Moving to Italy from Croatia

moving to

What to Expect

Everything you need to know before relocating from Croatia to Italy — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.

If you moved from Croatia to Italy, you would find that Italy is 19.7% more expensive than Croatia overall. A HRK494,038 salary in Croatia would need to be roughly €73,097 in Italy to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Catalan and Italian.

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

How Far Will Your Money Go?

What to expect for your wallet after moving from Croatia to Italy.

What does your salary buy?

HRK494,038 €73,097

To maintain the same standard of living in Italy

Calculate with your salary →

Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day

Restaurants

pay 4.1% more

Groceries

pay 38.1% more

Transportation

pay 10.1% more

Housing

pay 7.6% more

Childcare

pay 58.2% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 14.2% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 HRK = 0.1327 EUR (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 Italy cost about 4% more than cities in Croatia.

Croatia

Dubrovnik 56%
Zadar 51%

Italy

Milan 69%
Varese 59%
Venice 59%
Monza 59%
Rome 57%

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

How many people actually move from Croatia to Italy, based on official data.

Moved in 2023
502 ↓ 9% vs 2022

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

Who's moving to Italy?

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

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Croatia to Italy.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

per 100,000 people per year

HR
0.8
IT
0.6
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

HR
8.1
IT
5.0

Italy performs significantly better than Croatia across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

HR
$3,229
IT
$4,993
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

HR
36.1
IT
42.5

Italy 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
IT
15.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

HR
4.8t
IT
5.1t

Croatia generally does better on environment, though Italy 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
IT
31.5
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

HR
1.5%
IT
29.6%

Croatia generally does better on infrastructure, though Italy leads in broadband per 100 people.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

HR
6.1%
IT
7.6%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

HR
$41,300
IT
$52,700

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

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

HR
77.2 yrs
IT
82.6 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

HR
8.7
IT
3.2

Croatia generally does better on family life, though Italy leads in life expectancy.

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

Rome Rain: 31.7 in/yr (804 mm)
69° / 50°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Zagreb Rome
Jan–Mar 44°/29°F (7°/-2°C) 56°/39°F (13°/4°C)
Apr–Jun 69°/48°F (21°/9°C) 72°/53°F (22°/11°C)
Jul–Sep 77°/55°F (25°/13°C) 85°/63°F (29°/17°C)
Oct–Dec 50°/35°F (10°/2°C) 62°/45°F (17°/7°C)
View all months
Month Zagreb Rome
Jan 38°/25°F (3.1°/-4.0°C) 53°/38°F (11.9°/3.1°C)
Feb 43°/28°F (6.1°/-2.5°C) 55°/38°F (13.0°/3.5°C)
Mar 52°/34°F (11.3°/0.9°C) 59°/41°F (15.2°/5.2°C)
Apr 62°/41°F (16.4°/4.9°C) 64°/46°F (17.7°/7.5°C)
May 70°/49°F (21.3°/9.2°C) 73°/53°F (22.8°/11.6°C)
Jun 76°/55°F (24.6°/12.7°C) 80°/60°F (26.9°/15.3°C)
Jul 80°/58°F (26.7°/14.2°C) 87°/64°F (30.3°/18.0°C)
Aug 79°/57°F (26.2°/13.7°C) 87°/65°F (30.6°/18.3°C)
Sep 72°/51°F (22.3°/10.4°C) 80°/59°F (26.5°/15.2°C)
Oct 61°/42°F (16.2°/5.8°C) 71°/52°F (21.4°/11.3°C)
Nov 49°/35°F (9.3°/1.8°C) 61°/44°F (15.9°/6.9°C)
Dec 40°/29°F (4.4°/-1.9°C) 55°/40°F (12.6°/4.2°C)

Data: Croatian Meteorological and Hydrological Service Croatian Meteorological and Hydrological Service, Italian Air Force- Department of Meteorology Italian Air Force- Department of Meteorology

Visitor Visa Requirements

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

Croatia passport

Croatia passport holder visiting Italy

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

Italy passport holder visiting Croatia

Visa Free
Italy 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 Italy than Croatia?

No — Italy is on average about 11% more expensive than Croatia. City-level variation matters.

How much money do I need to move to Italy?

Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly €18,274 in Italy on a HRK494,038 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).

Can I work remotely from Italy?

Internet is rarely the blocker — Italy has 31.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.

Is Italy safe for expats?

Italy performs significantly better than Croatia across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Italy is 0.6 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.8 in Croatia.

How is healthcare in Italy compared to Croatia?

Italy generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Croatia leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 42.5 doctors per 10,000 people in Italy, compared to 36.1 in Croatia. Italy scores 84 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Croatia: 80).

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

The average high temperature in Rome is 69°F, compared to 60°F in Zagreb. Rome receives around 31.7 in of rainfall per year, while Zagreb gets 33.7 in.

What language do they speak in Italy?

The official languages in Italy are Catalan and Italian. In Croatia, the official language is Croatian.

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At a Glance

HR IT
Population 4,188,853 61,095,551
Currency Croatian Kuna (HRK) Euro (€)
Languages Croatian Catalan, Italian
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +385 +39
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 112