Cost of Living Comparison Between Kaunas and Utena Cost of Living Comparison Between Kaunas and Utena

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,540 in Kaunas versus $1,328 in Utena.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,278 in Kaunas versus $2,098 in Utena.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,016 in Kaunas versus $2,868 in Utena.

Living in Kaunas is roughly 16% more expensive than Utena, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kaunas is 15% above, Utena is 1% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 €10.17

$11.41 €9.89

2.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.9 €56.2

$70.2 €60.8

-7.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 €8.09

$6.97 €6.04

33.86%

Cappuccino

$3.61 €3.13

$3.08 €2.67

17.21%

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

$2.34 €2.03

$2.57 €2.22

-8.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 €1.47

$1.92 €1.67

-11.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.15 €4.47

$5.92 €5.13

-13.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 €3.87

$5.64 €4.89

-20.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 €1.26

$1.34 €1.16

8.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 €1.61

$1.53 €1.32

21.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 €2.00

$2.01 €1.74

14.93%

Eggs

$2.83 €2.46

$3.06 €2.65

-7.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.98 €9.52

$10.69 €9.26

2.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.94 €6.88

$5.43 €4.70

46.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 €10.34

$9.71 €8.42

22.86%

Apples (1kg)

$1.20 €1.04

$1.35 €1.17

-11.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 €1.14

$1.62 €1.40

-18.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.16 €1.87

$1.77 €1.54

22.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.52 €3.05

$3.18 €2.75

10.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 €0.91

$0.81 €0.71

28.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.14 €0.99

$0.99 €0.86

15.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.66 €1.44

$1.56 €1.36

6.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 €0.89

$0.88 €0.76

17.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.96 €5.16

$5.69 €4.94

4.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.31 €8.93

$8.44 €7.32

22.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$1.74 €1.51

-4.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.87

$1.80 €1.56

19.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 €0.81

$1.14 €0.99

-18.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.14 €27.85

$33.93 €29.40

-5.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.88 €2.49

$4.66 €4.04

-38.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.93

$1.12 €0.97

-4.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.03 €7.83

$13.55 €11.74

-33.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 €1.48

$1.65 €1.43

3.64%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$38.4K €33.3K

2.29%

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

$33.0K €28.6K

$28.5K €24.7K

15.70%

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

$262 €227

$210 €182

25.00%

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

$15.94 €13.81

$14.12 €12.24

12.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.55 €14.34

$11.76 €10.19

40.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.60 €35.19

$41.48 €35.95

-2.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.98 €19.91

$22.88 €19.83

0.44%

Cinema Ticket

$9.62 €8.34

$9.38 €8.13

2.56%

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

$654 €567

$454 €394

43.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,648 €6,629

$10.5K €9,117

-27.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 €73.4

$138 €120

-38.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.40 €41.08

$42.70 €37.01

11.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.4 €84.4

$84.6 €73.3

15.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 €99.4

$189 €163

-39.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$739 €640

$534 €463

38.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$513 €445

$361 €313

42.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,200 €1,040

$824 €714

45.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$773 €670

$664 €576

16.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,829 €3,318

$2,632 €2,281

45.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,341 €2,029

$1,649 €1,429

41.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,729 €1,498

$1,237 €1,072

39.70%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Utena: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $739 in Kaunas and $534 in Utena. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kaunas pays 40% 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: $65.0 in Kaunas vs $70.0 in Utena. Groceries flip the comparison at $260 vs $227, with Utena 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 Utena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Utena wins on cost – living expenses run 16% lower than in Kaunas. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Utena the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Kaunas pays 40% 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: $739 in Kaunas versus $534 in Utena. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Utena – 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 $1,540 per month in Kaunas versus $1,328 in Utena – a 16% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,328 in Utena versus $1,540 in Kaunas, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Utena but tight or insufficient in Kaunas. The gap between the two cities makes Utena the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Utena delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,328 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Utena hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Kaunas and Utena 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 Utena gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Kaunas. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.