Before the start of the new academic year, it is time for a deeper analysis of the trends in rental prices for apartments. How things stood last year and how they are today is best illustrated by Njuškalo. Currently, there are over 13,000 apartments available for rent, and Njuškalo’s analysis provides an overview of the situation in student cities across Croatia. This analysis used and compared data for the first seven months of 2024 and 2025.
Zagreb
In Zagreb, the average asking price for renting an apartment last year was €867, while this year the average has risen to €923 for monthly rent. Of course, there are fluctuations depending on the neighborhoods – the most expensive are Gornji Grad – Medveščak and Podsljeme, which had an average asking price for rent exceeding €1,300 per month last year. This year, Gornji Grad has surpassed €1,300, with this year’s average for this neighborhood at €1,409. It is also the neighborhood with the most apartment listings and boasts the largest average apartment size for rent.
Sesvete remains the most affordable for rent, although the average asking prices there have also increased by 12% compared to last year. However, it is the only neighborhood in Zagreb that has not yet surpassed an average price of €600, so one should expect to pay around €579 for monthly rent there. Donja Dubrava was also below €600 last year for a month of rent, and this year they have an average increase of 13%, so landlords are now asking an average of €661 per month for an apartment in that neighborhood. There are two more neighborhoods in Zagreb with averages slightly below €700 per month: Gornja Dubrava (€683) and Novi Zagreb – Istok (€698). For Trešnjevka – Jug and Sjever, Peščenica – Žitnjak, Podsused – Vrapče, Stenjevec, Novi Zagreb – Zapad, and Trnje, you will need to pay a little over €800 per month on average, and the asking prices for these neighborhoods have increased by 9% on average. Neighborhoods with average asking prices exceeding €1,000 per month include Črnomerec, Maksimir, Donji and Gornji Grad (Medveščak), and Podsljeme.
In Zagreb, apartments for rent have an average size of 77 square meters, which is 6 square meters more than last year. Sesvete offers the best price-to-size ratio for what you get. There, apartments are advertised with an average size of 68 square meters. Dubrava also maintains a good ratio between the asking rental prices and the average size of apartments available. Podsljeme and Gornji Grad, along with the highest prices, also have the largest average apartment sizes for rent. Trnje is a neighborhood where you will generally find apartments slightly less than 60 square meters for an average asking price of €823 per month.
Varaždin
Students in Varaždin, as well as everyone else looking for apartments for rent there, will certainly find better prices than those in Zagreb, although the average monthly rent in Varaždin has also increased by 14% compared to last year. Thus, tenants last year paid an average of €471 per month for apartments in Varaždin, while this year that amount has risen to €536.
The only neighborhood in Varaždin that has recorded a decrease in average asking prices for a month of rent is Banfica. Last year, one had to pay an average of €473 per month there, while this year that amount has fallen to €460. The most affordable neighborhood in terms of average asking rent is Koprivnička, where this year one should expect to pay around €300, which is an increase of 10% compared to last year’s €273. In Varaždin, only in the Đurek neighborhood must one pay less than €500 per month. The most expensive is Vilka Novaka, with an average asking price of €656, which is an increase of 21% compared to last year when one had to pay €540 per month there. Average prices also exceed €600 in Jalkovečka, and Bronx is very close with an average asking price of €579 for a month of living in rent. The Hallers neighborhood has crossed the threshold of €400 per month, so this year the average rent there is €557 per month.
The average size of an apartment available for rent in Varaždin is 51 square meters, which is just one square meter less than last year. The smallest average apartment sizes are in the Đurek and Koprivnička neighborhoods, while in Jalkovečka, Centar, and Texas, apartments are available with an average size of sixty square meters.
Osijek
Osijek has the highest average rental price increase of 20% when comparing last year and this year. Last year, one had to pay an average of €405 for monthly rent in Osijek, while this year that amount has risen to €487. The largest average decrease in rents is for Tvrđa, at 25%, making it the cheapest rental area this year among all Osijek neighborhoods, with an average asking price of €411. Neighborhoods in Osijek where you will pay less than €400 per month for rent are Jug I and II. Although they are experiencing a slight increase in average asking prices, in Jug I you will pay an average of €346, and in Jug II €360. Neighborhoods with monthly averages below €450 include Bosutsko (€421), which has a 36% increase in asking prices compared to last year, Industrijska četvrt (€421), and Novi Grad (€448). Below €500 for monthly rent is paid in Sjenjak (€457) and Donji grad (€490).
The average asking price for an apartment in Vijencu Ivana Meštrovića has increased by 39%, so this year one pays €506 per month there. The Vatrogasno neighborhood has the largest average jump, as last year the average rent there was €210, while today that average is as high as €543. For Gornji grad/Centar, this year the average price has increased by 23% and surpassed last year’s average of €461, so the current asking prices are €566. Retfala is experiencing the same growth trend, with last year’s €436 for monthly rent rising to €568 this year. The highest prices are in Cvjetno naselje, where the rent has increased from last year’s €500 per month to €650, and for Uske njive, more than €600 per month is also required.
