Living in Rijeka

In Rijeka, unemployment is 4.7% (2024).

Rijeka is a city in Croatia. Annual PM2.5 was 8 µg/m³ at the end of 2024. Rijeka had a population of 107,964 in August 2021. The city covered 43.3 km² in 2024. Population density was 2,491.6 people per km² in 2024. A monthly estimate placed internet service at €35.15 in August 2026. A monthly estimate placed basic utilities for an 85 m² home at €168.45 in August 2026. In August 2026, an estimate placed an inexpensive restaurant meal at €12.

Last checked 2026-08-2714 sources

Population107,964people31 Aug 2021Official source · HR official material for population_total

Median gross salary (region)2,156EUR/month27 Aug 2026Official source · podaci.dzs.hr

Average net rent10.9EUR/m²/month31 Dec 2025Official source · MPGI/EIZ — Review of the Croatian real-estate market 2025

Unemployment rate4.7%2024Official source · HR official material for unemployment_total_percent

PM2.5, annual mean8µg/m³31 Dec 2024Official source · EEA Air Quality Annual Statistics — validated PM2.5 station data

Which Croatia-wide rules apply when you move to Rijeka?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Visa and entry rulesPassport-specific entry and national residence context.BenefitsCountry-wide eligibility and official application routes.Taxes in CroatiaNational rates and thresholds that apply in Rijeka.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

Owner occupation accounted for 91.3% of homes in 2021. Living space averaged 27 m² per person in 2021. The housing-vacancy rate was 21.6% in 2021. The city had 47,964 dwellings in 2021.

How much does it cost to rent in Rijeka?

Average net cold rent is 10.9 EUR/m² per month (2025), excluding heating and operating charges.

Published average over existing tenancies; a specific flat can sit either side of it. Asking-rent series, where present, are separate rows in the table.

Average net rent (nettokalt): 10.9 EUR/m²/month · MPGI/EIZ — Review of the Croatian real-estate market 2025¹²

What recurs every month6 published recurring costs, € per month

€ / month

Private kindergarten€486

Utilities, 85 m² flat€168

Fitness club€48

Transport pass€48

Internet, 60 Mbps€35

Mobile plan, 10 GB€21

Supplemental estimate lane; these items are not official statistics.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Fitness club membership, monthly	48.17 EUR/month	3 Aug 2026	Numbeo¹⁴Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Col Groceries Index Basket Eur Month	65.87 EUR/month	3 Aug 2026	Numbeo¹⁴Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited	35.15 EUR/month	3 Aug 2026	Numbeo¹⁴Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Private kindergarten, monthly	486.1 EUR/month	3 Aug 2026	Numbeo¹⁴Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Meal at an inexpensive restaurant	12 eur	3 Aug 2026	Numbeo¹⁴Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Mobile plan, 10 GB	21.41 EUR/month	31 Jul 2026	Cost of Living in Rijeka. Jun 2026. Prices in Rijeka¹⁴Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Monthly transport pass	48 EUR/month	3 Aug 2026	Numbeo¹⁴Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Basic utilities, 85 m² home	168.5 EUR/month	3 Aug 2026	Numbeo¹⁴Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Dwellings	47,964 dwellings	2021	HR official material for housing_vacancy_rate_percent⁸Official
Housing Vacancy Rate Percent	21.57 %	2021	HR official material for housing_vacancy_rate_percent⁸Official
Average net rent (nettokalt)	10.9 EUR/m²/month	31 Dec 2025	MPGI/EIZ — Review of the Croatian real-estate market 2025¹²Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context

Cost of living

Fixed monthly costs for one person in an 85 m² flat were about €1,200 in the latest published figures. From a median gross salary of €2,156, that leaves €956 before income tax and social contributions.

Where a Rijeka salary goesfixed monthly costs, share of the €1,200 basket · median gross salary €2,156/month

€956 left of €2,156

Net rent, 85 m² · 77%€927
Utilities, 85 m² · 14%€168
Transport pass · 4%€48
Internet and mobile · 5%€57

One person, 85 m² flat; the ring splits the €1,200 fixed basket before income tax and social contributions, latest published figures (checked 2026-08-27).

Is Rijeka a good place to live?

There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.

Try your profile

Remote worker50%strong on work, weak on safety · range 40–60%

Skilled employee58%strong on work, weak on safety · range 49–67%

Student56%strong on education, weak on safety · range 46–66%

Family55%strong on family, weak on safety · range 44–66%

Retirement53%strong on legal route, weak on admin · range 41–65%

Worked out from these numbers

What does a 60 m² flat cost?

About 654 EUR a month in cold rent at the published average of 10.9 EUR/m² per month, before heating and operating charges.

Heating, water and operating charges come on top, and a specific flat can sit either side of an average.

Source period: 2025

Work and income

The unemployment rate was 4.7% in 2024.

What is the unemployment rate in Rijeka?

The unemployment rate is 4.7 % (2024). Source: HR official material for unemployment_total_percent¹¹

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Median gross salary (regional)	2,156 EUR/month	27 Aug 2026	podaci.dzs.hr¹³Official
Unemployment rate	4.7 %	2024	HR official material for unemployment_total_percent¹¹Official

Unemployment rate over time10 published observations, 2015–2024

3.9%

7.8%

11.7%

15.6%

4.7%20152017201920212024

Unemployment rate fell 68.2% between 2015 and 2024, from 14.8% to 4.7%.

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Rijeka. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.

Country-level information

Croatian Employment Service — Public employment service

Hrvatski zavod za zapošljavanje (HZZ)

Job Search

Open official service

Open the Croatia service overview

Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Rijeka. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.

Mobility and administration

Car density was 495.8 vehicles per 1,000 residents in 2024. A monthly transport pass was estimated at €48 in August 2026.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Public transport monthly pass	48 EUR/month	31 Dec 2024	Eurostat⁵Official

Language courses and integration in Rijeka

2 exact course-location records are linked to this city. Check the linked source for dates, availability and enrolment.

Verified locally

2verified local records

Ustanova za obrazovanje odraslih Dante

Wenzelova ul. 2, Rijeka

View official record

The Rijeka School of Croatian Studies

Sveučilišna avenija 4, Rijeka

View official record

Check courses in Rijeka How the country programme works

Exact city-linked records checked 2026-08-10. Provider-supplied records are supplemental and are not presented as official accreditation.

Find courses near Rijeka

Climate and air quality

Is the air quality good in Rijeka?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 8 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: EEA Air Quality Annual Statistics — validated PM2.5 station data²

Annual mean at the measuring site(s) serving the city; current-day readings differ.

Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C

0°

9°2°

9°3°

12°5°

16°9°

21°13°

24°16°

27°18°

24°15°

19°11°

13°7°

10°4°

JFMAMJJASOND

Night-time low to daytime high

Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm

137

119

124

118

107

116

113

166

167

175

140

JFMAMJJASOND

Sunshine through the yearAverage monthly sunshine, hours

JFMAMJJASOND

hours

Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits

Within WHO 2021 guidelineAbove WHO, within EU limitAbove EU legal limitCity annual mean · µg/m³

PM2.58WHO 5 · EU 25

NO₂13WHO 10 · EU 40

City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
NO₂ — annual mean	13 µg/m³	31 Dec 2024	European Environment Agency³Official
PM2.5 — annual mean	8 µg/m³	31 Dec 2024	EEA Air Quality Annual Statistics — validated PM2.5 station data²Official
Average daytime high by month	Jan 8.5 · Feb 9.5 · Mar 12.2 · Apr 16 · May 20.7 · Jun 24.4 · Jul 27.5 · Aug 27.2 · Sep 23.6 · Oct 18.8 · Nov 13.4 · Dec 9.8 °C	1961–1990	DHMZ Climate Atlas — Rijeka station climate normals 1961-1990¹Official
Average night-time low by month	Jan 2.4 · Feb 3.2 · Mar 5.3 · Apr 8.7 · May 12.6 · Jun 15.9 · Jul 18.2 · Aug 18.1 · Sep 15.1 · Oct 11.1 · Nov 6.8 · Dec 3.6 °C	1961–1990	DHMZ Climate Atlas — Rijeka station climate normals 1961-1990¹Official
Average temperature by month	Jan 5.3 · Feb 6.1 · Mar 8.5 · Apr 12.2 · May 16.6 · Jun 20.1 · Jul 22.8 · Aug 22.3 · Sep 18.9 · Oct 14.4 · Nov 9.8 · Dec 6.5 °C	1961–1990	DHMZ Climate Atlas — Rijeka station climate normals 1961-1990¹Official
Average precipitation by month	Jan 136.5 · Feb 118.7 · Mar 123.6 · Apr 117.6 · May 106.7 · Jun 116.2 · Jul 80.9 · Aug 113.4 · Sep 166.2 · Oct 167.3 · Nov 174.9 · Dec 139.6 mm	1961–1990	DHMZ Climate Atlas — Rijeka station climate normals 1961-1990¹Official
Average sunshine by month	Jan 3.4 · Feb 4.3 · Mar 4.7 · Apr 5.7 · May 7.2 · Jun 8.2 · Jul 9.5 · Aug 8.7 · Sep 6.8 · Oct 5.3 · Nov 3.5 · Dec 3.1 hours	1961–1990	DHMZ Climate Atlas — Rijeka station climate normals 1961-1990¹Official

Population and city profile

How many people live in Rijeka?

The published population was 107,964 people in August 2021. Source: HR official material for population_total⁹

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

By nationality

National passport99%

Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Cars per 1,000 residents	495.8 cars/1000 residents	2024	HR official material for car_density_per_1000⁶Official
City area	43.33 km²	2024	HR official material for city_area_km2⁷Official
Foreign-resident share	1 %	31 Dec 2021	Eurostat⁴Official
Foreign residents	1,070 people	31 Aug 2021	HR official material for population_total⁹Official
Population density	2,492 people/km²	2024	HR official material for city_area_km2⁷Official
Population	107,964 people	31 Aug 2021	HR official material for population_total⁹Official
Students as a share of residents	13.87 %	2024	HR official material for student_population_share_percent¹⁰Official

Population over time14 published observations, 2001–2024

99,085

115,181

131,277

147,373

102,415200120172024

Population fell 28.9% between 2001 and 2024, from 144,043 to 102,415.

Foreign residents over time8 published observations, 2013–2021

1,056

1,125

1,194

1,263

1,0702013201620182021

Foreign residents fell 14.3% between 2013 and 2021, from 1,249 to 1,070.

International community in Rijeka

Named groups from exact city-grain official distributions. Citizenship, birthplace, language and ancestry answer different questions and stay separate.

Country of birth

Population in the Croatian 2021 Census; POPULATION BY PLACE OF BIRTH1) AND SEX, BY TOWNS/MUNICIPALITIES, 2021 CENSUS; situation as on 31 August 2021 · 2021 Census (situation as on 31 August 2021)

Published group	People	Share
Total population	107,964	100.0%
Born in the Republic of Croatia	93,127	86.3%
Born in the Republic of Croatia — In the place of residence	60,876	56.4%
Born in the Republic of Croatia — In another county	23,502	21.8%
Born abroad	14,824	13.7%
Born abroad — Bosnia and Herzegovina	9,115	8.4%
Born in the Republic of Croatia — In another town/ municipality of the same county	8,746	8.1%
Born abroad — Serbia	1,836	1.7%
Born abroad — Other countries	1,538	1.4%
Born abroad — Slovenia	919	0.9%
Born abroad — Kosovo	659	0.6%

Show 4 more groups

Published group	People	Share
Born abroad — Germany	449	0.4%
Born abroad — Macedonia	308	0.3%
Unknown place of birth — Source column 23	13	0.0%
Born in the Republic of Croatia — Unknown place in the Republic of Croatia	3	0.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source⁹

Citizenship

Population in the Croatian 2021 Census; POPULATION BY CITIZENSHIP, BY TOWNS/MUNICIPALITIES, 2021 CENSUS; situation as on 31 August 2021 · 2021 Census (situation as on 31 August 2021)

Published group	People	Share
Total population	107,964	100.0%
Croatian citizenship	106,871	99.0%
Croatian citizenship — Out of that: Croatian and other	4,637	4.3%
Foreign citizenship — Foreign	1,070	1.0%
Stateless	17	0.0%
Unknown citizenship — Unknown	6	0.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source⁹

Ancestry or ethnicity

Population in the Croatian 2021 Census; POPULATION BY ETHNICITY, BY TOWNS/MUNICIPALITIES, 2021 CENSUS; situation as on 31 August 2021 · 2021 Census (situation as on 31 August 2021)

Published group	People	Share
Serbs	5,537	5.1%
Bosniacs	1,696	1.6%
Italians	1,569	1.4%
Slovenians	596	0.6%
Albanians	522	0.5%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source⁹

Additional context

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Owner-occupied homes	91.32 %	2021	HR official material for housing_vacancy_rate_percent⁸Official
Living space per resident	27 m²/person	2021	HR official material for housing_vacancy_rate_percent⁸Official

Alternatives for people set on Rijeka

Three places for the three reasons people leave a city on the shortlist: stay in the region, stay in the country, or keep the budget and change the country. A percentage appears only where both cities publish that metric from the same source, period and grain. Distances are straight lines — travel times are not collected yet.

Tallinn as a Rijeka alternative in another country

Better on 2 of 2 metrics measured the same way, worse on 0. Rent and median gross pay, region cannot be compared like for like.

Annual PM2.5: 3.0 µg/m³ Tallinn vs 8.0 µg/m³ Rijeka−63%
Rent: €7.33/m² (2008) Tallinn vs €10.90/m² (2025) Rijekano percentage
Median gross pay, region: €2,068 (2025) Tallinn vs €2,156 (2026) Rijekano percentage
Transport pass: €30 Tallinn vs €48 Rijeka−38%

Full comparison More about Tallinn

Alternatives with a better balance

same official-source families, comparable grain — left of gross salary after the same fixed costs

Rijeka€956this city Zagreb€1,158+€202 Split€600−€356

Nearby is not always better: the greyed row leaves less than Rijeka at the same fixed-cost basket. Every alternative publishes the same metric families, each with its own source and date.

Alternative cities in Croatia

Other cities in Croatia to compare with Rijeka, nearest in population first.

All Croatia cities

Osijek96,313 residents Split160,577 residents Zagreb767,131 residents

How does Rijeka compare?

Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays Rijeka's.

Open the full comparison

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Rijeka when the national insurance or residence conditions are met.

Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.

Open the official coverage guide

Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

School for children who move here. School is compulsory from age 6 to 15, and public school is free. Newly arrived pupils get support in the school language: Support programme for learning Croatian as L2 for pupils of asylum/protected categories (Ordinance on education of asylum seekers). How to enrol a child (mzo.gov.hr).

A country-wide rule for Croatia; Rijeka's school authority applies it locally.

Sources: eurydice.eacea.ec.europa.eu · 2026.

Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

Is Rijeka expensive?

Fixed monthly costs for one person in an 85 m² flat — net rent, utilities, a transport pass, internet and mobile — came to about €1,200 against a median gross salary of €2,156 (figures), leaving about €956 before income tax. Sources: the rent, recurring-cost and salary series published on this page, each with its own source and date.

How many people live in Rijeka?

The published population was 107,964 people in August 2021. Source: HR official material for population_total.

How much does it cost to rent in Rijeka?

Average net cold rent is 10.9 EUR/m² per month (2025), excluding heating and operating charges. For a 70 m² flat that is about 763 EUR a month before utilities. Source: MPGI/EIZ — Review of the Croatian real-estate market 2025.

Is the air quality good in Rijeka?

What is the unemployment rate in Rijeka?

The unemployment rate is 4.7 % (2024). Source: HR official material for unemployment_total_percent.

What is the typical salary around Rijeka?

The median gross salary is 2,156 EUR/month. Source: podaci.dzs.hr.

How many foreign residents live in Rijeka?

1,070 people residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: HR official material for population_total.

Is Rijeka a good place to live?

Rijeka may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.

How many people born in Total population live in Rijeka?

The official country of birth distribution records 107,964 people (100.0%) in the source-defined population for 2021 Census (situation as on 31 August 2021). This is a country of birth measure, not a general estimate of ethnicity or migration status.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation

ImmigrationDB. (2026, August 28). Rijeka, Croatia: population, cost of living, rent, salary [ImmigrationDB compilation; version 41a01a71dfe43d95b2d2a0cfc50b6190]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/hr/rijeka/ Retrieved 2026-08-28. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

BibTeX citation

@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_rijeka-croatia-population-cost-of-living-rent-salary_02cd42c463b5,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Rijeka, Croatia: population, cost of living, rent, salary},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-08-28},
  version = {41a01a71dfe43d95b2d2a0cfc50b6190},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/hr/rijeka/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-08-28. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}

Markdown citation

[Rijeka, Croatia: population, cost of living, rent, salary](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/hr/rijeka/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version 41a01a71dfe43d95b2d2a0cfc50b6190; retrieved 2026-08-28; built 2026-08-28.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

JSON Markdown

DHMZ Climate Atlas — Rijeka station climate normals 1961-1990 DHMZ Climate Atlas · klima.hr · checked 2026-07-29
EEA Air Quality Annual Statistics — validated PM2.5 station data EEA Air Quality Annual Statistics · air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-26
European Environment Agency air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-03
Eurostat ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-02
Eurostat ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-03
HR official material for car_density_per_1000 ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-18
HR official material for city_area_km2 gisco-services.ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-18
HR official material for housing_vacancy_rate_percent ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-18
HR official material for population_total podaci.dzs.hr · checked 2026-07-18
HR official material for student_population_share_percent ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-18

Show 4 more sources

HR official material for unemployment_total_percent ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-18
MPGI/EIZ — Review of the Croatian real-estate market 2025 MPGI/EIZ · mpgi.gov.hr · checked 2026-07-29
podaci.dzs.hr podaci.dzs.hr · checked 2026-08-27
Numbeo numbeo.com · checked 2026-08-03

Spotted a number that looks wrong? Every value here carries its source and date — tell us what you found and we will re-check it against the source.