Cost of Living Comparison Between Kaunas and Garliava Cost of Living Comparison Between Kaunas and Garliava

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,540 in Kaunas versus $1,327 in Garliava.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,278 in Kaunas versus $2,033 in Garliava.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,016 in Kaunas versus $2,738 in Garliava.

Living in Kaunas is roughly 16% more expensive than Garliava, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kaunas is 15% above, Garliava is 1% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 €10.17

$11.79 €10.22

-0.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.9 €56.2

$64.0 €55.4

1.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 €8.09

$6.90 €5.98

35.22%

Cappuccino

$3.61 €3.13

$3.16 €2.74

14.24%

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

$2.34 €2.03

$2.21 €1.92

5.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 €1.47

$1.77 €1.54

-3.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.15 €4.47

$5.32 €4.61

-3.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 €3.87

$4.32 €3.74

3.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 €1.26

$1.40 €1.21

3.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 €1.61

$1.85 €1.60

0.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 €2.00

$2.26 €1.96

2.21%

Eggs

$2.83 €2.46

$2.85 €2.47

-0.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.98 €9.52

$10.86 €9.41

1.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.94 €6.88

$7.67 €6.65

3.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 €10.34

$10.61 €9.19

12.44%

Apples (1kg)

$1.20 €1.04

$1.35 €1.17

-11.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 €1.14

$1.60 €1.39

-17.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.16 €1.87

$2.20 €1.91

-1.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.52 €3.05

$3.38 €2.93

4.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 €0.91

$0.76 €0.66

36.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.14 €0.99

$0.93 €0.80

22.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.66 €1.44

$1.73 €1.50

-4.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 €0.89

$0.80 €0.70

28.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.96 €5.16

$5.64 €4.89

5.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.31 €8.93

$10.15 €8.79

1.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$1.65 €1.43

1.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.87

$1.80 €1.56

19.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 €0.81

$1.19 €1.03

-21.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.14 €27.85

$32.96 €28.57

-2.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.88 €2.49

$2.91 €2.52

-1.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.93

$1.02 €0.88

4.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.03 €7.83

$9.09 €7.88

-0.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 €1.48

$1.62 €1.41

5.56%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$39.3K €34.1K

-0.10%

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

$33.0K €28.6K

$29.3K €25.4K

12.70%

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

$262 €227

$211 €183

24.58%

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

$15.94 €13.81

$15.82 €13.71

0.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.55 €14.34

$14.81 €12.84

11.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.60 €35.19

$42.83 €37.13

-5.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.98 €19.91

$22.97 €19.91

0.04%

Cinema Ticket

$9.62 €8.34

$9.02 €7.81

6.65%

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

$654 €567

$461 €400

41.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,648 €6,629

$7,805 €6,765

-2.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 €73.4

$83.4 €72.3

1.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.40 €41.08

$43.60 €37.79

8.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.4 €84.4

$84.4 €73.1

15.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 €99.4

$114 €98.5

0.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$739 €640

$533 €462

38.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$513 €445

$365 €316

40.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,200 €1,040

$818 €709

46.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$773 €670

$647 €561

19.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,829 €3,318

$3,092 €2,680

23.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,341 €2,029

$1,776 €1,539

31.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,729 €1,498

$1,394 €1,208

24.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

4.13

8.96%

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

Last update for Kaunas: June 7, 2026

Last update for Garliava: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $739 in Kaunas and $533 in Garliava. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kaunas pays 24% 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: $65.0 in Kaunas vs $64.0 in Garliava for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $260 vs $251 per month, with Garliava cheaper across the board.

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

Kaunas vs Garliava: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Garliava is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Kaunas pays 24% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $739 in Kaunas versus $533 in Garliava. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Garliava runs roughly 3% less than in Kaunas. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $654 in Kaunas versus $461 in Garliava. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,327 in Garliava versus $1,540 in Kaunas, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Garliava but tight or insufficient in Kaunas. The gap between the two cities makes Garliava the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Garliava is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Kaunas, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Kaunas and Garliava are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Garliava gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Kaunas. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.