Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cesis and Riga

For one person, living is cheaper in Cesis: $1,102 a month against $1,591 in Riga, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

54

Cost of Living Index in Cesis
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Cesis Living Index
77

Cost of Living Index in Riga
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Riga Living Index

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Cesis

🇱🇻 Latvia

$1,102

/mo nomad

Riga

🇱🇻 Latvia

$1,591

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cesis and in Riga

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Cesis and in Riga actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,102 in Cesis versus $1,591 in Riga.

Cesis $1,102
Riga $1,591

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,829 in Cesis versus $2,428 in Riga.

Cesis $1,829
Riga $2,428

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,556 in Cesis versus $3,264 in Riga.

Cesis $2,556
Riga $3,264

Living in Cesis costs roughly 31% less than in Riga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cesis is 18% below, Riga is 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.49 €14.67

$17.05 €15.17

-3.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.9 €59.5

$65.9 €58.6

1.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.00 €8.01

$8.94 €7.96

0.67%

Cappuccino

$3.68 €3.28

$3.63 €3.23

1.38%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 €1.44

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.18 €1.05

$1.20 €1.07

-1.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.63 €5.00

$5.43 €4.83

3.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.08 €4.52

$4.96 €4.41

2.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 €1.06

White Bread (500g)

$1.48 €1.31

$1.49 €1.33

-0.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 €2.21

$2.50 €2.22

-0.40%

Eggs

$2.73 €2.43

$3.61 €3.21

-24.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.66 €9.48

$10.61 €9.44

0.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.49

$8.86 €7.88

-4.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.46 €11.98

$13.85 €12.32

-2.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.06 €1.83

$2.15 €1.91

-4.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 €1.60

$1.82 €1.62

-1.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.47 €2.20

$2.45 €2.18

0.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.97 €2.65

$3.09 €2.75

-3.88%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 €0.73

$0.83 €0.74

-1.20%

Onion (1kg)

$0.90 €0.80

$0.95 €0.84

-5.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.73 €1.54

$1.70 €1.51

1.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.82

$0.98 €0.87

-6.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.80 €6.05

$6.75 €6.01

0.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €7.05

$7.66 €6.81

3.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 €1.52

$1.96 €1.75

-12.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 €1.80

$2.07 €1.84

-1.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.69 €1.51

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.13 €29.47

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 €2.92

$3.40 €3.02

-3.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 €0.87

$0.99 €0.88

-1.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.96 €15.97

$17.89 €15.91

0.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.04 €1.81

$2.01 €1.79

1.49%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$27.3K €24.3K

$27.0K €24.0K

1.24%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$30.3K €27.0K

$31.4K €28.0K

-3.57%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$368 €328

$369 €328

-0.13%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$19.14 €17.02

$19.45 €17.30

-1.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.72 €17.54

$19.83 €17.64

-0.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.9 €45.28

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.88 €31.91

Cinema Ticket

$11.34 €10.09

$11.05 €9.83

2.62%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$683 €608

$690 €614

-0.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.2K €16.2K

$17.7K €15.7K

2.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.9 €60.4

$69.3 €61.6

-1.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.0 €45.32

$50.5 €44.88

0.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.6 €75.2

$85.7 €76.3

-1.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 €121

$140 €124

-2.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$560 €498

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$383 €341

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 €1,021

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$283 €252

$739 €657

-61.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,993 €2,662

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,050 €1,824

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,095 €974

$1,478 €1,315

-25.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.77

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Cesis: October 11, 2026

Last update for Riga: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cesis

$407 37%

Riga

$408 25.7% 0.2% $0.9

Groceries & Markets

Cesis

$259 23.5%

Riga

$268 16.8% 3.7% $9.5

Eating Out

Cesis

$253 22.9%

Riga

$255 16% 1% $2.6

Clothing & Footwear

Cesis

$153 13.9%

Riga

$155 9.8% 1.7% $2.6

Sport & Entertainment

Cesis

$23 * 2.1%

Riga

$73 4.6% 222% $50

Getting Around

Cesis

$8.2 * 0.7%

Riga

$48 3% 492% $40

Accommodation & Living

Cesis

- * 0%

Riga

$383 24.1%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Riga pays 35% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $67.0 in Cesis vs $66.0 in Riga. Groceries flip the comparison at $259 vs $268, with Cesis cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇱🇻 Cesis

🇱🇻 Riga

🕒 Local time

01:35 1:35 AM

Same time as Cesis

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

17,673

660,187 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cesis Riga 81 km

From you

Cesis
Riga

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Cesis vs Riga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cesis is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 44% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 35% lower in Riga. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Childcare runs $683 in Cesis versus $690 in Riga. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Cesis – a meal for two runs $67.0 versus $66.0 in Riga. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,102 in Cesis versus $1,591 in Riga, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cesis but tight or insufficient in Riga. The gap between the two cities makes Cesis the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cesis is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Riga, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cesis and Riga are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Cesis gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Riga. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.