Just over 10 years ago, I got a job offer in Dubrovnik. Little did I know that a decade later, I’d be living in Zagreb and working as a journalist, translator, copywriter and book author. I’m the editor of Total Croatia, the largest English language portal about Croatia, as well as the co-author of the book “Croatia, a Survival Kit for Foreigners.” The past decade has taught me a lot, and I’ve met many people.
When I arrived in Croatia in 2014, things were different. Croatia had entered the European Union the summer before, there were nowhere near as many foreigners, and things were, to put it politely, a bit scrambled.
The Croatia of today is a universe away. There are foreigners from all walks of life living here, and the country has achieved many goals, from full EU membership to Eurozone and Schengen accession, making Croatia the first and only country to tick both of the latter boxes on the same date. There’s a thriving foreign presence here, with international companies setting up shop frequently.
I’m not American, but I can’t help but notice the amount of United States citizens opting for a peaceful life here.
As of 2024, there are more than 300 Americans registered as living in Croatia. I have several American friends, and working in the Croatian media, I’ve had the pleasure of interviewing US nationals who have chosen to live here. Here’s what Kris, Amy and Alan – all from different regions of the US – had to say.
An incredibly low crime rate
“One thing that I’d grown tired of was the worries about gun crime,” says Kris, an American expat from New York living in Zagreb. “Even now, you’ll notice US citizens inquiring online whether or not certain places in Croatia are safe, which is funny to me now. It just goes to show how ingrained that mentality is.”
Kris is correct.
I’ve seen that question come up, and each time, it’s posted by someone from the US. Croatia was at war just over 30 years ago, and yet it is one of the safest countries in the world. Zagreb, despite being a capital city, boasts the safety of a rural village elsewhere and walking around at night is safe. The worst sort of crime you might run into on the mean streets of Zagreb involves parking fines, certainly not the threat of being shot or robbed.
“There’s something amazing about being able to move around a capital city with no fear,” continued Kris, who admits that he’s still pleasantly surprised, despite having lived in Zagreb for three years.
Amy from Washington, who moved to Zagreb in early 2020, shared similar sentiments: “In the US, if you see a group of teenagers approaching you, you automatically assume the worst. In Zagreb, that group of teenagers say hi. I’m still impressed at the way Croatian children are raised and the values they have instilled in them.”
Croats speak a high level of English
Croatian is a Slavic language and is notoriously difficult to learn. You might expect those who have Croatian as their mother tongue to also struggle with the very different English language, but that isn’t the case.
Croats speak excellent English, and this is especially the case in larger cities. Tourism has forced the grasp of the English language to be of paramount importance, and it shows.
“Croatian is difficult,” says Amy from Washington with a mildly pained expression. “I was worried about the language issue when I first arrived, but I was surprised to see how many people spoke great English. It helps me relax in my approach to learning enough Croatian to make life easier, knowing that if I fail, it isn’t the end of the world.”
Croatia ranks enviably high when it comes to English language proficiency and fluency and owing to that, there are no issues for English speakers.
Croatian health and dental care Is excellent … and affordable
My better half is a surgeon, so I’m an ever-present witness to the dedication of Croatian doctors, as well as to their expertise. Croatia has made a name for itself in the dental and health tourism world, and for Americans used to paying extortionate amounts for what we Europeans believe should be free, it’s a welcome benefit.
Alan has been living in Croatia since 2017, and has nothing but positive things to say about his experiences of medical care here.
“I got sick last year. I’d heard about the great healthcare here, but hadn’t needed anything until that day. I had no idea that my coronary arteries were clogged until it was almost too late,” Alan said. “The Croatian doctors who operated on me and got me back to health were incredible. The ambulance ride cost me nothing, nor did the surgery or the aftercare.”
Alan couldn’t believe how much medication he was given to take home following two weeks spent in hospital following his coronary bypass in Zagreb. The cost? Zero euros, zero cents.
“The thought of what this would do to my finances in the US nearly gave me another coronary!” jokes Alan following his health scare.
He have been left bankrupt had that happened to him in the US. Several months ago, he paid privately for a follow-up echocardiogram and a few blood tests. He got his results back quickly, and paid under 100 euros for everything.
“It’s unbelievable to me as someone from a country where getting sick is an economic fear,” Alan said.
Working to live, not living to work
Back in the concrete jungle of the Big Apple, Kris lived a busy lifestyle that left him no time for himself.
“It took me time to adjust to the Croatian way. Everything is slower,” Kris said. “I had dinner with some friends and (when) I got up to leave as soon as the bill was paid, they all looked at me like I was from another planet.”
The group continued sitting there for 30 minutes, chatting, not ordering anything else, and with no waiter urging them to leave.
“It was a culture shock in the most positive sense,” Kris said.
One of the first things he noticed was the number of people of working age sitting for hours in cafes.
” ‘It’s Thursday at 2 p.m.,’ I thought. ‘Why aren’t they at work?‘ There were no to-go cups … nobody was rushing around juggling a laptop in one hand and a beeping phone in the other… Then I learned the Croatian saying “polako” (take it easy), and it seemed alien to my American mind. It took a long time to unlearn how I’d been conditioned to view things.”
“I needed to get some administrative stuff done, but I was informed that the Interior Ministry was working summertime hours, and that it was closed. It was 3 p.m.” said DC native Amy. “The same happened to me one Sunday when nothing was open. ‘It’s a holiday, you should have got your milk yesterday,’ a woman told me.
“Huh, I thought, the Croats know something we don’t .… ”
It’s true that Croats don’t live to work. In the summer months, Zagreb is a ghost town as everyone heads off to spend their 30 days of paid leave somewhere on the coast.
Amy, Alan and Kris have different backgrounds. They come from different parts of the US, and all of them ended up in Croatia for different reasons. Despite those differences, all of them arrived at the same conclusion – Croatia’s lifestyle, slower pace, safety and affordability make it a fantastic location for US expats.
Throw in the weather and its favourable geographic position for cheap flights all over the continent, and you have a winning combination.
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Read more about Croatia here in Dispatches archives.
Lauren Simmonds
Lauren Simmonds is the editor of Total Croatia News, the largest English language portal in Croatia. She lives in Zagreb, Croatia, and is a translator, content writer, interpreter and the co-author of "Croatia - A Survival Kit for Foreigners," which was published in 2022.
