Cost of Living Comparison Between Kaunas and Palanga Cost of Living Comparison Between Kaunas and Palanga

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,543 in Kaunas versus $1,492 in Palanga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,249 in Kaunas versus $2,269 in Palanga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,956 in Kaunas versus $3,045 in Palanga.

Living in Kaunas is roughly 3% more expensive than Palanga, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Kaunas 15% above, Palanga 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.69 €10.01

$11.44 €9.79

2.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.9 €54.7

$68.5 €58.6

-6.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.17 €7.85

$7.95 €6.80

15.35%

Cappuccino

$3.50 €3.00

$3.61 €3.09

-3.05%

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

$2.30 €1.97

$2.56 €2.19

-10.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 €1.46

$1.91 €1.64

-10.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.22 €4.47

$5.95 €5.09

-12.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 €3.73

$5.54 €4.74

-21.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 €1.24

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 €1.54

$1.79 €1.53

0.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.30 €1.97

$1.99 €1.70

15.58%

Eggs

$2.88 €2.46

$2.85 €2.44

1.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.83 €9.27

$10.57 €9.05

2.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.93 €6.79

$8.11 €6.94

-2.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.99 €10.26

$11.88 €10.17

0.93%

Apples (1kg)

$1.15 €0.98

$1.42 €1.22

-19.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 €1.13

$1.61 €1.37

-18.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 €1.82

$1.71 €1.46

24.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.46 €2.96

$3.15 €2.70

9.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 €0.86

$0.76 €0.65

31.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 €1.00

$1.00 €0.85

16.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.68 €1.43

$1.67 €1.43

0.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 €0.88

$0.82 €0.70

25.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.90 €5.05

$5.86 €5.01

0.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 €8.93

$9.13 €7.81

14.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 €1.47

$1.66 €1.42

3.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.86

$2.16 €1.85

0.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.95 €0.82

$2.11 €1.81

-54.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.28 €27.63

$34.33 €29.38

-5.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.81 €2.41

$2.86 €2.45

-1.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.92

$1.06 €0.91

0.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.00 €7.70

$9.33 €7.99

-3.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 €1.41

$1.71 €1.46

-3.51%

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

$39.4K €33.7K

$39.1K €33.5K

0.69%

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

$32.1K €27.4K

$29.2K €25.0K

9.66%

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

$267 €229

$229 €196

16.81%

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

$15.77 €13.50

$15.60 €13.35

1.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.33 €13.98

$14.94 €12.79

9.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.59 €34.75

$74.8 €64.1

-45.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.17 €19.84

$17.49 €14.98

32.48%

Cinema Ticket

$10.11 €8.65

$9.02 €7.72

12.08%

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

$653 €559

$466 €399

40.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,598 €6,504

$7,790 €6,668

-2.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.9 €71.8

$92.9 €79.5

-9.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.15 €40.36

$45.62 €39.05

3.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.9 €83.8

$97.7 €83.7

0.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 €98.2

$189 €162

-39.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 €617

$806 €690

-10.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$516 €442

$406 €348

26.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,191 €1,019

$1,365 €1,169

-12.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$768 €658

$684 €586

12.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,858 €3,303

$4,439 €3,800

-13.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,318 €1,984

$2,407 €2,060

-3.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,376

$1,293 €1,107

24.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

4.2

7.14%

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

Last update for Kaunas: April 27, 2026

Last update for Palanga: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $721 in Kaunas and $806 in Palanga. 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: $64.0 in Kaunas vs $68.0 in Palanga. Groceries flip the comparison at $259 vs $251, with Palanga 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 Palanga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Palanga wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Kaunas. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Palanga the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

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: $721 in Kaunas versus $806 in Palanga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Palanga – a meal for two runs $68.0 versus $64.0 in Kaunas. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,543 per month in Kaunas versus $1,492 in Palanga – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,492 in Palanga versus $1,543 in Kaunas, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Palanga but tight or insufficient in Kaunas. The gap between the two cities makes Palanga the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Palanga delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,492 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Palanga hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Kaunas and Palanga 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 Palanga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Kaunas. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.