The era of remote work was forced upon us when the Coronavirus pandemic took the world by storm, and the age of the Digital Nomad was born. I’ve already written a post about the administrative steps if you’re planning on settling for a year as a digital nomad in Croatia, so head there if it’s the nitty gritty you’re keen on getting acquainted with.
This post will argue Croatia’s case as an ideal base for Digital Nomads, from someone who has lived here for more than a decade. I’m the editor of Total Croatia News, and we were at the forefront of the digital nomad “revolution” when it first took off. We’ve interviewed more digital nomads who have chosen
Croatia than I can remember, and all of them say the same thing – they couldn’t have chosen a better location.
The Croatian lifestyle is one that lends itself seamlessly to Digital Nomads. From its quirky capital of Zagreb to the yacht-lined Dalmatian coast and islands, all the way to its largest peninsula, Istria. The fjaka that has had Dalmatia in a chokehold for centuries is ideal for Digital Nomads wanting their office to have sweeping sea views, and coastal cities such as Split have seen swathes of Digital Nomads make it their home.
Zagreb’s café culture goes hand in hand with those who want to sip on coffee in an Austro-Hungarian era building as they send emails. Istria, on the other hand, will transform your home office into an ancient hilltop town in a blend of Croatian charm with Italian hints.
More countries are seeing internationals who can work from anywhere with an internet connection as a resource worth plugging into. Croatia, a tourism-oriented country has leaned heavily into the “workation” trend, and few can compete with what this diverse Mediterranean country can offer. Most will highlight the incredible (if not a bit too hot) weather, the amazing food, the history, the beaches, the mountains…
You know how it goes. Instead, I’ll focus on a handful of things that aren’t quite as generic, and arguably mean more to curious internationals.
Croatia is one of the safest countries on Earth
Croatia’s level of safety is hardly matched. Wandering through the streets of Zagreb at night is no problem, with violent crime almost unheard of. For many, particularly Americans who have an ingrained worry regarding guns, the fact that this is possible in a capital city is a lure. The same can be said of all Croatian cities and towns, not to mention villages.
Out of 163 countries evaluated, Croatia ranked 15th on the list of the Wortd Population Review’s list of safest countries in the world in 2024. Despite having been engulfed in war just over 30 years ago, Croatia has retained a naïveté that many other countries have lost, and it’s charming. “Trusting, warm and helpful” would be the three words that describe most Croats, even if they don’t walk around with grins
plastered across their faces.
Trust me, they’d give you the shirt off their backs in a heartbeat.
Everyone speaks English (no, really)
I’m a translator and so I’ll jump on every opportunity to plug the Croatian language, but I’ll refrain. If you’re only wanting to spend a shorter period of time somewhere (a year or less), then the pressure to learn a new language is less. Croatian is an exceptionally difficult language to learn, and you’ll have a tough time unless another Slavic language happens to be your mother tongue. While it’s never a bad thing to learn as much as you can, there’s not likely to be many language barriers.
Croats are among the world’s best non-native English speakers, ranking highly on a global scale according to the English Proficiency Index (EPI). Zagreb ranked an even more impressive 3rd among the evaluated cities. In 2024, Croatia’s EPI store was 607, placing it among the Top 5!
You’re well positioned for quick and easy travel
Croatia is excellently positioned on the map of Europe. You’re never far from another country and weekend trips (and even day trips) are easy depending on precisely where you’re located. If it’s Zagreb, you can head to Hungary, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Slovenia, Italy or Austria with ease. They’re all within close driving distance.
Zagreb Airport is also very, very well connected with the rest of Europe and budget airlines like Ryanair fly daily for 30-40 euros (if not less) all over the continent.
If you’re in Dubrovnik or Split, heading off for a weekend in Mostar or Sarajevo in Bosnia and Herzegovina, or down to Montenegro for the weekend is commonplace among locals, expats and digital nomads alike. You can even hop on the ferry to Ancona or Bari in Italy.
Cheaper, excellent dental and healthcare
Unless you’re a fellow European such as me and you can’t fathom the idea of paying for healthcare, you’ll be thrilled about the level of professionalism and modernity in the Croatian dental and healthcare sector. As a digital nomad, you’ll need private health insurance and not Croatian state health insurance (HZZO), or you’ll need to pay out of pocket if you decide to utilise one of the country’s many private facilities.
Croatia has become a dental tourism gem on the map of Europe and has incredibly highly qualified, talented dentists. The work you’d pay an arm and a leg for in the USA will come at a fraction of the cost here, and it will be exactly as good (if not better).
For general healthcare such as blood tests, scans and x-rays, the countless private clinics in cities like
Split and Zagreb mean that you’ll never pay much, and the service is fast and efficient.
You’ll easily find your people
Croatia might have 1000-plus islands to its name, but no human here is one – wherever they come from. Since Croatia began making a name for itself as a base for digital nomads from all over the world, various groups have popped up offering help, advice and networking that can be found in Facebook DN communities.
While larger cities such as Split, Zagreb, Rijeka and Dubrovnik are well accounted for, there are smaller groups for more rural or out of the way locations across the Istrian peninsula, specific islands, and even eastern Croatian regions like Slavonia and Baranja.
A strong sense of belonging can be found here among those who take their office with them wherever they happen to wander.
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See more on Digital Nomads in 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.
