Košice vs Zagreb
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Zagreb edges it, 69 to 68, winning 5 of the 9 factors. Košice is stronger on getting there & around; Zagreb on visa ease. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Slovakia's eastern capital with a Gothic core and IT jobs
Full Košice profile →Where to stay in Košice →Central European feel with a nomad permit
Full Zagreb profile →Where to stay in Zagreb →Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Košice | Zagreb |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 37 | 37 |
| Safety | 80 | 80 ✓ |
| Healthcare | 72 | 74 ✓ |
| Internet | 84 ✓ | 77 |
| Visa ease | 61 | 75 ✓ |
| Getting there & around | 85 ✓ | 71 |
| Climate | 42 | 42 |
| Air quality | 76 | 80 ✓ |
| Quality of life | 81 | 87 ✓ |
Cost
| Metric | Košice | Zagreb |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one person | $1,793 | $1,793 |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Košice | Zagreb |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 1.07 | 1.01 ✓ |
| Political stability (0–100) | 77.3 | 77.6 ✓ |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 78 ✓ | 76 |
| Life expectancy | 74.5 yrs | 76.9 yrs ✓ |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Košice | Zagreb |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 74.4 Mbps ✓ | 57.5 Mbps |
| Upload | 39.2 Mbps ✓ | 19.1 Mbps |
Visa
| Metric | Košice | Zagreb |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | none listed | Digital nomad temporary stay ✓ |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | $4,066/mo |
| Entry, US passport | 90 days | 90 days |
| Entry, EU passport | unlimited | unlimited |
| Entry, UK passport | 90 days | 90 days |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Košice | Zagreb |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 152 ✓ | 63 |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 5 ✓ | 4 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 4 | 4 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Košice | Zagreb |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 5 | 5 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 15.9 µg/m³ | 13.9 µg/m³ ✓ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Košice or Zagreb?
- Zagreb is cheaper: about $1,793 per month versus $1,793 for one person.
- Is Košice or Zagreb safer?
- Zagreb scores higher on safety (80 vs 80), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Košice or Zagreb?
- Košice: a measured median of 74.4 Mbps versus 57.5 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Digital Nomad Visas 2026; 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); 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); WhereNext city cost estimates 2026 (city pages); 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.