24 €7.08

7.40%

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

$501 €431

$180 €154

179.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K €11.4K

$8,209 €7,061

61.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$98.3 €84.5

$76.1 €65.5

29.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.43 €33.92

$35.18 €30.26

12.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.2 €84.5

$63.7 €54.8

54.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 €100

$76.5 €65.8

52.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$873 €751

$593 €510

47.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$662 €569

$440 €378

50.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,467 €1,262

$868 €746

69.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,079 €928

$493 €424

118.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,268 €4,531

$3,290 €2,830

60.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,255 €2,800

$2,557 €2,200

27.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,886 €1,623

$1,401 €1,205

34.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.72

4.12

-9.71%

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

Last update for Zagreb: June 2, 2026

Last update for Varazdin: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $873 in Zagreb and $593 in Varazdin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zagreb pays 35% 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: $69.0 in Zagreb vs $68.0 in Varazdin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $231 per month, with Varazdin 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 Varazdin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Varazdin is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around. The 33% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Zagreb pays 35% more on average, 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: $873 in Zagreb versus $593 in Varazdin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $501 in Zagreb versus $180 in Varazdin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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

At $1,302 in Varazdin versus $1,738 in Zagreb, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Varazdin but tight or insufficient in Zagreb. The gap between the two cities makes Varazdin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Varazdin 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 Varazdin 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 Varazdin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Zagreb. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.