Varaždin — a city for living and investing
Varaždin — Croatia's 10th largest city, UNESCO Creative City of Music, +59% rent growth in one year. Find out why Varaždin is ideal for living and investing.
Verified statistical data
All data from primary sources: DZS, varazdin.hr, Varaždin County
43,999
residents (city + surrounding settlements)
10th
largest city in Croatia
1209
year founded (free royal city)
~85 km
from Zagreb (by road)
~1 h 10 min
to Zagreb via highway
159,487
residents of Varaždin County
126.4
res./km² — most densely populated county in Croatia†
FOI + UNIN
two university centers in the city
UNESCO
Creative City of Music
Špancirfest
most-visited festival in Croatia†
† Varaždin County is, excluding the City of Zagreb, the most densely populated Croatian county (126.4 res./km²). Špancirfest draws up to 150,000 visitors per year according to City data.
A city that's growing and attracting young people
Varaždin is Croatia's 10th largest city according to the 2021 census, with a total of 43,999 residents including surrounding settlements (the city itself has 36,384 residents). The city stands out for its high share of working-age population and strong university community.
Age structure and education
- City of Varaždin
- 36,384 residents (city alone), 43,999 including surrounding settlements
- Varaždin County
- 159,487 residents
- Working age (20–64)
- 95,923 residents in the 20–64 age group (VŽ)
- University students
- FOI (Faculty of Organization and Informatics, University of Zagreb) + University North — thousands of students annually
- Migration balance 2023
- +567 more arrivals than departures from abroad (VŽ)
Why this matters for an apartment buyer:
A city with an active student population and a positive migration balance means constant demand for rental apartments. Varaždin also attracts young professionals working in the IT sector (FOI is one of Croatia's leading IT faculties) and in the region's industrial companies — ensuring a stable base of potential tenants.
A technology hub for northwestern Croatia
Varaždin and Varaždin County are a strong industrial and economic center for northwestern Croatia. Major employers in the region come from the metal-processing industry, electrical industry and IT sector, and Varaždin is increasingly positioning itself as a technology hub for continental Croatia.
Key economic indicators
- Avg. net salary VŽ (Q1 2026)
- €1,424/month — up +8.1% year-on-year
- Compared to national average
- €1,424/month (€107 less than the national average of €1,531)
- Salary rank in Croatia
- 9th among counties by salary level — ~7% below the national average
- Key sectors
- Electrical engineering, metal processing, IT/FOI ecosystem, tourism and hospitality, healthcare
- Varaždin Technology Park
- An active technology park supporting the start-up ecosystem and innovative companies — varazdinski-tp.hr
- Population density VŽ
- 126.4 res./km² — most densely populated Croatian county (outside Zagreb)
Worth noting: salaries in Varaždin County are about 7% below the national average, but this is offset by significantly lower cost of living compared to Zagreb — especially in housing and transport. The correlation between salaries and property prices makes Varaždin attractive to life-quality buyers fleeing expensive Zagreb.
Varaždin — the concrete numbers
€2,390
avg. apartment price (December 2025)
+3.4%
year-on-year price growth (XII/2024→XII/2025)
€9.85
avg. rent (€/m²/month, April 2026)
+41.6%
rent growth (XII/2024→XII/2025)
+28%
growth in number of VŽ transactions (H1 2025)
Detailed market analysis
- Avg. sale price XII/2025
- €2,390/m² (asking price). Peak: €2,406/m² (May 2025)
- Avg. sale price IV/2026
- €2,475/m² (asking price, +6.13% vs. April 2025 = €2,332/m²)
- New development vs. resale
- New development market price: €2,800–3,200/m². New developments are holding prices in 2026 — resale apartments are seeing corrections.
- Avg. rent IV/2026
- €9.85/m²/month (+59.64% vs. April 2025 = €6.17/m²/month). Peak: €10.18/m²/month (August 2025)
- Sale listings IV/2026
- 423 listings
- Rental listings IV/2026
- 37 listings — supply deficit
- VŽ transactions H1 2025
- Varaždin County — the ONLY region with double-digit transaction growth (+28%) while the rest of Croatia saw a decline.
- Expert recommendation
- "Varaždin is recording major growth in prices and demand. With the announced projects of several hundred apartments, anyone investing should definitely take this city into account."
- Varaždin 2026 — trend
- Cities like Varaždin are becoming increasingly attractive as they offer a good balance of price and quality of life, according to Euroville's 2026 analysis.
Varaždin — baroque beauty, modern living
Varaždin is a city that combines centuries-old architectural heritage with modern infrastructure, an active cultural life, and affordable housing costs. It's Croatia's tenth-largest city, but its quality of life ranks far above that.
Baroque architecture
Varaždin is one of the best-preserved baroque towns in northern Croatia. The old town (Varaždin Fortress), the town hall, and numerous baroque churches create a unique urban backdrop for everyday life.
UNESCO City of Music
In November 2023, Varaždin was admitted to the UNESCO Creative Cities Network of Music — the only such city in Croatia. The Varaždin Baroque Evenings is a music festival held since 1971 that attracts visitors from across Europe.
Špancirfest
The international Špancirfest festival is one of the most-visited festivals in Croatia — up to 150,000 visitors annually over ten days of programming in August. In 2025 Varaždin was named 'Creative and Innovative City of the Year' in Croatia.
A university city
FOI (Faculty of Organization and Informatics, University of Zagreb) and University North place Varaždin among the university towns that attract young people and retain an educated workforce.
Healthcare
Varaždin General Hospital has 934 hospital beds. Varaždin County has 9.70 beds per 1,000 residents — near the top in Croatia, far above the national average of 5.69.
Nature and forest parks
Trakošćan forest park, the Drava forest park, and 26 protected nature areas in the county — 17% of the county's total area.
Transport accessibility
Zagreb: ~1 h 10 min via the A4 highway. Čakovec: ~20 min. Krapina (A2): ~1 h. Regular train connection to Zagreb and Čakovec.
Cost of living
Housing in Varaždin is significantly more affordable than in Zagreb — despite rising prices, still accessible to the average buyer. A calmer pace of life, with parks and forests close at hand.
Varaždin — a market experts recommend for investment
While Zagreb and the Dalmatian coast have long been on investors' radar, Varaždin is only now starting to be seriously perceived as an investment destination. The 2025 and 2026 data clearly show why now is the right time to enter this market.
The only region with transaction growth in 2025
Varaždin County is the only region in Croatia that recorded double-digit growth in the number of real estate transactions in the first half of 2025 — +28% while the rest of Croatia declined. That's the clearest signal of market momentum.
A rent explosion — +59.64% in one year
The average asking rent in Varaždin jumped from €6.17/m²/month (April 2025) to €9.85/m²/month (April 2026) — a 59.64% increase in just one year. The peak was reached in August 2025 at €10.18/m²/month. The rental supply deficit (37 listings vs. 423 for sale) ensures strong demand.
A new-development deficit — limited supply, stable prices
New developments in Varaždin number only a handful of active projects. This limited supply, combined with growing demand, keeps new-development prices at €2,800–3,200/m² while resale apartments see corrections. Early entry secures a purchase at the current price with growth potential.
Varaždin as a 'satellite city' of Zagreb
The trend of relocating from expensive Zagreb to satellite cities is accelerating. 'Any apartment with even a remotely realistic price sells within 48 hours,' agencies report for Zagreb. Varaždin — with a good highway connection to Zagreb — is picking up part of that demand.
A university tenant base
FOI and University North provide a steady base of students looking to rent. University towns structurally have a lower vacancy rate than towns without a university.
Interested
in an apartment? Get in touch.
Feel free to contact us for more information, to book a viewing, or to find the apartment that suits you.
Send inquiry