Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ludza and Riga

For one person, living is cheaper in Ludza: $955 a month against $1,584 in Riga, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Ludza
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Ludza Living Index
77

Cost of Living Index in Riga
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Riga Living Index

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Ludza

🇱🇻 Latvia

$955

/mo nomad

Riga

🇱🇻 Latvia

$1,584

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $955 per month in Ludza vs $1,584 in Riga, rent included.

Ludza $955
Riga $1,584

A couple spends around $1,505 per month in Ludza vs $2,430 in Riga, rent included.

Ludza $1,505
Riga $2,430

A family of three spends $2,055 per month in Ludza vs $3,275 in Riga, rent included.

Ludza $2,055
Riga $3,275

Ludza is about 40% cheaper than Riga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Ludza sits 30% below the global median, while Riga is 17% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.89 €7.02

$16.89 €15.03

-53.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.2 €60.7

$68.3 €60.8

-0.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.45 €8.40

$9.23 €8.21

2.38%

Cappuccino

$3.62 €3.22

$3.69 €3.28

-1.90%

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

$1.58 €1.40

$1.57 €1.40

0.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 €1.03

$1.15 €1.02

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.53 €4.91

$5.70 €5.07

-2.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.12 €4.55

$5.13 €4.56

-0.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 €1.07

$1.21 €1.08

-0.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 €1.33

$1.44 €1.29

4.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 €2.14

$2.50 €2.22

-3.60%

Eggs

$3.73 €3.32

$3.60 €3.21

3.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.67 €9.49

$10.37 €9.22

2.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.72 €7.76

$8.76 €7.79

-0.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.98 €12.44

$13.95 €12.41

0.22%

Apples (1kg)

$0.67 €0.60

$2.15 €1.91

-68.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 €1.29

$1.74 €1.55

-16.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.79 €1.59

$2.59 €2.30

-30.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 €2.88

$3.18 €2.83

1.89%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 €0.74

Onion (1kg)

$0.90 €0.80

$0.91 €0.81

-1.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.69 €1.51

$1.70 €1.51

-0.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.80

$0.98 €0.87

-8.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €6.03

$6.56 €5.83

3.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €7.04

$7.93 €7.05

-0.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 €1.75

$2.04 €1.81

-3.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 €1.84

$2.02 €1.79

2.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €2.03

$1.71 €1.52

33.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.42 €29.73

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.32 €2.95

$3.46 €3.07

-4.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 €0.90

$1.00 €0.89

1.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.39 €15.47

$17.66 €15.71

-1.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.66

$2.05 €1.82

-9.27%

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

$27.2K €24.2K

$27.6K €24.6K

-1.57%

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

$30.7K €27.3K

$30.0K €26.7K

2.46%

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

$285 €253

$367 €327

-22.48%

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

$19.76 €17.57

$19.76 €17.58

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.92 €17.72

$19.66 €17.49

1.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.3 €44.77

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.36 €32.35

Cinema Ticket

$11.29 €10.04

$11.14 €9.91

1.35%

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

$675 €601

$673 €598

0.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.0K €16.0K

$18.1K €16.1K

-0.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.0 €61.4

$70.9 €63.1

-2.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.26 €43.82

$51.1 €45.43

-3.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.6 €69.0

$87.4 €77.8

-11.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 €124

$139 €123

0.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$583 €518

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$375 €333

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 €1,021

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$733 €652

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,034 €2,699

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,111 €1,878

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$620 €551

$1,511 €1,344

-59.01%

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 Ludza: October 19, 2026

Last update for Riga: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ludza

$324 34%

Riga

$407 25.7% 25.4% $82

Groceries & Markets

Ludza

$256 26.8%

Riga

$268 16.9% 4.7% $12

Eating Out

Ludza

$184 19.2%

Riga

$257 16.2% 39.8% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Ludza

$151 15.8%

Riga

$157 9.9% 3.8% $5.7

Sport & Entertainment

Ludza

$23 * 2.4%

Riga

$73 4.6% 222% $50

Getting Around

Ludza

$18 * 1.8%

Riga

$49 3.1% 178% $31

Accommodation & Living

Ludza

- * 0%

Riga

$375 23.7%

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 144% 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 Ludza versus $68.0 in Riga. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $256 vs $268 – making Ludza the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇱🇻 Ludza

🇱🇻 Riga

🕒 Local time

19:30 7:30 PM

Same time as Ludza

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,500

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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Between locations

Ludza Riga 230 km

From you

Ludza
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

Ludza vs Riga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Riga is pricier by about 66%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,433 per month in Ludza and $2,376 in Riga. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 5% more in Riga, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Ludza, where all-in costs run around $955, than in Riga at $1,584. In Ludza it covers expenses comfortably, while in Riga it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ludza – 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 Ludza. 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.