What surprised my Italian friends who have been to Croatia more than once and what changes did not benefit the country.
Probably everyone knows that when countries join the EU and switch to the euro, their economy takes some time to recover. And sometimes it does not recover to its previous levels. For example, Italians remember with nostalgia the times when liras were in circulation. At that time, the country was at the peak of economic development, but after joining the EU and the subsequent transition to the euro, the country never returned to its previous level.
Croatia joined the EU 10 years ago, but it was only on January 1, 2023 that the republic became the official 27th member of the Schengen area.
Croatian authorities say the country has been working towards this for a long time. It is expected to help the country’s economy, and joining the Schengen zone will increase the flow of tourists.
“We used to always stand in a ten-kilometer queue to enter Croatia. That’s about an hour of foot-wearing time. I wonder what it’s like now.”
We arrived at the border.
“Ah, so that’s how it is!” – at the border, the points where they used to check documents were closed. Everyone arrived calmly. No queues, no long waits.
I thought there would be a lot of tourists. This is my first time in Croatia, as it was before, I only know from what my friends said. But for two days they never stopped being surprised that there were not so many people as usual.
“It used to be very profitable for Italians to come to Croatia. Prices were low, you could indulge yourself in anything. Now everything has changed after the transition to the euro, prices are higher than in Italy.”
Prices are indeed 20-30 percent higher than in northern Italy.
On the way we came across a large store, it was located far from the settlement, it was expected that the prices would be lower than in ordinary stores. In general, we only needed to buy water, but in the end we also bought local goods in it.
Prices in Croatia are still indicated in Croatian kuna.
Here is olive oil from the region we were in. There were olive trees all along the road. But the fact that this oil is made here didn’t help. My husband’s Italian mother’s eyes widened when I showed her this photo:
The Italians discussed among themselves how much prices had risen and how difficult it must be for the locals now.
I wanted to know what salaries are like in Croatia and how the situation has changed in recent years.
Let’s start with the most important fact: the minimum wage in Croatia. Currently, the minimum wage is about 546 euros per month.
However, it is important to remember that this is only an average figure and that actual wages can vary greatly depending on profession, experience and region.
Let’s take a look at what the average salaries are for some common professions in Croatia.
A programmer earns on average around 8,800 Croatian kuna per year (equivalent to around 1,200 euros per month), while a web developer can earn around 7,300 Croatian kuna per year (around 1,000 euros per month).
In terms of the healthcare sector, a specialist doctor in Croatia can earn on average around HRK 18,000 per year (around EUR 2,400 per month), while a nurse can expect an average salary of around HRK 6,000 per year (around EUR 800 per month).
As for the restaurant and tourism sectors, a waiter can earn on average around 4,500 Croatian kuna per year (around 600 euros per month), and a chef can earn around 10,000 Croatian kuna per year (around 1,300 euros per month).
According to last year’s data, the average salary in Croatia in March last year was 6,352 kuna, which, converted to euros, is 840 euros.
Renting a short-term accommodation is quite expensive, especially in season, but there is a lot of information on the Internet that for a long term it is quite possible to find a room for 300 euros per month. In Zagreb for 400.
It feels like Croatia is more expensive than Italy. Not significantly, of course, but considering the average salary, you can’t really go wild.
Drink a cocktail in Rovinj – 12 euros.
Croatia has really cool beaches. It’s strange that there are so few people this year (according to friends). After all, it would seem that if Europeans no longer have to go through passport control and stand in lines, there should be more tourists.