Zagreb, Croatia Report of what it's like to live there - 01/25/12

Personal Experiences from Zagreb, Croatia

Zagreb, Croatia 01/25/12

Background:

1. Was this post your first expatriate experience? If not, what other cities have you lived in as an expat?

First expat experience.

View All Answers


2. What is your home city/country? How long is the trip to post from there, with what connections? How easy/difficult is it to travel to this city/country?

U.S.; about 15 hours from the East Coast, including a connection in Europe (usually Germany, France or The Netherlands).

View All Answers


3. How long have you lived here?

Just over 2 years.

View All Answers


4. What brought you to this city (e.g. diplomatic mission, business, NGO, military, teaching, retirement, etc.)?

Worked at U.S. Embassy.

View All Answers


Housing, Groceries & Food:

1. What is your housing like? What are typical housing sizes, locations, and commute times for expatriates?

Housing for U.S. Embassy personnel is nice. Houses up in the hills are spacious and have yards, but living in one entails a slightly longer commute to the embassy than for those in apartments in the city. The apartments are great. We didn't see a USG apartment or house that we wouldn't want to live in.

View All Answers


2. How would you describe the availability and cost of groceries and household supplies relative to your home country?

Pretty expensive, but it won't break the bank. Most things are available, but it'll take some searching to get a lot of items that are readily available at stores in the US (e.g., cheddar cheese, peanut butter and cake mixes).

View All Answers


3. What household or grocery items do you wish you had shipped to post?

Mainly food items, like baking supplies and certain spices. If you like ethnic food you should bring some of your staples.

View All Answers


4. What typical restaurants, food delivery services, and/or takeout options are popular among expatriates?

Croatian food is fair. Very good Italian is readily available. There's not much else in the way of ethnic food -- the Indian is horrible, while the Chinese and Mexican joints are slightly better. There are some nice restaurants; our favorite was Trilogija. Not too much fast food. McDonald's is there, but it's the only American chain. Not a big street food presence.

View All Answers


5. What kinds of organic, vegetarian and allergy-friendly foods are available, such as organic produce, gluten-free products, meat substitutes for vegetarians, etc?

View All Answers


6. Are there any unusual problems with insects or other infestations in housing?

View All Answers


Daily Life:

1. How do you send and receive your letters and package mail? Are local postal facilities adequate?

View All Answers


2. What is the availability and cost of household help, and what types of help are typically employed by expatriates?

View All Answers


3. What kinds of gyms or other sports/workout facilities are available? Are they expensive?

There are a few gyms. The U.S. Embassy has a pretty nice workout facility.

View All Answers


4. Are credit cards widely accepted and safe to use locally? Are ATMs common and do you recommend using them? Are they safe to use?

It's safe. Most restaurants and stores accept cards, while many cafes and smaller establishments don't.

View All Answers


5. What English-language religious services are available locally?

Yes. I'm aware of Baptist, Catholic, and Latter Day Saints services in English, and believe there are others.

View All Answers


6. English-language newspapers and TV available? Cost?

View All Answers


7. How much of the local language do you need for daily living? Are local language classes/tutors available and affordable?

Not much at all. Croatians speak English extremely well. In Zagreb there will just about always be someone around who speaks it well enough to help you out. But it of course can't hurt to speak some Croatian, as you will encounter some folks who don't speak English.

View All Answers


8. Would someone with physical disabilities have difficulties living in this city?

It could be tough. There are some accommodations, but not to the extent one would find in a larger European city.

View All Answers


Transportation:

1. Are local buses, trams, trains or taxis safe and affordable?

Both safe and affordable. Public transportation is reliable and makes it easy to get around town.

View All Answers


2. What kind of car do you recommend bringing to post, given the terrain, availability of parts, burglary/carjacking risks, etc.? What kind of car do you advise not to bring?

Any kind is fine.

View All Answers


Phone & Internet:

1. Is high-speed home Internet access available? How long does it typically take to install it after arrival?

Yes. Unlimited data plan costs about $60 per month.

View All Answers


2. Do you have any recommendations regarding mobile phones? Did you keep your home-country plan or use a local provider?

View All Answers


Pets:

1. Are qualified veterinarians and/or good kennel services available? Do animals need to be quarantined upon entry to the country? Are there other considerations regarding pets that are particular to this country?

View All Answers


2. Quality pet care available (vets & kennels)?

Yes. We found a vet we liked for our cat. I'm not sure about kennels (I imagine they exist), but there are trustworthy locals who will pet-sit for a reasonable fee.

View All Answers


Employment & Volunteer Opportunities:

1. What types of jobs do most expatriate spouses/partners have? Locally based or telecommuting? Full-time or part-time? Can you comment on local salary scales?

No. It's very difficult to get a job outside of the embassy. It is also hard to find volunteer opportunities, as it's something that's just not part of the culture.

View All Answers


2. What is the typical dress code at work and in public places? Is formal dress ever required?

It's a fairly formal society.

View All Answers


Health & Safety:

1. Are there personal security concerns to be aware of at this post? Please describe.

No. Zagreb has got to be up there with the safest places in the world. One very rarely hears of crimes. My wife felt perfectly safe walking around alone anywhere in the city, even at night.

View All Answers


2. Are there any particular health concerns? What is the quality of available medical care? What medical conditions typically require medical evacuation?

No particular health concerns. Medical care is decent, but not up to U.S. standards. For surgery or any very serious issues I would probably try to go elsewhere. People often went to Austria or London for pregnancy-related care.

View All Answers


3. What is the air quality like at post (good/moderate/bad)? Are there seasonal air quality issues? Does the air quality have an impact on health?

Very good.

View All Answers


4. What is the overall climate: is it extremely hot or cold, wet or dry, at any time of year, for example?

Four seasons. It snows a couple/few times in the winter with a few hot weeks in the summer, but is generally pretty mild. Winters can get a bit dreary with common grey skies.

View All Answers


Schools & Children:

1. What is the availability of international schools? What has been your general experience with them, if any?

View All Answers


2. What accommodations do schools make for special-needs kids?

View All Answers


3. Are preschools available? Day care? Are these expensive? What has been your experience with them, if any? Do the schools provide before- and/or after-school care?

View All Answers


4. Are local sports classes and/or activities available for kids?

View All Answers


Expat Life:

1. What is the relative size of the expatriate community? How would you describe overall morale among expatriates?

Small-ish.

View All Answers


2. Morale among expats:

High. It's a great place to be. Living is easy and the (embassy) work isn't overwhelming. Some people found Zagreb a bit boring. It's true that it's a slow, low-key city, but between the easy living, the coast, and European travel opportunities, there's plenty to do.

View All Answers


3. What are some typical ways to socialize, either with local people or with other expatriates? Are there groups or clubs that you can recommend?

Lots of entertaining in homes. There are some bars and clubs, but Zagreb isn't known for its night life.

View All Answers


4. Is this a good city for single people? For couples? For families? Why or why not?

I think it's good for all.

View All Answers


5. Is this a good city for LGBT expatriates? Why or why not?

It's not a terribly progressive country, but it seems to be pretty good in this regard.

View All Answers


6. Are there problems with ethnic, race/racial minorities or religious prejudices? Gender equality?

No. It's a predominantly Catholic country, but Croatians tend to get along with those of other faiths or none at all, and I'm not aware of any racial or gender issues.

View All Answers


7. What have been the highlights of your time in this country? Best trips or experiences?

View All Answers


8. What are some interesting/fun things to do in the area? Can you recommend any “hidden gems"?

As mentioned, the coast is brilliant and it's easy to travel throughout the region. Most things a person would want to do are available in Zagreb, but there's not as much in the way of cultural or social activities compared to larger cities. There are nice, affordable movie theaters that show films in English with Croatian subtitles, a bowling alley and a few decent museums. The Istria region, about a 2.5 hour drive northwest from Zagreb, is beautiful (it looks like Tuscany) and features great Italian food and truffles.

View All Answers


9. Is this a "shopping post"? Are there interesting handicrafts, artwork, antiques, or other items that people typically buy there?

There aren't too many especially unique local items one would want for souvenirs. Naive art is huge in Croatia, but paintings are pretty expensive. Truffles make for good souvenirs, but that's about it.

View All Answers


10. What are the particular advantages of living in this city?

Croatia is great. The coast is beautiful and is easily accessible on nice (but expensive) highways. Dubrovnik, Split, and Rovinj are beautiful, as are many of the lesser-known towns and the islands - we particularly liked Brac and Rab. Several national parks are well worth a visit; Plitvice Jezera, with its water falls, is amazing. Travel throughout Europe from Croatia is pretty easy and reasonably affordable. Venice, Vienna and Budapest are all around a 4-hour drive from Zagreb, and a fair number of flights connect the city to destinations further afield. Very cheap direct flights from Zagreb to London and Paris are available through EasyJet.

View All Answers


11. Can you save money?

Yes, if you try fairly hard. Croatia is somewhat expensive and it's easy to spend money traveling, but overall it's not awfully expensive.

View All Answers


Words of Wisdom:

1. Knowing what you know now, would you still move to this city?

For sure. Croatia is a nice, developed country with amazing natural beauty. Couple this with the easy lifestyle an expat leads in Zagreb and the opportunities for travel throughout Europe, and it makes for a great tour.

View All Answers


2. If you move here, you can leave behind your:

View All Answers


3. But don't forget your:

View All Answers


4. Do you recommend any books or movies about this city/country for those who are interested in learning more?

View All Answers


5. Recommended movies/DVDs related to this city:

View All Answers


6. Do you have any other comments?

View All Answers


Subscribe to our newsletter


New book from Talesmag! Honest and courageous stories of life abroad with special needs.

Read More