Cost of Living Comparison Between Kaunas and Kretinga Cost of Living Comparison Between Kaunas and Kretinga

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,560 in Kaunas versus $1,304 in Kretinga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,270 in Kaunas versus $2,036 in Kretinga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Kaunas versus $2,768 in Kretinga.

Living in Kaunas is roughly 20% more expensive than Kretinga, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kaunas is 16% above, Kretinga is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 €9.89

$11.49 €9.80

0.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.1

$70.1 €59.8

-7.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.30 €7.93

$7.09 €6.05

31.17%

Cappuccino

$3.53 €3.01

$3.02 €2.58

16.89%

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

$2.21 €1.89

$2.14 €1.83

3.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.50

$1.92 €1.63

-8.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.26 €4.49

$5.13 €4.38

2.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 €3.67

$5.06 €4.32

-15.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 €1.19

$1.38 €1.18

0.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.78 €1.52

$1.57 €1.34

13.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 €2.06

$2.05 €1.75

17.56%

Eggs

$2.76 €2.35

$2.88 €2.46

-4.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.79 €9.21

$10.66 €9.09

1.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.76 €6.62

$5.33 €4.55

45.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.22 €10.43

$9.99 €8.52

22.32%

Apples (1kg)

$1.19 €1.01

$1.40 €1.20

-15.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.36 €1.16

$1.67 €1.42

-18.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 €1.83

$1.78 €1.52

20.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.47 €2.96

$3.17 €2.71

9.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.05 €0.90

$0.76 €0.65

38.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 €0.95

$0.99 €0.84

12.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 €1.45

$1.53 €1.31

11.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 €0.85

$0.87 €0.74

14.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.00 €5.11

$5.59 €4.77

7.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.23 €8.72

$9.03 €7.70

13.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 €1.41

$1.72 €1.47

-4.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.83

$1.81 €1.55

18.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 €0.80

$1.14 €0.97

-18.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.26 €27.52

$33.09 €28.23

-2.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.96 €2.52

$3.16 €2.70

-6.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.91

$1.11 €0.95

-3.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.50 €8.11

$13.89 €11.85

-31.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.66 €1.42

$1.62 €1.38

2.47%

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

$38.3K €32.7K

$35.1K €30.0K

8.96%

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

$32.2K €27.5K

$29.4K €25.1K

9.64%

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

$261 €223

$209 €179

24.63%

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

$15.77 €13.45

$13.91 €11.86

13.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.48 €14.06

$14.44 €12.32

14.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.56 €33.74

$41.75 €35.61

-5.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.80 €19.45

$22.86 €19.50

-0.26%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.46

$9.27 €7.91

7.01%

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

$654 €558

$457 €390

43.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,557 €6,446

$9,428 €8,042

-19.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.1 €72.6

$87.1 €74.3

-2.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.44 €40.46

$42.83 €36.53

10.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €85.9

$84.6 €72.1

19.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 €96.7

$133 €114

-14.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$732 €624

$523 €446

39.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$516 €440

$358 €306

44.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 €1,029

$847 €722

42.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$779 €665

$647 €552

20.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,753 €3,201

$2,664 €2,273

40.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,246 €1,916

$1,624 €1,386

38.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,594 €1,360

$1,177 €1,004

35.36%

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: April 22, 2026

Last update for Kretinga: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $732 in Kaunas and $523 in Kretinga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kaunas pays 35% 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 in Kaunas vs $70 in Kretinga. Groceries flip the comparison at $257 vs $229, with Kretinga cheaper for home cooking.

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 Kretinga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kretinga wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in Kaunas. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kretinga the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Kaunas pays 35% 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: $732 in Kaunas versus $523 in Kretinga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Kretinga – a meal for two runs $70.0 versus $65.0 in Kaunas. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,560 per month in Kaunas versus $1,304 in Kretinga – a 20% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,304 in Kretinga versus $1,560 in Kaunas, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kretinga but tight or insufficient in Kaunas. The gap between the two cities makes Kretinga the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kretinga delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,304 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kretinga hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Kaunas and Kretinga 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 Kretinga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Kaunas. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.