Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zagreb and Zadar

For one person, living is cheaper in Zadar: $1,683 a month against $1,772 in Zagreb, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

85

Cost of Living Index in Zagreb
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Zagreb Living Index
81

Cost of Living Index in Zadar
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Zadar Living Index

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Zagreb

🇭🇷 Croatia

$1,772

/mo nomad

Zadar

🇭🇷 Croatia

$1,683

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Zagreb and in Zadar

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

A single person spends $1,772 per month in Zagreb vs $1,683 in Zadar, rent included.

Zagreb $1,772
Zadar $1,683

A couple spends around $2,619 per month in Zagreb vs $2,565 in Zadar, rent included.

Zagreb $2,619
Zadar $2,565

A family of three spends $3,467 per month in Zagreb vs $3,446 in Zadar, rent included.

Zagreb $3,467
Zadar $3,446

Zagreb costs about 5% more than Zadar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Zagreb and Zadar sit above the global median – Zagreb by 30%, Zadar by 24%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.33 €11.04

$14.50 €12.99

-14.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.9 €57.3

$79.7 €71.4

-19.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.01 €7.18

$8.05 €7.21

-0.50%

Cappuccino

$2.50 €2.24

$2.51 €2.25

-0.40%

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

$3.09 €2.76

$3.01 €2.70

2.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 €2.35

$2.10 €1.88

24.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.42 €3.06

$3.44 €3.08

-0.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 €4.04

$4.35 €3.90

3.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.13

$1.18 €1.06

7.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 €1.43

$1.72 €1.54

-6.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 €2.40

$3.00 €2.69

-10.67%

Eggs

$3.95 €3.53

$3.92 €3.51

0.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.58 €13.06

$10.87 €9.74

34.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.47 €10.27

$9.63 €8.62

19.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.35 €15.54

$11.69 €10.47

48.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €2.07

$1.88 €1.68

22.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 €1.48

$1.58 €1.42

4.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 €1.96

$2.17 €1.94

0.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 €2.30

$2.57 €2.30

-0.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 €1.22

$2.26 €2.03

-39.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 €1.08

$1.30 €1.17

-7.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 €1.07

$1.32 €1.18

-9.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.16

$1.20 €1.07

7.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.08 €5.45

$5.53 €4.95

9.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.07 €9.91

$7.95 €7.12

39.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 €1.51

$1.43 €1.28

18.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 €2.21

$1.42 €1.27

73.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 €0.51

$1.81 €1.62

-68.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.2 €47.68

$44.27 €39.65

20.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.18 €1.95

$3.27 €2.93

-33.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 €1.29

$2.27 €2.03

-36.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.39 €11.09

$22.15 €19.83

-44.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 €1.70

$1.86 €1.67

2.15%

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

$27.9K €25.0K

$25.8K €23.1K

8.32%

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

$26.0K €23.3K

$24.5K €21.9K

6.17%

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

$215 €193

$179 €160

20.28%

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

$22.34 €20.01

$21.76 €19.48

2.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.73 €34.69

$39.49 €35.36

-1.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.65 €43.57

$40.85 €36.59

19.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.95 €16.97

$16.53 €14.81

14.64%

Cinema Ticket

$10.41 €9.32

$10.80 €9.67

-3.61%

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

$499 €447

$246 €220

103.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,720 €8,705

$6,722 €6,020

44.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 €97.3

$88.7 €79.5

22.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.23 €37.82

$35.75 €32.01

18.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €91.6

$103 €91.8

-0.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 €99.0

$77.0 €69.0

43.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$888 €796

$877 €785

1.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$683 €612

$694 €621

-1.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,468 €1,315

$1,461 €1,309

0.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,066 €955

$1,146 €1,026

-6.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,275 €4,724

$4,679 €4,191

12.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,670 €3,287

$4,010 €3,591

-8.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,975 €1,769

$1,407 €1,260

40.32%

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 25, 2026

Last update for Zadar: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Zagreb

$683 38.5%

Zadar

$694 41.2% 1.6% $11

Groceries & Markets

Zagreb

$314 17.7%

Zadar

$268 15.9% 14.5% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zagreb

$276 15.6%

Zadar

$240 14.3% 13.1% $36

Eating Out

Zagreb

$202 11.4%

Zadar

$217 12.9% 7.4% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Zagreb

$164 9.2%

Zadar

$137 8.1% 16.4% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Zagreb

$69 3.9%

Zadar

$62 3.7% 10.1% $7

Getting Around

Zagreb

$65 3.7%

Zadar

$66 3.9% 1.9% $1.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $888 in Zagreb versus $877 in Zadar. 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 40% higher in Zagreb. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $64 in Zagreb versus $80 in Zadar. Groceries tell a different story – $314 in Zagreb vs $268 in Zadar – so Zadar wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇭🇷 Zagreb

🇭🇷 Zadar

🕒 Local time

22:14 10:14 PM

Same time as Zagreb

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

767,131 Capital

67,309

💱 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 Zadar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,772 in Zagreb, $1,683 in Zadar – Zadar comes out roughly 5% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,658 per month in Zagreb and $2,525 in Zadar. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $888 in Zagreb and $877 in Zadar. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,772 in Zagreb and $1,683 in Zadar. That makes Zadar about 5% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 17% less in Zadar. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,772 in Zagreb and $1,683 in Zadar, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Zadar costs $1,683 versus $1,772 in Zagreb. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Zadar. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Zagreb makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.