An Austrian tourist who recently visited Zadar, Croatia, was left baffled by the high accommodation prices and cost of living. He then took to Reddit to ask how many locals manage to afford their daily lives.
The tourist’s post sparked a lively discussion, with many Croatians admitting that they struggled to get by. The rising cost of living in Croatia has been becoming an increasingly hot topic. Protests and boycotts have been organised across the country as both locals and tourists complain about skyrocketing prices. The man wrote: “Was visiting [family] in Zadar and I don’t know how you afford living with those prices? Just wanted to know how you can afford a decent life if a maid/waiter makes about €1,100-€1,600 [£915-1,331] a month and about €18,000 [£14,976] a year as a meridian income?”
“My wife and I have normal incomes for Austrians, standard but even we thought a lot of the things were just abnormal[ly] expensive,” he continued, adding that even a Ožujsko – a Croatian lager beer – costs a third more in Croatia than in Austria. When they ran into issues with their water pump, they were shocked by the high prices at local stores.
As they visited during the off-season in Croatia, they found the country “so empty”, with only B&Bs and rooms for rent.
However, “we saw some prices for places to buy but honestly I don’t think they are even half the price worth what those people demanded”.
They were even left unimpressed by the seaside city of Zadar itself, adding: “So many people are coming to Austria for work that i think that the seaside in Croatia is nothing but a Theme Park with the Ocean.”
It was not long before Croatians took to the comments section to share their own thoughts.
One wrote: “Simple explanation – if you don’t own acommodation, you can’t really afford to buy anything on the coast any more.”
The Austrian tourist replied directly, adding: “Isn’t it sad when you can not afford to live in your own country?”
A third then provided an insight into what life is like for young people in the Balkan country: “Life in Croatia has become increasingly expensive, making it difficult for many people, especially the younger generation to build a stable future.
“High living costs, low salaries, and limited job opportunities force many young Croatians to seek better prospects elsewhere.
“Austria, on the other hand, offers higher wages, better working conditions, and a more affordable cost of living relative to income. Many young Croatians move there in search of a better quality of life, financial stability, and career growth.
“While Croatia has its beauty and charm, economic struggles push people to look for opportunities in countries like Austria, where they can secure a better future.”
Others focused on the Austrian tourist’s description of Zadar: “Yep, theme park with sea,” one wrote.
In a new BBC series, ‘The Balkans: Europe’s Forgotten Frontier’, Katya Adler travelled to Croatia, where she met with locals who shared their stories of heartbreak since it joined the European Union and became a booming tourist country.
“The EU got more from Croatia than we got from the EU. As people say, we sold ourselves for a fistful of dollars,” said Daniel Pavlic of Kostajnica, which has become a “ghost city”.