Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Riga and Cesis

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.

77

Cost of Living Index in Riga
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Riga Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in Cesis
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Cesis Living Index

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Riga

🇱🇻 Latvia

$1,591

/mo nomad

Cesis

🇱🇻 Latvia

$1,102

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Riga and in Cesis

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

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

Riga $1,591
Cesis $1,102

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

Riga $2,428
Cesis $1,829

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

Riga $3,264
Cesis $2,556

Living in Riga is roughly 44% more expensive than in Cesis, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.05 €15.17

$16.49 €14.67

3.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.9 €58.6

$66.9 €59.5

-1.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.94 €7.96

$9.00 €8.01

-0.67%

Cappuccino

$3.63 €3.23

$3.68 €3.28

-1.36%

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

$1.62 €1.44

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.20 €1.07

$1.18 €1.05

1.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.43 €4.83

$5.63 €5.00

-3.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.96 €4.41

$5.08 €4.52

-2.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 €1.06

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 €1.33

$1.48 €1.31

0.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.50 €2.22

$2.49 €2.21

0.40%

Eggs

$3.61 €3.21

$2.73 €2.43

32.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.61 €9.44

$10.66 €9.48

-0.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.86 €7.88

$8.42 €7.49

5.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.85 €12.32

$13.46 €11.98

2.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 €1.91

$2.06 €1.83

4.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.82 €1.62

$1.80 €1.60

1.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.45 €2.18

$2.47 €2.20

-0.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.09 €2.75

$2.97 €2.65

4.04%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 €0.74

$0.82 €0.73

1.22%

Onion (1kg)

$0.95 €0.84

$0.90 €0.80

5.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 €1.51

$1.73 €1.54

-1.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 €0.87

$0.92 €0.82

6.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.75 €6.01

$6.80 €6.05

-0.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.66 €6.81

$7.92 €7.05

-3.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.75

$1.71 €1.52

14.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 €1.84

$2.03 €1.80

1.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.69 €1.51

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.13 €29.47

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.40 €3.02

$3.28 €2.92

3.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 €0.88

$0.98 €0.87

1.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.89 €15.91

$17.96 €15.97

-0.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.79

$2.04 €1.81

-1.47%

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

$27.0K €24.0K

$27.3K €24.3K

-1.22%

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

$31.4K €28.0K

$30.3K €27.0K

3.70%

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

$369 €328

$368 €328

0.13%

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

$19.45 €17.30

$19.14 €17.02

1.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.83 €17.64

$19.72 €17.54

0.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.9 €45.28

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.88 €31.91

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.83

$11.34 €10.09

-2.56%

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

$690 €614

$683 €608

0.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.7K €15.7K

$18.2K €16.2K

-2.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.3 €61.6

$67.9 €60.4

1.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.5 €44.88

$51.0 €45.32

-0.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.7 €76.3

$84.6 €75.2

1.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 €124

$136 €121

2.68%

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)

$739 €657

$283 €252

161.01%

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)

$1,478 €1,315

$1,095 €974

34.93%

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 Riga: October 12, 2026

Last update for Cesis: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Riga

$408 25.7%

Cesis

$407 37% 0.2% $0.9

Accommodation & Living

Riga

$383 24.1%

Cesis

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Riga

$268 16.8%

Cesis

$259 23.5% 3.5% $9.5

Eating Out

Riga

$255 16%

Cesis

$253 22.9% 1% $2.6

Clothing & Footwear

Riga

$155 9.8%

Cesis

$153 13.9% 1.6% $2.6

Sport & Entertainment

Riga

$73 4.6%

Cesis

$23 * 2.1% 68.9% $50

Getting Around

Riga

$48 3%

Cesis

$8.2 * 0.7% 83.1% $40

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

Good to know

🇱🇻 Riga

🇱🇻 Cesis

🕒 Local time

02:25 2:25 AM

Same time as Riga

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

660,187 Capital

17,673

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Riga Cesis 81 km

From you

Riga
Cesis

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

Riga vs Cesis: 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.

Average pay runs 35% higher in Riga, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Childcare runs $690 in Riga versus $683 in Cesis. 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, Riga and Cesis 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.