There are many things to consider when deciding which city to live in in Croatia. The key items to consider being lifestyle, work and property availability/ price.

Firstly, you need to decide what attracted you to Croatia, was it the beautiful sea, the historic builders, the European culture or the pomalo (slow) living. Zagreb is the capital of Croatia and definitely the European hub of Croatia. It has the vibes of a busy but stylish city, where everyone is in a rush to get somewhere but sometimes people thrive and enjoy the excitement of always having somewhere to be. Cities like Dubrovnik, Split and Rijeka are a lot more relaxed and pomalo, which can make you feel like days are sometimes on repeat, from sitting with your friends having coffee daily or simple strolls through the town.

A big factor that will need to be considered when moving to Croatia is whether you are a digital nomad or looking for work in Croatia. The average monthly wage in Croatia is estimated at 1,150 euros but is significantly lower along the coastal towns as the work is seasonal. It is normal for employees to work during the summer in a tourism or hospitality role starting from around April/May and ending in September/October. You can still find regular jobs in these cities but they are far and few and lower salaries compared to Zagreb.

In Zagreb there are more opportunities in a regular corporate role as most businesses have set up their head offices in this location. In the last few years, Zagreb has become more affordable to live in compared to Split and Dubrovnik as more of the apartments and houses along the coast are being used as tourism lets, therefore it's hard to find a long term rental. Deciding whether you want to buy or rent in Croatia is another factor to consider when moving as the prices and availability of properties vary between each city.

My personal recommendation would be to try out Croatia for atleast 6 months by hopping between cities and getting a feel for where you think you would want to live, buy or rent. If you would like a better understanding on which city suits you and help finding the right property to buy or rent, feel free to complete the below form and we will get back to you!