Moving to Croatia from Latvia

moving to

What to Expect

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

If you moved from Latvia to Croatia, you would find that Croatia is 21.7% more expensive than Latvia overall. A €67,000 salary in Latvia would need to be roughly HRK615,000 in Croatia to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Croatian. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Zagreb averages 60°F vs 50°F in Riga, making it significantly warmer.

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Is Croatia cheaper than Latvia?

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 22.1% more

Groceries

pay 6.7% more

Transportation

pay 6.1% more

Housing

pay 66.7% more

Childcare

pay 37.3% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 5.9% less

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 EUR = 7.54 HRK (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 Croatia?

What does your salary buy?

€67,000 → HRK615,000

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 21% more than cities in Latvia.

Latvia

Riga ★ 43%
Liepaja 40%
Jelgava 33%

Croatia

Dubrovnik 49%
Zadar 44%

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

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

Living there in 2020
23 ↓ 15% vs 2015

people born in Latvia live in Croatia · UN DESA

Who's moving to Croatia?

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

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

The numbers behind daily life in Croatia compared to Latvia.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

LV
2.5
HR
0.7
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

LV
9.8
HR
8.1

Croatia performs significantly better than Latvia across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

LV
$3,034
HR
$3,229
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

LV
34.0
HR
39.1

Latvia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Croatia leads in doctors per 10,000 people.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

LV
40.0
HR
31.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

LV
3.6t
HR
4.8t

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

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

LV
25.8
HR
29.6
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

LV
1.0%
HR
1.5%

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

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

LV
6.6%
HR
5.0%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

LV
$26,312
HR
$27,104

Croatia generally does better on employment & economy, though Latvia leads in top income tax rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

LV
76.4 yrs
HR
78.9 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

LV
2.2
HR
4.1

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

Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2021), State Revenue Service, Latvia (2016), Croatia Tax Administration (2016). How we calculate this

Weather in Croatia vs Latvia

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Riga Rain: 24.9 in/yr (633 mm)
50° / 36°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Riga Zagreb
Jan–Mar 31°/20°F (0°/-7°C) 44°/29°F (7°/-2°C)
Apr–Jun 60°/42°F (15°/6°C) 69°/48°F (21°/9°C)
Jul–Sep 67°/51°F (20°/11°C) 77°/55°F (25°/13°C)
Oct–Dec 41°/31°F (5°/0°C) 50°/35°F (10°/2°C)
View all months
Month Riga Zagreb
Jan 28°/18°F (-2.3°/-7.8°C) 38°/25°F (3.1°/-4.0°C)
Feb 29°/18°F (-1.7°/-7.6°C) 43°/28°F (6.1°/-2.5°C)
Mar 37°/24°F (2.7°/-4.7°C) 52°/34°F (11.3°/0.9°C)
Apr 50°/34°F (9.8°/1.0°C) 62°/41°F (16.4°/4.9°C)
May 61°/43°F (16.2°/5.9°C) 70°/49°F (21.3°/9.2°C)
Jun 68°/50°F (20.1°/10.0°C) 76°/55°F (24.6°/12.7°C)
Jul 71°/54°F (21.7°/12.3°C) 80°/58°F (26.7°/14.2°C)
Aug 70°/53°F (21.0°/11.8°C) 79°/57°F (26.2°/13.7°C)
Sep 61°/46°F (16.3°/8.0°C) 72°/51°F (22.3°/10.4°C)
Oct 51°/39°F (10.4°/4.0°C) 61°/42°F (16.2°/5.8°C)
Nov 39°/31°F (3.9°/-0.5°C) 49°/35°F (9.3°/1.8°C)
Dec 33°/24°F (0.3°/-4.4°C) 40°/29°F (4.4°/-1.9°C)

Data: Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre, Croatian Meteorological and Hydrological Service Croatian Meteorological and Hydrological Service

Can you move from Latvia to Croatia?

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Latvia 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.

Latvia passport

Latvia passport holder visiting Croatia

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

Croatia passport holder visiting Latvia

Visa Free
Croatia passport holders can enter Latvia 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 Croatia than Latvia?

On average Croatia is around 22% pricier than Latvia, with notable variation by city.

How much money do I need to move to Croatia?

Budget about HRK153,750 for 3 months in Croatia (based on a €67,000 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?

Croatia performs significantly better than Latvia across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Croatia is 0.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 2.5 in Latvia.

How is healthcare in Croatia compared to Latvia?

Latvia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Croatia leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 39.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Croatia, compared to 34.0 in Latvia. Croatia scores 80 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Latvia: 75).

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

The average high temperature in Zagreb is 60°F, compared to 50°F in Riga. Zagreb receives around 33.7 in of rainfall per year, while Riga gets 24.9 in.

What language do they speak in Croatia?

The official language in Croatia is Croatian. In Latvia, the official language is Latvian.

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At a Glance

LV HR
Population 1,847,785 3,876,200
Currency Euro (€) Croatian Kuna (HRK)
Languages Latvian Croatian
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +371 +385
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 112