Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Kaunas

For one person, living is cheaper in Kaunas: $1,477 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $14,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,704
/mo nomad
Kaunas
🇱🇹 Lithuania
$1,477
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Kaunas

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Austin, TX and in Kaunas actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $1,477 in Kaunas.

  • Austin, TX $2,704
  • Kaunas $1,477

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,241 in Kaunas.

  • Austin, TX $4,133
  • Kaunas $2,241

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $3,005 in Kaunas.

  • Austin, TX $5,562
  • Kaunas $3,005

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 83% more expensive than in Kaunas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 102% above, Kaunas 10% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Austin, TX
Kaunas
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.22 $20.22
$11.80 €10.53
71.36%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$85.0 $85.0
$68.4 €61.1
24.29%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.35 $12.35
$9.90 €8.84
24.75%
Cappuccino
$5.47 $5.47
$3.46 €3.08
58.09%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.82 $3.82
$3.33 €2.97
14.71%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50 $2.50
$3.22 €2.87
-22.36%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.06 $8.06
$5.07 €4.52
58.97%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.99 $8.99
$4.36 €3.89
106.19%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
Kaunas
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.13 $1.13
$1.57 €1.40
-28.03%
White Bread (500g)
$3.78 $3.78
$1.79 €1.59
111.17%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.25 $3.25
$2.22 €1.98
46.40%
Eggs
$4.14 $4.14
$3.36 €3.00
23.21%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.08 $13.08
$14.71 €13.13
-11.08%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.31 $14.31
$8.13 €7.25
76.01%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.96 $15.96
$13.60 €12.14
17.35%
Apples (1kg)
$4.38 $4.38
$1.55 €1.38
182.58%
Banana (1kg)
$1.45 $1.45
$1.50 €1.34
-3.33%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.54 $4.54
$2.17 €1.94
109.22%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.19 $4.19
$3.33 €2.97
25.83%
Potato (1kg)
$2.63 $2.63
$0.94 €0.84
179.79%
Onion (1kg)
$2.36 $2.36
$0.98 €0.87
140.82%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.76 $1.76
$1.83 €1.63
-3.83%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.16 $2.16
$0.96 €0.86
125.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.81 $9.81
$6.14 €5.48
59.77%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.72 $14.72
$10.19 €9.10
44.46%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.78 $2.78
$1.74 €1.55
59.77%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.48 $3.48
$2.11 €1.89
64.93%
🚌 Getting Around
Austin, TX
Kaunas
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.49 $1.49
$1.09 €0.98
36.70%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$40.51 $40.51
$31.96 €28.52
26.75%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.67 $2.67
$1.14 €1.02
134.21%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.58 $1.58
$0.87 €0.77
81.61%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$35.29 $35.29
$15.71 €14.02
124.63%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.99 $0.99
$1.91 €1.71
-48.17%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.8K $35.8K
$26.9K €24.0K
33.08%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.2K $27.2K
$28.8K €25.7K
-5.70%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
Kaunas
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$219 $219
$203 €181
8.17%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$58.0 $58.0
$16.06 €14.34
261.08%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$68.4 $68.4
$15.30 €13.65
346.80%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
Kaunas
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.9 $57.9
$32.92 €29.38
75.88%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.82 $14.82
$28.67 €25.59
-48.31%
Cinema Ticket
$14.13 $14.13
$11.99 €10.70
17.85%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Austin, TX
Kaunas
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,509 $1,509
$682 €609
121.30%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.5K $21.5K
$8,760 €7,818
144.94%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
Kaunas
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$51.7 $51.7
$85.7 €76.5
-39.75%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.05 $44.05
$40.43 €36.08
8.95%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$85.1 $85.1
$121 €108
-29.68%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$105 $105
$164 €146
-35.69%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
Kaunas
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,932 $1,932
$627 €560
208.15%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,272 $1,272
$438 €391
190.63%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,670 $3,670
$929 €829
294.86%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,525 $2,525
$657 €586
284.45%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,617 $7,617
$3,679 €3,283
107.06%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,199 $3,199
$2,386 €2,130
34.07%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Austin, TX
Kaunas
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,105 $5,105
$1,696 €1,513
201.06%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.79
4.05
67.65%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Kaunas: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
$1.3K
Kaunas
$438 65.6% $835
Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
$403
Kaunas
$280 30.4% $122
Eating Out
Austin, TX
$348
Kaunas
$226 35.1% $122
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
$346
Kaunas
$234 32.3% $112
Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
$129
Kaunas
$185 43.6% $56
Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
$86
Kaunas
$57 33.9% $29
Getting Around
Austin, TX
$57
Kaunas
$42 26.6% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $627 in Kaunas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 201% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $68.0 in Kaunas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $280 per month, with Kaunas cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🇱🇹 Kaunas
🕒 Local time
00:13 12:13 AM
08:13 8:13 AM
8 h ahead of Austin, TX
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
974,447
315,993
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Austin, TX Kaunas 9,040 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Austin, TX
  • Kaunas

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Austin, TX vs Kaunas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Austin, TX or Kaunas?
Kaunas wins on cost – living expenses run 83% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kaunas the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Austin, TX or in Kaunas?
Average pay runs 201% higher in Austin, TX, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Austin, TX compared to Kaunas?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $627 in Kaunas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in Austin, TX compared to Kaunas?
All in, you'll spend $2,704 per month in Austin, TX versus $1,477 in Kaunas – a 83% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How expensive is transport in Austin, TX compared to Kaunas?
A monthly transit pass in Kaunas runs roughly 27% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Austin, TX or in Kaunas?
At $1,477 in Kaunas versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kaunas but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Kaunas the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Austin, TX or Kaunas?
Both work as nomad bases, but Kaunas delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,477 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kaunas hard to pass up.
How safe is Austin, TX compared to Kaunas?
Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Kaunas are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Kaunas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 83% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Austin, TX vs other spots: cost of living compared

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