Croatia: Cost of Living (Real Estate, Health Care, Residence Permit)

Croatia: Cost of Living
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00:00 Intro
00:53 Real estate in Croatia

The most significant cost you should consider is the cost of real estate in Croatia.
This in itself is divided into basically three categories, the seaside, Zagreb and the countryside of Croatia.
Real estate costs on the coast of Croatia are by far the highest in the country. Some parts are definitely more expensive than others, like Dubrovnik, which currently has the most expensive real estate prices in the country. Other cities on the coast like Split, Rovinj and Zadar are also notoriously expensive .

02:26 Groceries

Groceries in Croatia are comparable to other countries in the region, such as Slovenia, Hungary and even Austria.
As a full EU member, Croatia benefits from the free market to buy and sell goods from all parts of the bloc. This reflects on the availability of products you will find in Croatian supermarkets.

03:26 Going Out and Services

Going out and services in Croatia are slightly cheaper than Western Europe but even inside Croatia, there are significant differences.
Since salaries in Croatia are considerably lower than in Western Europe, any price that includes a service is often lower than in Western Europe, but that is not always the case.
On the Adriatic coast, and during season, you will find that prices are actually high, and comparable to Western European summer destinations like Italy or Spain.
Croatia is one of the closest countries with a large coastline for a huge number of European, such as those living in Slovakia, Hungary, Austria, Serbia, Czech Republic, etc.
Dubrovnik, just like when it comes to real estate, is the most expensive city to go out in Croatia.
In the rest of the country, including the capital Zagreb, prices are moderate and comparable to other Central European countries like Hungary and Slovenia.

04:30 Transportation

Regarding costs, it is quite cheap to travel inside and to Croatia. Ferries, buses and train tickets are usually very affordable.
Getting to the country can be also quite cheap with many low cost airlines flying to several Croatian cities, including Zagreb, Split, Rijeka and Dubrovnik.
In the capital Zagreb public transport is widely available and inexpensive. There are trams and buses in Zagreb, and there is not a single city with a metro system in the country.

05:31 Salaries in Croatia

Croatia has average salaries which are considered low for a number of European Union members, but it is comparable to other countries in the region like Slovenia, Hungary or Slovakia.

06:06 Cost of staying (visa, residence permit)

Now let’s talk about the cost of staying in Croatia.
That engulfs the price you pay to get a residence permit, in case you are a freelancer, or working for a company abroad, or a retiree, or a businessman.
If you are an EU citizen, the cost for getting a residence permit in Croatia is nearly negligible. All you have to do is go to our local police station, register your stay regardless of your purpose (may it be coming to study, work, to retire or just to enjoy Croatia) and that is it.
If you are a non-EU citizen, things are fairly more complicated. If you are a student or if you found a job in Croatia, there is not much mystery to that and costs are really low.
If you are a businessman, a digital nomad, or a retiree, things are complicated.
For digital nomads, you can get a one year non renewable permit, at a very low cost. The problem is that it is non renewable, you must leave the country for a few months before you can reapply for it. It does not lead to permanent residency or citizenship.
If you want to start a business in Croatia you will need to hire 3 Croatian or EU nationals to justify your residence permit. This is extremely costly, especially when you are a retiree for example and don’t want to have a high overhead or even run a business altogether.

07:27 Health insurance

All foreigners residing in Croatia need to have health insurance in order to get and renew their residence permits in the country.
If you are an EU citizen, you can use your EU health card for a while in the country. But, if you are not in the EU, you will have to enter the Croatian health insurance system (HZZO) in the first months of your stay.
If you are not coming to work, you will probably have to pay a one time fee of around 1000 euros to enter the social security system, and then a monthly fee. If you are coming to work, you don’t have to pay this initial fee and the monthly fee is deducted from your salary.

08:17 Final budget considerations

To sum up, the cost of living in Croatia is moderate for European standards. You can have a quite pleasant life if you earn 1500 euros per month or more.

Видео Croatia: Cost of Living (Real Estate, Health Care, Residence Permit) канала traveleconomics