Lithuania, Vilnius

Country Full Name: Republic of Lithuania.

Location: Lithuania is in Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Latvia and Russia.

Country Climate: Transitional, between maritime and continental; wet, moderate winters and summers.

Country Terrain: Lowland, many scattered small lakes, fertile soil.

Major Languages: Lithuanian, Russian.

Major Religions: Christianity.

Population: 0.56 Mil (2012 est.).

Country Economy: The economy of Lithuania changed radically after the country established its independence from the Soviet Union in 1990. It then made a transition towards capitalist free market principles, enjoying high growth rates after entering the European Union along with other Baltic states.

Currency: Lithuanian Litas (LTL). Make an international currency transfer to Lithuania.

Inflation: 4.4% (2011 est.).

Vilnius is the largest city and the capital of Lithuania.

Vilnius is the major economic centre of Lithuania and one of the largest financial centres of the Baltic states. Even though it is home to only 15% of Lithuania's population, it generates approximately 25% of Lithuania's GDP.

The cost of living in Vilnius in Lithuania is in the middle compared to other places. The overall cost of living is determined using the prices for defined quantities of the same goods and services across 13 Basket Groups. Vilnius in Lithuania is currently ranked 376 overall out of 780 places (rank 1 is most expensive: rank 780 is least expensive). The cost of living rank for each of the 13 Basket Groups is as follows:

Alcohol & Tobacco costs are very low compared to other places for items such as alcohol at a bar, beer, locally produced spirit, whiskey, wine (where alcohol is legally sold) and tobacco related products. There are 772 places that are more expensive, and 7 places that are less expensive for alcohol and or tobacco.

Clothing costs are very low compared to other places for items such as business suits, casual clothing, children's clothing, coats, evening wear, footwear, hats, shoe repairs and underwear. There are 648 places that are more expensive, and 131 places that are less expensive for clothing.

Communication costs are high compared to other places for various communication costs such as call charges, home telephone rental, internet connection, mobile data costs, mobile phone contract and service provider fees. There are 236 places that are more expensive, and 543 places that are less expensive for communication.

Education costs are average compared to other places for items such as creche / pre-school fees, primary school fees, high school fees and tertiary study fees. There are 380 places that are more expensive, and 399 places that are less expensive for education.

Furniture & Appliance costs are very high compared to other places for items such as DVD player, fridge freezer, furniture, household equipment, iron, kettle, light bulbs, microwave, television, toaster, vacuum cleaner and washing machine. There are 48 places that are more expensive, and 731 places that are less expensive for furniture and appliances.

Grocery costs are average compared to other places for items such as baby consumables, baked goods, baking, canned foods, cheese, cleaning materials, cleaning products, dairy, fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, fruit juices, meat, oil & vinegars, pet food, pre-prepared meals, sauces, seafood, snacks, soft drinks, spices & herbs. There are 426 places that are more expensive, and 353 places that are less expensive for groceries.

Healthcare costs are low compared to other places for general healthcare, general practitioner consultation rates, healthcare/medical insurance, hospital private ward daily rate and non-prescription medicine. There are 554 places that are more expensive, and 225 places that are less expensive for healthcare.

Household Accommodation costs are average compared to other places for items such as accommodation, apartment, flat, house, villa, rent, electricity, household fuels, household gas, water, and local property rates / residential taxes / levies. There are 365 places that are more expensive, and 414 places that are less expensive for household accommodation.

Miscellaneous costs are high compared to other places for items such as dry cleaning, general goods, general services, linen, magazines, maid, newspapers, office supplies, postage stamps and stationery. There are 229 places that are more expensive, and 550 places that are less expensive for miscellaneous items.

Personal Care costs are low compared to other places for items such as cosmetics, hair care, moisturizer, nappies, pain relief tablets, shampoo, soap, sun block, toilet paper and toothpaste. There are 594 places that are more expensive, and 185 places that are less expensive for personal care.

Recreation and Culture costs are high compared to other places for items such as books, camera, cinema tickets, fitness/health club membership, sports goods and theatre tickets. There are 299 places that are more expensive, and 480 places that are less expensive for recreation and culture.

Restaurants, Meals Out and Hotel costs are very low compared to other places for items such as a business dinner, dinner at a family restaurant (non fast food), 4 star and 5 star hotel rates and take away meal (fast food). There are 651 places that are more expensive, and 128 places that are less expensive for restaurants, meals out and hotels.

Transport costs are low compared to other places for items such as car hire purchase, car insurance, car lease, car maintenance, car rental, car service, diesel, petrol, tyres and public transport. There are 478 places that are more expensive, and 301 places that are less expensive for transport.

Personalized cost of living indexes for Vilnius in Lithuania are based on the basket groups and comparison location(s) selected in the Calculators.

In terms of the hardship people are likely to experience, assessed in global terms, Vilnius in Lithuania is ranked as high degree of hardship with a hardship index of 30%.

Personalized hardship index premiums for Vilnius in Lithuania are based on the comparison location(s) selected in the Calculators.

Note: Xpatulator.com data is updated quarterly. The latest update is as at 1 April 2012. Create a personalized cost of living comparison report using the calculators:
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