Another traffic jam. A crowded tube. An hour to get to work, another one back. A dry sandwich wolfed down at your desk because there is simply no time for lunch. And on the weekend, an attempt to escape the concrete jungle, just to get a breath of fresh air. Sound familiar?
Now, imagine a day that starts with a run on Nemunas Island. A day when you meet friends in an Old Town café after work instead of rushing for the last train. A day when everything, from a modern office to a world-class concert, is just 20 minutes away. This is not a dream. This is Kaunas today: a city that is vibrant, business-friendly, cultural, and green. It is a city where career and life finally embrace each other.
A Breathable City
One of the biggest advantages that people notice when they return from abroad is that Kaunas is incredibly green, convenient, and compact. The rivers, which for decades felt almost invisible, are now returning to the lives of the city’s residents. New business centres and residential quarters, such as Piliamiestis and Nemunaičiai, are being built on scenic riverbanks, and the renovated embankments have become photogenic spots for a stroll.
High-quality, new-build apartments surrounded by nature with inspiring views are exactly what Lithuanians who are tired of big-city commutes and long for a slower, cosier life at home are looking for.
“After spending many years in rented accommodation, we decided we wanted to build our home in Lithuania. Although we didn’t even dare to dream of a new-build, we soon realised that Kaunas makes it possible to live the way you truly want”, reveals Karolina, an IT specialist who recently celebrated moving into her new home in Nemunaičiai after spending 14 years in Germany with her family. “Now, we’re just waiting for the pedestrian bridge to Nemunas Island to open”, she smiles.
The family has already noticed that all 17 of the city’s parks have been reborn, and over 150 kilometres of new cycle paths, laid in the last 5 years, connect them into a seamless recreational network. “As a teenager, I dreamt of having a bike, but there was simply no time to ride it. Now I can cycle to my job in Vienybės Square and everywhere else without a car, just like I used to in Germany”, Karolina points out.
At the Centre of the Region’s Attention
Of course, the word “compact” does not mean that Kaunas is cut off from the world. Quite the opposite. The city’s public transport infrastructure is one of the most advanced in Europe, with an average bus and trolleybus age of just five years. The nearby Kaunas International Airport is expanding rapidly and plans to serve 2 million passengers a year by 2025.
And the future is even faster. The “Rail Baltica” line will bring Vilnius within arm’s reach (a 38-minute journey), while Riga will become a weekend getaway (1 hour 34 minutes). Tallinn and Warsaw will be reachable in just over three hours.
The Future, Made in Kaunas
Kaunas is not just a comfortable place to live; it is a place to build a career. The Kaunas Free Economic Zone (FEZ) is the leading greenfield investment hub in the Baltic States, already home to over 120 companies that have created around 10,000 jobs. The FEZ territory is set to double in size, meaning even more opportunities are on the way. Additionally, a new 30-hectare innovation park, ALEX, is emerging in Aleksotas, right next to the city centre, designed for companies that create high value-added products.
The IT, life sciences, electronics, and business service sectors are growing not by the day, but by the hour. And with them, so are the salaries. Over the past decade, Kaunas has recorded the fastest salary growth in Lithuania (+164%), with the average take-home pay rising from ~€500 to over €1500.
Kaunasians Live Better
When it comes to money, it is not just about the salary, but about real purchasing power. The cost of living in Kaunas is lower than in the capital (with housing being, on average, a third more affordable), yet the career opportunities are just as significant.
Experienced professionals in the technology and business services sectors in Kaunas can earn between €2,50 and €6,000 net per month, with senior positions commanding even higher salaries. This means that returning to Kaunas allows you to not only enjoy a high quality of life but also to work in a competitive environment, earning a salary comparable to Western Europe but with an incomparably better work-life balance.
“The salary wasn’t even the main factor for me. Yes, income is very important, but you have to look at the bigger picture. That includes trips to kindergarten and school, having my own hobbies, reconnecting with friends, seeing family often, and enjoying nature. When you put it all together, Kaunas became the obvious choice. Besides, it’s a very safe city, for me and for the children”, stresses Karolina, who spent many years in Frankfurt.
A Hub for Talent
Kaunas cultivates its own successful professionals. The city is home to 12 higher education institutions and around 35,000 students. An impressive 58% of them choose to study in STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), while nearly 5,000 international students create a multicultural academic environment.
Families planning their future in Kaunas will be delighted by the fact that the city has four International Baccalaureate (IB) schools and special programmes in public schools designed to help the children of returning Lithuanians integrate smoothly. “I was surprised that we even had a choice of which school to send our child to. In the end, the proximity to our home and my workplace was the deciding factor. ‘Erudito licėjus’ is almost exactly halfway between them”, laughs Karolina.
No Time to Be Bored
A great job and interesting studies are only part of the formula for a good life in Kaunas. The city is also a capital of culture, pulsing with the rhythm of contemporary events. “As soon as we settled in this year, we found ourselves right in the middle of the action, because a storytelling evening, part of the ‘Culture to the Courtyards’ festival, took place right in our building’s courtyard. You couldn’t ask for a better welcome. It was at that event that I met my neighbours, and we later went to the ‘Audra’ festival concerts on Nemunas Island together”, Karolina recalls with a smile. Her plan for next year is to create a “Fluxus” costume and climb the hill with her like-minded neighbours. “This year we only watched the Fluxus Festival, but I promised my son we would take part next September. My husband said he will join, as long as Žalgiris aren’t playing that night. He hasn’t missed a single home game since we moved back.”
World-famous stars like Robbie Williams, Imagine Dragons, and Ed Sheeran choose to perform at the Žalgiris Arena and the Darius and Girėnas Stadium. The revitalised Song Valley hosts huge crowds in the summer, and the renovated Town Hall has become a new cultural hotspot. And what about the oldest cinema in Lithuania, “Romuva”, and the city’s UNESCO-listed network of Modernist architecture? City festivals such as “Kaunas Jazz”, “Audra”, “Fluxus”, and the Kaunas Biennial ensure there is never a dull moment, and you will never want to leave.
Karolina’s family found their expectations were exceeded. She admits that although she had been dreaming of Lithuania for several years, she made the final decision only after evaluating her priorities and the opportunities Kaunas had to offer. So maybe it’s time to ask yourself what you truly want and start planning your return to Kaunas? To a city where everything is closer: your career, your life, and your culture.
Source: Photo: A. Aleksandravičius
