NavoyNostos

Dubrovnik vs Makarska

for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Dubrovnik edges it, 71 to 70, winning 3 of the 9 factors. Dubrovnik is stronger on nothing outright; Makarska on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

Cost of living: 4.9 of 71 points (scores 44/100)Safety: 8.9 of 71 points (scores 80/100)Healthcare: 8.3 of 71 points (scores 74/100)Internet: 8.0 of 71 points (scores 72/100)Visa ease: 8.4 of 71 points (scores 75/100)Getting there & around: 6.4 of 71 points (scores 58/100)Climate: 5.6 of 71 points (scores 50/100)Air quality: 10.6 of 71 points (scores 95/100)Quality of life: 9.6 of 71 points (scores 87/100)71
Dubrovnik
out of 100

Walled city on the Adriatic

Full Dubrovnik profile →Where to stay in Dubrovnik →
Cost of living: 4.9 of 70 points (scores 44/100)Safety: 8.9 of 70 points (scores 80/100)Healthcare: 8.3 of 70 points (scores 74/100)Internet: 8.0 of 70 points (scores 72/100)Visa ease: 8.4 of 70 points (scores 75/100)Getting there & around: 6.4 of 70 points (scores 57/100)Climate: 4.6 of 70 points (scores 42/100)Air quality: 10.5 of 70 points (scores 95/100)Quality of life: 9.6 of 70 points (scores 87/100)70
Makarska
out of 100

Pebble-beach riviera town under the Biokovo cliffs

Full Makarska profile →Where to stay in Makarska →

Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)

MetricDubrovnikMakarska
Cost of living4444
Safety8080
Healthcare7474
Internet7272
Visa ease7575
Getting there & around58 ✓57
Climate50 ✓42
Air quality95 ✓95
Quality of life8787

Cost

MetricDubrovnikMakarska
Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city$1,500$1,500
Central one-bedroom rentno datano data

Safety and health (country-level)

MetricDubrovnikMakarska
Homicides per 100k1.011.01
Political stability (0–100)77.677.6
UHC service coverage (0–100)7676
Life expectancy76.9 yrs76.9 yrs

Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

MetricDubrovnikMakarska
Download42.4 Mbps43.9 Mbps ✓
Upload16.7 Mbps ✓14.5 Mbps

Visa

MetricDubrovnikMakarska
Nomad visaDigital nomad temporary stayDigital nomad temporary stay
Minimum income for the visa$4,066/mo$4,066/mo
Entry, US passport90 days90 days
Entry, EU passportunlimitedunlimited
Entry, UK passport90 days90 days

Getting there and around

MetricDubrovnikMakarska
Non-stop airport destinations75 ✓70
Walkability (1–5, editorial)44
Transit (1–5, editorial)11

Climate and air

MetricDubrovnikMakarska
Comfortable months per year6 ✓5
Annual mean PM2.57.2 µg/m³ ✓7.4 µg/m³

✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.

Frequently asked

Which is cheaper, Dubrovnik or Makarska?
Makarska is cheaper: about $1,500 per month versus $1,500 for one person.
Is Dubrovnik or Makarska safer?
Dubrovnik scores higher on safety (80 vs 80), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
Where is the internet faster, Dubrovnik or Makarska?
Makarska: a measured median of 43.9 Mbps versus 42.4 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

More comparisons

Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population (national data, latest year); UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); WHO Ambient Air Quality Database, June 2026 update (V8); SatPM2.5 satellite-derived annual PM2.5 (V6.GL.02.04); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Nostos long-stay visa guides; Starlink availability map. Dataset 2026.10.7. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.