Cost of Living Comparison Between Kaunas and Plunge Cost of Living Comparison Between Kaunas and Plunge

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,543 in Kaunas versus $1,413 in Plunge.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,249 in Kaunas versus $2,201 in Plunge.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,956 in Kaunas versus $2,990 in Plunge.

Living in Kaunas is roughly 9% more expensive than Plunge, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Kaunas 15% above, Plunge 6% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.69 €10.01

$13.63 €11.67

-14.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.9 €54.7

$70.7 €60.5

-9.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.17 €7.85

$9.11 €7.80

0.66%

Cappuccino

$3.50 €3.00

$3.66 €3.13

-4.37%

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

$2.30 €1.97

$2.12 €1.81

8.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 €1.46

$2.44 €2.09

-29.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.22 €4.47

$5.23 €4.48

-0.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 €3.73

$5.35 €4.58

-18.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 €1.24

$1.54 €1.32

-5.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 €1.54

$1.53 €1.31

17.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.30 €1.97

$2.60 €2.22

-11.54%

Eggs

$2.88 €2.46

$2.87 €2.46

0.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.83 €9.27

$12.82 €10.97

-15.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.93 €6.79

$7.08 €6.06

12.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.99 €10.26

$12.23 €10.47

-1.96%

Apples (1kg)

$1.15 €0.98

$1.61 €1.37

-28.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 €1.13

$1.61 €1.38

-18.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 €1.82

$2.17 €1.86

-1.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.46 €2.96

$3.28 €2.81

5.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 €0.86

$0.94 €0.81

6.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 €1.00

$1.03 €0.88

12.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.68 €1.43

$1.92 €1.64

-12.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 €0.88

$0.94 €0.81

9.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.90 €5.05

$5.82 €4.98

1.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 €8.93

$9.35 €8.00

11.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 €1.47

$1.74 €1.49

-1.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.86

$2.20 €1.89

-0.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.95 €0.82

$1.18 €1.01

-19.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.28 €27.63

$33.06 €28.30

-2.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.81 €2.41

$3.37 €2.89

-16.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.92

$1.17 €1.00

-8.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.00 €7.70

$16.19 €13.86

-44.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 €1.41

$1.68 €1.44

-1.79%

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

$39.4K €33.7K

$34.7K €29.7K

13.39%

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

$32.1K €27.4K

$33.1K €28.3K

-3.21%

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

$267 €229

$244 €209

9.56%

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

$15.77 €13.50

$14.13 €12.10

11.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.33 €13.98

$16.90 €14.47

-3.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.59 €34.75

$41.30 €35.35

-1.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.17 €19.84

$22.72 €19.45

1.98%

Cinema Ticket

$10.11 €8.65

$9.31 €7.97

8.59%

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

$653 €559

$625 €535

4.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,598 €6,504

$9,093 €7,784

-16.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.9 €71.8

$86.5 €74.0

-2.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.15 €40.36

$42.66 €36.51

10.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.9 €83.8

$109 €93.0

-9.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 €98.2

$129 €110

-11.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 €617

$524 €449

37.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$516 €442

$358 €307

43.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,191 €1,019

$831 €711

43.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$768 €658

$656 €562

17.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,858 €3,303

$2,699 €2,310

42.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,318 €1,984

$1,582 €1,354

46.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,376

$1,314 €1,125

22.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

4.49

0.22%

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

Last update for Kaunas: April 27, 2026

Last update for Plunge: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $721 in Kaunas and $524 in Plunge. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kaunas pays 22% 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 $71.0 in Plunge for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $259 vs $262 per month, with Kaunas 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 Plunge: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Plunge wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Kaunas. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Plunge the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Kaunas pays 22% 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 $524 in Plunge. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Plunge – a meal for two runs $71.0 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 $1,413 in Plunge – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,413 in Plunge versus $1,543 in Kaunas, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Plunge but tight or insufficient in Kaunas. The gap between the two cities makes Plunge the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Plunge delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,413 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Plunge hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Kaunas and Plunge 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 Plunge gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Kaunas. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.