Slow and Easy or Adrenaline-Packed: Life Can Be Either in Split

Slow and Easy or Adrenaline-Packed: Life Can Be Either in Split
In Split, Alice found a strong community, breathtaking islands at her doorstep, and a sense of peace.|©iStock/apomares

I didn’t mean to move to Croatia.

I came for a three-week vacation from London with just a tiny suitcase of beach clothes. But in Split, the largest city on Croatia’s sparkling coastline, I found something I didn’t know I’d been missing—a sense of peace, a strong community, and a thousand breathtaking islands right on my doorstep.

Split lies on the central Dalmatian coast and is a major ferry hub to the Croatian islands. It’s known for its pomalo or easy-going way of life, delicious local seafood, and an ancient Roman palace still inhabited to this day. With 160,000 residents, it’s a big draw for history and culture buffs, as well as lovers of the great outdoors. In the summer months, you can swim, sail, kitesurf, climb, or hike just outside the city. It’s a place with soul as well as scenery.

Luckily, I’d been planning a move within the UK before I arrived in Split. My house was already packed up… so everything aligned perfectly to ship my things directly to my new home.

The first few months were a whirlwind of navigating Croatian bureaucracy, meeting new people, and finding an apartment. Moving overseas is never easy. But four years later, I’m happily settled in Split, working from the beach as a digital nomad.

Life Along the Adriatic

The best thing about Split is "commuting" by paddleboard on the Adriatic Sea. I took up paddleboarding last year, and at least once per week, I hop on to explore nearby islands and villages.

Weekends are spent going to local concerts, cooling off on friends’ boats, and barbecues down by the river. Summers are also spent adventuring with friends in the mountains, lakes, and villages nearby or driving down the Adriatic to Albania and Greece. I’ve made it my mission to hike the highest peaks in the Balkans; this summer I plan to tackle Triglav in Slovenia and Bobotov Kuk in Montenegro.

For winters, we escape to a simple wooden cabin for a week of hitting the slopes and apres ski parties in Italy, Slovenia, or Bosnia. Or we stay home and do as the locals do and share a bottle of simple house wine at our favorite ramshackle bar in the Ghetto, the oldest part of Split’s ancient Roman city. Life here can be as slow and easy or adrenaline-packed as you desire.

Where to Find Your Community

Popular locations for families and older residents include Bacvice and Firule close to the beach, or Meje next to Split’s green lung, the Marjan Forest Park. If you prefer to be closer to the social action, look at apartments in the Old Town or Varos. Those looking for villas and outside space should consider Kastela or Podstrana, where budgets stretch a lot further. Expect to pay $1,000-1,200 per month for a modern 2-bedroom.

Finding good quality year-round accommodation can be tricky, given most units are short-term tourist rentals during the summer months. It’s best to start looking in the quieter winter months and ask around for local tips.

I was lucky enough to find a cozy apartment close to Firule Beach owned by a lovely family. I often come home to gifts of fresh veggies from their garden or a perfectly grilled fish from the outside barbecue.

My favorite part of the apartment is my patio views over the family’s orchards and gardens, where I host friends for dinners and grill-outs.

The expat community in Split is close-knit and welcoming. You’ll find all ages and nationalities. Every month there are lots of fun events, like the annual Easter egg and spoon race through the center of the Old Town that I’ve organized for the last four years. Most are organized through Facebook groups like Expats Meet Split. There’s also a weekly 50+ coffee meetup aimed at older expats that’s a great place to meet people and get settled in.

$1,500 a Month, All-in

Winding alleys of Split’s Old Town, built within Diocletian’s Palace walls.
Winding alleys of Split’s Old Town, built within Diocletian’s Palace walls.|©iStock/DaLiu

Split is an affordable place to live as an expat, especially if you’re able to access retirement funds or have your own business. My monthly costs here are about $1,500, which includes my rent, transport costs, and groceries. Riding the bus around town costs just over $1, and you can sip on a latte, or bijela kava as it’s known here, at a beachside cafe for about $3.

Public hospitals here are functional but basic, so most expats get private health insurance. Anyone spending more than three months in Croatia must have healthcare coverage, since it’s a requirement for residency. (Popular choices include Cigna Global or AXA, and basic plans typically cost between $100-$300 per month, depending on your age and pre-existing health issues.)

City access can be trickier for those with mobility issues, due to the narrow streets and lack of elevators in older buildings. But things are constantly improving. The city government is putting in disabled access points at key beaches and designated disabled parking is available almost everywhere.

Split also has a great public bus system connecting the city with smaller towns along the coast and in the mountains. If you have young kids or mobility issues, a car is useful for everyday commuting. Just bear in mind parking and traffic are very challenging in the busy summer months!

Winters are Quiet, But…

Life at the beach isn’t always mojitos and sunshine. One year it rained for three weeks non-stop in November. Entertainment options also shrink in winter, with many restaurants and bars closing when the tourists go home.

Things grow really quiet after December, when the city comes alive with steaming cups of mulled wine at the Advent markets and bustling free concerts every weekend on the Riva, which is the cafe-lined seaside promenade running through the heart of the Old Town.

January to March is the slowest season, when many expats travel or head home for a few months. Still, unlike other Adriatic coastal towns that hibernate outside of peak season, Split feels lived-in year-round.

Tips for Scouting

Split is built around the ancient Roman place founded here by the Roman Emperor Diocletian as his retirement home. This is the Old Town where you can spend hours wandering the tiny streets and getting lost.

When you’ve worked up an appetite, the local restaurant Villa Spiza is a great spot to stop in for traditional family-style meals at a great price. Finish up with Split’s best gelato at Gelateria Emiliana hidden away in the backstreets.

Or grab a cliffside table at Dvor, mentioned in the Michelin guide, where you can dine on upscale modern Dalmatian cuisine looking out over the turquoise waters of Firule bay. Foodies should also take the ferry to the island of Brac for exceptional grilled lamb and reserve ahead for hearty octopus "peka," a local dish cooked with potatoes on the coals, at Konoba Carevi Dvori in Podstrana just 20 minutes down the coast from Split.

Cultural Tips

Split has a reputation for being a little different than the rest of Croatia. People here are proud, passionate, and often a little stubborn. On weekends, local ladies dress up in their finest fashion and stroll along the Riva promenade to see and be seen. The best "Riva Diva" outfits get snapped by street photographers and featured in glossy magazines.

Things get even crazier when Hajduk, the local football team, plays at home. Thousands of fans descend on the city from the surrounding area. You don’t need to watch the game to know if they’ve won. Big wins are celebrated with firecrackers and flares late into the night.

Mastering One of Europe’s Trickiest Languages

Croatian is a tough language to master if you’re not a Slavic speaker. Luckily, most Croatians speak excellent English. I’ve been taking a language course at the University of Split, but I’ll admit it’s slow going.

Locals appreciate your efforts if you speak a little, and it’s worth learning—the drawback of my limited Croatian is that I’ve found it hard to get to know locals on a deeper level. Split natives also have a reputation for having a frosty exterior, but they’re softies at heart.

Just be patient—connections here take time, but they feel real. I’d never swap tapping away on my laptop by the Adriatic for hustling in London!

How to Stay Long Term

Evening light on Split’s waterfront, where ancient history meets lively cafés.
Evening light on Split’s waterfront, where ancient history meets lively cafés.|©iStock/rusm

Croatia continues to gain popularity among expats, but it isn’t the easiest place for non-EU residents to stay long-term.

If you want to stay for a year or two, there are several options. The most popular is the digital nomad visa, which allows you to stay up to 18 months (after 12 months, you can reapply for a six month extension.) The Croatian government recently introduced this permit, aimed at remote workers and entrepreneurs from the US and other non-EU countries.

To qualify, you’ll need a minimum income of $3,730 per month (€3,295) or the equivalent in savings for the length of your stay. You also need to submit a work contract or show active freelance contracts. Applicants can bring close family members with them if they apply for a temporary stay for the purposes of family reunification.

After 18 months, you’ll need to leave the Schengen zone for 90 days, and six months must elapse before you apply again. What that means in practice is you can stay for 18 months, leave for at least three months, and return for another 90 days as a tourist. Then you can apply again—and stay in Croatia while your visa is processing

Those with passive income can apply for a 12-month visa if you’re able to prepay your rent for the period of your stay. You will also need to show you have sufficient financial means to support yourself. This is currently $745 (€659) per month.

Like the digital nomad visa, the apartment visa can be renewed, but requires a 90-day break outside the Schengen area. Many expats return to their home country or non-Schengen countries for a few months and apply for another visa on their return.

It’s a bit complicated, as you can see, and the government bureaucracy can also be painfully slow moving. I worked with local visa consultants to expedite my residency application process, and it still took around eight months to receive my card.

I found the advice on the Expat in Croatia helpful. It’s full of instructions for most visa types, and you can set up a call to talk through your options. I used this when I arrived four years ago, and it was super helpful to figure out my next steps. You’ll find a cheat sheet for visas on the IL website here.

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