Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Žalec and Ljubljana

For one person, living is cheaper in Žalec: $1,662 a month against $2,104 in Ljubljana, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Žalec
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Žalec Living Index
102

Cost of Living Index in Ljubljana
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Ljubljana Living Index

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Žalec

🇸🇮 Slovenia

$1,662

/mo nomad

Ljubljana

🇸🇮 Slovenia

$2,104

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Žalec and in Ljubljana

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Žalec and in Ljubljana actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,662 in Žalec versus $2,104 in Ljubljana.

Žalec $1,662
Ljubljana $2,104

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,398 in Žalec versus $3,149 in Ljubljana.

Žalec $2,398
Ljubljana $3,149

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,135 in Žalec versus $4,194 in Ljubljana.

Žalec $3,135
Ljubljana $4,194

Living in Žalec costs roughly 21% less than in Ljubljana, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Žalec 22% above, Ljubljana 55% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.89 €8.89

$15.86 €14.25

-37.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.50 €36.39

$66.3 €59.6

-38.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.01 €7.20

$11.33 €10.18

-29.30%

Cappuccino

$1.86 €1.67

$2.85 €2.56

-34.74%

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

$3.08 €2.77

$3.07 €2.76

0.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 €1.48

$1.89 €1.70

-13.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.85 €3.46

$3.83 €3.44

0.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 €3.63

$4.37 €3.93

-7.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 €1.17

$1.32 €1.19

-0.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.28 €2.05

$2.20 €1.98

3.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.81 €1.63

$3.09 €2.77

-41.42%

Eggs

$3.90 €3.50

$3.92 €3.52

-0.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 €8.27

$14.57 €13.09

-36.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.39 €8.44

$9.67 €8.69

-2.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.62 €13.14

$14.54 €13.07

0.55%

Apples (1kg)

$1.95 €1.75

$2.25 €2.02

-13.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 €1.50

$1.73 €1.56

-3.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 €1.76

$2.31 €2.08

-15.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.86 €2.57

$3.45 €3.10

-17.10%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 €0.89

$1.49 €1.34

-33.56%

Onion (1kg)

$0.83 €0.74

$1.56 €1.40

-46.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 €1.28

$1.72 €1.54

-17.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 €0.67

$0.85 €0.76

-12.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.11 €5.49

Wine (Bottle)

$6.65 €5.98

$7.66 €6.88

-13.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.29

$1.39 €1.25

2.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 €1.71

$2.18 €1.96

-12.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.34 €1.21

$1.69 €1.52

-20.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.78 €30.35

$41.77 €37.53

-19.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 €1.74

$2.22 €1.99

-13.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.32 €1.18

$1.25 €1.12

5.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.31 €17.35

$18.81 €16.90

2.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 €1.48

$1.80 €1.62

-8.33%

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

$29.6K €26.6K

$29.4K €26.4K

0.55%

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

$24.8K €22.3K

$24.7K €22.2K

0.62%

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

$281 €253

$289 €259

-2.56%

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

$16.25 €14.60

$15.95 €14.33

1.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 €25.22

$38.66 €34.73

-27.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.2 €58.6

$51.3 €46.09

27.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.20 €21.74

Cinema Ticket

$10.01 €9.00

$10.25 €9.21

-2.34%

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

$648 €582

$643 €578

0.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.8K €12.4K

$13.7K €12.3K

0.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.4 €84.8

$113 €101

-16.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.06 €32.40

$43.11 €38.73

-16.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 €98.2

$110 €98.6

-0.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €112

$143 €129

-13.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 €648

$1,149 €1,032

-37.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$605 €544

$907 €815

-33.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,157 €1,040

$2,366 €2,126

-51.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 €901

$1,623 €1,458

-38.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,263 €2,932

$6,815 €6,124

-52.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,212 €2,886

$5,052 €4,539

-36.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,501 €1,349

$1,940 €1,743

-22.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.52

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

Last update for Žalec: October 25, 2026

Last update for Ljubljana: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Žalec

$605 36.4%

Ljubljana

$907 43.1% 49.8% $302

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Žalec

$326 19.6%

Ljubljana

$343 16.3% 5.4% $18

Groceries & Markets

Žalec

$262 15.8%

Ljubljana

$298 14.2% 13.7% $36

Eating Out

Žalec

$172 10.3%

Ljubljana

$243 11.5% 41.4% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Žalec

$164 9.9%

Ljubljana

$184 8.7% 12.2% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Žalec

$85 5.1%

Ljubljana

$72 3.4% 15.8% $13

Getting Around

Žalec

$48 2.9%

Ljubljana

$57 2.7% 19.6% $9.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $721 in Žalec and $1,149 in Ljubljana. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ljubljana pays 29% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $40 in Žalec vs $66 in Ljubljana for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $262 vs $298 per month, with Žalec cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇮 Žalec

🇸🇮 Ljubljana

🕒 Local time

12:10 12:10 PM

Same time as Žalec

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,000

285,604 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Žalec Ljubljana 55 km

From you

Žalec
Ljubljana

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Žalec vs Ljubljana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Žalec is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 27% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 23% lower in Žalec. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $721 in Žalec versus $1,149 in Ljubljana. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Žalec runs roughly 19% less than in Ljubljana. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

Childcare runs $648 in Žalec versus $643 in Ljubljana. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Žalec gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Žalec and Ljubljana 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 Žalec gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Ljubljana. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.