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: $1,717 in Zagreb versus $1,303 in Varazdin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,576 in Zagreb versus $1,876 in Varazdin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,434 in Zagreb versus $2,449 in Varazdin.

Living in Zagreb is roughly 32% more expensive than in Varazdin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Zagreb is 29% above, Varazdin is 2% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.53 €10.08

$11.39 €9.96

1.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.1 €60.5

$67.2 €58.8

2.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.03 €7.90

$11.16 €9.76

-19.09%

Cappuccino

$2.43 €2.12

$2.27 €1.99

7.05%

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

$3.04 €2.66

$2.28 €2.00

33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 €2.17

$3.07 €2.69

-19.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.79 €3.31

$3.84 €3.36

-1.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.73 €4.14

$3.44 €3.01

37.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 €1.14

$1.19 €1.04

10.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 €1.71

$1.60 €1.40

22.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.63 €2.30

$2.97 €2.60

-11.45%

Eggs

$3.83 €3.35

$3.42 €3.00

11.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.89 €9.53

$4.51 €3.95

141.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.27

$8.12 €7.10

16.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.74 €11.15

$14.57 €12.75

-12.56%

Apples (1kg)

$1.87 €1.64

$1.41 €1.23

32.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.42 €1.24

23.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 €1.77

$1.42 €1.24

42.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.96 €2.59

$2.47 €2.17

19.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 €1.27

$1.24 €1.09

16.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 €1.23

$1.18 €1.03

19.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 €1.12

$1.07 €0.94

19.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$1.02 €0.89

28.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.75 €5.03

$5.95 €5.20

-3.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.30 €8.13

$7.82 €6.84

18.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 €1.63

$0.73 €0.63

154.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.95

$2.00 €1.75

11.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 €0.52

$1.01 €0.88

-41.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.1 €50.8

$23.97 €20.97

142.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 €1.98

$3.04 €2.66

-25.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 €0.93

$1.33 €1.16

-20.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.22 €8.94

$8.94 €7.82

14.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.77 €1.55

-3.39%

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

$34.3K €30.0K

$38.0K €33.2K

-9.73%

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

$26.5K €23.2K

$25.7K €22.5K

3.21%

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

$209 €183

$152 €133

37.38%

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

$20.14 €17.62

$21.42 €18.74

-5.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.85 €28.74

$33.01 €28.88

-0.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.4 €44.08

$54.5 €47.69

-7.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.41 €12.60

$14.60 €12.77

-1.30%

Cinema Ticket

$9.00 €7.87

$8.33 €7.29

8.04%

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

$511 €447

$178 €155

187.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.1K €11.4K

$8,195 €7,169

59.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.9

$75.5 €66.0

34.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.74 €34.77

$34.66 €30.32

14.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 €84.1

$63.7 €55.8

50.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 €103

$75.7 €66.2

55.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$881 €771

$580 €508

51.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$671 €587

$445 €389

50.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,520 €1,329

$867 €758

75.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,052 €921

$484 €424

117.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,920 €4,304

$3,159 €2,764

55.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,240 €2,835

$2,484 €2,173

30.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,915 €1,675

$1,366 €1,195

40.17%

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: July 11, 2026

Last update for Varazdin: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $881 in Zagreb and $580 in Varazdin. 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: $69.0 in Zagreb vs $67.0 in Varazdin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $280 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, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around. The 32% 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: $881 in Zagreb versus $580 in Varazdin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $511 in Zagreb versus $178 in Varazdin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Zagreb. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,303 in Varazdin versus $1,717 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 32% less than in Zagreb. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.