Croatia
Zagreb: how much to budget
In Zagreb, plan around €42/day on the ground travelling cheap, or €728 for 7 nights per person mid-range, excluding flights.
- From
- €42/day
- vs Paris
- 69%
- Best month
- Aug
At a glance
Wikidata, Wikipedia and Open-Meteo data
- Population
- 767k
- Area
- 306 km²
- Elevation
- 127 m
- Language
- Croatian
- Currency
- EURO
- Time zone
- UTC+01:00
- Founded
- 1094
- Avg. July temp.
- 23°
- Avg. Jan. temp.
- 1°
- Rainy days / year
- 118
inhabitants
EURO
17° - 28°
-2° - 5°
About
Zagreb in brief
Zagreb is the capital and largest city of Croatia. It is in the north of the country, along the Sava River, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb stands near the international border between Croatia and Slovenia at an elevation of approximately 158 m (518 ft) above sea level. At the 2021 census, the city itself had a population of 767,131, while the population of the Zagreb metropolitan area is 1,086,528.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
InstantTripCost estimate
Full 7-night budget breakdown
Per-person estimate including flights from Paris, split across the six expense categories.
per person · Comfort
| Category | Budget | Comfort | Luxury |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flights | €187 | €220 | €330 |
| Hotel | €144 | €384 | €768 |
| Food | €210 | €462 | €1050 |
| Transport | €56 | €126 | €315 |
| Activities | €21 | €105 | €378 |
| Misc | €21 | €91 | €315 |
| 7-night total | €639 | €1388 | €3156 |
Flight from Paris (annual median).
Daily detail
Price overview for Zagreb
Three tiers to anchor you: what a budget traveler, a comfort traveler, and a premium traveler typically spend.
Budget
€62
per day, approx
- Hotel / night
- €24
- Meal
- €10
- Transit / day
- €8
Comfort
€148
per day, approx
- Hotel / night
- €64
- Meal
- €22
- Transit / day
- €18
Luxury
€323
per day, approx
- Hotel / night
- €128
- Meal
- €50
- Transit / day
- €45
Why visit
Why visit Zagreb
Zagreb is a European capital that is still cheap. Its cost index sits around 69% of Paris, and the low end is especially reachable: a well-rated hostel runs around €13 to €16 a night, a decent three-star €45 to €65. That is well below the Croatian coast, Dubrovnik first among them, whose summer prices bear no relation to the interior.
Two reflexes simplify the trip. First the currency: Croatia switched to the euro in 2023, so no more kuna and no exchange for a eurozone traveler, the listed prices are what you pay. Then the city's layout, which comes in two levels: the medieval upper town (Gornji Grad) with St. Mark's Church and its heraldic tiled roof, and the 19th-century lower town (Donji Grad), a grid of parks and museums you cover on foot.
Zagreb also cultivates a taste for offbeat museums, including the Museum of Broken Relationships, born here and now a global curiosity. Most cluster in the lower town, minutes apart.
For two people at mid-range comfort, plan roughly €90 to €130 a day excluding flights, a level few EU capitals still offer.
When to go
Weather & best time to visit
Average temperatures and conditions by month in Zagreb.
Best month to visitAugust
Where to sleep
Where to stay in Zagreb
Zagreb is compact: the upper town, lower town and station sit within walking distance. Price mostly follows proximity to Ban Jelačić Square, the heart, more than the neighborhood. Moving a few streets out is enough to bring the bill down.
Donji Grad (ville basse)
The 19th-century center, museums, parks and cafés, walkable from the main square. The widest choice, from dorm to hotel.
Gornji Grad - Kaptol (ville haute)
Old Zagreb on the hill, cobbled lanes, St. Mark's Church and the cathedral. Quieter and atmospheric, a little pricier.
Autour de la gare (Glavni kolodvor)
The station district, on the green belt of parks, handy and cheap, ten minutes on foot from the main square.
Hand-picked hotels
Where to stay in Zagreb
Accommodation picks by price range.
Funk Lounge Hostel
Hostel, decent (7.9/10), central neighborhood, well connected.
Hostel P16
Hostel, decent (7.1/10), central neighborhood, well connected.
Rooms 5
guesthouse, standard (5.4/10), central neighborhood, well connected.
City Break Rooms Zagreb
guesthouse, well rated (8.2/10), central neighborhood, well connected.
eazZynight Center Apartment
Hotel, rated excellent (9.2/10), central neighborhood, well connected.
Apartment Maja - Strict center of Zagreb
Hotel, rated excellent (9.5/10), central neighborhood, well connected.
THE City Lodge - Boutique Apartments
Hotel, rated excellent (9/10), central neighborhood, well connected.
Doma Zagreb Aparthotel
Hotel, very well rated (8.6/10), central neighborhood, well connected.
Admiral Hotel
Hotel, rated excellent (9.1/10), central neighborhood, well connected.
All observed hotels in Zagreb
24 properties, nightly rate for a 2-night stay arriving 15 October 2026.
| Hotel | Category | Rating | From / night |
|---|---|---|---|
| Funk Lounge Hostel | Budget | ★ 7.9 | €13 |
| Hostel P16 | Budget | ★ 7.1 | €14 |
| Rooms 5 | Budget | ★ 5.4 | €14 |
| HI Hostel Zagreb | Budget | ★ 7.8 | €16 |
| Chillout Hostel Zagreb | Budget | ★ 8.2 | €18 |
| Hostel Temza | Budget | ★ 8.3 | €19 |
| Whole Wide World Hostel | Budget | ★ 8.4 | €19 |
| Himalayan Hostel | Budget | ★ 7.9 | €19 |
| City Break Rooms Zagreb | Mid-range | ★ 8.2 | €42 |
| eazZynight Center Apartment | Mid-range | ★ 9.2 | €47 |
| Apartment Maja - Strict center of Zagreb | Mid-range | ★ 9.5 | €49 |
| DTA Hebrangova | Mid-range | ★ 8.9 | €52 |
| Good Grace Apartments | Mid-range | ★ 9.5 | €57 |
| Royal Central Apartments | Mid-range | ★ 8.6 | €58 |
| Come to M2 | Mid-range | ★ 9 | €59 |
| Studio apartment Frano | Mid-range | ★ 9.5 | €60 |
| THE City Lodge - Boutique Apartments | Luxury | ★ 9 | €78 |
| Doma Zagreb Aparthotel | Luxury | ★ 8.6 | €90 |
| Admiral Hotel | Luxury | ★ 9.1 | €93 |
| B&B View | Luxury | ★ 8.9 | €93 |
| Hotel Dubrovnik | Luxury | ★ 8.6 | €102 |
| Hilton Garden Inn Zagreb - Radnička | Luxury | ★ 8.8 | €107 |
| iNova | Luxury | ★ 9.4 | €113 |
| Stellar Boutique Modules by Maistra City Vibes | Luxury | ★ 9.3 | €118 |
Eating
Eating in Zagreb
Concrete benchmarks to set your meal budget, from the morning coffee to dinner.
Eating in Zagreb costs little. A daily special at a gostionica, a neighborhood tavern, runs around €8 to €12, and local staples like štrukli, a cheese-filled pastry, turn up everywhere at low prices. The Dolac market, just above the main square, lets you build a fresh-produce lunch for a few euros in the morning. A sit-down dinner with a drink comes to €15 to €25 a head, more only at the most sought-after spots.
Getting around
Moving around Zagreb
Transit, distances and the smart moves so you don't pay the tourist tax.
The center is entirely walkable, which cuts the transport bill from the start. Beyond that, the tram network is dense and cheap, with a single ticket of a few euros valid for an hour. The upper town is reached on foot by stairways, or by the funicular, one of the shortest in the world, for a token fare. From the airport, a shuttle bus serves the bus station for far less than a taxi.
To see, to do
Things to do in Zagreb
Recommended activities and tours.
St. Mark's Church in Zagreb
Church
Museum of Broken Relationships
Museum
Ban Jelačić Square
Square
St. Mark's Square
Square
Medvedgrad
Castle
Croatian Museum of Naïve Art
Art museum
Mimara Museum
Art museum
Basilica of the Heart of Jesus, Zagreb
Church
Art Pavilion in Zagreb
Art museum
Croatian Museum of Contemporary Art
Art museum
Places referenced on Wikidata. Admission prices vary by season - check each venue's official site.
Travel tips
6 ways to save
- The cost index is around 69% of Paris: on the ground, a mid-range day runs around €90 to €130 for two, excluding flights.
- A well-rated hostel runs around €13 to €16 a night, one of the best ratios among EU capitals.
- Zagreb is markedly cheaper than the coast, Dubrovnik included: pairing interior and coast balances the budget of a Croatia trip.
- Paying in euros avoids any exchange fee since the country adopted the currency in 2023.
- The Dolac market in the morning and neighborhood taverns let you eat for €8 to €12 a dish.
- The center is walkable and trams cost a few euros: transport stays minimal.
FAQ
FAQ - Zagreb
- How much does a week in Zagreb cost?
- For seven nights, plan roughly €350 to €550 per person on a budget (hostel, taverns, Dolac market), and around €850 to €1,200 at mid-range comfort with a three-star hotel, excluding flights.
- Is Zagreb an expensive destination?
- No: with a cost index around 69% of Paris, Zagreb remains one of the cheapest capitals in the European Union. Lodging, meals and transport are markedly more affordable than in Western Europe, and far cheaper than the Croatian coast like Dubrovnik in summer.
- What's the best time to visit Zagreb?
- Late spring (May to June) and early autumn (September) offer the best balance, with temperatures around 16 to 20°C. Summer is warm (around 23°C), winter cold, near 0°C, but carried by one of Europe's most celebrated Christmas markets. Rain is fairly evenly spread across the year.
- What currency is used in Zagreb?
- The euro. Croatia dropped the kuna for the euro in 2023, so no exchange to plan for a eurozone traveler. Contactless cards work everywhere in the city.
Similar budget
Destinations at a similar price
Cost index close to Zagreb.
Also in Croatia
Other destinations in Croatia
This destination is listed in