In short
Vilnius is the cheaper capital: a single person with a central 1-bedroom spends about €1,510 a month, against about €1,865 in Warsaw. Neither has a digital nomad, retirement or golden visa — most Americans move with a job offer, their own business or study. Every figure below is checked against official sources.
The verdict
Which Country Fits You?
Where one side is clearly better for most Americans, it gets the point — the rest depends on your plans.
Choose Lithuania if…
- You want lower costs — about €360 a month less for a single person with a central 1-bedroom in Vilnius.
- You will run a company — corporate tax is 17% (7% for small companies, 0% in their first 2 years).
- You are a founder: Startup Visa Lithuania — committee-scored plan, no investment threshold.
Choose Poland if…
- You have a job offer — the EU Blue Card salary bar is lower: about €3,070 a month (PLN 13,355).
- You want citizenship sooner: about 8 years in total, B1 Polish.
- You are a founder: residence for business — company income of 12× the regional average wage, or 2 staff.
Cost of Living
Vilnius Is About €360 a Month Cheaper
| Lithuania | Poland | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-bed apartment, city centre | Lithuaniaabout €730 (Vilnius)✓ | Polandabout €1,064 (Warsaw) |
| 1-bed apartment, outside centre | Lithuaniaabout €555 (Vilnius)✓ | Polandabout €857 (Warsaw) |
| Everyday costs, single person (no rent) | Lithuaniaabout €780 (Vilnius) | Polandabout €800 (Warsaw) |
| Total a month — single, central 1-bed | Lithuaniaabout €1,510 (Vilnius)✓ | Polandabout €1,865 (Warsaw) |
Living costs: Numbeo estimates for the capital (2026), as shown with sources on each city guide and in the key facts below.
Daily Life
Daily Life in Vilnius and Warsaw
| Lithuania | Poland | |
|---|---|---|
| Population (capital) | LithuaniaAbout 610,000 | PolandJust over 1.86 million |
| Public transport (capital) | Lithuania30-day ticket €38; train to the airport about 8 minutes | Poland30-day ticket PLN 110 (zone 1) |
| Nonstop flights to the US | LithuaniaNo nonstop flights — one stop via Warsaw, Helsinki or another hub | PolandLOT nonstop from New York, Newark, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami and San Francisco |
| Currency | LithuaniaEuro | PolandPolish złoty (PLN), not the euro |
Visas & Residence
Visas & Work Permits Compared
| Lithuania | Poland | |
|---|---|---|
| Main work permit | LithuaniaResidence permit needed for any local job (no work on a visa since 2024) | PolandEmployer applies online; no labour-market test since June 2025 |
| EU Blue Card salary | LithuaniaAbout €3,940 a month (1.5× the average wage); decision in 1 month | PolandAbout €3,070 a month (PLN 13,355)✓ |
| Digital nomad visa | LithuaniaNone | PolandNone |
| Retirement / passive-income visa | LithuaniaNone | PolandNone |
| Golden (investor) visa | LithuaniaNone | PolandNone |
| Founders & startups | LithuaniaStartup Visa Lithuania — committee-scored plan, no investment threshold | PolandResidence for business — company income of 12× the regional average wage, or 2 staff |
Tax & Business
Taxes & Company Rules
| Lithuania | Poland | |
|---|---|---|
| Income tax | Lithuania20% up to €83,237, then 25% and 32% (2026) | Poland12% up to PLN 120,000 (about €27,600), 32% above |
| Special tax regime | LithuaniaNone | PolandNone |
| Usual company | LithuaniaUAB — €1,000 capital | PolandSp. z o.o. — PLN 5,000 capital; online in a few days |
| Corporate tax | Lithuania17% (7% for small companies, 0% in their first 2 years)✓ | Poland19% (9% for small taxpayers) |
| US tax treaty | LithuaniaSigned 1998; no Social Security agreement | Poland1974 treaty; Social Security agreement since 2009 |
US citizens & Green Card holdersThe US still taxes you
Wherever you live, the US taxes its citizens on worldwide income. You keep filing a US return, and an FBAR once your foreign accounts total more than $10,000 at any time in the year.
FAQ
Lithuania or Poland? Your questions
Is Vilnius or Warsaw cheaper?
Vilnius is cheaper: a single person with a central 1-bedroom spends about €1,510 a month there, against about €1,865 in Warsaw (Numbeo, 2026). Rent for a central 1-bedroom is about €730 in Vilnius and €1,064 in Warsaw.
Does Lithuania or Poland have a digital nomad visa?
Lithuania has no digital nomad visa. Poland has no digital nomad visa.
How long until I can get citizenship?
Lithuania: 10 years of permanent residence; you must give up US citizenship. Poland: About 8 years in total, B1 Polish.
Do I still pay US taxes if I move?
Yes. The US taxes its citizens on worldwide income wherever they live. You keep filing a US return, and an FBAR once your foreign accounts total more than $10,000. Foreign tax credits and the treaties usually prevent paying twice on the same income.
Lithuania vs Poland: key factsLast verified 1 October 2026
| Lithuania: 1-bed apartment, Vilnius | about €730/month in the centre, €555 outside (Numbeo, Sep 2026) estimate Source: Numbeo: cost of living in Vilnius (Sep 2026) |
|---|---|
| Lithuania: Living costs, single person (Vilnius) | about €780/month without rent estimate Source: Numbeo: cost of living in Vilnius (Sep 2026) |
| Poland: Warsaw rent | 1-bedroom about €1,064 (≈PLN 4,650) a month in the centre and €857 outside (Numbeo, October 2026) Source: Cost of Living in Warsaw (Numbeo, upd. 1 Oct 2026) |
| Poland: Warsaw living costs | A single person spends about €800 a month without rent — about €1,865 with a central 1-bedroom (Numbeo, October 2026) Source: Cost of Living in Warsaw (Numbeo, upd. 1 Oct 2026) |
| Lithuania: Population | Lithuania about 2.89 million; Vilnius about 610,000 Source: Statistics Lithuania: Lithuania in Figures · CityPopulation: Vilnius (Statistics Lithuania data) |
| Poland: Warsaw population | Just over 1.86 million Source: Warszawa: przyszłość liczby mieszkańców (Spider's Web, citing GUS) |
| Lithuania: Vilnius transport | 30-day ticket €38, 30-minute ticket €1 (since July 2025); train to the airport about 8 minutes Source: LRT: Vilnius public transport fares from July 2025 · Go Vilnius: arriving by plane |
| Poland: Warsaw transport | 30-day ticket PLN 110 (zone 1); metro lines M1 and M2, M3 planned for about 2032 Source: Warszawa: metro, tramwaje i autobusy. Bilety i ceny (Życie Warszawy, upd. 2 Oct 2026) · III linia metra w Warszawie (kb.pl) |
| Lithuania: Flights from the US | No nonstop flights; one stop via Warsaw, Helsinki, Frankfurt, Amsterdam or Copenhagen Source: KAYAK: direct flights to Vilnius |
| Poland: Flights from the US | LOT flies nonstop to Warsaw from New York JFK, Newark, Chicago, Los Angeles and Miami, and from San Francisco since May 2026 Source: LOT Polish Airlines Adds New U.S. Route (AirlineGeeks, 13 Nov 2025) · LOT Polish Airlines route map |
| Poland: EU | EU since 2004, NATO since 1999, Schengen since December 2007; the currency is the złoty (PLN), not the euro Source: Poland: EU country profile · Schengen area: Migration and Home Affairs |
| Lithuania: Working in Lithuania | Since July 2024 you can work for a Lithuanian employer only with a residence permit — not on a visa or visa-free stay Source: KPMG: Lithuania immigration changes from July 2024 |
| Poland: Work permit | Since June 2025 no labour market test; the employer applies online and pays PLN 400 for a permit over 3 months Source: Changes in Polish immigration law from June 1, 2025 (Accace) · Legal alert: as of 1 December 2025, new regulations on the employment of foreigners |
| Lithuania: EU Blue Card | 1.5 times the average gross wage (about €3,940 a month in 2026; 1.2 times for shortage jobs); degree or 5 years' experience; 3 years; decision in 1 month Source: EU Immigration Portal: EU Blue Card in Lithuania |
| Poland: EU Blue Card | PLN 13,355.34 gross a month (≈€3,070) from 9 February 2026, with a degree or 5 years' experience (3 for IT) and a contract of at least 6 months Source: Przeciętne wynagrodzenie w gospodarce narodowej (GUS) · EU Blue Card in Poland in 2026 (ATL Law) |
| Lithuania: Digital nomads | No digital nomad visa or remote-work permit. A national (D) visa is discretionary, lasts up to 1 year and is not a remote-work route Source: Remote Work Europe: what non-EU remote workers should know about Lithuania · Lithuanian Foreign Ministry: national (D) visas |
| Poland: Digital nomad visa | None — Poland has no residence permit for remote workers employed abroad Source: MOS: categories of residence permits |
| Lithuania: Investor or retiree visa | None — Lithuania has no golden visa and no residence permit for retirees or passive income Source: Law on the Legal Status of Aliens (consolidated text) · Deloitte Lithuania: residence permits for business and work |
| Lithuania: Startup Visa Lithuania | An expert committee scores your innovative, scalable plan — no incubator or investment threshold; living funds of €13,836 for 12 months (2026); 2-year permit, extendable to 5 Source: Startup Visa Lithuania (Innovation Agency): official site · Startup Visa Lithuania: FAQ · Startup Visa Lithuania: guidebook (Aug 2025) |
| Poland: Residence for business | Your company must have earned at least 12 times the regional average monthly wage last year, or employed 2 full-time staff for a year — a new business can instead show the resources to get there Source: Ustawa o cudzoziemcach art. 142 (arslege) · Temporary residence for company owners (Wielkopolski Urząd Wojewódzki) |
| Lithuania: Income tax | 20% up to €83,237 a year, 25% up to €138,729, 32% above (2026); dividends 15% Source: PwC Tax Summaries: Lithuania — personal income tax · KPMG Lithuania: Tax Card 2026 |
| Poland: Income tax | 12% up to PLN 120,000 (≈€27,600) and 32% above, with PLN 30,000 tax-free (2026) Source: Stawki PIT 2026 (Freenance) |
| Lithuania: Usual company type | UAB (private limited company): €1,000 minimum capital since May 2023; MB small partnership with no minimum capital Source: Ecovis: Lithuanian Law on Companies — €1,000 minimum capital · Law on Small Partnerships (e-TAR) |
| Poland: Usual company type | Sp. z o.o. (limited company): PLN 5,000 minimum capital; online through S24 for PLN 350 in fees, usually within a few working days Source: Rejestracja spółki S24 (online) 2026 — koszty, różnice |
| Lithuania: Corporate tax | 17% from 2026 (16% in 2025, 15% before); small companies 7% (revenue up to €300,000), and 0% for the first 2 tax periods of a new small company Source: KPMG Lithuania: Tax Card 2026 · KPMG: Lithuania corporate income tax changes from 1 January 2026 |
| Poland: Corporate tax | 19%, or 9% for small taxpayers with revenue up to €2 million (not on passive income) Source: Stawki i limity w estońskim CIT |
| Lithuania: US tax treaty | Signed 1998, in effect since 2000; US citizens still file US returns Source: IRS: technical explanation of the US–Lithuania tax convention |
| Poland: US tax treaty | The 1974 US–Poland treaty is still in force; a 2013 replacement was never ratified by the US Source: Poland: Tax treaty documents (IRS) |
Go deeper
The full guides
Across Europe
Every guide and comparison
- OverviewMove to Europe
- CountriesAll 29 Countries
- LivingExpat Guides
- RetirementRetire by Country
- CitiesBest Cities to Live In
- BusinessCompany Formation
- FoundersStartup Visas
- InvestorsGolden Visas
- Remote workDigital Nomad Visas
- RetirementRetirement Visas
- CitizenshipCitizenship by Descent
- CostsCost of Living
- HealthHealthcare
- TaxTax Residency
- PetsMoving with Pets
- DrivingUS Driver's License
- PropertyBuying Property
- EducationStudy in Europe
- SafetySafety & Stability
- WorkWork-Life Balance
- TravelTravel & Schengen
- LifestyleLifestyle
Lithuania or Poland — Let's Decide Together
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