Moving to France from Croatia

moving to

What to Expect

Considering a move from Croatia to France? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.

If you moved from Croatia to France, you would find that France is 28.6% more expensive than Croatia overall. A HRK500,000 salary in Croatia would need to be roughly €85,400 in France to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in French.

Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓

How Far Will Your Money Go?

A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Croatia and France.

What does your salary buy?

HRK500,000 → €85,400

To maintain the same standard of living in France

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 28.9% more

Groceries

pay 44.4% more

Transportation

pay 24.4% more

Housing

pay 16.3% more

Childcare

pay 98.1% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 34.3% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 HRK = 0.1327 EUR (October 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 France cost about 24% more than cities in Croatia.

Croatia

Dubrovnik 49%
Zadar 44%

France

Paris ★ 64%
Cannes 64%
Antibes 61%

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

What the data shows about people moving from Croatia to France.

Moved in 2023
75 ↓ 54% vs 2022

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

Who's moving to France?

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

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

The numbers behind daily life in France compared to Croatia.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

HR
0.7
FR
1.3
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

HR
8.1
FR
4.7

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

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

HR
$3,229
FR
$6,868
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

HR
39.1
FR
32.8

Croatia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though France leads in health coverage index.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

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

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

HR
4.8t
FR
4.0t

France performs significantly better than Croatia across all environment metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

HR
29.6
FR
48.9
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

HR
1.5%
FR
21.4%

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

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

HR
5.0%
FR
7.5%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

HR
$27,104
FR
$48,986

Croatia generally does better on employment & economy, though France leads in gdp per capita.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

HR
78.9 yrs
FR
83.0 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

HR
4.1
FR
3.4

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

Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Croatia Tax Administration (2016), Direction Générale des Finances Publiques (2016). How we calculate this

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

Paris Rain: 25.6 in/yr (650 mm)
60° / 47°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Zagreb Paris
Jan–Mar 44°/29°F (7°/-2°C) 48°/38°F (9°/3°C)
Apr–Jun 69°/48°F (21°/9°C) 65°/50°F (18°/10°C)
Jul–Sep 77°/55°F (25°/13°C) 74°/58°F (23°/14°C)
Oct–Dec 50°/35°F (10°/2°C) 52°/43°F (11°/6°C)
View all months
Month Zagreb Paris
Jan 38°/25°F (3.1°/-4.0°C) 44°/36°F (6.9°/2.5°C)
Feb 43°/28°F (6.1°/-2.5°C) 47°/37°F (8.2°/2.8°C)
Mar 52°/34°F (11.3°/0.9°C) 53°/41°F (11.8°/5.1°C)
Apr 62°/41°F (16.4°/4.9°C) 58°/44°F (14.7°/6.8°C)
May 70°/49°F (21.3°/9.2°C) 66°/51°F (19.0°/10.5°C)
Jun 76°/55°F (24.6°/12.7°C) 71°/56°F (21.8°/13.3°C)
Jul 80°/58°F (26.7°/14.2°C) 76°/60°F (24.4°/15.5°C)
Aug 79°/57°F (26.2°/13.7°C) 76°/60°F (24.6°/15.4°C)
Sep 72°/51°F (22.3°/10.4°C) 69°/54°F (20.8°/12.5°C)
Oct 61°/42°F (16.2°/5.8°C) 60°/49°F (15.8°/9.2°C)
Nov 49°/35°F (9.3°/1.8°C) 51°/42°F (10.4°/5.3°C)
Dec 40°/29°F (4.4°/-1.9°C) 46°/38°F (7.8°/3.6°C)

Data: Croatian Meteorological and Hydrological Service Croatian Meteorological and Hydrological Service, Météo-France Météo-France

Visitor Visa Requirements

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

Croatia passport

Croatia passport holder visiting France

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

France passport holder visiting Croatia

Visa Free
France 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 France than Croatia?

On average France is around 29% pricier than Croatia, with notable variation by city.

How much money do I need to move to France?

Budget about €21,350 for 3 months in France (based on a HRK500,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from France?

Connectivity is usually fine (France: 48.9 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does France offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?

Is France safe for expats?

Croatia generally does better on safety, though France leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in France is 1.3 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.7 in Croatia.

How is healthcare in France compared to Croatia?

Croatia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though France leads in health coverage index. There are 32.8 doctors per 10,000 people in France, compared to 39.1 in Croatia. France scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Croatia: 80).

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

The average high temperature in Paris is 60°F, compared to 60°F in Zagreb. Paris receives around 25.6 in of rainfall per year, while Zagreb gets 33.7 in.

What language do they speak in France?

The official language in France is French. In Croatia, the official language is Croatian.

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At a Glance

HR FR
Population 3,876,200 68,720,337
Currency Croatian Kuna (HRK) Euro (€)
Languages Croatian French
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +385 +33
Time zones 1 14
Emergency number 112 112