Moving to Croatia from Portugal
What to Expect
Considering a move from Portugal to Croatia? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Portugal to Croatia, you would find that Croatia is 8.6% cheaper than Portugal overall. A €67,000 salary in Portugal would need to be roughly HRK461,000 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 69°F in Lisbon, making it significantly cooler.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Croatia cheaper than Portugal?
How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 6.1% more
Groceries
pay 3.9% less
Transportation
pay 7.8% less
Housing
pay 19.9% less
Childcare
pay 23.8% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 17.3% 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?
€67,000 → HRK461,000
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 8% less than cities in Portugal.
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 Portugal 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
- · · ·
-
56.46
Portugal
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Croatia compared to Portugal.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Portugal generally does better on safety, though Croatia leads in homicide rate.
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
Portugal generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Croatia leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Portugal performs better than Croatia across all environment metrics.
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
Portugal 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
Portugal generally does better on employment & economy, though Croatia leads in unemployment 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
percentage of adults who can read and write
Portugal generally does better on family life, though Croatia leads in literacy rate.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2021), Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira (2016), Croatia Tax Administration (2016). How we calculate this
Weather in Croatia vs Portugal
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Lisbon | Zagreb |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 61°/48°F (16°/9°C) | 44°/29°F (7°/-2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 71°/56°F (22°/13°C) | 69°/48°F (21°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 81°/63°F (27°/17°C) | 77°/55°F (25°/13°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 65°/53°F (18°/12°C) | 50°/35°F (10°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Lisbon | Zagreb |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 58°/47°F (14.5°/8.2°C) | 38°/25°F (3.1°/-4.0°C) |
| Feb | 60°/48°F (15.6°/9.0°C) | 43°/28°F (6.1°/-2.5°C) |
| Mar | 64°/50°F (17.6°/9.9°C) | 52°/34°F (11.3°/0.9°C) |
| Apr | 66°/52°F (19.1°/11.1°C) | 62°/41°F (16.4°/4.9°C) |
| May | 71°/55°F (21.7°/13.0°C) | 70°/49°F (21.3°/9.2°C) |
| Jun | 77°/60°F (24.8°/15.6°C) | 76°/55°F (24.6°/12.7°C) |
| Jul | 81°/63°F (27.4°/17.4°C) | 80°/58°F (26.7°/14.2°C) |
| Aug | 82°/64°F (27.9°/17.7°C) | 79°/57°F (26.2°/13.7°C) |
| Sep | 80°/63°F (26.4°/17.0°C) | 72°/51°F (22.3°/10.4°C) |
| Oct | 72°/58°F (22.4°/14.6°C) | 61°/42°F (16.2°/5.8°C) |
| Nov | 64°/52°F (17.8°/11.2°C) | 49°/35°F (9.3°/1.8°C) |
| Dec | 59°/48°F (14.8°/8.9°C) | 40°/29°F (4.4°/-1.9°C) |
Data:
Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera,
Croatian Meteorological and Hydrological Service
Can you move from Portugal to Croatia?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Portugal 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.
Portugal passport holder visiting Croatia
Visa Free
Croatia passport holder visiting Portugal
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 Portugal?
On average Croatia is about 9% less expensive than Portugal, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Croatia?
Budget about HRK115,250 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?
Portugal generally does better on safety, though Croatia leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in Croatia is 0.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.7 in Portugal.
How is healthcare in Croatia compared to Portugal?
Portugal generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Croatia leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 39.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Croatia, compared to 58.5 in Portugal. Croatia scores 80 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Portugal: 88).
What's the weather like in Croatia compared to Portugal?
The average high temperature in Zagreb is 60°F, compared to 69°F in Lisbon. Zagreb receives around 33.7 in of rainfall per year, while Lisbon gets 29.6 in.
What language do they speak in Croatia?
The official language in Croatia is Croatian. In Portugal, the official language is Portuguese.
