Kaunas
Kaunas is the second city of Lithuania a 290,000-person city at the confluence of the Nemunas and Neris rivers in central Lithuania, 100 km west of Vilnius. The city was the temporary Lithuanian capital from 1919 to 1940, and the 1920s–30s Lithuanian-modernist building boom that resulted is uniquely intact, making Kaunas the largest preserved interwar-modernist architectural ensemble in Eastern Europe (UNESCO World Heritage tentative list). Kaunas was European Capital of Culture 2022. The historic Kaunas Castle (the iconic 13th-century red-brick fortress at the confluence of the rivers) and the Senamiestis (Old Town) are the historic core; the Naujamiestis and Žaliakalnis are the interwar-modernist showcases. Kaunas is the Lithuanian fintech-and-tech-services hub (Vinted, Teltonika, Hostinger). A one-bedroom in Naujamiestis or Žaliakalnis costs €450–700/month meaningfully below Vilnius for the same Baltic urban quality.
Kaunas, Lithuania has a solid, growing expat community and a mild, fairly pleasant climate. Expect rent from $600/mo (about $1,135/mo all-in), with an easy visa process — see how it stacks up against 355 other cities on Jonzy.
Best for: ECoC 2022 cultural tourism, Lithuanian-modernist, Tech and startup professionals, Affordable EU living.
- Rent from $600/mo, about $1,135/mo all-in for one person.
- Safety 84/100 · Internet 92/100 · a mild, fairly pleasant climate.
- Visa: Easy process, about 6 weeks.
- Local salaries average around $1,400/mo, with a solid, growing expat community.
Cost of living in Kaunas
| Rent (1-bed, typical) | $600/mo |
|---|---|
| Food & groceries | $240/mo |
| Transport | $35/mo |
| Healthcare | $60/mo |
| Utilities | $100/mo |
| Other essentials | $100/mo |
| Total (all-in) | $1,135/mo |
How Kaunas stacks up
- Rent eats about 53% of a one-person monthly budget in Kaunas — a rent-heavy split, so location choice moves your total the most.
- At ~$1,135/mo all-in, Kaunas runs about 19% cheaper than the median Jonzy city ($1,400/mo).
- A local salary (~$1,400/mo) covers roughly 123% of one person's costs — workable on local pay.
- Its strongest catalog score is internet (92/100); the weakest is climate (56/100).
Is Kaunas right for you?
Highlights
- Fast, reliable internet (92/100).
- Very safe by catalog scores (84/100).
- Clean air (AQI ~28).
Quality of life in Kaunas
- Safety: 84/100
- Internet speed: 92/100
- Climate: 56/100
- Healthcare: 80/100
- Expat community: 70/100
Taxes in Kaunas
Lithuania operates a 20% / 32% two-band PIT (the top rate kicks in at €126k/year)
Living in Lithuania
Lithuania is the largest of the three Baltic states a 2.8-million-person EU and Schengen-and-Eurozone-and-NATO member, the first country to declare independence from the Soviet Union (March 1990). Lithuania operates a 20% / 32% two-band PIT (the top rate kicks in at €126,000/year). The Individual Activity Certificate (IA) allows tech freelancers to declare income at a 5–15% effective rate via the expense-flat-rate option uniquely advantageous in the EU. The Lithuanian Startup Visa offers a 1-year fast-track residency for non-EU founders. Lithuania has comprehensive tax treaties with the US, UK, Germany, France, the Netherlands, the Nordic countries, and most OECD nations. EU citizens enjoy free movement; non-EU professionals enter on the EU Blue Card, the National D Visa, or the Startup Visa.
Kaunas relocation FAQ
How much does it cost to live in Kaunas?
Budget roughly $1,135/mo all-in for one person in Kaunas — rent from $600/mo, plus food, transport, healthcare, utilities, and everyday extras. It has a solid, growing expat community, so ready-made shortcuts on where to live exist.
What is the monthly cost breakdown in Kaunas?
Typical monthly costs for one person in Kaunas: rent from $600, food $240, transport $35, healthcare $60, utilities $100, and other essentials $100 — about $1,135/mo all-in. Sign in to Jonzy for community-validated figures and a budget tuned to your lifestyle.
Is Kaunas a good place to relocate?
Kaunas has a mild, fairly pleasant climate and a solid, growing expat community, with an easy visa process (about 6 weeks). Those are catalog averages — Jonzy ranks Kaunas against 355 other cities for your specific income, passport, and priorities.
What visa do I need to live in Kaunas?
Long-stay relocation routes for Kaunas depend on your passport. For example, a US passport holder may see "Startup Visa" (is catalogued in our catalog). Tourist entry is separate, confirm border rules on official sources before travel. Jonzy matches Lithuania against 525+ visa programs in-app. Informational only, not legal advice.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Kaunas?
Core costs for one person run about $1,135/mo, so a comfortable budget with room for savings, travel, and irregular expenses is roughly $1,600/mo take-home. Local salaries average around $1,400/mo. Jonzy calculates your exact surplus after tax for your income and passport.
Who is Kaunas best for?
Kaunas tends to suit ecoc 2022 cultural tourism, lithuanian-modernist, tech and startup professionals and affordable eu living — based on its cost profile (about $1,135/mo all-in), 92/100 internet, 84/100 safety, and a solid, growing expat community. Jonzy scores it against your own income, passport, and lifestyle priorities so you can see whether it fits you specifically, not just the average relocator.
Is Kaunas expensive to live in?
At about $1,135/mo all-in for one person, Kaunas sits around the middle of the catalog on cost — about 19% below the median of the 356 Jonzy cities ($1,400/mo). Your own number depends on neighbourhood, lifestyle, and whether you rent short- or long-term.
Is Kaunas safe to live in?
Kaunas scores 84/100 on Jonzy's safety index, among the safer cities in the catalog. Safety varies sharply by neighbourhood and time of day everywhere — treat the score as a city-level average, and use community threads for street-level reality.
Is Kaunas good for remote work?
Connectivity scores 92/100 — fast and dependable enough for video-heavy remote work. The expat and nomad scene rates 70/100, and work-life balance 80/100. Combined with ~$1,135/mo all-in costs, that is the core remote-work math for Kaunas; Jonzy re-ranks it against your own income and timezone needs.
What is the weather like in Kaunas?
Kaunas scores 56/100 for climate — a climate with real seasons and trade-offs worth checking month by month. It logs roughly 200 sunny days a year in the catalog. The city guide's seasonal data shows how the year actually feels; the climate planner tool maps it against your heat and daylight preferences.
What are taxes like in Kaunas?
Typical tax snapshot for Kaunas, Lithuania: Lithuania operates a 20% / 32% two-band PIT (the top rate kicks in at €126k/year). Your actual liability depends on residency status, income source, and any tax treaty — Jonzy estimates take-home pay for your specific situation, and this is not tax advice.