Moving to Croatia from Ukraine
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Ukraine to Croatia — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Ukraine to Croatia, you would find that Croatia is 2.3 times more expensive than Ukraine overall. A UAH3,340,036 salary in Ukraine would need to be roughly HRK830,126 in Croatia to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Croatian.
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What to expect for your wallet after moving from Ukraine to Croatia.
What does your salary buy?
UAH3,340,036 → HRK830,126
To maintain the same standard of living in Croatia
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 3.6 times more
Groceries
pay 71.4% more
Transportation
pay 2.5 times more
Housing
pay 3.1 times more
Childcare
pay 54.8% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 2.5 times 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.
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 90% more than cities in Ukraine.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Ukraine to Croatia, based on official data.
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
- · · ·
-
18.711
Ukraine
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Ukraine to Croatia.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Croatia performs significantly better than Ukraine 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 Ukraine 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
Ukraine generally does better on environment, though Croatia leads in air pollution deaths.
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
Croatia generally does better on infrastructure, though Ukraine leads in internet access.
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
Ukraine 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
Ukraine generally does better on family life, though Croatia leads in life expectancy.
Data: Ministry of Revenue and Duties of Ukraine, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Kiev | Zagreb |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 36°/25°F (2°/-4°C) | 44°/29°F (7°/-2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 68°/51°F (20°/10°C) | 69°/48°F (21°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 76°/58°F (24°/14°C) | 77°/55°F (25°/13°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 43°/33°F (6°/1°C) | 50°/35°F (10°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Kiev | Zagreb |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31°/22°F (-0.7°/-5.5°C) | 38°/25°F (3.1°/-4.0°C) |
| Feb | 33°/23°F (0.8°/-5.0°C) | 43°/28°F (6.1°/-2.5°C) |
| Mar | 44°/31°F (6.5°/-0.8°C) | 52°/34°F (11.3°/0.9°C) |
| Apr | 59°/42°F (15.1°/5.7°C) | 62°/41°F (16.4°/4.9°C) |
| May | 70°/52°F (21.1°/10.9°C) | 70°/49°F (21.3°/9.2°C) |
| Jun | 76°/59°F (24.6°/14.8°C) | 76°/55°F (24.6°/12.7°C) |
| Jul | 80°/62°F (26.6°/16.6°C) | 80°/58°F (26.7°/14.2°C) |
| Aug | 79°/60°F (25.9°/15.7°C) | 79°/57°F (26.2°/13.7°C) |
| Sep | 68°/51°F (20.0°/10.6°C) | 72°/51°F (22.3°/10.4°C) |
| Oct | 55°/41°F (12.9°/5.1°C) | 61°/42°F (16.2°/5.8°C) |
| Nov | 42°/33°F (5.3°/0.3°C) | 49°/35°F (9.3°/1.8°C) |
| Dec | 33°/26°F (0.5°/-3.5°C) | 40°/29°F (4.4°/-1.9°C) |
Data:
Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Center,
Croatian Meteorological and Hydrological Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Ukraine 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.
Ukraine passport holder visiting Croatia
Visa Free
Croatia passport holder visiting Ukraine
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 Ukraine?
No — Croatia is on average about 68% more expensive than Ukraine. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Croatia?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly HRK207,532 in Croatia on a UAH3,340,036 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Croatia?
Internet is rarely the blocker — Croatia has 27.0 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 Croatia safe for expats?
Croatia performs significantly better than Ukraine across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Croatia is 0.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 3.8 in Ukraine.
How is healthcare in Croatia compared to Ukraine?
Croatia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Ukraine leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 36.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Croatia, compared to 29.9 in Ukraine. Croatia scores 80 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Ukraine: 76).
What's the weather like in Croatia compared to Ukraine?
The average high temperature in Zagreb is 60°F, compared to 56°F in Kiev. Zagreb receives around 33.7 in of rainfall per year, while Kiev gets 23.8 in.
What language do they speak in Croatia?
The official language in Croatia is Croatian. In Ukraine, the official language is Ukrainian.
