Moving to Croatia from China
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from China to Croatia — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from China to Croatia, you would find that Croatia is 81.9% more expensive than China overall. A CN¥500,000 salary in China would need to be roughly HRK911,000 in Croatia to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Croatian.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Croatia cheaper than China?
The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 3.4 times more
Groceries
pay 33.8% more
Transportation
pay 69.8% more
Housing
pay 2.4 times more
Childcare
pay 44.0% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 50.2% more
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
What salary do you need in Croatia?
What does your salary buy?
CN¥500,000 → HRK911,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Croatia
Calculate with your salary →Cost of living by city
Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).
On average, cities in Croatia cost about 55% more than cities in China.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from China to Croatia, and how the trend has changed.
Who's moving to Croatia?
Top countries of origin for Croatia's foreign-born residents.
- 381,100
- 48,170
- 31,783
- 18,432
- 9,462
- 5,815
- · · ·
-
24.417
China
Key Indicator Comparison
How China and Croatia stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
China generally does better on safety, though Croatia leads in road traffic deaths.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
China generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Croatia leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Croatia performs significantly better than China across all environment metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
China generally does better on infrastructure, though Croatia leads in water stress level.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
China generally does better on employment & economy, though Croatia leads in gdp per capita.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
percentage of adults who can read and write
Croatia generally does better on family life, though China leads in infant mortality.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), State Administration of Taxation (2016), Croatia Tax Administration (2016), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this
Weather in Croatia vs China
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Shanghai | Zagreb |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 49°/36°F (10°/2°C) | 44°/29°F (7°/-2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 73°/60°F (23°/16°C) | 69°/48°F (21°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 86°/74°F (30°/23°C) | 77°/55°F (25°/13°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 62°/47°F (17°/9°C) | 50°/35°F (10°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Shanghai | Zagreb |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 46°/33°F (7.7°/0.5°C) | 38°/25°F (3.1°/-4.0°C) |
| Feb | 47°/35°F (8.6°/1.5°C) | 43°/28°F (6.1°/-2.5°C) |
| Mar | 55°/41°F (12.7°/5.1°C) | 52°/34°F (11.3°/0.9°C) |
| Apr | 65°/51°F (18.6°/10.6°C) | 62°/41°F (16.4°/4.9°C) |
| May | 74°/60°F (23.5°/15.7°C) | 70°/49°F (21.3°/9.2°C) |
| Jun | 81°/69°F (27.2°/20.3°C) | 76°/55°F (24.6°/12.7°C) |
| Jul | 89°/77°F (31.6°/24.8°C) | 80°/58°F (26.7°/14.2°C) |
| Aug | 89°/76°F (31.5°/24.7°C) | 79°/57°F (26.2°/13.7°C) |
| Sep | 81°/69°F (27.2°/20.5°C) | 72°/51°F (22.3°/10.4°C) |
| Oct | 72°/58°F (22.3°/14.7°C) | 61°/42°F (16.2°/5.8°C) |
| Nov | 62°/47°F (16.7°/8.6°C) | 49°/35°F (9.3°/1.8°C) |
| Dec | 51°/36°F (10.6°/2.4°C) | 40°/29°F (4.4°/-1.9°C) |
Data:
China Meteorological Administration,
Croatian Meteorological and Hydrological Service
Can you move from China to Croatia?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between China and Croatia. To live, work, or study long-term in Croatia, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Croatia's immigration authority.
China passport holder visiting Croatia
Visa Required
Croatia passport holder visiting China
Visa FreeData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Croatia than China?
Day-to-day costs in Croatia run about 82% higher than China on average; specific cities can swing further.
How much money do I need to move to Croatia?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a CN¥500,000 comparable salary, that's around HRK227,750 in Croatia for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Croatia?
With 29.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Croatia can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in China and Croatia.
Is Croatia safe for expats?
China generally does better on safety, though Croatia leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in Croatia is 0.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.5 in China.
How is healthcare in Croatia compared to China?
China generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Croatia leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 39.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Croatia, compared to 31.1 in China. Croatia scores 80 on the WHO universal health coverage index (China: 81).
What's the weather like in Croatia compared to China?
The average high temperature in Zagreb is 60°F, compared to 68°F in Shanghai. Zagreb receives around 33.7 in of rainfall per year, while Shanghai gets 43.8 in.
What language do they speak in Croatia?
The official language in Croatia is Croatian. In China, the official language is Chinese.
