Cost of Living Comparison Between Kaunas and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Kaunas and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,522 in Kaunas versus $2,296 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,268 in Kaunas versus $3,376 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,015 in Kaunas versus $4,457 in Lisbon.

Living in Kaunas costs roughly 34% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Kaunas 11% above, Lisbon 68% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.25 €10.68

$17.59 €15.33

-30.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.7 €61.6

$62.9 €54.8

12.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.39 €9.05

$11.58 €10.10

-10.28%

Cappuccino

$3.61 €3.15

$3.10 €2.70

16.45%

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

$3.37 €2.93

$2.49 €2.17

35.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 €2.98

$1.74 €1.52

96.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.27 €4.59

$3.48 €3.03

51.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.54 €3.96

$3.44 €3.00

31.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 €1.40

$1.15 €1.00

39.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 €1.61

$1.91 €1.66

-3.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.30 €2.01

$1.50 €1.31

53.33%

Eggs

$3.26 €2.84

$3.98 €3.47

-18.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.15 €13.21

$13.29 €11.59

14.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.19 €7.14

$8.01 €6.98

2.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.25 €12.43

$18.04 €15.73

-21.01%

Apples (1kg)

$1.58 €1.38

$2.35 €2.05

-32.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.75 €1.53

-14.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 €1.99

$1.85 €1.62

23.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.40 €2.97

$2.55 €2.22

33.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.98 €0.86

$1.84 €1.61

-46.74%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 €0.79

$2.10 €1.83

-56.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.81 €1.58

$1.49 €1.30

21.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.82 €0.71

15.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.36 €5.54

$7.10 €6.19

-10.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.11 €8.81

$5.91 €5.15

71.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 €1.55

$1.31 €1.15

35.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 €1.95

$2.13 €1.86

5.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 €1.04

$2.36 €2.05

-49.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.07 €27.95

$46.62 €40.63

-31.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.13 €0.99

$4.08 €3.55

-72.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 €0.76

$1.14 €0.99

-23.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.65 €14.51

$17.09 €14.90

-2.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 €1.65

$2.31 €2.01

-17.75%

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

$28.4K €24.7K

$34.1K €29.7K

-16.81%

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

$29.1K €25.4K

$41.4K €36.1K

-29.66%

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

$214 €187

$169 €147

27.17%

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

$16.64 €14.51

$19.33 €16.85

-13.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.46 €14.34

$33.51 €29.21

-50.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.66 €29.34

$48.84 €42.57

-31.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.32 €25.55

$19.43 €16.94

50.90%

Cinema Ticket

$12.39 €10.80

$9.57 €8.34

29.47%

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

$691 €602

$696 €607

-0.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,930 €7,785

$17.4K €15.1K

-48.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €77.2

$105 €91.8

-15.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.26 €36.84

$47.75 €41.62

-11.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 €108

$101 €87.6

22.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$170 €148

$124 €108

36.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$672 €586

$1,662 €1,449

-59.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 €413

$1,246 €1,086

-61.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$964 €841

$2,965 €2,584

-67.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$662 €577

$2,049 €1,786

-67.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,729 €3,251

$7,834 €6,829

-52.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,483 €2,164

$4,464 €3,892

-44.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,767 €1,541

$1,632 €1,422

8.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.05

3.78

7.14%

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

Last update for Kaunas: September 12, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $672 in Kaunas and $1,662 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kaunas pays 8% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $71.0 in Kaunas vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $277 per month, with Lisbon 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 Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kaunas wins on cost – living expenses run 51% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kaunas the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 8% higher in Kaunas, 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: $672 in Kaunas versus $1,662 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Kaunas – a meal for two runs $71.0 versus $63.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,522 per month in Kaunas versus $2,296 in Lisbon – a 51% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,522 in Kaunas versus $2,296 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kaunas but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Kaunas the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kaunas delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,522 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kaunas hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Kaunas and Lisbon 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 Kaunas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.