As an Expat living in Lithuania, you will appreciate that you can almost live like a local. There aren’t too many restrictions. You can own real estate and take your children to English-speaking schools around the country.

Lithuania is the biggest of all the Baltic States and has a rich culture with beautiful landscapes. The summers there are a little hot, and the winters are on the cold side, but that is probably the norm in most countries.

There is a misconception that Lithuanians are a reserved nation, but this is only partially true. They are not as reserved as you may think. Once you get to know them, they tend to warm up pretty quickly to new people.

So, if you are thinking of relocating to Lithuania, we have compiled for you a few things you should know about living here, and most especially, how much it costs to live in this great country.

The living cost in Lithuania is a little lower than other European states. The price levels are closely related to those in Latin America. Other than the cheaper goods and services, there are low tax rates in the country, and the personal and corporate tax is at 15%.

The healthcare system in the country is quite affordable, and Lithuania provides free medical care, which is inclusive of ambulatory services for all permanent residents and their citizens. The state-funded hospitals provide outpatient services to all residents, including maternity, general practice, dental, and child care.

There are many specialist services available in clinics and hospitals all over the country.

Most experts, however, prefer to have private insurance whose coverage provides better services for them at even lower costs.

The top hospitals and clinics in the country are located in Panevėžys, Kaunas, Vilnius, and Siauliai. The largest hospitals are Siauliai Hospital, Panevėžys Hospital, Lithuania University Hospital, and Republican Children’s hospital, Kaunas Red Cross Hospital, Vilnius University Hospital, and Vilnius Red Cross Hospital.

Here’s A Breakdown of What to Expect In Terms Of Costs

Cost of Immovables

In 2019, there was an increase in the price of apartments in Lithuania by around 7.2%. In Vilnius, objects in the upscale areas range between €1800 and €4300 per sq. meter.

The prices of apartments in old buildings will go for anything between €1200 and €2500 per sq. m, while the newly constructed objects in the bedroom district are between €1150 and €1830 per sq. m. The properties of old construction will probably cost you between €990-1600 sq. m.

The second largest city of Lithuania is Kaunas, and in this city, apartments and new buildings in the city center will cost anywhere from €1380-2100 per sq. m, while in the old buildings, the cost is between €870 and 1900 per sq. m.

Additionally, a comfy central location, 2 bedroom flat can be rented out for average EUR 450-650, with EUR 70-120 all in comprising utility expenses, depending on m2.

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Cost of Utilities and other Expenses

You will be happy to note that the price of electricity in Lithuania recently fell by 7.8%, and it costs 13.7 cents per kWh, which is inclusive of VAT. 

Cost of Food

The cafés and restaurants in Lithuania offer delicious and cheap menu-based local cuisine. The cost of food is not high, due to the direct deliveries from the local farms.

You can have a tasty and filling lunch for just 5 or 7 euros. Dinner in a restaurant for two with dessert and drinks will cost approximately 20 – 35 euros. This is very attractive. The restaurants charge a service fee, which is already in the bill. It is customary to tip around 5-10% of the bill.

A meal at McDonald's, for a combo meal, is around 5.00€, a beer of around 0.5liter costs 3.00€, regular cappuccino costs 2.29€, a coke or Pepsi drink costs around 1.39€ while a bottle of water will cost you 1.21€.

Groceries

The costs you will incur for grocery items are;

-Milk – 1liter, regular costs 0.88€

-A Loaf of bread – approx. 500g, costs 0.85€

-White rice, 1kg, costs 1.32€

-Regular eggs – 12 costs 1.49€

-Chicken fillets 1 kg, costs 4.68€

-1 kg beef, costs around 6.88€

-Apples of 1kg will cost you 0.96€

-1kg potatoes – 0.39€

-1kg onions – 0.45€

-Lettuce – 0.94€

-Imported beer – 1.37€

-Cigarettes, a pack of 20, costs 4.00€

Internet Cost

Lithuania is pretty advanced in terms of internet connectivity, and there is free Wi-Fi practically everywhere in the country. You will find it in bars, hotels, pizzerias, and cafes. You will not have any trouble accessing the internet.

Family Activities in Lithuania

There are plenty of exciting family activities in Lithuania that can help expats with children entertained, especially over the weekends. This will certainly help keep the kids from getting homesick while in the new country.

From indoor fun to outdoor activities, this Baltic country is not short of any of these, and it has it all. If marine life is of interest to you, you can visit the sea museum, which is a place where your kids will learn all about sea animals and even walk-in dungeons that participate in quizzes designed to test them in the sea world.

Additionally, you could travel to Latvia and visit the Toy Museum that displays some historical toys from the old to the new. The kids will have fun with the toy replicas while they listen to fairy tales and participate in the workshops facilitated by educators who are professionals.

Lithuania is perfect for nature-loving expats and their families. There are dense hills, country houses, forests, and picturesque lakes and rivers. Aukstaitija National park is one of the most famous ones in Lithuania, and it has old pines that are more than 200 years old. You can also find more than 126 lakes here.

LABAS Adventure Park is great for outdoor activities. With more than 200 kilometers of tree tracks and 40 zip lines, it is sure to be interesting and fun for the whole family, and you can picnic and even have team building and birthday parties here.

The cost for a fitness club membership for one month, one adult is approximately 27.82€, tennis court rent for 1 hour during the weekends will cost you 18.62€, and Cinema cost for one seat is approximately 7.00€.

Do you love Basketball?

If the answer to the above question is yes, then you will be super happy with Lithuania. The locals love Basketball, and for them, it isn’t just a game but rather a symbol of freedom. In 1992, they barely had the funds to send their team to the Olympics held in Barcelona, and despite such hardships, the team brought home the bronze medal.

They are so proud of their team, and Basketball is the first-ever sport where the Lithuanian team competed and won.

According to FIBA, the International Basketball Association, Lithuania has consistently been ranked among the best in Basketball, and there are many NBA players per capita.

As an expat who loves this game, you will get to share the same passion as Lithuanians and have a great time during tournaments.

Transport Cost in Lithuania

The large Lithuania cities have an extensive transport system, and all roads are free to use. Car rentals are available from the airports, and you can drive wherever you wish to or use the public transportation system.

Here are some transport costs

-A One-way ticket with local transport – 1.00€

-A monthly pass – regular price costs 29.00€

-Normal taxi cost – 1.00€

-Cost of gasoline 1 liter - 1.17€

How to Overcome the Culture Shock

Naturally, Lithuanian’s are a little reserved, but they have a deep respect for tradition. You will rarely find them going out of their way to introduce themselves or great people they barely know, especially in public places. It is considered impolite to stare at a stranger right in the eye, and it is common practice for them to offer seats to the elderly and women.

According to their culture, it is okay to greet people by shaking their hands whenever they meet them at a café or restaurant, but this is never done inside the door.

One of their superstitions is whistling indoors, which they call little devils, and also, those who do not want to marry shouldn’t sit at the end of a table.

Lithuanian’s national religion is Roman Catholic, and this is practiced by 90% of the population, and the influence from the Catholic Church can be seen all over the country. 

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