Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Liepaja and Riga

For one person, living is cheaper in Liepaja: $1,284 a month against $1,591 in Riga, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

63

Cost of Living Index in Liepaja
Learn more

Liepaja Living Index
77

Cost of Living Index in Riga
Learn more

Riga Living Index

Jump to prices

Liepaja

🇱🇻 Latvia

$1,284

/mo nomad

Riga

🇱🇻 Latvia

$1,591

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,284 per month in Liepaja vs $1,591 in Riga, rent included.

Liepaja $1,284
Riga $1,591

A couple spends around $2,006 per month in Liepaja vs $2,428 in Riga, rent included.

Liepaja $2,006
Riga $2,428

A family of three spends $2,728 per month in Liepaja vs $3,264 in Riga, rent included.

Liepaja $2,728
Riga $3,264

Liepaja is about 19% cheaper than Riga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Liepaja sits 5% below the global median, while Riga is 18% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.98 €9.77

$17.05 €15.17

-35.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.9 €60.4

$65.9 €58.6

2.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.09 €8.08

$8.94 €7.96

1.68%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.52

$3.63 €3.23

-22.04%

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

$1.59 €1.41

$1.62 €1.44

-1.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 €1.02

$1.20 €1.07

-4.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.01 €3.57

$5.43 €4.83

-26.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.94

$4.96 €4.41

-56.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €1.02

$1.19 €1.06

-4.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 €1.33

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 €2.15

$2.50 €2.22

-3.60%

Eggs

$3.60 €3.20

$3.61 €3.21

-0.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.44 €9.29

$10.61 €9.44

-1.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.46 €7.53

$8.86 €7.88

-4.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.61 €12.10

$13.85 €12.32

-1.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.06 €1.83

$2.15 €1.91

-4.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.54

$1.82 €1.62

-4.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.45 €2.18

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 €2.01

$3.09 €2.75

-26.86%

Potato (1kg)

$0.87 €0.78

$0.83 €0.74

4.82%

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 €0.79

$0.95 €0.84

-6.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.69 €1.50

$1.70 €1.51

-0.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 €0.88

$0.98 €0.87

1.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.28 €5.58

$6.75 €6.01

-6.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.59 €5.86

$7.66 €6.81

-13.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 €1.80

$1.96 €1.75

3.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 €1.79

$2.07 €1.84

-2.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.62 €1.44

$1.69 €1.51

-4.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.95 €29.31

$33.13 €29.47

-0.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 €1.74

$3.40 €3.02

-42.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 €0.88

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.56 €15.62

$17.89 €15.91

-1.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 €1.61

$2.01 €1.79

-9.95%

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

$27.7K €24.6K

$27.0K €24.0K

2.64%

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

$30.9K €27.5K

$31.4K €28.0K

-1.57%

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

$304 €270

$369 €328

-17.73%

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

$16.66 €14.82

$19.45 €17.30

-14.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.83 €17.64

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €49.33

$50.9 €45.28

8.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.23 €11.77

$35.88 €31.91

-63.13%

Cinema Ticket

$8.76 €7.79

$11.05 €9.83

-20.72%

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

$171 €152

$690 €614

-75.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.0K €16.0K

$17.7K €15.7K

1.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.4 €60.9

$69.3 €61.6

-1.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.59 €44.11

$50.5 €44.88

-1.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 €75.7

$85.7 €76.3

-0.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 €124

$140 €124

-0.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$314 €279

$560 €498

-44.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$229 €204

$383 €341

-40.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$630 €560

$1,148 €1,021

-45.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$469 €417

$739 €657

-36.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,493 €1,328

$2,993 €2,662

-50.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,116 €993

$2,050 €1,824

-45.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,097 €976

$1,478 €1,315

-25.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.2

4.77

-11.95%

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

Last update for Liepaja: October 10, 2026

Last update for Riga: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Liepaja

$340 26.5%

Riga

$408 25.7% 20.1% $68

Groceries & Markets

Liepaja

$257 20%

Riga

$268 16.8% 4.3% $11

Accommodation & Living

Liepaja

$229 17.9%

Riga

$383 24.1% 67.2% $154

Eating Out

Liepaja

$184 14.4%

Riga

$255 16% 38.3% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Liepaja

$154 12%

Riga

$155 9.8% 0.9% $1.4

Sport & Entertainment

Liepaja

$73 5.7%

Riga

$73 4.6% 0% $0

Getting Around

Liepaja

$46 3.6%

Riga

$48 3% 4.1% $1.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $314 in Liepaja versus $560 in Riga. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 35% higher in Riga, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Liepaja versus $66.0 in Riga. Groceries tell a different story – $257 in Liepaja vs $268 in Riga – so Liepaja wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇱🇻 Liepaja

🇱🇻 Riga

🕒 Local time

05:04 5:04 AM

Same time as Liepaja

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

78,787

660,187 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Liepaja Riga 200 km

From you

Liepaja
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

Liepaja vs Riga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Riga is pricier by about 24%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,926 per month in Liepaja and $2,387 in Riga. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Liepaja and $66.0 in Riga. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,284 in Liepaja and $1,591 in Riga. That's a gap of about 24%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Liepaja, where all-in costs run around $1,284, than in Riga at $1,591. In Liepaja it covers expenses comfortably, while in Riga it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Liepaja – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Liepaja. 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.