Moving to Australia from Croatia

moving to

What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Croatia to Australia — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Croatia to Australia, you would find that Australia is 70.4% more expensive than Croatia overall. A HRK495,042 salary in Croatia would need to be roughly A$130,892 in Australia to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Croatia to Australia.

What does your salary buy?

HRK495,042 A$130,892

To maintain the same standard of living in Australia

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 2.4% more

Groceries

pay 50.9% more

Transportation

pay 12.6% more

Housing

pay 54.4% more

Childcare

pay 3.6 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 2.1 times more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 HRK = 0.2179 AUD (July 2026)

Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.

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 Australia cost about 11% more than cities in Croatia.

Croatia

Dubrovnik 56%
Zadar 51%

Australia

Sydney 64%
Melbourne 60%
Perth 57%
Brisbane 57%
Adelaide 55%

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

Real numbers on people moving from Croatia to Australia, and how the trend has changed.

Moved in 2023
48 ↓ 8% vs 2022

people moved from Croatia to Australia · OECD (latest data available)

Who's moving to Australia?

Top countries of origin for Australia's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

How Croatia and Australia stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

per 100,000 people per year

HR
0.8
AU
0.8
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

HR
8.1
AU
4.5

Croatia generally does better on safety, though Australia leads in road traffic deaths.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

HR
$3,229
AU
$7,691
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

affects wait times and access to care

HR
36.1
AU
39.8

Australia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Croatia leads in healthcare spending per person.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

HR
31.0
AU
10.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

HR
4.8t
AU
14.1t

Croatia generally does better on environment, though Australia leads in air pollution deaths.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

HR
27.0
AU
35.1
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

HR
1.5%
AU
4.6%

Australia generally does better on infrastructure, though Croatia leads in water stress level.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

HR
6.1%
AU
3.7%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

HR
$41,300
AU
$59,500

Australia performs significantly better than Croatia across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

HR
77.2 yrs
AU
83.1 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

HR
8.7
AU
3.0

Australia performs significantly better than Croatia across all family life metrics.

Data: Croatia Tax Administration, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Zagreb Rain: 33.7 in/yr (856 mm)
60° / 42°F

Avg. annual high / low

Canberra Rain: 24.8 in/yr (629 mm)
67° / 44°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Zagreb Canberra
Jan–Mar 44°/29°F (7°/-2°C) 80°/54°F (26°/12°C)
Apr–Jun 69°/48°F (21°/9°C) 61°/39°F (16°/4°C)
Jul–Sep 77°/55°F (25°/13°C) 56°/35°F (13°/1°C)
Oct–Dec 50°/35°F (10°/2°C) 73°/47°F (23°/9°C)
View all months
Month Zagreb Canberra
Jan 38°/25°F (3.1°/-4.0°C) 82°/55°F (27.7°/13.0°C)
Feb 43°/28°F (6.1°/-2.5°C) 81°/55°F (27.0°/12.9°C)
Mar 52°/34°F (11.3°/0.9°C) 76°/51°F (24.4°/10.7°C)
Apr 62°/41°F (16.4°/4.9°C) 68°/44°F (19.8°/6.6°C)
May 70°/49°F (21.3°/9.2°C) 60°/38°F (15.4°/3.1°C)
Jun 76°/55°F (24.6°/12.7°C) 54°/34°F (12.1°/0.9°C)
Jul 80°/58°F (26.7°/14.2°C) 52°/32°F (11.2°/-0.2°C)
Aug 79°/57°F (26.2°/13.7°C) 55°/34°F (12.9°/1.0°C)
Sep 72°/51°F (22.3°/10.4°C) 61°/38°F (16.0°/3.1°C)
Oct 61°/42°F (16.2°/5.8°C) 67°/43°F (19.2°/6.0°C)
Nov 49°/35°F (9.3°/1.8°C) 72°/47°F (22.4°/8.5°C)
Dec 40°/29°F (4.4°/-1.9°C) 79°/52°F (26.0°/11.2°C)

Data: Croatian Meteorological and Hydrological Service Croatian Meteorological and Hydrological Service, Bureau of Meteorology Bureau of Meteorology

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Croatia and Australia. To live, work, or study long-term in Australia, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Australia's immigration authority.

Croatia passport

Croatia passport holder visiting Australia

Visa Online (e-Visa)
Croatia passport holders need to apply for an e-Visa before travelling to Australia.
Australia passport

Australia passport holder visiting Croatia

Visa Free
Australia passport holders can enter Croatia without a visa.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Australia than Croatia?

Day-to-day costs in Australia run about 21% higher than Croatia on average; specific cities can swing further.

How much money do I need to move to Australia?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a HRK495,042 comparable salary, that's around A$32,723 in Australia for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Australia?

With 35.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Australia can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Croatia and Australia.

Is Australia safe for expats?

Croatia generally does better on safety, though Australia leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in Australia is 0.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.8 in Croatia.

How is healthcare in Australia compared to Croatia?

Australia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Croatia leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 39.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Australia, compared to 36.1 in Croatia. Australia scores 87 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Croatia: 80).

What's the weather like in Australia compared to Croatia?

The average high temperature in Canberra is 67°F, compared to 60°F in Zagreb. Canberra receives around 24.8 in of rainfall per year, while Zagreb gets 33.7 in.

What language do they speak in Australia?

The official language in Australia is English. In Croatia, the official language is Croatian.

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At a Glance

HR AU
Population 4,188,853 26,141,369
Currency Croatian Kuna (HRK) Australian Dollar (A$)
Languages Croatian English
Driving side Right Left
Calling code +385 +61
Time zones 1 8
Emergency number 112 000