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Makarska vs Rijeka

for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Makarska edges it, 70 to 68, winning 4 of the 9 factors. Makarska is stronger on climate; Rijeka on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

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 →
Cost of living: 4.8 of 68 points (scores 43/100)Safety: 8.9 of 68 points (scores 80/100)Healthcare: 8.3 of 68 points (scores 74/100)Internet: 7.6 of 68 points (scores 69/100)Visa ease: 8.4 of 68 points (scores 75/100)Getting there & around: 7.3 of 68 points (scores 66/100)Climate: 2.8 of 68 points (scores 25/100)Air quality: 10.4 of 68 points (scores 94/100)Quality of life: 9.6 of 68 points (scores 87/100)68
Rijeka
out of 100

Croatia's port city and gateway to the Kvarner Gulf

Full Rijeka profile →Where to stay in Rijeka →

Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)

MetricMakarskaRijeka
Cost of living44 ✓43
Safety8080
Healthcare7474
Internet72 ✓69
Visa ease7575
Getting there & around5766 ✓
Climate42 ✓25
Air quality95 ✓94
Quality of life8787

Cost

MetricMakarskaRijeka
Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city$1,500 ✓$1,537
Central one-bedroom rentno datano data

Safety and health (country-level)

MetricMakarskaRijeka
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)

MetricMakarskaRijeka
Download43.9 Mbps ✓38.2 Mbps
Upload14.5 Mbps ✓10.9 Mbps

Visa

MetricMakarskaRijeka
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

MetricMakarskaRijeka
Non-stop airport destinations70 ✓63
Walkability (1–5, editorial)44
Transit (1–5, editorial)13 ✓

Climate and air

MetricMakarskaRijeka
Comfortable months per year5 ✓3
Annual mean PM2.57.4 µg/m³ ✓7.7 µg/m³

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

Frequently asked

Which is cheaper, Makarska or Rijeka?
Makarska is cheaper: about $1,500 per month versus $1,537 for one person.
Is Makarska or Rijeka safer?
Makarska scores higher on safety (80 vs 80), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
Where is the internet faster, Makarska or Rijeka?
Makarska: a measured median of 43.9 Mbps versus 38.2 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); 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.