Moving to Croatia from Japan
What to Expect
Considering a move from Japan to Croatia? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Japan to Croatia, you would find that Croatia is 15.5% more expensive than Japan overall. A ¥12,000,000 salary in Japan would need to be roughly HRK588,000 in Croatia to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Croatian. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Croatia cheaper than Japan?
How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 99.4% more
Groceries
pay 24.1% less
Transportation
pay 9.9% more
Housing
pay 33.4% more
Childcare
pay 20.6% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 0.6% 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?
¥12,000,000 → HRK588,000
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 24% more than cities in Japan.
Compare cities head-to-head
Get free moving quotes to Croatia
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Japan to Croatia.
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
- · · ·
-
52.50
Japan
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Croatia compared to Japan.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Japan performs better than Croatia across all safety metrics.
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
Croatia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Japan leads in health coverage index.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Japan generally does better on environment, though Croatia leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
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
Japan 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
Japan generally does better on employment & economy, though Croatia leads in top income tax rate.
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
Japan generally does better on family life, though Croatia leads in education spending.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), National Tax Agency Japan (2016), Croatia Tax Administration (2016), The World Factbook (2013). How we calculate this
Weather in Croatia vs Japan
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Tokyo | Zagreb |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 53°/37°F (12°/3°C) | 44°/29°F (7°/-2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 73°/58°F (23°/14°C) | 69°/48°F (21°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 85°/72°F (30°/22°C) | 77°/55°F (25°/13°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 63°/49°F (17°/9°C) | 50°/35°F (10°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Tokyo | Zagreb |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 50°/34°F (9.8°/1.2°C) | 38°/25°F (3.1°/-4.0°C) |
| Feb | 52°/36°F (10.9°/2.1°C) | 43°/28°F (6.1°/-2.5°C) |
| Mar | 58°/41°F (14.2°/5.0°C) | 52°/34°F (11.3°/0.9°C) |
| Apr | 67°/50°F (19.4°/9.8°C) | 62°/41°F (16.4°/4.9°C) |
| May | 74°/58°F (23.6°/14.6°C) | 70°/49°F (21.3°/9.2°C) |
| Jun | 79°/65°F (26.1°/18.5°C) | 76°/55°F (24.6°/12.7°C) |
| Jul | 86°/72°F (29.9°/22.4°C) | 80°/58°F (26.7°/14.2°C) |
| Aug | 88°/74°F (31.3°/23.5°C) | 79°/57°F (26.2°/13.7°C) |
| Sep | 82°/69°F (27.5°/20.3°C) | 72°/51°F (22.3°/10.4°C) |
| Oct | 72°/59°F (22.0°/14.8°C) | 61°/42°F (16.2°/5.8°C) |
| Nov | 62°/48°F (16.7°/8.8°C) | 49°/35°F (9.3°/1.8°C) |
| Dec | 54°/39°F (12.0°/3.8°C) | 40°/29°F (4.4°/-1.9°C) |
Data:
Japan Meteorological Agency,
Croatian Meteorological and Hydrological Service
Can you move from Japan to Croatia?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Japan 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.
Japan passport holder visiting Croatia
Visa Free
Croatia passport holder visiting Japan
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 Japan?
On average Croatia is around 16% pricier than Japan, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Croatia?
Budget about HRK147,000 for 3 months in Croatia (based on a ¥12,000,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Croatia?
Connectivity is usually fine (Croatia: 29.6 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Croatia offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Croatia safe for expats?
Japan performs better than Croatia across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Croatia is 0.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.2 in Japan.
How is healthcare in Croatia compared to Japan?
Croatia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Japan leads in health coverage index. There are 39.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Croatia, compared to 26.5 in Japan. Croatia scores 80 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Japan: 83).
What's the weather like in Croatia compared to Japan?
The average high temperature in Zagreb is 60°F, compared to 69°F in Tokyo. Zagreb receives around 33.7 in of rainfall per year, while Tokyo gets 62.9 in.
What language do they speak in Croatia?
The official language in Croatia is Croatian. In Japan, the official language is Japanese.
