Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gulbene and Riga

For one person, living is cheaper in Gulbene: $1,289 a month against $1,584 in Riga, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Gulbene
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Gulbene Living Index
77

Cost of Living Index in Riga
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Riga Living Index

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Gulbene

🇱🇻 Latvia

$1,289

/mo nomad

Riga

🇱🇻 Latvia

$1,584

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Gulbene 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 Gulbene and in Riga actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,289 per month in Gulbene vs $1,584 in Riga, rent included.

Gulbene $1,289
Riga $1,584

A couple spends around $1,973 per month in Gulbene vs $2,430 in Riga, rent included.

Gulbene $1,973
Riga $2,430

A family of three spends $2,657 per month in Gulbene vs $3,275 in Riga, rent included.

Gulbene $2,657
Riga $3,275

Gulbene is about 19% cheaper than Riga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Gulbene sits 5% below the global median, while Riga is 17% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.73 €14.88

$16.89 €15.03

-0.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.5 €60.9

$68.3 €60.8

0.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.45 €8.41

$9.23 €8.21

2.38%

Cappuccino

$3.82 €3.40

$3.69 €3.28

3.52%

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

$1.59 €1.41

$1.57 €1.40

1.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.20 €1.07

$1.15 €1.02

4.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.57 €4.95

$5.70 €5.07

-2.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.18 €4.61

$5.13 €4.56

0.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 €1.06

$1.21 €1.08

-1.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 €1.33

$1.44 €1.29

4.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.54 €2.26

$2.50 €2.22

1.60%

Eggs

$3.72 €3.30

$3.60 €3.21

3.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.70 €9.52

$10.37 €9.22

3.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.74 €7.77

$8.76 €7.79

-0.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.98 €12.43

$13.95 €12.41

0.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.09 €1.86

$2.15 €1.91

-2.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 €1.57

$1.74 €1.55

1.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.56 €2.27

$2.59 €2.30

-1.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.25 €2.89

$3.18 €2.83

2.20%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 €0.79

$0.83 €0.74

6.02%

Onion (1kg)

$0.95 €0.84

$0.91 €0.81

4.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 €1.57

$1.70 €1.51

4.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 €0.87

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.53 €5.81

$6.56 €5.83

-0.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.02 €7.14

$7.93 €7.05

1.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 €1.79

$2.04 €1.81

-1.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 €1.79

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 €1.52

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.42 €29.73

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.41 €3.03

$3.46 €3.07

-1.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 €0.88

$1.00 €0.89

-1.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.96 €15.97

$17.66 €15.71

1.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.12 €1.89

$2.05 €1.82

3.41%

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

$27.3K €24.3K

$27.6K €24.6K

-1.09%

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

$29.7K €26.4K

$30.0K €26.7K

-0.87%

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

$368 €328

$367 €327

0.31%

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

$19.94 €17.74

$19.76 €17.58

0.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.84 €17.65

$19.66 €17.49

0.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.3 €44.77

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.36 €32.35

Cinema Ticket

$11.06 €9.83

$11.14 €9.91

-0.72%

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

$674 €599

$673 €598

0.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.4K €16.4K

$18.1K €16.1K

1.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.2 €62.4

$70.9 €63.1

-1.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.0 €45.33

$51.1 €45.43

-0.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.2 €76.7

$87.4 €77.8

-1.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 €121

$139 €123

-1.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$190 €169

$583 €518

-67.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$168 €149

$375 €333

-55.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$352 €313

$1,148 €1,021

-69.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$332 €295

$733 €652

-54.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$681 €605

$3,034 €2,699

-77.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$568 €505

$2,111 €1,878

-73.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,511 €1,344

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 Gulbene: October 20, 2026

Last update for Riga: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gulbene

$408 31.7%

Riga

$407 25.7% 0.4% $1.5

Groceries & Markets

Gulbene

$271 21%

Riga

$268 16.9% 0.9% $2.5

Eating Out

Gulbene

$257 20%

Riga

$257 16.2% 0.2% $0.6

Accommodation & Living

Gulbene

$168 13%

Riga

$375 23.7% 123% $207

Clothing & Footwear

Gulbene

$155 12%

Riga

$157 9.9% 1.3% $2.1

Sport & Entertainment

Gulbene

$22 * 1.7%

Riga

$73 4.6% 228% $51

Getting Around

Gulbene

$8.3 * 0.7%

Riga

$49 3.1% 484% $40

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $190 in Gulbene versus $583 in Riga. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69.0 in Gulbene versus $68.0 in Riga. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $271 vs $268 – making Riga the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇱🇻 Gulbene

🇱🇻 Riga

🕒 Local time

00:17 12:17 AM

Same time as Gulbene

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,500

660,187 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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From you

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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

Gulbene vs Riga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,289 in Gulbene, $1,584 in Riga – roughly 23% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,934 per month in Gulbene and $2,376 in Riga. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Gulbene, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,289 in Gulbene and $1,584 in Riga. That's a gap of about 23%.

Kindergarten costs $674 per month in Gulbene and $673 in Riga. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Gulbene, where all-in costs run around $1,289, than in Riga at $1,584. In Gulbene it covers expenses comfortably, while in Riga it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Riga has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,289 in Gulbene to $1,584 in Riga. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Gulbene. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Riga makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.