A pleasant Habsburg-flavoured capital with a huge cafe culture and easy access to both the Alps and the Adriatic. Salaries are modest, so it works best with remote income.
What it costs to live in Zagreb
Rent here sits close to the national baseline for Croatia, at roughly EUR 550 a month for a one-bed. That puts Zagreb among the cheapest in this comparison: only 10 of the 60 EU cities we profile come in lower.
Against a typical net salary in Croatia of about EUR 1,100, that is roughly 50% of take-home pay going on rent alone. City wages usually run above the national figure, so treat this as the cautious end.
What the economy runs on
Services, IT, public sector.
Zagreb suits remote and freelance workers, since the country is set up for them, but the rent means you want income that is already established rather than a first freelance year.
How far English gets you
English works in international offices, with younger people and in the centre of Zagreb, but shops, tradespeople and anything official will expect Croatian.
Zagreb rates 65/100 for English, broadly in line with Croatia as a whole at 60/100. There is a fuller breakdown on the English in Croatia page.
What day-to-day life leans on
The sea is part of ordinary life rather than a holiday here: Croatia scores 95/100 for coastal access in our model, which shows up in weekends, food and how people spend summer.
Schooling scores below the EU average here at 62/100, which is worth investigating properly if you are moving with children.
Worth weighing
Slow bureaucracy and a small local job market.
Zagreb is the cheapest of the cities we cover in Croatia. For comparison: Split (about EUR 610 a month).
City picked, country still open? See the full Croatia overview including cost of living, safety, healthcare and the path to residence, or compare Croatia with other EU countries.