Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kaunas and Palanga

For one person, living is cheaper in Palanga: $915 a month against $1,509 in Kaunas, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Kaunas, Lithuania
Palanga, Lithuania
Kaunas
🇱🇹 Lithuania
$1,509
/mo nomad
Palanga
🇱🇹 Lithuania
$915
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kaunas and in Palanga

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Kaunas and in Palanga actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,509 in Kaunas versus $915 in Palanga.

  • Kaunas $1,509
  • Palanga $915

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,259 in Kaunas versus $1,488 in Palanga.

  • Kaunas $2,259
  • Palanga $1,488

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,008 in Kaunas versus $2,062 in Palanga.

  • Kaunas $3,008
  • Palanga $2,062

Living in Kaunas is roughly 65% more expensive than in Palanga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kaunas is 11% above, Palanga is 33% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Kaunas
Palanga
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.03 €10.78
$12.10 €10.84
-0.58%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.5 €60.5
$68.1 €61.1
-0.97%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.20 €9.14
$7.78 €6.97
31.11%
Cappuccino
$3.43 €3.07
$3.42 €3.06
0.29%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.36 €3.02
$2.63 €2.36
27.76%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.24 €2.91
$2.82 €2.52
14.89%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.24 €4.70
$5.62 €5.03
-6.76%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.54 €4.07
$5.17 €4.64
-12.19%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Kaunas
Palanga
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.61 €1.45
$1.41 €1.26
14.18%
White Bread (500g)
$1.72 €1.54
$1.72 €1.54
-
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.26 €2.02
$1.78 €1.60
26.97%
Eggs
$3.24 €2.91
$3.06 €2.74
5.88%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.95 €13.40
$10.04 €8.99
48.90%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.13 €7.29
$7.08 €6.35
14.83%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.49 €12.09
$12.35 €11.06
9.23%
Apples (1kg)
$1.59 €1.42
$1.59 €1.43
-
Banana (1kg)
$1.49 €1.34
$1.51 €1.36
-1.32%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.18 €1.95
$1.64 €1.47
32.93%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.36 €3.01
$3.07 €2.75
9.45%
Potato (1kg)
$0.91 €0.81
$0.78 €0.70
16.67%
Onion (1kg)
$0.94 €0.84
$0.90 €0.80
4.44%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.82 €1.63
$1.46 €1.31
24.66%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.93 €0.83
$0.81 €0.72
14.81%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.25 €5.60
$5.80 €5.20
7.76%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.03 €8.98
$8.54 €7.66
17.45%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.56
$1.72 €1.54
1.16%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.15 €1.93
$2.11 €1.89
1.90%
🚌 Getting Around
Kaunas
Palanga
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.15 €1.03
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$31.91 €28.60
$33.22 €29.77
-3.94%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.14 €1.02
$1.14 €1.02
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.89 €0.80
$0.88 €0.79
1.14%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$15.76 €14.12
$13.39 €12.00
17.70%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.01 €1.80
$1.80 €1.62
11.67%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.8K €24.9K
$26.8K €24.0K
3.55%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.1K €25.1K
$27.6K €24.8K
1.60%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kaunas
Palanga
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$196 €176
$201 €180
-2.29%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.98 €14.32
$15.18 €13.61
5.27%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$15.68 €14.05
$14.38 €12.89
9.04%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Kaunas
Palanga
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$32.37 €29.01
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$27.72 €24.84
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.93 €10.69
$8.76 €7.85
36.19%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Kaunas
Palanga
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$643 €576
$509 €456
26.35%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,792 €7,879
$8,777 €7,865
0.17%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Kaunas
Palanga
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$85.8 €76.9
$84.0 €75.3
2.11%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.41 €36.22
$40.20 €36.03
0.52%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$119 €107
$80.7 €72.3
47.73%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$162 €145
$162 €146
-0.11%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Kaunas
Palanga
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$710 €636
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$490 €439
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,056 €946
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$698 €626
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,369 €3,019
$4,928 €4,416
-31.64%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,272 €2,036
$2,930 €2,625
-22.44%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Kaunas
Palanga
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,718 €1,540
$1,461 €1,310
17.56%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.05
4.05
-

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

Last update for Kaunas: October 25, 2026

Last update for Palanga: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Kaunas
$490
Palanga
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Kaunas
$280
Palanga
$242 13.6% $38
Eating Out
Kaunas
$230
Palanga
$221 3.6% $8.3
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kaunas
$228
Palanga
$230 1.1% $2.5
Clothing & Footwear
Kaunas
$183
Palanga
$165 9.9% $18
Sport & Entertainment
Kaunas
$56
Palanga
$18 * 68.8% $39
Getting Around
Kaunas
$42
Palanga
$39 * 8% $3.4

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Kaunas pays 18% 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: $67 in Kaunas vs $68 in Palanga. Groceries flip the comparison at $280 vs $242, with Palanga cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇱🇹 Kaunas
🇱🇹 Palanga
🕒 Local time
14:28 2:28 PM
14:28 2:28 PM
Same time as Kaunas
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
315,993
15,732
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Kaunas Palanga 210 km
From you
  • Kaunas
  • Palanga

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Which city is more expensive, Kaunas or Palanga?
Palanga wins on cost – living expenses run 39% 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.
Are salaries higher in Kaunas or in Palanga?
Average pay runs 18% higher in Kaunas, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do childcare costs compare in Kaunas and in Palanga?
Childcare runs $643 in Kaunas versus $509 in Palanga. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How expensive is transport in Kaunas compared to Palanga?
A monthly transit pass in Kaunas runs roughly 4% less than in Palanga. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
Can you live on $1,200/month in Kaunas or in Palanga?
At $915 in Palanga versus $1,509 in Kaunas, a $1,200 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.
How safe is Kaunas compared to Palanga?
Safety-wise, Kaunas and Palanga are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Should I move to Kaunas or to Palanga?
It comes down to priorities – Palanga wins on affordability, Kaunas on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

Kaunas vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?