Living in Zagreb, Croatia
Zagreb is a mid-sized city in Croatia (250,000 to 1 million people in the city proper). It has a mild climate, averaging 12°C over the year with about 892 mm of rain. We estimate a couple needs about €2,777 a month to live centrally, and Croatia sits in our low to medium tax tier. For citizens from outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland, long-term residency in Croatia is possible, with conditions, with a self-funded route from about $4,215 a month in income.
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- Est. cost
- €2,777
- a month for a couple
- Tax tier
- Low to medium
- personal income tax
- Climate
- 12°C
- 892 mm rain a year
- Size
- Mid-sized
- 250,000 to 1 million people
- Safety
- 80/100
- country-level
- Internet
- ~70 Mbps
- median fixed broadband
- Residency
- Possible, with conditions
- outside free-movement blocs
What stands out about Zagreb
- Safer than 95% of the cities we compare
Safety and stability
Croatia scores 80 out of 100 on safety, safer than 95% of the cities we compare. Its EIU Democracy Index score is 6.5 out of 10.
Source: Our own country-level safety estimate (0 to 100, higher is safer), shared by every city in Croatia. Stability: EIU Democracy Index.
Climate
Zagreb averages 12°C across the year with about 892 mm of rain, which makes it mild and moderately wet. It is warmer than 20% of the 1225 cities we track, and it sits near the coast.
Source: Temperature from the Open-Meteo historical weather archive, daily means for 2019 to 2023; rainfall from TerraClimate (University of Idaho) 1991 to 2020 normals. Annual averages; monthly breakdowns are not in our dataset yet.
Internet and remote work
Median fixed broadband in Croatia runs at about 70 Mbps, faster than 25% of the cities we compare.
Source: Ookla Speedtest Global Index, median fixed broadband download speed, country-level.
Residency and visas
Possible, with conditions, for people from outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland. Realistic long-term residency runs through skilled employment or an EU Blue Card and the self-employment/company route; the self-funded digital-nomad permit grants a stay but caps at 18 months and does not count toward permanent residence, and Croatia deliberately offers no golden-visa investment option.
Citizens of the EU, EEA and Switzerland have freedom-of-movement or simplified residency rights here.
The cheapest self-funded routes we track for Croatia:
- Income: about $4,215 a month (Croatia digital nomad temporary-stay permit, EUR 3,622.50/mo (official MUP 2026 figure = 2.5x the prior-year average net salary, per Narodne novine 3/26); self-funded remote work for a non-Croatian employer; converted at EUR/USD 1.1637 on 2026-06-02; as of June 2026)
For short visits, 93 of 198 passports can enter visa-free and 105 need a visa in advance.
Source: OurNextCity residency dataset, hand-reviewed approximations researched against published immigration rules, figures as of June 2026. Not legal advice: check the official source before you apply. Short-stay entry from the passport-index dataset (ilyankou, MIT).
Language and culture
Main languages: Croatian, English. English proficiency: some. Social openness scores 64 out of 100.
Source: EF English Proficiency Index (country-level); social openness is our secularism and tolerance composite.
Taxes
Croatia sits in our low to medium tax tier: moderate personal income tax. We use three tiers (zero or very low, low to medium, high) and apply them to every city in the country.
Taxes are a dealbreaker filter in OurNextCity: a couple who caps tax at zero or very low will not see Zagreb in their results.
Source: OurNextCity tax tiers, assigned by hand from each country's top marginal personal income tax rate and overall tax reputation, with no fixed rate cut-offs. Country-level and coarse by design; not tax advice.
Cost of living
We estimate a couple needs about €2,777 a month to live centrally in Zagreb, 2% above the €2,729 median across the 900 cities we compare. That makes it more affordable than 43% of them.
Source: OurNextCity model: a country-level cost index (New York = 100) scaled up for larger cities. An estimate for comparing cities, not a budget.
Healthcare
Croatia scores 64 out of 100 for healthcare, stronger than 45% of the cities we compare.
Source: Our own country-level healthcare estimate (0 to 100), shared by every city in Croatia.
Questions couples ask about Zagreb
Is Zagreb a good place to live for couples?
It depends on what the two of you weigh most. Compared with the other cities we track, Zagreb scores well on safety and English. It is weaker on internet speed. Expect a mild, moderately wet climate (12°C average). OurNextCity has each partner answer 12 questions privately, then ranks Zagreb and 914 other cities for both of you at once.
How much does it cost a couple to live in Zagreb?
We estimate about €2,777 a month for a couple living centrally, 2% above the €2,729 median across the cities we compare. It is a model estimate from a country-level cost index adjusted for city size, so use it to compare cities rather than to set a budget.
What are taxes like in Zagreb?
Croatia is in our low to medium tax tier (moderate personal income tax). Tiers are country-level and deliberately coarse: zero or very low, low to medium, and high. Couples who make zero or very low tax a must-have will not see Zagreb in their results.
Can foreigners live in Croatia long term?
Citizens of the EU, EEA and Switzerland have freedom-of-movement or simplified residency rights. Our assessment for everyone else: possible, with conditions. Realistic long-term residency runs through skilled employment or an EU Blue Card and the self-employment/company route; the self-funded digital-nomad permit grants a stay but caps at 18 months and does not count toward permanent residence, and Croatia deliberately offers no golden-visa investment option. The cheapest self-funded routes we track: income, about $4,215 a month (as of 2026-06).
What is the weather like in Zagreb?
Zagreb averages 12°C across the year with about 892 mm of rain, which makes it mild and moderately wet. It is warmer than 20% of the cities we track.
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