Living in Kaunas, Lithuania
Kaunas is a mid-sized inland city in Lithuania (250,000 to 1 million people in the city proper). It has a cool climate, averaging 9°C over the year with about 584 mm of rain. We estimate a couple needs about €2,886 a month to live centrally, and Lithuania sits in our low to medium tax tier. For citizens from outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland, long-term residency in Lithuania is possible, with conditions, with a self-funded route from about $1,338 a month in income.
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- Est. cost
- €2,886
- a month for a couple
- Tax tier
- Low to medium
- personal income tax
- Climate
- 9°C
- 584 mm rain a year
- Size
- Mid-sized
- 250,000 to 1 million people
- Safety
- 69/100
- country-level
- Internet
- ~120 Mbps
- median fixed broadband
- Residency
- Possible, with conditions
- outside free-movement blocs
Limited data for Lithuania. Figures for safety, healthcare and cost of living in Lithuania are country-level estimates from World Bank indicators, each named with its year. We have no social openness figures for Lithuania, so the quiz scores that factor conservatively and this page leaves it out.
What stands out about Kaunas
- Colder than 94% of the cities we track
- Self-funded residency from about $1,338 a month in income
Residency and visas
Possible, with conditions, for people from outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland. Lithuania has no passive-income or retiree visa, so realistic long-term routes are employment (incl. EU Blue Card), study, family reunification, or a self-employment/business residence permit, with permanent residence available after five years.
Citizens of the EU, EEA and Switzerland have freedom-of-movement or simplified residency rights here.
The cheapest self-funded routes we track for Lithuania:
- Income: about $1,338 a month (TRP means-of-subsistence requirement equal to 1 minimum monthly wage, EUR 1,153/mo (2026), at EUR/USD 1.16; as of June 2026)
- Investment: about $16k (Business-basis TRP: foreigner's personal investment of at least EUR 14,000 into a Lithuanian UAB (company equity capital EUR 28,000, 6 months operation, local hiring), at EUR/USD 1.16; as of June 2026)
For short visits, 93 of 198 passports can enter visa-free and 105 need a visa in advance.
Source: OurNextCity residency dataset, hand-reviewed approximations researched against published immigration rules, figures as of June 2026. Not legal advice: check the official source before you apply. Short-stay entry from the passport-index dataset (ilyankou, MIT).
Climate
Kaunas averages 9°C across the year with about 584 mm of rain, which makes it cool and dry. It is warmer than 6% of the 1225 cities we track.
Source: Temperature from the Open-Meteo historical weather archive, daily means for 2019 to 2023; rainfall from TerraClimate (University of Idaho) 1991 to 2020 normals. Annual averages; monthly breakdowns are not in our dataset yet.
Language and culture
Main languages: Lithuanian. English proficiency: some.
Source: EF English Proficiency Index (country-level).
Cost of living
We estimate a couple needs about €2,886 a month to live centrally in Kaunas, 6% above the €2,729 median across the 900 cities we compare. That makes it more affordable than 36% of them.
Source: OurNextCity model from the price level of GDP relative to the United States, from GDP per person in US dollars and at purchasing power parity (NY.GDP.PCAP.CD/NY.GDP.PCAP.PP.CD, 2025), calibrated to our country-level cost index (New York = 100) and scaled up for larger cities. An estimate for comparing cities, not a budget. Source: The World Bank (World Development Indicators, Worldwide Governance Indicators), CC BY 4.0.
Safety and stability
Lithuania scores 69 out of 100 on safety, safer than 62% of the cities we compare. Its EIU Democracy Index score is 7.3 out of 10.
Source: Country-level estimate, the same for every city in Lithuania: country-level homicide rate per 100,000 people (VC.IHR.PSRC.P5, 2023) and Worldwide Governance Indicators Political Stability and Absence of Violence estimate (GOV_WGI_PV.EST, 2025), calibrated to the 0 to 100 scale of our reference tables (higher is safer). Stability: EIU Democracy Index. Source: The World Bank (World Development Indicators, Worldwide Governance Indicators), CC BY 4.0.
Healthcare
Lithuania scores 68 out of 100 for healthcare, stronger than 61% of the cities we compare.
Source: Country-level estimate, the same for every city in Lithuania: life expectancy at birth (SP.DYN.LE00.IN, 2024) and current health spending per person in US dollars (SH.XPD.CHEX.PC.CD, 2024), calibrated to the 0 to 100 scale of our reference tables. Source: The World Bank (World Development Indicators, Worldwide Governance Indicators), CC BY 4.0.
Taxes
Lithuania sits in our low to medium tax tier: moderate personal income tax. We use three tiers (zero or very low, low to medium, high) and apply them to every city in the country.
Taxes are a dealbreaker filter in OurNextCity: a couple who caps tax at zero or very low will not see Kaunas in their results.
Source: OurNextCity tax tiers, assigned by hand from each country's top marginal personal income tax rate and overall tax reputation, with no fixed rate cut-offs. Country-level and coarse by design; not tax advice.
Internet and remote work
Median fixed broadband in Lithuania runs at about 120 Mbps, faster than 46% of the cities we compare.
Source: Ookla Speedtest Global Index, median fixed broadband download speed, country-level.
Questions couples ask about Kaunas
Is Kaunas a good place to live for couples?
It depends on what the two of you weigh most. Our figures for Lithuania are partial: no social openness data, and country-level World Bank estimates for safety, healthcare and cost of living. Expect a cool, dry climate (9°C average). OurNextCity has each partner answer 12 questions privately, then ranks Kaunas and 914 other cities for both of you at once.
How much does it cost a couple to live in Kaunas?
We estimate about €2,886 a month for a couple living centrally, 6% above the €2,729 median across the cities we compare. It is a model estimate from the World Bank price level of GDP for Lithuania, calibrated to our country-level cost index adjusted for city size, so use it to compare cities rather than to set a budget.
What are taxes like in Kaunas?
Lithuania is in our low to medium tax tier (moderate personal income tax). Tiers are country-level and deliberately coarse: zero or very low, low to medium, and high. Couples who make zero or very low tax a must-have will not see Kaunas in their results.
Can foreigners live in Lithuania long term?
Citizens of the EU, EEA and Switzerland have freedom-of-movement or simplified residency rights. Our assessment for everyone else: possible, with conditions. Lithuania has no passive-income or retiree visa, so realistic long-term routes are employment (incl. EU Blue Card), study, family reunification, or a self-employment/business residence permit, with permanent residence available after five years. The cheapest self-funded routes we track: income, about $1,338 a month (as of 2026-06); investment, about $16k (as of 2026-06).
What is the weather like in Kaunas?
Kaunas averages 9°C across the year with about 584 mm of rain, which makes it cool and dry. It is warmer than 6% of the cities we track.
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