Kaunas vs Vilnius: Which City Wins for Expats in 2026?
Kaunas costs roughly 3% less than Vilnius. Vilnius scores significantly higher on safety and retiree suitability — worth weighing against the cost gap. Use our tool below to personalize the estimate based on your income and lifestyle.
Kaunas is approximately 30% less expensive than Vilnius based on cost of living including rent. This makes Kaunas a more budget-friendly option for expats considering a move.
Kaunas has a FIRE Score of 76/100, indicating its suitability for financial independence and early retirement. The city's safety index is 70, which is relatively safe.
Recommended profile: Kaunas is ideal for GeoArbitragers and remote workers looking to maximize savings.
About Lithuania
No dedicated retirement visa means retirees have no clear legal pathway in. Remote workers should look past that gap: the digital nomad visa only requires USD 1581/mo income, above the $863.2/mo cost of living here. Combined with a 67.6 safety index and 20% starting income tax, this works better as a nomad base than a retirement plan.
$1,908/mo
Cost of Living (Without Rent)
Rent Per Month
Attractiveness
City Details
About Vilnius
Vilnius is the best-value capital in the Baltics for anyone who wants a real city without a real city price tag. A single adult can live comfortably on $1,280/mo, and even the comfortable tier at $1,642/mo undercuts most Western European capitals by half. The tradeoff is a humid continental climate with genuinely cold, snowy winters and English that is common mainly in tourist areas. If you can handle January and learn a few Lithuanian phrases, the safety index of 87/100 and 230 Mbps internet make it an easy yes.
About Lithuania
No dedicated retirement visa means retirees have no clear legal pathway in. Remote workers should look past that gap: the digital nomad visa only requires USD 1581/mo income, above the $863.2/mo cost of living here. Combined with a 67.6 safety index and 20% starting income tax, this works better as a nomad base than a retirement plan.
$1,720/mo
Cost of Living (Without Rent)
Rent Per Month
Attractiveness
City Details
Which visa fits your move?
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| Metric | Kaunas | Vilnius |
|---|---|---|
| 1BR Apartment (Center) | $626.31 | $815.94 |
| 1BR Apartment (Outside) | $443.91 | $619.59 |
| 3BR Apartment (Center) | $918.43 | $1405.78 |
| 3BR Apartment (Outside) | $651.46 | $1006.74 |
| Safety Index | 70 | 87 |
| Internet Speed | 120Mbps | 230Mbps |
| Walkability Score | N/A | N/A |
Monthly cost by categoryOne person, computed from each city's own average prices
| Category | Kaunas | Vilnius |
|---|---|---|
| Total (rent included) | $1,102/mo | $1,339/mo |
| Excluding rent | $658/mo | $719/mo |
| Rent | $444/mo | $620/mo |
| Groceries | $179/mo | $179/mo |
| Dining out | $120/mo | $134/mo |
| Entertainment & lifestyle | $98.00/mo | $106/mo |
| Utilities & connectivity | $230/mo | $257/mo |
| Transport | $31.00/mo | $43.00/mo |
Usage-based estimates from this city's own average prices. A row marked N/A means that city is missing data, so no figure is shown instead of a stale one.
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Kaunas vs Vilnius -- Frequently Asked Questions
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