Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Berlin and Kaunas

For one person, living is cheaper in Kaunas: $1,477 a month against $2,545 in Berlin, rent and utilities included – about $12,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Berlin
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Berlin Living Index
71

Cost of Living Index in Kaunas
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Kaunas Living Index

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Berlin

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,545

/mo nomad

Kaunas

🇱🇹 Lithuania

$1,477

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Berlin 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 Berlin and in Kaunas actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,545 per month in Berlin vs $1,477 in Kaunas, rent included.

Berlin $2,545
Kaunas $1,477

A couple spends around $3,901 per month in Berlin vs $2,241 in Kaunas, rent included.

Berlin $3,901
Kaunas $2,241

A family of three spends $5,257 per month in Berlin vs $3,005 in Kaunas, rent included.

Berlin $5,257
Kaunas $3,005

Berlin costs about 72% more than Kaunas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Berlin and Kaunas sit above the global median – Berlin by 90%, Kaunas by 10%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.81 €15.00

$11.80 €10.53

42.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.6 €71.0

$68.4 €61.1

16.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.38 €11.94

$9.90 €8.84

35.15%

Cappuccino

$4.27 €3.81

$3.46 €3.08

23.41%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 €3.03

$3.33 €2.97

2.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 €2.79

$3.22 €2.87

-3.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.48 €4.89

$5.07 €4.52

8.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 €4.07

$4.36 €3.89

4.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.13

$1.57 €1.40

-19.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 €2.19

$1.79 €1.59

36.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.30 €2.94

$2.22 €1.98

48.65%

Eggs

$4.45 €3.97

$3.36 €3.00

32.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.10 €15.26

$14.71 €13.13

16.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.19 €10.88

$8.13 €7.25

49.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.30 €16.33

$13.60 €12.14

34.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.58 €3.19

$1.55 €1.38

130.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 €1.77

$1.50 €1.34

32.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.27 €2.92

$2.17 €1.94

50.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.81 €3.40

$3.33 €2.97

14.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 €1.90

$0.94 €0.84

126.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 €1.97

$0.98 €0.87

125.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.33

$1.83 €1.63

-18.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 €0.90

$0.96 €0.86

5.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.49 €9.37

$6.14 €5.48

70.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.76 €6.03

$10.19 €9.10

-33.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 €1.20

$1.74 €1.55

-22.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 €1.87

$2.11 €1.89

-0.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.37 €3.90

$1.09 €0.98

300.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.0 €63.3

$31.96 €28.52

122.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.29 €4.72

$1.14 €1.02

364.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.05 €2.73

$0.87 €0.77

250.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.30 €32.39

$15.71 €14.02

131.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 €2.03

$1.91 €1.71

19.37%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$33.2K €29.7K

$26.9K €24.0K

23.55%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$39.1K €34.9K

$28.8K €25.7K

35.51%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$379 €339

$203 €181

87.14%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$19.31 €17.23

$16.06 €14.34

20.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.41 €43.20

$15.30 €13.65

216.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.31 €35.97

$32.92 €29.38

22.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.51 €31.69

$28.67 €25.59

23.86%

Cinema Ticket

$15.53 €13.86

$11.99 €10.70

29.52%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$144 €128

$682 €609

-78.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K €14.1K

$8,760 €7,818

79.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.6 €84.5

$85.7 €76.5

10.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.33 €41.34

$40.43 €36.08

14.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €92.2

$121 €108

-14.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 €126

$164 €146

-13.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,488 €1,328

$627 €560

137.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,098 €980

$438 €391

150.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,665 €2,378

$929 €829

186.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,080 €1,856

$657 €586

216.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,578 €7,655

$3,679 €3,283

133.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,438 €4,853

$2,386 €2,130

127.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,487 €3,112

$1,696 €1,513

105.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.8

4.05

-6.17%

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

Last update for Berlin: October 3, 2026

Last update for Kaunas: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Berlin

$1.1K 43.3%

Kaunas

$438 30% 60.1% $660

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Berlin

$447 17.6%

Kaunas

$234 16% 47.6% $213

Groceries & Markets

Berlin

$351 13.8%

Kaunas

$280 19.2% 20% $70

Eating Out

Berlin

$289 11.4%

Kaunas

$226 15.5% 21.7% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Berlin

$174 6.8%

Kaunas

$185 12.7% 6.6% $11

Getting Around

Berlin

$109 4.3%

Kaunas

$42 2.9% 61.6% $67

Sport & Entertainment

Berlin

$71 2.8%

Kaunas

$57 3.9% 20.3% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,488 in Berlin versus $627 in Kaunas. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 106% higher in Berlin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80.0 in Berlin versus $68.0 in Kaunas. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $351 vs $280 – making Kaunas the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Berlin

🇱🇹 Kaunas

🕒 Local time

06:56 6:56 AM

07:56 7:56 AM

1 h ahead of Berlin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,769,962 Capital

315,993

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Berlin Kaunas 740 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Berlin vs Kaunas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Berlin is pricier by about 72%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,818 per month in Berlin and $2,215 in Kaunas. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kaunas, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,545 in Berlin and $1,477 in Kaunas. That's a gap of about 72%.

Public transport costs about 122% less in Kaunas. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kaunas, where all-in costs run around $1,477, than in Berlin at $2,545. In Kaunas it covers expenses comfortably, while in Berlin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kaunas – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Kaunas. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Berlin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.