Cost of Living Comparison Between Latvia and Italy Cost of Living Comparison Between Latvia and Italy

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,354 in Latvia versus $1,718 in Italy.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,049 in Latvia versus $2,623 in Italy.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,743 in Latvia versus $3,527 in Italy.

Living in Latvia costs about 21% less than in Italy on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Latvia 1% above, Italy 28% above.

Internal cost variation is higher in Italy: monthly costs span $1,195 to $2,531, compared to $1,202โ€“$1,578 in Latvia. City choice carries more weight in Italy.

Currency
๐Ÿฝ Eating Out
Latvia
Italy
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.71 โ‚ฌ11.69
$17.20 โ‚ฌ14.67
-20.29%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$70.5 โ‚ฌ60.1
$81.2 โ‚ฌ69.3
-13.20%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.91 โ‚ฌ6.75
$11.40 โ‚ฌ9.72
-30.61%
Cappuccino
$3.28 โ‚ฌ2.79
$1.91 โ‚ฌ1.63
71.73%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.76 โ‚ฌ1.50
$2.86 โ‚ฌ2.44
-38.46%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.25 โ‚ฌ1.06
$1.33 โ‚ฌ1.13
-6.02%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.32 โ‚ฌ4.54
$5.89 โ‚ฌ5.03
-9.68%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.56 โ‚ฌ3.89
$5.12 โ‚ฌ4.37
-10.94%
๐Ÿ›’ Groceries & Markets
Latvia
Italy
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.31 โ‚ฌ1.12
$1.64 โ‚ฌ1.40
-20.12%
White Bread (500g)
$1.57 โ‚ฌ1.34
$2.30 โ‚ฌ1.96
-31.74%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.10 โ‚ฌ2.64
$3.03 โ‚ฌ2.59
2.31%
Eggs
$3.01 โ‚ฌ2.57
$4.09 โ‚ฌ3.49
-26.41%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.47 โ‚ฌ9.78
$16.26 โ‚ฌ13.87
-29.46%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.82 โ‚ฌ6.67
$12.24 โ‚ฌ10.44
-36.11%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.04 โ‚ฌ10.27
$20.45 โ‚ฌ17.44
-41.12%
Apples (1kg)
$1.54 โ‚ฌ1.32
$2.55 โ‚ฌ2.17
-39.61%
Banana (1kg)
$1.87 โ‚ฌ1.60
$2.12 โ‚ฌ1.81
-11.79%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.64 โ‚ฌ2.25
$2.68 โ‚ฌ2.29
-1.49%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.37 โ‚ฌ2.87
$3.38 โ‚ฌ2.89
-0.30%
Potato (1kg)
$1.02 โ‚ฌ0.87
$2.00 โ‚ฌ1.71
-49.00%
Onion (1kg)
$1.06 โ‚ฌ0.91
$1.88 โ‚ฌ1.60
-43.62%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.82 โ‚ฌ1.55
$1.47 โ‚ฌ1.25
23.81%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.85 โ‚ฌ0.73
$0.54 โ‚ฌ0.46
57.41%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.96 โ‚ฌ5.08
$6.75 โ‚ฌ5.75
-11.70%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.17 โ‚ฌ6.97
$7.18 โ‚ฌ6.12
13.79%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.70 โ‚ฌ1.45
$1.80 โ‚ฌ1.54
-5.56%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.18 โ‚ฌ1.86
$2.45 โ‚ฌ2.09
-11.02%
๐ŸšŒ Getting Around
Latvia
Italy
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.72 โ‚ฌ1.47
$2.02 โ‚ฌ1.73
-14.85%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$34.13 โ‚ฌ29.12
$41.49 โ‚ฌ35.39
-17.74%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.72 โ‚ฌ2.32
$5.77 โ‚ฌ4.92
-52.86%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.76 โ‚ฌ0.65
$1.53 โ‚ฌ1.30
-50.33%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.74 โ‚ฌ10.02
$35.33 โ‚ฌ30.14
-66.77%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.90 โ‚ฌ1.62
$2.12 โ‚ฌ1.81
-10.38%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.5K โ‚ฌ26.0K
$32.3K โ‚ฌ27.5K
-5.63%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.1K โ‚ฌ26.5K
$33.4K โ‚ฌ28.5K
-6.99%
๐Ÿงพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
Latvia
Italy
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$304 โ‚ฌ259
$224 โ‚ฌ191
35.74%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$19.13 โ‚ฌ16.32
$13.24 โ‚ฌ11.29
44.49%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.94 โ‚ฌ17.01
$30.96 โ‚ฌ26.41
-35.59%
๐ŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Latvia
Italy
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$47.46 โ‚ฌ40.48
$56.6 โ‚ฌ48.30
-16.18%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.55 โ‚ฌ24.35
$25.11 โ‚ฌ21.42
13.70%
Cinema Ticket
$11.79 โ‚ฌ10.06
$10.32 โ‚ฌ8.80
14.24%
๐Ÿงธ Childcare & Education
Latvia
Italy
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$534 โ‚ฌ456
$563 โ‚ฌ481
-5.12%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$15.6K โ‚ฌ13.3K
$10.6K โ‚ฌ9,063
47.04%
๐Ÿ‘•๐Ÿ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Latvia
Italy
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$92.8 โ‚ฌ79.2
$90.1 โ‚ฌ76.9
2.96%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.11 โ‚ฌ39.33
$40.60 โ‚ฌ34.63
13.57%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$93.2 โ‚ฌ79.5
$100 โ‚ฌ85.4
-6.83%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$140 โ‚ฌ120
$133 โ‚ฌ113
5.90%
๐Ÿ  Accommodation & Living
Latvia
Italy
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$462 โ‚ฌ394
$864 โ‚ฌ737
-46.57%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$335 โ‚ฌ285
$668 โ‚ฌ570
-49.92%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$949 โ‚ฌ809
$1,473 โ‚ฌ1,257
-35.62%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$609 โ‚ฌ519
$1,088 โ‚ฌ928
-44.04%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,792 โ‚ฌ2,382
$3,808 โ‚ฌ3,248
-26.67%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,767 โ‚ฌ1,507
$2,454 โ‚ฌ2,093
-28.00%
๐Ÿ’ต Salaries & Financials
Latvia
Italy
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,359 โ‚ฌ1,159
$1,935 โ‚ฌ1,651
-29.77%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.33
4.41
-1.81%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input โ€“ minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Latvia: April 21, 2026

Last update for Italy: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $353 in Latvia, $742 in Italy. Capital cities: $595 in Riga vs $1,366 in Rome.

National salary averages: $1,068 in Latvia, $1,935 in Italy. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money โ€“ weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 110% higher in Italy.

Dining out costs 25% more in Italy.

Public transport is 19% more expensive in Italy.

Salaries are 81% higher in Italy, giving Italy stronger purchasing power.

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
Latvia vs Italy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost difference between Italy and Latvia?
At $1,863 per month in Italy and $1,390 in Latvia, there's a 34% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city โ€“ the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Which country is cheaper for everyday spending?
Latvia is simply cheaper day-to-day: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Rent in Italy beats Latvia across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget in Italy or Latvia?
In Latvia, $2,000 covers most cities easily. In Italy, it works in regional areas but falls short in the capital โ€“ you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.
Should I move to Italy or Latvia?
It depends on what you're after. Latvia wins on affordability; Italy may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.

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