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

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

Living in Vilnius is roughly 12% more expensive than Kaunas, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.65 €11.75

$11.67 €10.05

16.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.5 €60.7

$63.4 €54.6

11.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.34 €8.04

$9.30 €8.01

0.43%

Cappuccino

$3.60 €3.10

$3.64 €3.13

-1.10%

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

$2.07 €1.78

$2.26 €1.95

-8.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.07

$1.76 €1.51

36.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.25 €4.52

$5.06 €4.35

3.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.29 €4.56

$4.35 €3.75

21.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 €1.34

$1.40 €1.21

10.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 €1.37

$1.85 €1.59

-13.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 €2.18

$2.39 €2.06

5.86%

Eggs

$2.79 €2.40

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.52 €10.78

$10.96 €9.44

14.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.96 €5.99

$7.78 €6.70

-10.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 €10.46

$11.90 €10.25

2.02%

Apples (1kg)

$1.58 €1.36

$1.15 €0.99

37.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 €1.44

$1.31 €1.13

27.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 €1.89

$2.21 €1.90

-0.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.30 €2.84

$3.62 €3.12

-8.84%

Potato (1kg)

$0.86 €0.74

$1.06 €0.91

-18.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 €0.90

$1.10 €0.95

-5.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.75 €1.51

6.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 €0.81

$0.99 €0.85

-5.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.94 €5.11

$5.81 €5.00

2.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.49 €9.03

$10.22 €8.80

2.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 €1.48

$1.73 €1.49

-0.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 €1.82

$2.23 €1.92

-4.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 €0.87

$0.96 €0.83

5.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.01 €28.43

$32.65 €28.12

1.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 €2.66

$2.85 €2.45

8.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.12 €0.96

$1.05 €0.91

6.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.26 €14.00

$9.31 €8.02

74.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 €1.42

$1.69 €1.46

-2.37%

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

$34.6K €29.8K

$38.8K €33.4K

-10.78%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$32.6K €28.0K

0.29%

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

$244 €210

$257 €222

-5.10%

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

$14.22 €12.24

$16.03 €13.81

-11.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.16 €14.78

$16.56 €14.26

3.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.49 €35.73

$40.05 €34.49

3.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.81 €31.70

$23.22 €20.00

58.53%

Cinema Ticket

$9.12 €7.86

$9.89 €8.52

-7.79%

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

$640 €551

$647 €558

-1.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,290 €8,000

$7,714 €6,642

20.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 €74.3

$85.6 €73.7

0.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.89 €36.07

$47.51 €40.91

-11.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 €93.8

$98.2 €84.6

10.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 €112

$115 €98.9

13.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$866 €746

$735 €633

17.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 €534

$511 €440

21.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,490 €1,283

$1,228 €1,057

21.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,004 €865

$768 €662

30.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,054 €5,213

$3,793 €3,266

59.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,383 €2,913

$2,396 €2,063

41.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,030 €1,748

$1,733 €1,492

17.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.49

4.5

-0.22%

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

Last update for Vilnius: June 2, 2026

Last update for Kaunas: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $866 in Vilnius and $735 in Kaunas. 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: $70.0 in Vilnius vs $63.0 in Kaunas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $262 vs $259 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

Vilnius vs Kaunas: 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.

Vilnius pays 17% 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: $866 in Vilnius versus $735 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 $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 $1,700 per month in Vilnius versus $1,525 in Kaunas – 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, Vilnius 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 12% less than in Vilnius. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.