How a Full Tank Impacts Household Finances? Dubrovnik Residents Feel the Burden More Than Average
Although fuel prices hit all drivers equally, the share of monthly income reveals significant regional disparities – from Zagreb to Virovitica.
Although fuel prices hit all drivers equally, the share of monthly income reveals significant regional disparities – from Zagreb to Virovitica.
Following last week's significant surge in fuel prices in Croatia, filling a 50-liter tank for a person earning an average salary can consume between 4.58 and 6 percent of monthly net income, depending on the county. According to data from the Croatian Bureau of Statistics (DZS) and an analysis by the smart shopping platform Shoptok.hr, regional differences are substantial, with the Dubrovnik-Neretva County exceeding the national average.
In the first quarter of 2026, the average net salary in the Dubrovnik-Neretva County stood at 1,424 euros, according to DZS. With current fuel prices, valid until August 11, 50 liters of gasoline takes up 5.69 percent of the average salary, while diesel requires 6.14 percent of earnings.
The national average for gasoline is 5.29 percent, and for diesel 5.72 percent, clearly illustrating the difference. In other words, a full tank of gasoline costs Dubrovnik residents about 7.6 percent more of their salary compared to the national average, while for diesel, that share is about 7.3 percent higher. On the list of 21 counties, the Dubrovnik-Neretva County ranks 11th, where counties are ordered by how much fuel costs burden household finances, from highest to lowest impact.
The smallest share of fuel costs in salary is in the City of Zagreb, where filling up with gasoline takes 4.58 percent of the average net salary of 1,769 euros. At the opposite end of the scale is the Virovitica-Podravina County, where the same tank of fuel consumes about 6 percent of the average salary, which amounts to 1,350 euros.
The difference in average earnings between these two regions is 419 euros per month, with Zagreb's salary being approximately 31 percent higher. Although both drivers spend the same amount of money for 50 liters of fuel, the impact on the monthly budget is significantly greater for residents of counties with lower salaries.
Interestingly, neighboring counties do not necessarily share a similar fate. The average salary in the City of Zagreb is 212 euros higher than in Zagreb County. A similar pattern is seen in tourist counties: Istria County ranks 10th on the burden scale, while Split-Dalmatia County is in 16th place.
Across the country, diesel is consistently a greater burden on household budgets due to its higher price, averaging 5.72 percent of salary, while gasoline stands at 5.29 percent. The analysis nonetheless emphasizes that a smaller share of fuel costs in salary does not automatically mean higher disposable income, as housing costs, rent, services, and other living expenses vary from one area to another and can significantly affect citizens' real purchasing power.
