I seem to always be drawn back to Eastern Europe. There’s something unique about these ex-soviet countries. Despite the hardships endured in the modern era, the people are always so friendly and their cultures are so varied between each country. Maybe it’s also due to the fun, copious drinking culture and the lack of tourism. It’s probably more of the former.
Most of these Eastern European countries only gained true autonomy in the modern era. Their respective economies are still developing which makes traveling here easy on a budget. I imagine if you went to the Baltic States after visiting Sweden that must have been the opposite of sticker shock.
A good week in Lithuania allows for ample time to visit major cities like Vilnius or Klaipeda. And this budget is a fairly comfortable one, allowing plenty of margin for your recreational desires, whether it be drinking or eating out or day trips to nearby sights. So how much will it cost to visit Lithuania comfortably?
| Category | Expected Cost per Day |
| Alcohol | $2.00 |
| Entertainment | $2.00 |
| Food | $13.00 |
| Living | $1.25 |
| Lodging | $13.00 |
| Travel | $8.00 |
| Grand Total | $39.25 |
Table 1. Expected cost per day for a one week trip
Alcohol
Unlike most of Lithuania’s neighbors, this is probably the one country that moderately drinks. When the locals do go out and drink, the default choice is beer. And it’s not just any beer, most of the locals choose one of the many quality microbrews that are produced right in this small country. A typical bottle in a grocery store costs no more than €1 ($1.23) and a beer in a nice bar should cost no more than €3 ($3.72) and usually goes for less.
There’s a relaxed bar culture in most of Lithuania. Bars range from run down local watering holes to hip and new, cozy bars full of students and a warm atmosphere. The clubbing scene is much smaller here for the size of the cities (except for Klaipeda during the summer) so don’t expect the most raging scene.
This lovely beer had some nice peppercorn flavor
Entertainment
There aren’t too many major tourist attractions and most are fairly cheap, averaging around €5 ($6.15) for a single entrance ticket. Most of the sights are free and getting there without a car is more of an issue than paying to get in.
Lithuania loves them red bricked castles
Food
While eating out in Lithuania isn’t too expensive, and like many of their Eastern European counterparts, their meals can be very heavy. If you’re not used to it, you’re definitely going to want to cook. Besides, self-catering is always better on a budget. Quick eats go for €4-5 ($4.92 – $6.15) a plate while decent restaurants will go up to €9 ($11.16) a plate.
And with how heavy the food is, don’t worry about leaving hungry. If you are self-catering, you can pick up groceries at a standard store. However, the real joy here is to go to the local markets available in most cities. These are essentially farmers markets, selling all manners of fresh fruits and meats (and so many varieties of sausage) that are extremely affordable. You just have to figure out the cost since most vendors are older women who can speak anything from Lithuanian, Polish, Lativan, Russian, Estonian but not English.
Who here knows how to cook organs?
Living
The lower cost of living means that doing laundry through your accommodation is pretty affordable so you don’t have to hand wash all the time if you’re not on the tightest budget. The rest of your living cost is so you can get a piece of that beautiful amber as a souvenir.
Lithuania is actually famous for mining that yellowish hardened sap that can possibly contain Dino-DNA. This stuff is sold throughout the country and can make for a fun trinket. I kind of regret not buying a piece but I also didn’t want to lug it around for many more months.
Lodging
If you stick to Kaunas, Klaipeda or Vilnius, hostels are easy to find, running around €12 ($14.88) a night. Once you leave that main tourist trail, there’s so little tourism and that lack of demand means there’s little to no cheap lodging. If you do head into the bush, expect the cheapest hotels in these smaller cities to average around €25 ($31).
Travel
Lithuania sports a pretty nice train network for the major cities. They’re clean, modern, and cheap with tickets going for as low as €6 ($7.44) for a three-hour intercity trip. If you decide to make a day trip to places like Trakai Castle which aren’t connected to the rail network, the buses are even cheaper option. A one way, hour long bus ticket costs around €2 ($2.48). The harder part is finding the right bus rather than paying for it.
I love how the logo feels so old-timey
My Costs
Lithuania is such a chill place to visit. For many people touring the Baltic States, it seemed to be the favorite country of the three. Unfortunately, I got slightly sick and took my time in Lithuania. Because of this, my budget came out lower than the one I prescribed.
| Category | Cost per Day |
| Alcohol | $1.93 |
| Entertainment | $1.40 |
| Food | $11.42 |
| Living | $0.70 |
| Lodging | $12.93 |
| Travel | $5.66 |
| Grand Total | $34.05 |
Table 2. Actual cost per day over 10 days
I only spent 10 days in this country. I usually prefer to stick around more, but I found myself in Lithuania during the fall and what was rapidly becoming winter. This firsthand experience of true northern cold made me I miss complaining about the heat. Just one more quick stop in Denmark (next time’s budget breakdown) and I can finally go back to sweating uncomfortably.
| Category | Total Running Cost per Day |
| Alcohol | $3.90 |
| Entertainment | $4.62 |
| Food | $12.59 |
| Living | $1.38 |
| Lodging | $21.11 |
| Travel | $7.39 |
| Grand Total | $50.99 |
Table 3. Running total after 105 days of traveling.
Until next time.