Cost of Living Comparison Between Kaunas and Vilnius Cost of Living Comparison Between Kaunas and Vilnius

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,525 in Kaunas versus $1,700 in Vilnius.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,270 in Kaunas versus $2,493 in Vilnius.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,015 in Kaunas versus $3,287 in Vilnius.

Living in Kaunas costs roughly 10% less than in Vilnius, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Kaunas 14% above, Vilnius 27% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.67 €10.05

$13.65 €11.75

-14.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €54.6

$70.5 €60.7

-10.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.30 €8.01

$9.34 €8.04

-0.43%

Cappuccino

$3.64 €3.13

$3.60 €3.10

1.11%

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

$2.26 €1.95

$2.07 €1.78

9.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.51

$2.40 €2.07

-26.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.06 €4.35

$5.25 €4.52

-3.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 €3.75

$5.29 €4.56

-17.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 €1.21

$1.55 €1.34

-9.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.60 €1.37

15.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 €2.06

$2.53 €2.18

-5.53%

Eggs

$2.79 €2.40

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.96 €9.44

$12.52 €10.78

-12.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.78 €6.70

$6.96 €5.99

11.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.90 €10.25

$12.14 €10.46

-1.98%

Apples (1kg)

$1.15 €0.99

$1.58 €1.36

-27.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 €1.13

$1.67 €1.44

-21.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$2.19 €1.89

0.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.62 €3.12

$3.30 €2.84

9.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 €0.91

$0.86 €0.74

23.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 €0.95

$1.04 €0.90

5.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.86 €1.60

-5.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 €0.85

$0.94 €0.81

5.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.81 €5.00

$5.94 €5.11

-2.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.22 €8.80

$10.49 €9.03

-2.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.72 €1.48

0.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 €1.92

$2.12 €1.82

5.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.96 €0.83

$1.01 €0.87

-4.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.65 €28.12

$33.01 €28.43

-1.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.85 €2.45

$3.09 €2.66

-7.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 €0.91

$1.12 €0.96

-6.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.31 €8.02

$16.26 €14.00

-42.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 €1.46

$1.65 €1.42

2.42%

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

$38.8K €33.4K

$34.6K €29.8K

12.08%

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

$32.6K €28.0K

$32.7K €28.1K

-0.29%

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

$257 €222

$244 €210

5.37%

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

$16.03 €13.81

$14.22 €12.24

12.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.56 €14.26

$17.16 €14.78

-3.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.05 €34.49

$41.49 €35.73

-3.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.22 €20.00

$36.81 €31.70

-36.92%

Cinema Ticket

$9.89 €8.52

$9.12 €7.86

8.44%

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

$647 €558

$640 €551

1.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,714 €6,642

$9,290 €8,000

-16.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 €73.7

$86.3 €74.3

-0.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.51 €40.91

$41.89 €36.07

13.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.2 €84.6

$109 €93.8

-9.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 €98.9

$130 €112

-11.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$735 €633

$866 €746

-15.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$511 €440

$621 €534

-17.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,057

$1,490 €1,283

-17.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$768 €662

$1,004 €865

-23.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,793 €3,266

$6,054 €5,213

-37.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,396 €2,063

$3,383 €2,913

-29.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,733 €1,492

$2,030 €1,748

-14.64%

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: May 30, 2026

Last update for Vilnius: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $735 in Kaunas and $866 in Vilnius. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vilnius pays 17% 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: $63.0 in Kaunas vs $70.0 in Vilnius 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 Vilnius: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kaunas wins on cost – living expenses run 12% lower than in Vilnius. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kaunas the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Vilnius earns 17% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $735 in Kaunas versus $866 in Vilnius. 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 $63.0 versus $70.0 in Vilnius. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,525 per month in Kaunas versus $1,700 in Vilnius – a 12% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,525 in Kaunas versus $1,700 in Vilnius, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kaunas but tight or insufficient in Vilnius. 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 $1,525 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kaunas hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Kaunas and Vilnius 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 12% less than in Vilnius. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.