Cost of Living Comparison Between Riga and Daugavpils Cost of Living Comparison Between Riga and Daugavpils

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,589 per month in Riga vs $1,218 in Daugavpils, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Riga vs $1,816 in Daugavpils, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,241 per month in Riga vs $2,413 in Daugavpils, rent included.

Riga costs about 30% more than Daugavpils, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Riga sits 19% above the global median, while Daugavpils is 9% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.41 €14.99

$10.26 €8.83

69.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.3 €58.8

$41.01 €35.32

66.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.52 €8.20

$6.87 €5.91

38.57%

Cappuccino

$3.44 €2.97

$3.05 €2.63

12.79%

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

$1.77 €1.52

$1.50 €1.29

18.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.12

$1.35 €1.16

-2.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.76 €4.96

$3.39 €2.92

69.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.65 €4.86

$4.76 €4.10

18.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 €1.14

$1.33 €1.15

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 €1.41

$1.65 €1.42

-0.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.87 €2.47

$2.98 €2.56

-3.69%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.71

$3.26 €2.81

-3.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.36 €10.64

$12.41 €10.69

-0.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.56 €6.51

$7.62 €6.57

-0.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.61 €10.00

$11.63 €10.02

-0.17%

Apples (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.57 €1.35

10.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 €1.66

$1.81 €1.56

6.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 €2.20

$2.59 €2.23

-1.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.55 €3.05

$3.10 €2.67

14.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 €0.93

$0.72 €0.62

50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 €0.95

$1.01 €0.87

8.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.79 €1.54

$1.71 €1.47

4.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.76

$0.68 €0.58

30.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.95 €5.13

$4.72 €4.07

26.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.97 €6.86

$6.80 €5.86

17.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.78 €1.53

3.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 €1.88

$1.87 €1.61

17.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.79 €1.54

$1.13 €0.97

58.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.67 €29.86

$40.92 €35.24

-15.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 €2.41

$1.41 €1.21

98.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.50 €0.43

60.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 €11.97

$8.23 €7.09

68.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 €1.56

$1.86 €1.60

-2.69%

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

$30.9K €26.6K

$24.7K €21.2K

25.44%

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

$31.4K €27.0K

$26.0K €22.4K

20.68%

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

$330 €284

$199 €171

66.13%

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

$20.25 €17.44

$20.40 €17.57

-0.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.59 €17.73

$17.05 €14.68

20.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.7 €44.55

$51.3 €44.16

0.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.43 €26.20

$46.17 €39.75

-34.09%

Cinema Ticket

$11.61 €10.00

$11.79 €10.15

-1.53%

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

$546 €470

$551 €474

-0.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.3K €13.2K

$15.7K €13.5K

-2.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.7 €79.0

$91.4 €78.7

0.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.86 €40.35

$45.75 €39.39

2.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.3 €83.8

$69.6 €59.9

39.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$138 €118

$134 €115

2.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$579 €498

$374 €322

54.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$403 €347

$290 €250

38.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,077 €928

$908 €782

18.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$708 €610

$411 €354

72.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,261 €2,808

$1,628 €1,402

100.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,229 €1,919

$905 €780

146.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,569 €1,351

$1,146 €987

36.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.63

4.1

12.93%

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

Last update for Riga: June 2, 2026

Last update for Daugavpils: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $579 in Riga versus $374 in Daugavpils. 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 37% 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 Riga versus $41.00 in Daugavpils. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $264 vs $255 – making Daugavpils the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Daugavpils: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Riga costs about 30% more than Daugavpils, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,383 per month in Riga and $1,827 in Daugavpils. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Daugavpils, 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 Riga and $41.00 in Daugavpils. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,589 in Riga and $1,218 in Daugavpils. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Daugavpils, where all-in costs run around $1,218, than in Riga at $1,589. In Daugavpils it covers expenses comfortably, while in Riga it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Daugavpils costs $1,218 versus $1,589 in Riga. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Daugavpils. 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.