Real cost of living, rent, internet, safety and visa terms for both cities, side by side — then open the interactive tool to weight them against your own priorities.
Europe's most affordable capital — Tirana pairs Mediterranean climate, fast 93 Mbps fiber, a booming café culture, and Albania's 0% non-resident tax with a 90-day visa-free entry for most passports.
Lithuania's compact capital — a UNESCO baroque old town, strong fiber, and a surprisingly deep fintech scene in the heart of the Baltics.
Monthly figures for one person. Rent, meals and coworking are measured values, not shares of the total budget.
| Expense | Tirana | Vilnius |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable budgetper month, all in | $1,100✓ | $1,526 |
| Rent, 1BR city centre | $420✓ | $686 |
| Meal, mid-range | $8✓ | $12 |
| Coworking deskper month | n.a. | $137 |
| Cost of living indexlower is cheaper | 42.0 | 33.9✓ |
Scored 0–100 on the same attributes the match engine weights, so these agree with the interactive tool.
| Measure | Tirana | Vilnius |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | ||
| Healthcare | ||
| Walkability | ||
| English spoken | ||
| Food & dining | ||
| Nightlife | ||
| Outdoors | ||
| Nomad community | ||
| Climate quality | ||
| Public transit |
| Measure | Tirana | Vilnius |
|---|---|---|
| Freedom Score | 66/100 | 71/100✓ |
| Global rankof 100 cities | #63 | #45✓ |
| Internet | 93 Mbps | 150 Mbps✓ |
| Average temperature | 61°F | 48°F |
| Air quality | 55/100✓ | 35/100 |
| Airport connectivity | 52/100 | 55/100✓ |
| Nomad visa | 90 days | 90-day+ stay |
| Headline tax rateon local income | 15% | 24% |
Choose Tirana if runs $426/mo cheaper, rent is $266/mo lower, the climate scores better and the nomad community is larger.
Choose Vilnius if internet is faster at 150 Mbps, it scores higher on safety (71 vs 60), it is more walkable and English is more widely spoken.