The capital metropolis of Croatia is a full of life, historic, vibrant, and enjoyable place to spend a while. In the event you’re considering of residing in Zagreb, prepare for an expertise like no different; this place is filled with issues to see and do, and also you’ll in all probability by no means need to go away. I do know I didn’t.
In January 2021, Croatia’s digital nomad visa opened the doorways for extra individuals to spend time on this stunning nation. For me, it’s top-of-the-line locations on this planet; the surroundings, seashores, tradition, meals, and pleasant locals are second to none. However as a digital nomad residing in Zagreb, you’ll have to know what to anticipate earlier than you go.
Handily, I can share my experiences so you’ll be able to guarantee a clean keep on this stunning metropolis.
About Zagreb
Zagreb is each the capital and largest metropolis in Croatia. It’s positioned within the north of the nation, not removed from the border with Slovenia. It’s a really fairly metropolis too, standing on the banks of the Sava River, with the large Medvednica mountain looming within the close to distance.
In the event you’re a historical past lover, you’re certain to benefit from the metropolis’s wealthy Roman previous. There are numerous ruins across the metropolis, together with the Roman Andautonia, and Zagreb as an entire is full of historic nods, as the entire metropolis got here to be in 1134.
However it’s not all historical past. Zagreb is full of modern-day enjoyable too, together with nightlife, gastronomy, purchasing, and artwork. The encompassing space can be filled with must-visit locations, with climbing trails within the Medvednica mountain and Veternica Cave, full of archaeological wonders.
Digital Nomad in Zagreb: Private Expertise
For me, the wonderful thing about life in Zagreb is that it’s extra genuine than many different elements of the nation. In the event you go to a seaside vacation spot, like Break up or Dubrovnik, certain, you’ll see native life, however not like you’ll be able to in Zagreb. I felt welcomed by the locals within the capital metropolis, and by the top of my time there, I actually felt like I’d skilled the actual Croatia.
Zagreb is a superb spot for digital nomads. I by no means had any points with the WiFi, I met numerous different distant employees and located many coworking areas and cafes to work from.
There’s loads to see and do in and across the metropolis too. Your days off won’t ever be boring, and so far as meals goes, you’ll have an unimaginable selection accessible to you.
Is Zagreb Secure?
When eager about residing in Zagreb as a digital nomad, or wherever new, one in every of your first issues is probably going security. The excellent news is that Zagreb is a protected metropolis. I by no means as soon as felt unnerved or unsafe throughout my time there, even at evening. That being mentioned, it is a capital metropolis, so it’s advisable to at all times use your widespread sense, particularly in crowded areas.
Together with ordinary precautions when visiting any new vacation spot, watch your bag within the metropolis middle, as there’ll at all times be opportunistic pickpockets once in a while. Aside from that, Zagreb is fairly protected throughout, and so far as capitals go, I felt very safe right here.
Greatest Areas to Stay in Zagreb
When residing in Zagreb, it’s essential to decide on the best neighborhood. Not solely does this imply you’re extra more likely to have a greater time since you’re near what you need to see, however you’ll save money too. Listed here are my suggestions.
1. Decrease City/Donji Grad
I feel the Donji Grad space is a superb spot for digital nomads and I stayed right here myself. That is within the central a part of town, so that you’re near every part, together with cafes and coworking spots. It’s additionally an important place for assembly different distant employees.
Nonetheless, it’s not all hustle and bustle as there are some nice parks to calm down in throughout the summer time months. The lease costs listed here are fairly common too, contemplating it’s such a central space.
2. Higher City/Gornji Grad
Gornji Grad is the higher a part of town middle, and that is one other nice space for distant employees. There’s a really full of life digital nomad neighborhood round this space, which means that it’s nice for networking and assembly different like-minded individuals.
In the event you’re a Zagreb digital nomad who’s into historical past, staying right here places you proper within the coronary heart of it. That is the medieval a part of town, so that you’ll discover stunning structure in all places you look. Regardless of its historical past, there’s nonetheless loads of modern-day enjoyable available with numerous cafes, bars, eating places, and purchasing alternatives.
3. Maksimir
In the event you favor a bit extra peace and quiet, Maksimir is an efficient selection. You’ll discover an enormous park right here—the biggest within the metropolis—and loads of cafes.
Maksimir has a extra laid-back really feel, for my part, nevertheless it’s additionally house to town’s soccer stadium so it may possibly get slightly loud throughout house video games. You can say that Maksimir is extra suburban, nevertheless it’s nonetheless inside very straightforward attain of town middle.
4. Šalata
In the event you’re working remotely in Zagreb and are searching for a extra luxurious place to remain, Šalata is value contemplating. Right here, you’ll discover giant homes, residences, and even villas. Nonetheless, you’ll pay extra for lease on this space.
In case you have the finances, I’d suggest this neighborhood to anybody who enjoys artwork and music. There’s a thriving arts scene on this space and common festivals and occasions are held all through the summer time months.
The way to Discover Lodging in Zagreb
The most important hurdle for digital nomads, wherever on this planet you’re, is discovering lodging to fit your wants and finances. Listed here are my high picks on the place to discover a place to remain in Zagreb.
1. Airbnb: There’s a variety of nice lodging accessible on Airbnb, and plenty of locations settle for long-term stays. I stayed in an house for a month this fashion, and I managed to save lots of on the common worth of lease throughout town. The one draw back is if you wish to keep within the metropolis middle—Airbnb listings are usually extra suburban.
2. Reserving.com: You’ll discover a wide range of hostels, motels, and serviced lodging at good costs on reserving.com. Once I first arrived in Zagreb, I stayed in a hostel I booked via this website, and I used to be very pleased with my selection.
3. Enquire at coworking areas: In the event you inquire with different distant employees and employees at coworking areas, it’s possible you’ll discover somebody who wants a roommate. It’s commonplace to seek out advertisements pinned on the partitions, so maintain your eyes peeled.
4. Fb teams: Head over to Fb and take a look at digital nomad teams in Zagreb. There are a number of accessible, and you may search for advertisements there. After all, you may as well inquire about sharing alternatives and ask for recommendation from individuals already there.
Price of Dwelling in Zagreb
I discovered the price of residing in Zagreb to be slightly decrease than in different main European capitals. In the event you’re being paid in a international forex, e.g. {dollars}, nevertheless, you’ll discover that your cash does go barely additional. That can assist you finances, listed here are some approximate prices.
Eating places and Groceries
In the event you eat at eating places which might be aimed towards vacationers, you’ll be able to count on to pay much more. As an example, you’re round €12-€15/$13-$17 for a hen/pizza fashion meal, but you’ll be able to go to an area restaurant and eat conventional meals for round €8/$9. The excellent news is that espresso is fairly low cost; you will get a good-quality cappuccino for round €1.80/$2.
It’s a good suggestion to prepare dinner at house as it will undoubtedly prevent money. You may choose up a kilo of hen breasts for round €8/$9, beef for round €12/$13, and contemporary produce may be very low cost, normally round €1-€2/$1.10-$2.20 per kilo. With all of that, you’ll be able to prepare dinner meals that can final for a couple of days.
Lodging Prices
So far as life in Zagreb goes, I discovered lodging to be my largest expense. For that cause, store round earlier than you decide to something, particularly by way of neighborhood.
On common, a one-bedroom house within the metropolis middle will value round €530/$580 monthly, with utilities on high, relying on how a lot you utilize. I’d estimate a mean quantity for month-to-month utilities to be round €200/$218.
Transportation Prices in Zagreb
The excellent news is that getting round Zagreb is simple and low cost. A one-way ticket on any type of public transport will value you round €0.60/$0.65. Nonetheless Zagreb isn’t an enormous, sprawling metropolis, and I discovered it fairly straightforward to stroll to most locations, because of staying comparatively centrally.
You may take buses, trams, taxis, Ubers, and the funicular railway to the Higher City, all of which run recurrently. Nonetheless, it’s value remembering that taxis and Uber are the most costly choices. I solely used these once I was out late at evening and it was a safer selection.
SIM Playing cards and Knowledge
I purchased a SIM card from Hrvatski Telekom, also called Simpa, and this lasted in the course of my keep. The cardboard value €3/$3.30, and I merely topped it up with the quantity of credit score I wished. I solely wanted my passport and I simply went into one of many shops, the place the pleasant assistant set all of it up for me.
Alternatively, you should utilize A1, Telemach Croatia, or Tomato, all of which have the same setup course of. An eSIM is an alternative choice, and Airalo is extensively used throughout Croatia, with good connectivity.
Cash Saving Ideas for Zagreb
- Store native: When residing in Zagreb, purchase contemporary produce from the native markets, meat from the butcher, and solely use supermarkets for cabinet necessities. You’ll save money fairly shortly.
- Keep away from touristic eating places: You’ll pay an entire lot extra, and also you received’t get to eat genuine meals. Head to the native, genuine eating places and also you’ll save loads of money.
- Keep away from peak instances: Zagreb is busy all 12 months round however Easter, Christmas, and New 12 months are while you’ll discover costs for lodging improve. Try to keep away from these instances if potential.
- Take a look at sharing lodging: Coliving and sharing an house are good methods to save lots of money and nonetheless have a cushty place to remain. Coworking spots are the place to seek out out extra details about this.
- Stroll as a lot as you’ll be able to: I discovered Zagreb a really walkable metropolis, and though public transport is affordable, it can save you so much in the long run. Keep away from utilizing taxis or Uber except you really want to.
Coworking Areas in Zagreb and WiFi Pace
In the event you’re contemplating working remotely in Zagreb, the web high quality is more likely to be your greatest concern. The excellent news is that I by no means had a problem with the WiFi and I discovered it to be prime quality. In accordance with Speedtest, Zagreb’s common add and obtain speeds are 46.99 Mbps and 111.79 Mbps respectively.
In the event you’re somebody who enjoys working from coworking areas, you’ll discover loads throughout town. Listed here are some high-quality choices:
1. Influence Hub
Influence Hub is without doubt one of the hottest coworking spots in Zagreb, and I labored from right here a number of instances. You may need labored in one other department throughout Europe, and their workplaces are usually standardized. The Zagreb workplace may be very smooth and trendy and has extraordinarily comfy chairs.
I discovered the web right here to be wonderful, and it has such a welcoming ambiance inside. I met many different distant employees right here, so it’s nice for networking and socializing.
2. Hub 385
Hub 385 is one other high coworking house in central Zagreb. You may join a month-to-month membership package deal if you happen to intend to make use of the house so much, or you’ll be able to ebook a day house and use one of many scorching desks. In the event you do that, it’s finest to name forward as they do get fairly busy.
This coworking house has common occasions all through the week so you’ll be able to meet different individuals simply. It has a cushty really feel, and there’s free tea and occasional all through the day, in addition to a kitchen space for making ready meals.
3. Regus
I labored from this coworking house a couple of instances and I discovered Regus to be a best choice. It has a really trendy and smooth vibe, and the day costs are fairly affordable, at €6.70/7.35 per day. Inside that, you get free tea, espresso, and water.
The web may be very quick and dependable right here; I did a number of video calls and had no points. The workplace is basically vibrant, and the seating is tremendous comfy, setting you up for a productive day.
Greatest Cafes to Work From in Zagreb
Though I like coworking areas often, I do favor to work from cafes. Fortunately, there are a lot of wonderful choices in Zagreb – listed here are my high picks:
- Potter: Potter is a smooth and trendy place to take a seat for a couple of hours and get some work carried out. The WiFi is superb, and their coffees are a number of the finest I discovered in Zagreb. This spot can be fairly affordable in worth, which is at all times a bonus.
- Program Bar: It is a good spot to work throughout the day, and the employees don’t have any points with individuals sitting with their laptops. The costs are affordable, and the seats are extraordinarily comfy too. The WiFi right here is especially robust.
- Inverno: In the event you’re searching for someplace a bit fancier, with actually nice meals, I’d extremely suggest Inverno. There’s an outside seating space which is good for working, and the WiFi is dependable. I met a couple of different distant employees right here, so it’s nice for networking too.
Actions and Issues To Do in Zagreb
The beauty of being a digital nomad in Zagreb is that there’s loads to see and do when you’ve completed work for the day or on a hard-earned time without work. I by no means discovered myself feeling bored throughout my time as a nomad in Zagreb. Listed here are a few of my favourite spots within the metropolis:
1. Higher & Decrease Cities
Each the higher and decrease elements of town are value exploring, and they are often carried out on foot. The winding, cobbled streets are crammed with architectural wonders and small boutiques. I stumbled upon many cute cafes round this space too.
I’d recommend you are taking a strolling tour to get probably the most out of your time. These excursions solely final round 2.5 hours so it’s excellent for becoming into a daily work day. With the assistance of an skilled information, you’ll be taught extra concerning the historical past and recognize the place you’re residing an entire lot extra.
2. Dolac Market
Dolac Market is the perfect place to get your contemporary fruit and greens in addition to all method of different scrumptious produce, together with freshly caught fish. If you need a style of genuine Croatian life, that is the place to go! It’s an important place to fulfill pleasant locals and maintain prices down on meals expenditure too.
I’d suggest going early within the morning if you happen to can, as that is while you’ll seize the freshest fare. It may possibly get very busy right here with locals filling up their pantries, however simply take your time and absorb the ambiance. The distributors will even allow you to attempt issues if you happen to ask, so don’t be afraid to go for it.
3. Zagreb Cathedral
The central level of town is Zagreb Cathedral, and it’s effectively value a go to simply to take a look at the gorgeous structure. You may see the steeple of the cathedral from most elements of town, and it’s the icon of Zagreb general.
You may, in fact, go contained in the cathedral, particularly throughout companies and mass. The within is simply as spectacular as the surface, if no more so. Be aware when taking images; it’s finest to keep away from doing so when companies are in progress, however exterior of that point, you’ll be able to take images of the inside.
4. Maksimir Park
The gorgeous Maksimir Park is the oldest public park within the metropolis, and it’s a beautiful place for a stroll it doesn’t matter what the time of 12 months. Throughout the summer time months, you’ll see households having fun with a picnic and kids enjoying. Nonetheless, my favourite time to go to this park is throughout the winter, when there’s a cozy and nearly Narnia-like really feel.
You can even take your laptop computer and sit underneath a shady tree if you happen to wished a scenic place to get some work carried out. I did this a few instances and though the outdated ‘glare on the display’ downside was annoying, it was a very nice place to spend a few hours.
5. Museum of Damaged Relationships
I wasn’t certain what to anticipate from this museum, particularly because the identify sounds reasonably miserable, nevertheless it’s one in every of my favourite locations in Zagreb. The Museum of Damaged Relationships tells the story of affection tales gone incorrect however with loads of emotion and background info.
It’s an important spot to go on a leisurely time without work, and it’s actually one of many extra distinctive issues to do in and across the capital. I’d suggest you spend 1-2 hours right here, so if it’s raining or notably chilly, that is the perfect exercise to interrupt up your day.
Climate in Zagreb
Dwelling in Zagreb as a digital nomad means you’re open to the weather relying upon while you go. Positioned within the northwest of the nation, Zagreb has 4 distinct seasons, and my favourite instances are spring and autumn when you’ll be able to actually really feel the change of climate within the air.
Throughout the summer time months, Zagreb experiences a mean excessive of 28C/82F in July, which is the most well liked month. Nonetheless, Zagreb nonetheless experiences rain in the summertime months, with July experiencing a mean of 104.3mm. November is the rainiest month at 117.9mm, and it’s more likely to snow between November and February.
The winter can see nighttime temperatures as little as -2C/28F in January, nevertheless, the spring months arrive in Could when the typical is round 20C/50F. Right now, many individuals head off to the coastal areas for the summer time season however don’t assume that’s the one approach—Zagreb is a gorgeous place in summer time and tends to be slightly cooler than cities and cities on the coast.
Execs and Cons of Dwelling in Zagreb
Earlier than you turn out to be a Zagreb digital nomad, it’s essential to think about either side of the coin. Though I consider that the professionals far outweigh the cons, each single vacation spot on this planet has upsides and downsides, and Zagreb is not any totally different.
SEE ALSO: 15 Execs and Cons of Dwelling in Croatia
Execs of Dwelling in Zagreb
- Zagreb is a compact metropolis: One of many issues I loved most about Zagreb is that I might stroll to many locations. You will want public transport generally, nevertheless it’s a compact metropolis, and it’s fairly straightforward to get round on foot.
- Loads of inexperienced areas: Zagreb isn’t a concrete jungle like many capitals and there are a lot of inexperienced areas. Maksimir Park is the biggest park within the metropolis and an important place to calm down.
- Many different digital nomads: With the brand new digital nomad visa, Zagreb has turn out to be an actual digital nomad hotspot, particularly throughout the winter months. It’s very easy to fulfill individuals, both for work or socially.
- A extra genuine lifestyle: I discovered the ‘actual’ Croatia in Zagreb. When you’ll discover conventional customs and tradition in Dubrovnik and different touristic spots, the capital is the place you’ll perceive the genuine Croatian approach.
- A lot to see and do: Being a capital metropolis, Zagreb presents loads to see and do, together with historical past, structure, tradition, artwork, gastronomy, purchasing, and wonderful nightlife.
- Wonderful WiFi: Web entry is significant for a digital nomad, and I by no means had any points with connectivity whereas I used to be in Zagreb.
Cons of Dwelling in Zagreb
- Chances are you’ll need to go to the seaside in the summertime: Zagreb doesn’t have a seaside, so when the summer time months arrive, it’s possible you’ll end up craving for seaside time. I actually did, and that’s once I relocated to Break up and Korčula.
- Lodging will be tough to seek out: Whereas not unattainable, discovering lodging in Zagreb will be tough, particularly within the metropolis middle. It’s finest to ebook an Airbnb or a hostel earlier than you arrive after which search for one thing extra appropriate when you’re there.
- Price of residing is decrease proper now however is rising: Zagreb’s value of residing is low in comparison with another giant European cities, however during the last couple of years there was a slight rise. After all, this merely means it is advisable search for intelligent methods to save lots of money.
Digital Nomad Visa for Zagreb
Dwelling in Zagreb has turn out to be so much simpler because of the Croatian digital nomad visa, which was launched in 2021. This visa is open to third-country freelancers and enterprise house owners for as much as one 12 months, and through this time, you’re not required to pay tax in Croatia; you merely proceed paying the place you’re registered.
The one draw back is that you simply can not renew this visa, so after one 12 months, you need to go away. The excellent news is which you can reapply six months after your outdated visa expires. Click on right here for all required documentation.
You may apply for the visa earlier than you arrive in Croatia or when you arrive. In the event you do that, you’ll want a visa to enter the nation. Croatia is within the Schengen zone, however you should definitely verify the entry necessities to your nation of origin.
In Conclusion
This digital nomad information to Zagreb has given you all the data it is advisable determine whether or not the Croatian capital is your subsequent vacation spot. I extremely suggest you go; I actually loved my time in Zagreb, and it’s someplace I’d like to return to.
You can even use Zagreb as a winter vacation spot after which go to the coastal areas throughout the summer time. With a lot to see and do, Zagreb provides you a cushty house base, whereas additionally displaying you the genuine Croatian lifestyle.
