Moving to Hungary from Croatia

moving to

What to Expect

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

If you moved from Croatia to Hungary, you would find that Hungary is 14.6% cheaper than Croatia overall. A HRK500,000 salary in Croatia would need to be roughly HUF20,600,000 in Hungary to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Hungarian.

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Is Hungary cheaper than Croatia?

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 18.1% less

Groceries

pay 0.6% less

Transportation

pay 9.2% less

Housing

pay 25.8% less

Childcare

pay 4.4% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 12.6% less

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 HRK = 48.23 HUF (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.

What salary do you need in Hungary?

What does your salary buy?

HRK500,000 → HUF20,600,000

To maintain the same standard of living in Hungary

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 Hungary cost about 10% less than cities in Croatia.

Croatia

Dubrovnik 49%
Zadar 44%

Hungary

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 Hungary.

Moved in 2023
99 ↓ 32% vs 2022

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

Who's moving to Hungary?

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

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

The numbers behind daily life in Hungary compared to Croatia.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

HR
0.7
HU
0.7
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

HR
8.1
HU
7.4

Croatia generally does better on safety, though Hungary 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
HU
$2,875
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

HR
39.1
HU
34.6

Croatia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Hungary 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
HU
42.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

HR
4.8t
HU
4.5t

Croatia generally does better on environment, though Hungary leads in co₂ emissions per capita.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

HR
29.6
HU
37.5
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

HR
1.5%
HU
8.1%

Hungary 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%
HU
4.5%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

HR
$27,104
HU
$25,907

Hungary generally does better on employment & economy, though Croatia 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
HU
76.7 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

HR
4.1
HU
3.1

Croatia generally does better on family life, though Hungary leads in infant mortality.

Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2021), Croatia Tax Administration (2016), National Tax and Customs Administration of Hungary (2016). How we calculate this

Weather in Hungary vs Croatia

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

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

Avg. annual high / low

Budapest Rain: 21.0 in/yr (534 mm)
60° / 44°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Zagreb Budapest
Jan–Mar 44°/29°F (7°/-2°C) 43°/31°F (6°/-1°C)
Apr–Jun 69°/48°F (21°/9°C) 71°/52°F (22°/11°C)
Jul–Sep 77°/55°F (25°/13°C) 78°/59°F (26°/15°C)
Oct–Dec 50°/35°F (10°/2°C) 49°/37°F (9°/3°C)
View all months
Month Zagreb Budapest
Jan 38°/25°F (3.1°/-4.0°C) 37°/27°F (2.6°/-3.0°C)
Feb 43°/28°F (6.1°/-2.5°C) 41°/29°F (5.1°/-1.8°C)
Mar 52°/34°F (11.3°/0.9°C) 51°/36°F (10.6°/2.0°C)
Apr 62°/41°F (16.4°/4.9°C) 63°/44°F (17.1°/6.8°C)
May 70°/49°F (21.3°/9.2°C) 72°/53°F (22.4°/11.5°C)
Jun 76°/55°F (24.6°/12.7°C) 78°/58°F (25.3°/14.4°C)
Jul 80°/58°F (26.7°/14.2°C) 82°/62°F (27.9°/16.4°C)
Aug 79°/57°F (26.2°/13.7°C) 81°/61°F (27.4°/16.0°C)
Sep 72°/51°F (22.3°/10.4°C) 72°/53°F (22.1°/11.8°C)
Oct 61°/42°F (16.2°/5.8°C) 61°/45°F (16.1°/7.0°C)
Nov 49°/35°F (9.3°/1.8°C) 47°/36°F (8.5°/2.3°C)
Dec 40°/29°F (4.4°/-1.9°C) 38°/29°F (3.2°/-1.7°C)

Data: Croatian Meteorological and Hydrological Service Croatian Meteorological and Hydrological Service, Hungarian Meteorological Service Hungarian Meteorological Service

Can you move from Croatia to Hungary?

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

Croatia passport

Croatia passport holder visiting Hungary

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

Hungary passport holder visiting Croatia

Visa Free
Hungary 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 Hungary than Croatia?

On average Hungary is about 15% less expensive than Croatia, with major cities narrowing the gap.

How much money do I need to move to Hungary?

Budget about HUF5,150,000 for 3 months in Hungary (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 Hungary?

Connectivity is usually fine (Hungary: 37.5 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Hungary offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?

Is Hungary safe for expats?

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

How is healthcare in Hungary compared to Croatia?

Croatia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Hungary leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 34.6 doctors per 10,000 people in Hungary, compared to 39.1 in Croatia. Hungary scores 79 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Croatia: 80).

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

The average high temperature in Budapest is 60°F, compared to 60°F in Zagreb. Budapest receives around 21.0 in of rainfall per year, while Zagreb gets 33.7 in.

What language do they speak in Hungary?

The official language in Hungary is Hungarian. In Croatia, the official language is Croatian.

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At a Glance

HR HU
Population 3,876,200 9,514,251
Currency Croatian Kuna (HRK) Hungarian Forint (HUF)
Languages Croatian Hungarian
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +385 +36
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 112