Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Kaunas Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Kaunas

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,217 in Lisbon versus $1,525 in Kaunas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,245 in Lisbon versus $2,271 in Kaunas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,272 in Lisbon versus $3,017 in Kaunas.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 45% more expensive than in Kaunas, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 66% above, Kaunas 14% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.78 €13.77

$11.60 €10.12

36.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.5 €54.5

$64.1 €56.0

-2.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 €9.19

$9.48 €8.27

11.18%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.41

$3.50 €3.05

-20.86%

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

$2.28 €1.99

$2.24 €1.95

1.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.76 €1.54

-11.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.55 €3.09

$5.13 €4.47

-30.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 €3.47

$4.40 €3.84

-9.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.44 €1.26

-25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.54

$1.86 €1.62

-4.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 €1.54

$2.41 €2.10

-26.56%

Eggs

$3.12 €2.72

$2.82 €2.46

10.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.34 €11.64

$10.75 €9.38

24.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.98

$7.99 €6.97

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.92 €13.89

$12.05 €10.52

32.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.99

$1.14 €1.00

100.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.43

$1.32 €1.15

24.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$2.21 €1.93

-10.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 €2.14

$3.60 €3.14

-31.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.54

$1.02 €0.89

73.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.72

$1.11 €0.97

77.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.72

$1.73 €1.51

13.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.70

$1.00 €0.87

-20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.54 €5.70

$5.74 €5.01

13.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.75 €5.01

$10.04 €8.76

-42.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 €1.15

$1.65 €1.44

-20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 €2.60

$2.25 €1.96

32.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.34 €2.04

$0.95 €0.83

146.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.85 €40.01

$32.05 €27.96

43.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.26 €3.71

$2.97 €2.59

43.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 €0.74

$1.01 €0.88

-16.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.86 €16.45

$9.29 €8.11

103.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.81

$1.65 €1.44

25.45%

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

$35.2K €30.8K

$38.7K €33.8K

-8.97%

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

$38.6K €33.7K

$32.3K €28.2K

19.62%

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

$151 €132

$265 €231

-42.88%

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

$20.91 €18.24

$15.86 €13.84

31.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.54 €34.50

$16.52 €14.41

139.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.39 €42.22

$40.06 €34.95

20.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.61 €16.24

$22.97 €20.04

-18.98%

Cinema Ticket

$9.04 €7.89

$9.73 €8.49

-7.09%

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

$610 €532

$643 €561

-5.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.2K

$7,586 €6,619

114.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €88.3

$83.8 €73.2

20.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.58 €35.41

$48.55 €42.36

-16.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.0 €81.2

$98.0 €85.5

-5.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$116 €102

1.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,603 €1,398

$734 €640

118.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,239 €1,081

$526 €459

135.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,019 €2,634

$1,197 €1,044

152.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,061 €1,798

$761 €664

170.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,981 €6,963

$3,767 €3,287

111.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,533 €3,955

$2,420 €2,111

87.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,628 €1,421

$1,703 €1,486

-4.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.5

-15.33%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 15, 2026

Last update for Kaunas: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,603 in Lisbon and $734 in Kaunas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kaunas pays 5% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $62.0 in Lisbon vs $64.0 in Kaunas. Groceries flip the comparison at $268 vs $260, with Kaunas 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

Lisbon vs Kaunas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kaunas wins on cost – living expenses run 45% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kaunas the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 5% lower in Kaunas. 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: $1,603 in Lisbon versus $734 in Kaunas. 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 $64.0 versus $62.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,217 per month in Lisbon versus $1,525 in Kaunas – a 45% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,525 in Kaunas versus $2,217 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kaunas but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. 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, Lisbon and Kaunas 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 45% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.