Cost of living in Croatia

What is it like to live in Croatia?

6 minute read

A fascinating and beautiful country with a complex history, a culture drawn from ancient Rome, Byzantium, Central Europe, and the Mediterranean and diverse economic sectors, Croatia has much to offer British expats. The low cost of living in Croatia is another good reason for making a new home for yourself in this country.

Where to live in Croatia

 

Where you decide to live in Croatia depends on your reason for moving to the country. While many expats who immigrate to the country for work-related reasons base themselves in the capital of Zagreb, others who want to start a tourism-related business or retire move to one of the coastal towns, an island, or to villages in rural areas. Some areas in tourist hotspots such as Dubrovnik where much of the TV series Game of Thrones was filmed can be expensive by Western European standards, but you can generally enjoy the low cost of living in Croatia all over the country. The 2022 Mercer Cost of Living Survey rates Zagreb as the 159th most expensive city to live in, on a list of 227.

How much does accommodation cost in Croatia?

One of the biggest reasons for the low average cost of living in Croatia is the affordability of accommodation. Whether you’re looking to rent or buy an apartment or house, you should find that prices are much cheaper than what you would pay in the UK. All figures were taken from.

(All figures taken from Numbeo.com and exchange rates calculated on 8th February 2023 at 11:30am).

Split

Monthly rent for 1 bedroom apartment (city centre)

£411.56 (€462.68

Monthly rent for 1 bedroom apartment (outside centre)

£304.74 (€342.59)

Monthly rent for 3 bedroom apartment (city centre)

£697.33 (€783.95)

Monthly rent for 3 bedroom apartment (outside centre)

£548.46 (€616.59)

Price per square meter to buy apartment (city centre)

£2,972.55 (€3,341.79)

Price per square meter to buy apartment (outside centre)

£2,366.60 (€2,660.57)

 

Dubrovnik

Monthly rent for 1 bedroom apartment (city centre)

£422.92 (€475.45)

Monthly rent for 1 bedroom apartment (outside centre)

£325.91 (€366.39

Monthly rent for 3 bedroom apartment (city centre)

£592.44 (€666.03)

Monthly rent for 3 bedroom apartment (outside centre)

£422.60 (€475.09

Price per square meter to buy apartment (city centre)

£3,216.87 (€3,616.45)

Price per square meter to buy apartment (outside centre)

£2,293.67 (€2,578.58)

 

Pula

Monthly rent for 1 bedroom apartment (city centre)

£392.81 (€441.60)

Monthly rent for 1 bedroom apartment (outside centre)

£330.53 (€371.59)

Monthly rent for 3 bedroom apartment (city centre)

£568.39 (€638.99)

Monthly rent for 3 bedroom apartment (outside centre)

£469.66 (€528.00)

Price per square meter to buy apartment (city centre)

£2,035.98 (€2,288.88)

Price per square meter to buy apartment (outside centre)

£1,976.54 (€2,222.06)

 

How much does transport cost in Croatia?

As can be expected, given the low cost of living in Croatia, the cost of transport is lower than in the UK. You will pay less for public transport and petrol in Croatia than you would in the UK, although the price of cars is slightly higher than in Britain.

Single bus ticket 

£1.18 (€1.33)

Monthly public transport ticket

£39.37 (€44.26)

Petrol (1 litre)

£1.39 (€1.56)

Volkswagen Golf

£21,214.61 (€23,849.79)

Toyota Corolla

£19,938.28 (€23,849.79)

 

What is the cost of living in Croatia compared to the UK?

When it comes to food, groceries, and basic goods and services, the cost of living in Croatia compared to the UK is either similar or lower. For example, you might pay slightly more for bread and milk, and much less for a cappuccino and chicken fillets, in Croatia than you would in the UK.

Milk (1 litre)

£0.93 (€1.04)

Bread (500g loaf)

£0.94 (€1.06)

Eggs (12pk)

£2.27 (€2.55)

Water (1.5 litre bottle)

£0.88 (€0.99)

Chicken Breast (1kg)

£7.22 (€8.12)

Cappuccino (regular, in a restaurant)

£1.46 (€1.64)

Beer (500ml, in a restaurant/pub)

£2.13 (€2.39)

Cinema ticket

£5.09 (€5.72)

Gym membership (monthly)

£34.11 (€38.35)

Preschool/Kindergarten (monthly)

£111.47 (€125.32)

Primary School (yearly)

£4,606.40 (€5,178.59)

 

Sign up for a personal account with Moneycorp

Sending money to Croatia does not need to be a complicated or unsafe process that involves poor exchange rates. Sign up for a personal account with Moneycorp and manage your foreign exchange and send money to Croatia with ease and at competitive rates.

 

Discover our business solutions

Buy property in Portugal

Buy property in Portugal

Purchase your dream home in the sun and enjoy savings on your international payments.

Find out more
GBP to EUR exchange rate

GBP to EUR exchange rate

Keep track of the pound to euro exchange rate from our Currency Zone. 

Find out more
Send money to Portugal

Send money to Portugal

Guide on what you'll need and how to make an international payment to Portugal.

Find out more

Emigrating to Portugal

Our guide on how to make moving to Portugal as smooth and seamless as possible.

Emigrating to Portugal