These are Croatia’s most expensive regions for housing

And the capital Zagreb isn’t among them

At the end of last month, Njuškalo, a Croatian classified ads website, published an analysis regarding the housing prices situation in the southeastern European country. We’re generally used to a context where the largest cities in any country also command the highest prices for property but in Croatia, the situation stands a little differently.

The property prices in Croatia for 2023 reflect the increasing tourism powerhouse status of the Balkan country as a classy Mediterranean destination and so the top 3 regions featuring the highest average cost per square metre are all located on the Adriatic coast.

Top 3 priciest Croatian regions for housing

In fact, the region where property prices are most elevated has always been rather rural in nature and has no large cities in it. We are talking about Istria.

Located a stone’s throw from Slovenia and Italy, this almost heart-shaped peninsula presents charms galore what with its medieval hilltop villages and coastal towns full of ancient history and marvellous architecture.

But owning a place there comes at a hefty price. In Istria County, the average asking price for a flat was 3,836 euros per square metre and for a house 3,183 euros per square metre.

That way Istria outshines even the Pearl of the Adriatic – Dubrovnik. The Dubrovnik-Neretva County housing prices aren’t a steal either though and that region comes second in terms of least affordability.

There, you can expect to fork out 3,602 and 2,699 euros per square metre for a flat and a house, respectively.

The third spot goes to Split-Dalmatia County, home to the largest city on the Adriatic coast, where prices are 3,590 and 2,960 euros per square metre for a flat and a house, respectively.

Compared to this, settling down in Croatia’s largest city and capital – Zagreb – doesn’t seem so bad on the pocket. There, you can expect to pay 2,987 euros per square metre for a flat and 1,795 euros per sq m for a house, on average.