How much does it cost to spend a month splurging in Zagreb, Croatia? (2021 edition)

Time for another budget post!

After a winter isolating on the edge of the Swiss Alps, my next stop was Zagreb, Croatia – a place I’ve spent quite a bit of time over the years. I chose Croatia because of their new digital nomad visa and started my stay in Zagreb because it was still pandemic times and I felt that even if I had to self-isolate or got sick, I’d have access to everything I needed.

Now, normally Zagreb is a budget destination for me. But this time, I splurged. Got a nicer place in the center. Ordered lots of takeout. Had drinks on sunny patios more often than I normally would. The last time I was in Zagreb, I spent $1000 less, so if you’re on a budget, know that that is very doable as well. 

And now, into the budget!

Notes on my spending

Keep in mind that this budget was an intentional splurge. It was during covid and after a series of high stress life disasters and I promised myself that for April and May 2021, I would let go of my frugality a little bit while I was recovering. This meant more ordering in than usual, a pricier accommodation in a super cool part of town, etc. For a look at a more budget-friendly Zagreb stay, check out this post from 2018 (when I chose to rent a room instead of a full apartment and did less overall splurging).

Now, into this budget’s details.

For accommodations, I chose a spacious, comfortable studio apartment in the center of the Old Town. I chose it because A. it was on a pedestrian-only street (e.g. no car noise), B) it had a big balcony overlooking the pedestrian way (so nice for sunny mornings and I figured if we went into lockdown, I’d always have access to an outdoor space), and C) even though it was small, it looked so cozy. Typically, I try to keep my accommodation spending under $1,000 per month, but this month I bumped up my budget a bit.

Transportation includes a few bus and tram tickets, as well as my taxi ride from the airport into Zagreb.

My grocery bill included a lot of shopping at the fresh market by my house, the bio & bio store, and a little corner store I discovered at the end of the month that has good, freshly made tortillas. Eating and drinking out is higher than it typically would be because I did a ton of take-out and delivery (mostly sushi, biryani, and morning espressos).

Supplies includes things like toilet paper.

As usual, my entertainment budget came in at 0 because even when I’m splurging, my favorite activities either involve eating (as evidenced by my food budgets) or walking/hiking/cycling (free or reflected only by my transportation budget to get to the hikes).

Luna the traveling pooch’s line item includes beef from the farmers market (for her special diet) and a vet visit early in the month.

Health and wellness is a dental cleaning (577 kuna) and my monthly health insurance ($268).

The above spending does not include business expenses, charitable donations, or book and movie purchases, as those things are so specific to me that I’m not sure they’d be helpful for anyone else’s planning. I also excluded a few personal purchases, like a nice, new kitchen knife (the Airbnb ones sucked) and two new cushion covers for Luna’s travel carrier.

Have you stayed in Zagreb? How much did your trip cost?

Looking for more European budgets? Here they all are. 

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