Student living expenses will vary according to individual needs and the ability to budget and manage finances. In particular if you want to travel a lot and take full advantage of the available cultural and social opportunities, expenses will be higher. The estimates below are therefore only a very general guide.
Food | €150/month |
Rented room and Utilities (water, electricity, heating, phone) | €350/month |
Dormitory | €125/month |
Transportation | €15/month |
Miscellaneous | €150/month |
TOTAL | €790/month |
*This is only a rough guide and students may actually spend more or less than these amounts.
International students will have to secure accommodation on their own, i.e., look for private rental accommodation. Rents vary greatly according to location, room size, facility etc. Overhead expenses are sometimes included in the price, and sometimes are paid by the consumer. Payment is usually expected at the beginning of the month, while some landlords request payment for several months in advance.
The best way to find accommodation is to search for different offers on the following web-portals. Some of the portals are in Croatian only, but they usually provide photos of apartments and a contact email so you may send an inquiry. The University of Zagreb doesn’t take responsibility for the content and accuracy of these external sites:
Before choosing a flat, you might need to spend some time in a hostel. In that case, we suggest youth hostels.
There are three means of public transportation in Zagreb – trams, buses, and city railway. They operate all day (every few minutes) and night (every hour). Tram tickets can be bought on board (€0,80 – valid for half an hour, €1,33 – valid for an hour) or at newsstands (€0,53 – half an hour, €0,93 – an hour). Make sure that you stamp your ticket once you board: an unstamped ticket is as good as no ticket at all! Daily tickets are available at a price of €3,98. Monthly or annual tickets can also be bought at the ZET (Zagreb Electric Tram) offices at a reduced price (www.zet.hr). For a monthly/annual ticket you will need to fill in a ZET-form first (it can be found on this page – the first link under “Dokumenti za preuzimanje”) and stamp it at the faculty/academy you enrol. Then you will need to go the Zagreb Electric Tram central office in Ozaljska Street 105, HR-10000 Zagreb – the end tram station called LJUBLJANICA. There you can have a new prepaid card made (a one-time card issuance fee of €3,98, bring your photo) and each month you can “re-fill” it for €11. This monthly coupon enables you to use all buses and trams within the area of the city of Zagreb.
Taxis are quite expensive in Zagreb. You can find them in front of all major hotels, the train and bus stations and at numerous other popular locations, or you can call a taxi: tel. 1717.
There are 12 student restaurants, the so-called „mensas“, located at faculties and student residence halls across the city. Every student must have a student identity card (“iksica”) in order to buy meals at a reduced price. Before leaving the restaurant, the student must show their “iksica” to the cashier and pay for the meal.
Credit Card Services
Mastercard – Eurocard, VISA, Diners Club and American Express are widely accepted in shops, hotels and restaurants. There are many ATMs in the city.
Banks
Banks are generally open to the public between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. You may convert foreign currency to Euro at all banks. At money exchange offices, the exchange rate is somewhat more favourable and the service is generally faster. There are many such offices in the city and they are usually open between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. as well, but those at the main train (Glavni kolodvor) and bus station (Autobusni kolodvor) are open 24 hours. On Saturdays the banks are open between 8 am and 12 noon. On Sundays and holidays both the banks and exchange offices are closed. Currency exchange is, however, possible at hotels’ reception desks.
You can easily buy prepaid mobile phone starter sets which cost around €25 and include €15 coupons as well as SIM cards. The service providers you can opt for are A1 (091), T-Mobile (098) and Telemach (095). Their SIM cards can be bought at newsstands or ATM machines. They also offer prepaid wireless Internet service.
The Central Post Office is located in Jurišićeva 4, located just east of the Trg bana Jelačića.
Zagreb postal code is HR-10 000.
Rates for domestic calls are the same in the metropolitan area as well as nationwide. You can buy pre-paid international phone cards in post offices and call from public telephone booths.
Croatian country code 385
Zagreb city code 01
Croatian exit code 00
Police 192
Fire brigade 193
Ambulance 194
Emergency Call Service 112
Working hours:
Weekdays: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Saturdays: 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Sundays and holidays: Pharmacies on duty 24 hours and groceries at bus/railway stations from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Pharmacies are located all over the city centre, and you can easily spot them by their green cross.
Pharmacies on duty on weekends and bank holidays:
Croatia’s tap water is drinkable and of high quality.
Voltage 220 V, frequency 50 Hz
You will find the information about diplomatic-consular missions located in the Republic of Croatia on the web-pages of Croatian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Bachelor Thesis – Preddiplomski završni (ocjenski) rad
Course – Kolegij, nastavni predmet
Degree – Akademski stupanj
Department – Odsjek
Doctoral Studies or Doctoral Programme – Doktorski studij ili doktorski program
Exam (oral-usmeni, written-pismeni) – Ispit
ECTS credits – ECTS bodovi
Faculty – Fakultet
Graduate studies – Diplomski studij
Higher Education – Visoko školstvo
Individual consultations – Konzultacije
Laboratory – Laboratorij
Learning Agreement – Ugovor o učenju
Master Thesis – Diplomski rad
Partial exam – Kolokvij
Postgraduate Study – Poslijediplomski studij
Professional Course of Study – Stručni studij
Study year – Godina studija
Transcript (of records) – Prijepis ocjena
Tuition Fees/Tutorial Fees – Školarina
Undergraduate Degree – Preddiplomski studij
University – Sveučilište
Good morning – Dobro jutro
Good afternoon – Dobar dan
Good evening – Dobra večer
Goodbye – Doviđenja
Answer – Odgovor
Building – Zgrada
Direction – Smjer
Excuse me – Oprostite
Exit – Izlaz
Entrance – Ulaz
Forbidden – Zabranjeno
Help! – U pomoć!
Hi – Bok
How much is it? – Koliko košta?
How are you? – Kako ste?
Illness – Bolest
Location – Mjesto
No – Ne
Please – Molim
Pull! – Vuci!
Push! – Gurni!
Question – Pitanje
Square – Trg
Street – Ulica
Thank you – Hvala
Welcome – Dobro došli
What is your name? – Kako se zovete?
Where do you come from? – Odakle ste?
Yes – Da
Zagreb and its surroundings offer a great variety of sports and leisure activities to suit all tastes. If you like spending time in nature, try Medvednica Mountain, which extends just above the city. It is a favourite excursion area for the city people not only because of its protected nature but also because of a dozen cosy restaurants situated on its slopes serving tasty and inexpensive domestic food. Medvednica is equally popular in winter when it turns into the largest ski-centre in Croatia. Apart from having a mountain nearby, Zagreb can equally boast of its own “Zagreb sea”, the Jarun Sports and Recreation Centre comprised of a number of lakes and an impressive rowing course. If, on the other hand, you prefer indoor sports try the sports centres “Mladost”, “SRC Šalata”, “Dom Športova” etc.
Croatians’ passion for watching and taking part in sport activities is well known. The country prides itself on its many world-renowned players and coaches.
Zagreb offers a great variety of cuisine. There are many restaurants serving national as well as international dishes. They vary in price but are generally quite pleasant. The Zagreb Restaurant Guide can assist you in making the right choice.
Zagreb is the cultural centre of Croatia. The city boasts 15 theatres, a dozen concert halls and numerous cinemas. Zagreb is also a European hub for modern and alternative culture. The well-known music Zagreb Bienial Eurokaz Festival of New Theatre, the Contemporary Dance and Performance Week of Zagreb Artists, and Zagreb Film Festival are all important parts of the European cultural scene.
Zagreb is proud of its many galleries and museums where you can find or even purchase diverse pieces of art.
Young people have plenty of opportunities for entertainment. There are many discos, pubs and cafés where one can dance the night away or just have a nice cup of coffee with a friend.
Zagreb is undoubtedly the place to party in Croatia. It offers a wide selection of bars, cafés, pubs and night-clubs suitable for all tastes. You can get a taste of the city’s history by visiting the Upper Town, or check out the Tkalciceva and Bogoviceva streets (Lower Town) filled with lots of drinking and dining establishments all day long, plus there is the Branimir Centre across from the train station if you want too see a movie. Then there is Lake Jarun south-west of the city centre, a perfect place for a brisk walk and coffee during the day or clubbing at night. For the most part, the vibe is pretty relaxed in Zagreb clubs. Ruthlessly selective door policies and watery cocktails have not yet made inroads onto the scene. There are a few clubs where you’re expected to show up in movie-star fashion but they are a definite exception. The cover runs from about 4 to €7. Drinks are about the same.
If you want to know what’s on and where, check the ZAGREB – In Your Pocket Guide web site.
