Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vilnius and Kretinga

For one person, living is cheaper in Kretinga: $1,261 a month against $1,707 in Vilnius, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Vilnius, Lithuania
Kretinga, Lithuania
Vilnius
🇱🇹 Lithuania
$1,707
/mo nomad
Kretinga
🇱🇹 Lithuania
$1,261
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vilnius and in Kretinga

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Vilnius and in Kretinga actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,707 in Vilnius versus $1,261 in Kretinga.

  • Vilnius $1,707
  • Kretinga $1,261

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,576 in Vilnius versus $1,981 in Kretinga.

  • Vilnius $2,576
  • Kretinga $1,981

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,445 in Vilnius versus $2,702 in Kretinga.

  • Vilnius $3,445
  • Kretinga $2,702

Living in Vilnius is roughly 35% more expensive than in Kretinga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Vilnius is 25% above, Kretinga is 7% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Vilnius
Kretinga
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.25 €12.80
$12.36 €11.10
15.29%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$74.2 €66.6
$49.97 €44.89
48.41%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.90 €8.00
$6.64 €5.97
34.04%
Cappuccino
$3.63 €3.26
$3.17 €2.84
14.51%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.40 €2.16
$2.42 €2.18
-0.83%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 €2.03
$1.92 €1.73
17.71%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.67 €5.10
$5.70 €5.12
-0.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.41 €3.96
$4.57 €4.10
-3.50%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Vilnius
Kretinga
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.47 €1.32
$1.27 €1.14
15.75%
White Bread (500g)
$1.64 €1.47
$1.47 €1.32
11.56%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.46 €2.21
$1.80 €1.61
36.67%
Eggs
$3.33 €2.99
$2.87 €2.58
16.03%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.28 €9.23
$10.23 €9.19
0.49%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.29 €7.44
$5.57 €5.00
48.83%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.86 €10.66
$9.77 €8.77
21.39%
Apples (1kg)
$1.85 €1.67
$1.66 €1.49
11.45%
Banana (1kg)
$1.48 €1.33
$1.42 €1.28
4.23%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.67 €1.50
$1.71 €1.54
-2.34%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.36 €3.02
$2.98 €2.67
12.75%
Potato (1kg)
$0.90 €0.81
$0.78 €0.70
15.38%
Onion (1kg)
$0.81 €0.73
$0.76 €0.69
6.58%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.54 €1.39
$1.47 €1.32
4.76%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.82 €0.74
$0.81 €0.72
1.23%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.11 €5.49
$5.85 €5.25
4.44%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.96 €8.05
$8.20 €7.37
9.27%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.78 €1.60
$1.68 €1.51
5.95%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.86 €1.67
$1.69 €1.52
10.06%
🚌 Getting Around
Vilnius
Kretinga
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.13 €1.02
$1.07 €0.96
5.61%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$43.28 €38.88
$33.60 €30.18
28.81%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.10 €2.79
$2.99 €2.69
3.68%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.20 €1.08
$0.87 €0.78
37.93%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$14.26 €12.81
$13.43 €12.06
6.18%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.97 €1.77
$1.88 €1.69
4.79%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.6K €24.8K
$27.6K €24.8K
0.05%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.9K €25.1K
$27.6K €24.8K
0.90%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Vilnius
Kretinga
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$239 €214
$201 €180
18.98%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.48 €12.11
$13.80 €12.39
-2.32%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.58 €18.48
$14.30 €12.85
43.92%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Vilnius
Kretinga
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.76 €36.61
$37.37 €33.57
9.07%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$35.72 €32.09
$19.98 €17.95
78.78%
Cinema Ticket
$10.25 €9.21
$9.03 €8.11
13.51%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Vilnius
Kretinga
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$649 €583
$525 €472
23.57%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.5K €10.3K
$9,168 €8,236
24.95%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Vilnius
Kretinga
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$93.3 €83.8
$92.9 €83.5
0.39%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.14 €37.86
$41.70 €37.46
1.06%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.2 €81.9
$82.1 €73.7
11.13%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$130 €117
$127 €114
2.41%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Vilnius
Kretinga
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$853 €766
$641 €576
33.00%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$661 €594
$345 €310
91.40%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,492 €1,340
$731 €657
104.12%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,091 €980
$716 €643
52.42%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,875 €5,277
$3,127 €2,809
87.90%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,356 €3,015
$1,641 €1,474
104.44%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Vilnius
Kretinga
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,914 €1,719
$1,390 €1,248
37.71%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.99
3.99
-

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

Last update for Vilnius: October 25, 2026

Last update for Kretinga: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Vilnius
$661
Kretinga
$345 47.8% $316
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Vilnius
$273
Kretinga
$229 16.1% $44
Groceries & Markets
Vilnius
$255
Kretinga
$220 13.6% $35
Eating Out
Vilnius
$240
Kretinga
$212 11.8% $28
Clothing & Footwear
Vilnius
$161
Kretinga
$155 3.6% $5.8
Sport & Entertainment
Vilnius
$61
Kretinga
$55 9.5% $5.8
Getting Around
Vilnius
$57
Kretinga
$45 20.6% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $853 in Vilnius and $641 in Kretinga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vilnius pays 38% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $74 in Vilnius vs $50 in Kretinga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $255 vs $220 per month, with Kretinga cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇱🇹 Vilnius
🇱🇹 Kretinga
🕒 Local time
18:52 6:52 PM
18:52 6:52 PM
Same time as Vilnius
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
581,475 Capital
19,010
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Vilnius Kretinga 290 km
From you
  • Vilnius
  • Kretinga

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Kretinga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kretinga cheaper than Vilnius?
Kretinga is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. The 35% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Vilnius or Kretinga?
Average pay runs 38% higher in Vilnius, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Vilnius and Kretinga?
Rent for a central apartment: $853 in Vilnius versus $641 in Kretinga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Kretinga runs roughly 22% less than in Vilnius. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $649 in Vilnius versus $525 in Kretinga. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Vilnius or in Kretinga?
At $1,261 in Kretinga versus $1,707 in Vilnius, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kretinga but tight or insufficient in Vilnius. The gap between the two cities makes Kretinga the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Vilnius or in Kretinga?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Which city is safer, Vilnius or Kretinga?
Safety-wise, Vilnius and Kretinga are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Kretinga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Vilnius. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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