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Cost of Living: Ljubljana vs Split (2026)

Slovenia vs Croatia — relocation comparison

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—
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TL;DRLjubljana scores 7.8 vs 6.5 on democracy. Split has milder winters (39°F vs 30°F lows). Both cities will charge you about the same to exist.
Ljubljana edges ahead 77 to 70. Split isn't far behind — it depends what matters to you.
How the livability score breaks down
Ljubljana
Split
18.1/25
💰 Affordability
18.5/25
14.4/15
🔒 Violent Crime
14.2/15
7.8/10
🛡️ Perceived Safety
7/10
9.7/15
⚡ Internet
5.3/15
11.7/15
🗳️ Democracy
9.8/15
8.7/10
🗣️ English
8.9/10
9/10
☀️ Climate
7.7/10
8/10
📊 Stability
7/10
4.3/10
🚗 Road Safety
7/10
8.4/10
🕊️ Geopolitical Safety
5.9/10
Household
Ljubljana
Metric
Split
$701/mo
🛒
Living costs (no rent)
lower is better
$670/mo
—
🧳
Cost to land
lower is better
$5,244
✓86 / 100
🛡️
Settler safety
higher is better
78 / 100
✓0.6 / 100k
🔒
Homicides
lower is better
0.8 / 100k
—
🚗
Road deaths
lower is better
8.1 / 100k
✓78 / 100
🚨
Safety Index
higher is better
70 / 100
81°F
☀️
Summer high
personal taste
86°F
30°F
❄️
Winter low
personal taste
39°F
130 Mbps
⚡
Internet speed
higher is better
—
—
🌬️
Air quality (PM2.5)
lower is better
8.9 μg/m³
—
🏥
Healthcare
higher is better
77 / 100
✓7.8 / 10
🗳️
Democracy
higher is better
6.5 / 10
✓4.4 / 9
🤝
Migrant acceptance
higher is better
1.8 / 9
50 / 100
🏳️‍🌈
Rainbow Index
higher is better
50 / 100
72/100
🗣️
Street English
higher is better
74/100
✓$57k
💼
GDP per capita (PPP)
higher is better
$50k
✓2.0% · Boringly steady
📈
Inflation
lower is better
3.0% · Boringly steady
See exactly what you keep after taxes in each city

Sources: Numbeo · UNODC · Ookla · WHO · EIU · Gallup · World Bank · Freedom House · Updated May 2026

💰
Cost of Living
Split
$42/mo cheaper on rent alone
🗳️
Democracy
Ljubljana
7.8/10 EIU index
☀️
Weather
—
81°F vs 86°F summers
🗣️
English
Split
higher proficiency score

Sun

How much sky you actually get

47% clear
Win
Spr
Sum
Fall
Sky clear
avg daytime
59% clear
Win
Spr
Sum
Fall
8.8h
Shortest day
Dec
8.9h
15.7h
Longest day
Jun
15.4h

Sun clocks out before 5pm in both cities come December. Plan accordingly.

Source: WeatherSpark (clear-sky share of daytime hours)

Settler Essentials

—
Democracy trend
stable →
—
Inflation trend
improving ↑
Recognized
izvenzakonska skupnost (extramarital community)
Partner pathway
Conditional (3+ yr)
izvanbračna zajednica / životno partnerstvo (same-sex)

Visa stamps:Easy <90 daysModerate 3–6 moComplex 6+ mo

Sources: EIU · Freedom House · Startup Genome · official immigration portals

Reproductive Rights

Because your body shouldn't need a visa too

On request
Abortion access
On request
10 wk
Gestational limit
10 wk

On request up to 10 weeks. From 10-20 weeks, approval by a medical committee required.

On request up to 10 weeks. Access limited in practice due to widespread conscientious objection.

Source: Center for Reproductive Rights

LGBTQ+ Rights

Can you hold hands without doing a risk assessment first

Legal
Marriage
Civil union
Joint adoption
Adoption
Step-child only
Yes
Job protection
Yes
Yes
Hate crime law
Yes

Ljubljana vs Split — Common Questions

Is Ljubljana cheaper than Split?▾

Split is cheaper. A 1-bedroom apartment in city centre costs around $1077/month there vs $1118/month in the other city (Numbeo data).

Which is safer, Ljubljana or Split?▾

Ljubljana is statistically safer based on UNODC homicide data. Ljubljana has a rate of 0.57 per 100,000 and Split has 0.77 per 100,000.

Should I move to Ljubljana or Split?▾

Ljubljana edges ahead 77 to 70. Split isn't far behind — it depends what matters to you. See the full comparison above for rent, safety, internet speed, climate, and democracy scores to decide which city fits your priorities.

Which has better weather, Ljubljana or Split?▾

Split is warmer in summer (86°F vs 81°F). Ljubljana has milder summers, which suits those who prefer cooler weather. Climate preference is personal — use the weather section above to compare seasons.

What's the cost of rent in Ljubljana vs Split?▾

A 1-bedroom in the centre: $1077/month in Split, $1118/month in Ljubljana (Numbeo). That's 4% cheaper rent in Split.

Is Ljubljana or Split better for democracy and rule of law?▾

Ljubljana scores 7.8/10 on the EIU Democracy Index vs 6.5/10 for Split. Both are functional democracies, though the gap matters if you're planning to stay long enough to care about local politics.

Plot twist: other matchups exist

Maybe the real city was the comparisons we made along the way.

Let the algorithm judge you

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