In this report you will find the complete overview of the costs of our vacation in Croatia. In addition, I have provided you with numerous examples of Prices in Croatia so that you get a feeling for the price level there.
Overall, we found Croatia surprisingly expensive, spending 573.53 euros per person during the eight days we spent there. Thus we had in Croatia a Daily average of 71.69 euros per person.
However, we only visited very touristy areas and additionally went sailing for a few days. I allocated the cost of sailing 40% each to accommodations and activities and 20% to transportation.
I have also collected for you some information about money in Croatia. I’ll enlighten you on what the official currency is and whether you can pay with the euro in Croatia as well. Let’s get started!
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Money: The currency in Croatia
Since July 2013 Croatia is a member of the European Union and therefore has to introduce the Euro as a means of payment according to the treaty requirements. Until now, however, the Croatian kuna is still the official currency and the introduction of the euro has not taken place (UpdateThe Euro will be introduced on 01 January 2009.01.Be introduced as legal tender in Croatia in 2023).
Although it is often possible to pay with the euro right now, especially in tourist regions in Croatia, you’ll get a comparatively poor exchange rate in that case. It is better to get Croatian kuna beforehand and use it for payment.
The easiest way is to withdraw money from an ATM to get Croatian kuna. I advise you not to exchange the money in a German bank or in a Croatian exchange office because of the worse exchange rates.
Tip for withdrawing money: When withdrawing, you are asked whether the debit should be in Euro or Kuna. It is better to choose Kuna, because then you will get the daily exchange rate. Indeed, when debited in euros, a fixed worse rate is applied, but many choose it because of the perceived security.
In addition, payment by debit and credit cards is widespread in Croatia. To be on the safe side, you should still have some cash with you in case cards are not accepted.
Money in Croatia: The currency in Croatia is the Kuna (HRK). At the moment you get for one Euro about 7,52 Croatian Kuna (as of: 02.01.2022). As Croatia is a member of the European Monetary System II since July 2020 in preparation for the introduction of the Euro, you can generally expect little fluctuation in exchange rates.
Our costs in Croatia for accommodation
For a total of eight nights in Croatia we paid 167.96 euros, which corresponds to 20.99 euros per person per day. A proud price, but for that our accommodations had also a good level.
In the three scheduled stops Zadar, Split and Dubrovnik we each had a small apartment with attached kitchen. In RaCišce we looked for a small room out of schedule, because during our sailing trip the swell was too strong and we couldn’t possibly sleep on the boat.
Some examples of accommodation in Croatia with prices
I did a little research for you on Booking and picked out some of the accommodations with the most and best reviews for our visited places.
The prices refer to the beginning of the low season in September and are always for two persons. I did not include dormitories, because we usually book double rooms and avoid shared rooms.
Accommodation in Zadar
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| From 30,00 Euro you can get a nice self-catering apartment just outside the old town. There are balconies with sea views on the upper floors. Due to excellent reviews, rooms here are rarely available.
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| If you like it more central, this accommodation with modern rooms from 35,00 Euro directly in the old town is the right choice for you.
Zadar sights in the old town
Accommodation in Split
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| Although a few kilometers from the old town, but just around the corner from the beach you pay just 35.00 euros for an accommodation that is praised in the reviews in the highest tones.
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| A rare find is this accommodation, which attracts with proximity to the old town as well as a price from 40.00 euros. There is also a fully equipped kitchen and a terrace.
Split sightseeing& Tips
Accommodation in KorCula
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| In Vela Luka these apartments with a beautiful roof terrace are already starting at 30,00 Euro per night.
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| On the outskirts of the city of KorCula you can stay with a good connection to public transport for 30,00 Euro.
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| Our favorite village on the island is RaCišce, where you can find this dreamlike accommodation with a view of the harbor starting at 54,00 Euro. Here comes real vacation feeling with deep relaxation on.
KorCula: The island in the Adriatic Sea
Accommodation in Dubrovnik
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| Very well equipped vacation apartment, which is only a few minutes away from the beach. You can reach the old town easily by bus. The apartments cost from 50,00 Euro per night.
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| This beautiful accommodation welcomes you in the heart of the old town from 70,00 Euro per night. A kitchen for self-catering is available.
Dubrovnik Sights
Our costs in Croatia for food
For our meal we paid per person 141,06 Euro for the whole period. Calculated on the day that is 17,63 Euro per person. We found this to be quite expensive as we often shopped and cooked ourselves. In fact, in the eight days we were out to eat only three times.
We were particularly surprised when we had to shell out just under €90 for a dinner for three of us in Vela Leka on KorCula without appetizers and desserts. We may have gotten a pretty touristy restaurant on this one, but we were still amazed at how quickly this sum added up.
Compared to the neighboring countries in the Balkans that we visited (z.B. Montenegro, Albania and Northern Macedonia), Croatia is really not cheap as far as restaurants and food are concerned.
Of course, the prices always depend very much on the region you are in. Generally, Istria as well as Dalmatia are considered particularly expensive. You can see this for example in the prices for a scoop of ice cream, which quickly doubles in the tourist strongholds.
Prices in Croatia for food / groceries
| Dinner incl. Drink for 2 persons | 25 – 60 Euro (depending on region |
| Food from the supermarket for breakfast | 5 – 10 Euro |
| Snacks | 1 – 3 Euro |
| Coffee | 2 – 3 Euro |
| 1 scoop of ice cream | 0,80 – 1,50 Euro |
Our costs in Croatia for entertainment
For going out and for alcohol we have per person 44,72 Euro paid. This makes an average of 5.59 euros per day. Again, we mostly got our drinks in supermarkets and were only out twice correctly.
A beer in a bar you get from about 2 Euro, but you can pay up to 7 Euro for it in the center of Dubrovnik. It is also worth looking out for happy hours, because you can get real bargains and there is usually a good atmosphere, because the corresponding location is well attended.
Cheaper are of course the local beers like Ozujsko or KarlovaCko. We especially liked the KarlovaCko as well. Hip bars also serve imported beer or craft beer, which is becoming increasingly popular in Croatia. For this you have to dig a little deeper into your pocket.
Prices in Croatia for alcoholic drinks
| Local beer in the supermarket | 1 euro |
| Local beer in the bar (0,5 l) | from 2 Euro |
| Home produced wine in the village (1 l) | 2 -4 Euro |
| Wine in the restaurant (0,2 l) | from 3 Euro |
| Gin and tonic at happy hour | from 2 Euro |
Our costs in Croatia for activities
Here is this time really what ran up and we have each 117,74 Euro spent. Converted to the day, this is 14.72 euros per person.
Of course, our costs for sailing are clearly reflected here, but we had to pull out our wallets for some entrance fees, especially in Dubrovnik.
Prices in Croatia for activities
| Entrance bell tower in Split | 3 euro |
| Entrance to the city wall in Dubrovnik | 20 Euro |
| Ferry to the island Lokrum with entrance fee | 17 euros |
Our costs in Croatia for transportation
In Croatia we noticed for the first time that buses in the Balkans are not cheap. In total, therefore, we paid for transportation in Croatia per person 85,28 Euro, which is 10,66 Euro per day.
Again, obviously the sailing is noticeable, but even otherwise you’ll need to budget an easy 10 euros for a two- to three-hour bus ride.
Prices in Croatia for transportation
| Bus from Zadar airport to the city center | 3,50 Euro |
| Bus from Zadar to Split | 11 – 15 euro |
| Cab for a 10 minute ride in Split | 8 Euro |
| Bus from RaCišce to KorCula | 3,50 Euro |
| Bus from KorCula to Dubrovnik | 16 Euro |
| Uber for a 10-minute ride in Dubrovnik | 6 Euro |
| Bus from Dubrovnik to Kotor (Montenegro) | 20 Euro |
Costs in Croatia for other
Everything that doesn’t fit anywhere else, you can find in this category, as always. In total we spent 16,77 Euro per person for miscellaneous, which is 2,10 Euro per day.
Most of the money went for a snorkel we treated ourselves to for exploring the Adriatic, but we also paid for new suntan lotion, toiletries, and anchoring fees from that money.
Our conclusion about the costs and prices in Croatia
Even if our costs in Croatia are not quite representative, because we simply visited many expensive destinations and also spent a lot of money on activities, I hope that this article can help you plan your own trip to Croatia.
Please keep in mind that Croatia has not yet adopted the Euro as its official currency and therefore prefer to pay with Croatian Kuna. Although it is now possible to pay with Euro in many regions in Croatia, you will usually receive a worse exchange rate. From the money saved you can rather go out for a tasty meal&
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More tips& Guides for your trip to Croatia
Frequently asked questions about the costs& Prices in Croatia
We found Croatia to be an expensive destination and had a daily budget over 70 euros per person. You can find all details in the article.
Even if Croatia is not a cheap destination, the prices for accommodation, dinner or even transport are on average 20 – 40 % lower than in Germany.
You can buy a local beer in the supermarket for about. 1 Euro and in the restaurant from 2 Euro. Imported beers are more expensive.
Even if I personally advise you to rather stop, this question reaches us again and again. Cigarette prices in Croatia are much lower than in Germany and you pay between 3 – 4 Euro for a pack.
Yes! Currently I advise you not to though, as you usually get a bad exchange rate. From 01.01.In 2023 the euro will be officially introduced. All information about the currency to pay in Croatia you can find in the article.
Croatia attractions: our top 15 for 2022 (+ map)
Istria Sights – Tips for your vacation in Croatia
Game of Thrones in Dubrovnik: all film locations& Film locations
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11 comments
Hi you two,
sounds like Croatia has become a bit more expensive since you are in the EU. Too bad. It used to be really cheap (especially eating out in restaurants).
LG Manu
I can imagine. However, one must also consider that we were exclusively in places frequented by tourists and also a few days on the sea with a sailboat rumgeschippert are. But especially eating out, we found quite expensive.
Love greetings
Chris
Yes, the prices in Croatia are clearly above the German level – the prices have risen massively in the last years – before the EURO comes they will surely devalue the currency once again.
We also paid the equivalent of 135 EUr for an average restaurant for lunch in Split in May 2018 for 4 people (in D Koblenz this would have cost us about 100 EUR)-whereby the quality was even a bit below the D level. So indeed not cheap.
That’s right! Where were you on the road? For us, especially the islands were quite expensive and the hotspots like Dubrovnik. Especially in comparison to the other countries of the Balkans, the prices are quite high. But nevertheless Croatia is a wonderful travel destination&
Greetings
Marie
Hey!
I am from Croatia and I am there every year, so I have some tips for you! In Croatia supermarkets are quite expensive, but this does not mean that it is more expensive than in DE. You have to note that in Croatia there is no factory farming u.a. there, therefore animal products are quite expensive, but in no case more expensive than products with similar quality in Germany. So if you want a cheap dinner, go bspw. go to a local fish restaurant. There are also local fast food restaurants, there we pay for a jumbo pizza, which you can not finish with four adults and two children 100 kuna (15 EUR). In fish restaurants you pay for a sea bass or a dorado (depending on what was just caught) 50-100 kuna depending on size. You just have to be careful not to fall into the typical tourist traps, but they exist in every country. Most of the time if you drive a bit out of the bigger towns you come to very good, cheap restaurants.
At noon you can’t recommend a big meal anyway because of the heat, so just go to the market and buy fresh tomatoes for a tomato soup. It also tastes much better than from the German tomatoes!
Locals eat mostly soups for lunch and then have a siesta like in Spain, because it is too hot. Sometimes we only have watermelon or other fruit in our house. There are roadside stands where you can buy a huge watermelon for approx. can get 40 Kuna. No matter what you buy, rather not in the supermarket, but from local merchants with stalls, then you get everything at a fraction of the price in Germany!
very dear thanks for your numerous tips& Since we are totally enthusiastic about Croatia, we will hopefully soon get to try them out on our next visit.
Love greetings
Chris
Am in Croatia right now. The food here is really overpriced and the quality, the freshness, is just not there. How the locals buy in Lidl, at prices that are higher than in Germany, is not understandable to me. I drive the whole coast with the family. In the villages there are rarely gardens, only the old people still plant something, there is really very little growing, although the land can be fertile. The boys squat in Europe on construction sites, remain only the tourists, where something is to hollen. The country is worth a visit, but with the one it will remain with me also for the time being.
thanks a lot for your words. Too bad you don’t like it so much in Croatia. I wish you nevertheless beautiful experiences for your remaining time in Croatia.