How Much Does It Cost to Live In Kaunas?
Kaunas is the second city in size in Lithuania, so since it’s not the biggest tourist attraction in this country, it’s definitely less expensive.
It’s a great place to live, for anyone, but mostly for young adults and students – it’s filled with universities and parks, and it’s cheap.
All of the basic services you need in a strange city are available to anyone and are of reasonably good quality, on par with what you will find anywhere in Europe.
And though it can be expensive, you can live quite cheaply in here if you really need or want to.
Lithuania : Cost of Living by City
RESTAURANTS
If you want to save some money, there are always ways in which you can do so, this country is rich with all kinds of restaurants and types of food. Restaurants are relatively expensive in Lithuania, though you can find some delicious food for a very low price. Generally, inexpensive restaurants cost around 6$ per person, but there’s always street food.
MARKETS
Prices are slowly rising on the rise in Lithuania, but there is wide availability – from fresh fruits and veggies to a bunch of local ingredients which will make your meals delicious. People can eat reasonably well here, even if they don’t have enough money to buy ingredients and cook, state aid is available for those who cannot afford food.
TRANSPORTATION
Well organized public transportation is one of the plus sides of living in Kaunas. Buses are usually on time and tickets aren’t expensive. Also, there is a cheap transportation fee if you are student. Monthly pass for public transport is cheap even if you aren’t one though, costing only about 30$.
UTILITIES (MONTHLY)
Bills are reasonably high, too. They cost around 160$ for all basic ones (like gas, electricity, waste services, heating, cooling, etc) and all this in an apartment that is larger than medium – we’re talking around 85m2. Internet is very fast in Lithuania and unbelievably cheap, costing only 12$ a month. The utilities are less expensive than you’d expect in a European country.
SPORTS & LEISURE
Enjoying sports and staying fit, is a pleasure that isn’t as expensive in Kaunas as it would be in many, many other cities around the world. Instead, a membership in a gym or a fitness club costs only around 35$ a month. Cinema tickets aren’t expensive either – at least not by European standards: they cost 8$ each.
CLOTHING & SHOES
Shopping for clothing and shoes isn’t the cheapest thing to do in Kaunas – and is on par with the more prosperous European cities as well. Jeans of good quality like Levi’s cost more than 70$ which is considered pricey, while quality running sneakers are approaching 80$. Even the lighter pieces of clothing like shirts cost more than 40$.
RENT PER MONTH
Rental prices are growing very quickly in Kaunas, as in the rest of Lithuania, and especially in its major cities. However, it’s still possible to find a decent place to live at a price you can afford for most people. You can find, for example, an apartment in the Kaunas city center for around 400$ which is pretty reasonable.
Cost of Living Averages Table for Kaunas
*Note: All prices are indicated in USD.| Average Restaurant Prices | |
|---|---|
| Meal (Inexpensive Restaurant) | $6.88 |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 Liter) | $2.87 |
| Water (0.33 Liter) | $1.04 | Average Market Prices |
| Milk (1 Liter) | $0.96 |
| Loaf Bread (500g) | $1.25 |
| Eggs (12) | $1.73 | Average Transport Prices |
| One Way Ticket | $1.15 |
| Monthly Pass | $32.09 |
| Gasoline | $1.41 | Average Utilities Prices |
| Basic (Water, Electricity, Garbage, Heating, Cooling) | $159.58 |
| 1 min. of Prepaid Mobile Tariff Local | $0.09 |
| Internet (Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | $10.51 | Average Leisure Prices |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | $33.09 |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour) | $19.77 |
| Cinema, 1 Seat, International Release | $8.02 | Average Clothing Prices |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Comparable) | $70.67 |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, etc...) | $39.54 |
| 1 Pair of Adidas Walking Shoes (Mid-Range) | $78.51 | Average Rent Prices |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Center | $410.46 |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Center | $238.95 |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Center | $645.46 |
How Does the Average Person Spend Their Money in Kaunas?
The average person in Kaunas spends their money like most people around the world – on food!
Then, the next expense for a hypothetical person living in Kaunas, would definitely be rent, though rent is still reasonably high, while in the future it might approach unreasonable heights.
Restaurants can get pretty pricey in Kaunas which is why they take up almost 15% of all expenses of an average person in this city, along with transportation which isn’t as expensive, but it’s definitely an everyday necessity.
Average Costs Breakdown
Kaunas: Average Salary, Minimum Wage & Mortgages
The problem with each Lithuanian city, and Kaunas too is that the prices are coming up to average euro-zone levels, yet the salary growth is slow, which makes it impossible for an average consumer to buy all necessities.
However, other statistics state that prices and wages alike have been going up at about 6% annually since Lithuania has joined EU.
Whatever the case, the matter of fact is that the average monthly net salary is around 700$ in Kaunas, which means that an average citizen of this city has to set aside about a half of their salary in order to just pay rent.
Kaunas Safety Overview
READ THE FULL REPORT: Kaunas Safety Review
Safety Index:
- OVERALL RISK: LOW
- TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK: MEDIUM
- PICKPOCKETS RISK: MEDIUM
- NATURAL DISASTERS RISK: LOW
- MUGGING RISK: LOW
- TERRORISM RISK: LOW
- SCAMS RISK: LOW
- WOMEN TRAVELERS RISK: LOW
Cost of Living by City in Kaunas
| City | Cost of Living Index |
|---|---|
| Klaipeda | 46.98 |
| Vilnius | 48.31 |
