Should you visit Vilnius or Warsaw?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the prices of travel for Vilnius and Warsaw. We’ll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget. So, let's dig into it.
Vilnius
Vilnius is the capital and largest city in the country of Lithuania. It has a population of more than 500,000 residents and is located in the valley between the Neris River and the Vilnia River in the southeastern part of the country. Visitors come to the city for its beautiful Old Town, impressive architecture, and fascinating culture. In 2009 it was named the European Capital of Culture along with the city of Linz, in Austria.
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital city of Poland. It has a population of 1.7 million, making it the country's largest city. Located on the Vistula River, it is a popular tourist destination for its interesting architecture and culture. The right bank of the river was the first area to become populated in the 9th or 10 century. Today, however, the city's central district is on the left bank of the river. The Old Town, where you will find many sights and attractions, is fully contained within the city center.
Which city is cheaper, Warsaw or Vilnius?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Vilnius is €76, while the average daily cost in Warsaw is €64. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each city. Below is a breakdown of travel costs for Vilnius and Warsaw in more detail.
Accommodation
Accommodation prices vary by location and style, but travelers pay on average about €68 for a double occupancy room in Vilnius.
Travelers usually pay around €78 for a double occupancy room in Warsaw If you want to be in a premiere location or have high end amenities, you can expect to pay a bit more.
Food
On average, meal and food prices in Vilnius cost around €32 per person, per day. While this price can vary widely by location, the type of restaurant, and the amount of food ordered, a typical meal often costs around €13.
In Warsaw travelers spend around €15 a day on food. You can save money by choosing casual restaurants or food stalls, or you can spend plenty more by dining in nicer restaurants at every meal.
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Food
Meals for one day
Vilnius €32
Warsaw €15
Typical Food prices in Vilnius
Some typical examples of dining costs in Vilnius are as follows:
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Vilnius
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Vilnius.
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Vilnius - City of Contrasts - The Original City Tour by bicycle (bike+food tour):
$32
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National Dinner with Folk Show in Vilnius:
$49
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Dinner in local family:
$66
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Cooking Class in Vilnius:
$71
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Cooking Class:
$74
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Vilnius Dinner in the Darkness:
$115
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Dinner in the Dark Dining Experience in Riga:
$281
Typical Food prices in Warsaw
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Warsaw:
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Dinner for Two
€11
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Lunch for Two
€9.25
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Warsaw
For Warsaw, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
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Polish Food Tour:
$56
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Traditional Polish Cooking Class in Warsaw:
$64
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Traditional Food Tour with Old Town Sightseeing:
$73
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4-Hour Polish Food Tour:
$90
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Warsaw Food Tour small group tour by retro minibus:
$91
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Warsaw 6h Private Tour + Traditional Polish Dinner:
$118
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Nicolaus Copernicus Legacy: Private Tour from Warsaw to Torun + Polish Dinner:
$274
Local Transportation
The average price of local transportation around Vilnius is €6.64 per person, per day. As this average includes both taxis and public transport, keep in mind that the prices of private drivers and taxis are significantly more expensive than public transportation.
To get around in Warsaw, the average visitor spends €3.32 per day, per person. This includes the costs of taxi rides and private drivers as well as public transportation, which tends to be much more affordable.
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Vilnius
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Vilnius:
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Private transfer: Vilnius Airport (VNO) to Vilnius:
$622
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Private transfer: Vilnius to Vilnius Airport (VNO):
$622
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Vilnius to Riga transfer with Sightseeing:
$347
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Private transfer from Vilnius to Riga or Riga International Airport:
$323
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Private transfer Vilnius - Riga:
$319
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Private Transfer Vilnius - Minsk:
$319
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Riga to Vilnius Private One-Way Transfers:
$283
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Private low cost transfer from Vilnius to Minsk:
$254
-
Private Minivan Transfer from Vilnius to Riga:
$208
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Private transfer from Vilnius to Kaunas:
$118
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Luxury Car Transfers from Vilnius to VNO Airport Vilnius - Departure:
$92
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Luxury Car Transfers from VNO Vilnius Airport to Vilnius - Arrival:
$92
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Warsaw
Also for Warsaw, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Private Airport Transfer: from Warsaw to Warsaw Chopin Airport (WAW):
$16
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Private Warsaw Chopin Airport One Way Transfer:
$17
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Luxury Departure Airport Transfer from Warsaw Center to Warsaw Chopin Airport:
$18
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Private transfer from any location in Warsaw to Central Railway Station:
$22
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Private transfer from Warsaw city center to Chopin Airport WAW:
$25
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Private transfer from Central Railway Station to any location in Warsaw:
$25
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Private Transfer: Warsaw to Warsaw Chopin Airport (WAW):
$27
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Private Airport Transfer: from Warsaw to Modlin Airport (WMI):
$28
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Warsaw Chopin Airport One Way Private Transfer:
$28
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Private Transfer to/from Warsaw Chopin Airport (WAW):
$28
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Unique Private Transfer from Warsaw Hotels to Warsaw Airport:
$30
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Private transfer with pick-up from Chopin Airport WAW to Warsaw city center:
$30
Is it cheaper to fly into Vilnius or Warsaw?
Prices for flights to both Warsaw and Vilnius change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.
Entertainment
Vilnius's costs for entertainment, tickets, attractions, and tours will often cost around €7.78 per person, per day. This cost can vary widely by the type of activity, however, as this includes admission tickets, day tours, museums, and other things to do.
In Warsaw, the costs for things to do, activities, admission tickets, and other sightseeing expenses are on average €4.97 per person, per day.
Typical Entertainment prices in Vilnius
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Vilnius are as follows:
Tours and Activities in Vilnius
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Vilnius are as follows:
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10-Day Self-Driving Tour to Baltic States:
$912
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2-Hour Segway Tours in Vilnius:
$57
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2-Night Amber Spa Experience in Vilnius:
$956
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3 Hour Vilnius Food Walking Tour:
$83
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3-Hour Vilnius Food Insider Walking Tour and Tastings:
$96
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3.5-Hour Taste of Vilnius Beer Trail Tour:
$71
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6-Hour Trakai National Park Private Walking Tour from Vilnius:
$187
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8 Days Baltic Tour: Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia:
$1,095
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9-Day Lithuania and Latvia Small-Group Tour from Vilnius:
$1,680
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Audio Tours to Curonian Spit UNESCO sand dunes:
$399
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Audio Tours to Geographical Center of Europe:
$96
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Audio Tours to Grutas Park Soviet Time Museum:
$239
Tours and Activities in Warsaw
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Warsaw.
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Skip the Line: Neon Muzeum Admission Ticket:
$5.52
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Skip the Line: Museum of Life Under Communism Ticket:
$6.22
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World of Illusion Museum Skip-the-Line Ticket:
$9.18
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Warsaw Royal Route: Public Tour:
$13
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Old Town Guided Walking Tour:
$15
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Christmas Tour:
$23
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Evening vistula river cruise:
$28
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Highlights Guided Retro Bus Tour:
$28
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Warsaw's Alternative Side: Praga District Private Tour:
$36
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3-Hour Morning Historical Sites Bus and Walking Tour:
$40
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Warsaw Afternoon, guided, social-distance bus, city tour with pick up&drop off:
$44
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Small-Group Historical Guided Tour of Warsaw with pick up/drop off. Public Tour.:
$44
Alcohol
The average person spends about €5.10 on alcoholic beverages in Vilnius per day. The more you spend on alcohol, the more fun you might be having despite your higher budget.
Alcoholic beverages can often be a significant portion of a traveler's budget, and the costs can vary greatly from person to person. In Warsaw, the average amount that a visitor spends on alcoholic beverages per day is €7.40.
Typical Alcohol prices in Vilnius
Here are a few samples of the prices for alcohol and nightlife in Vilnius from other travelers:
Sample the Local Flavors in Vilnius
Also in Vilnius, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Vilnius and Warsaw, we can see that Vilnius is more expensive. And not only is Warsaw much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Warsaw would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Warsaw and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Vilnius would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Vilnius than you might in Warsaw.
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