Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Riga and Gulbene

For one person, living is cheaper in Gulbene: $1,289 a month against $1,584 in Riga, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Riga
Learn more

Riga Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Gulbene
Learn more

Gulbene Living Index

Jump to prices

Riga

🇱🇻 Latvia

$1,584

/mo nomad

Gulbene

🇱🇻 Latvia

$1,289

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Riga and in Gulbene

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 Gulbene actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,584 per month in Riga vs $1,289 in Gulbene, rent included.

Riga $1,584
Gulbene $1,289

A couple spends around $2,430 per month in Riga vs $1,973 in Gulbene, rent included.

Riga $2,430
Gulbene $1,973

A family of three spends $3,275 per month in Riga vs $2,657 in Gulbene, rent included.

Riga $3,275
Gulbene $2,657

Riga costs about 23% more than Gulbene, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Riga sits 17% above the global median, while Gulbene is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.89 €15.03

$16.73 €14.88

0.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.3 €60.8

$68.5 €60.9

-0.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.23 €8.21

$9.45 €8.41

-2.33%

Cappuccino

$3.69 €3.28

$3.82 €3.40

-3.40%

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

$1.57 €1.40

$1.59 €1.41

-1.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 €1.02

$1.20 €1.07

-4.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.70 €5.07

$5.57 €4.95

2.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.13 €4.56

$5.18 €4.61

-0.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 €1.08

$1.19 €1.06

1.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 €1.29

$1.50 €1.33

-4.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.50 €2.22

$2.54 €2.26

-1.57%

Eggs

$3.60 €3.21

$3.72 €3.30

-3.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.37 €9.22

$10.70 €9.52

-3.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.76 €7.79

$8.74 €7.77

0.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.95 €12.41

$13.98 €12.43

-0.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 €1.91

$2.09 €1.86

2.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.55

$1.77 €1.57

-1.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.59 €2.30

$2.56 €2.27

1.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.18 €2.83

$3.25 €2.89

-2.15%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 €0.74

$0.88 €0.79

-5.68%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 €0.81

$0.95 €0.84

-4.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 €1.51

$1.77 €1.57

-3.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 €0.87

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.56 €5.83

$6.53 €5.81

0.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.93 €7.05

$8.02 €7.14

-1.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 €1.81

$2.01 €1.79

1.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 €1.79

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 €1.52

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.42 €29.73

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.46 €3.07

$3.41 €3.03

1.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 €0.89

$0.99 €0.88

1.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.66 €15.71

$17.96 €15.97

-1.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.82

$2.12 €1.89

-3.30%

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

$27.6K €24.6K

$27.3K €24.3K

1.10%

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

$30.0K €26.7K

$29.7K €26.4K

0.87%

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

$367 €327

$368 €328

-0.31%

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

$19.76 €17.58

$19.94 €17.74

-0.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.66 €17.49

$19.84 €17.65

-0.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.3 €44.77

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.36 €32.35

Cinema Ticket

$11.14 €9.91

$11.06 €9.83

0.72%

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

$673 €598

$674 €599

-0.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.1K €16.1K

$18.4K €16.4K

-1.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.9 €63.1

$70.2 €62.4

1.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.1 €45.43

$51.0 €45.33

0.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.4 €77.8

$86.2 €76.7

1.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 €123

$136 €121

1.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$583 €518

$190 €169

206.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$375 €333

$168 €149

123.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 €1,021

$352 €313

226.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$733 €652

$332 €295

120.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,034 €2,699

$681 €605

345.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,111 €1,878

$568 €505

271.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,511 €1,344

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 19, 2026

Last update for Gulbene: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Riga

$407 25.7%

Gulbene

$408 31.7% 0.4% $1.5

Accommodation & Living

Riga

$375 23.7%

Gulbene

$168 13% 55.2% $207

Groceries & Markets

Riga

$268 16.9%

Gulbene

$271 21% 0.9% $2.5

Eating Out

Riga

$257 16.2%

Gulbene

$257 20% 0.2% $0.6

Clothing & Footwear

Riga

$157 9.9%

Gulbene

$155 12% 1.3% $2.1

Sport & Entertainment

Riga

$73 4.6%

Gulbene

$22 * 1.7% 69.6% $51

Getting Around

Riga

$49 3.1%

Gulbene

$8.3 * 0.7% 82.9% $40

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $583 in Riga versus $190 in Gulbene. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Riga versus $69.0 in Gulbene. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $268 vs $271 – making Riga the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇱🇻 Riga

🇱🇻 Gulbene

🕒 Local time

01:00 1:00 AM

Same time as Riga

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

660,187 Capital

7,500

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Riga Gulbene 160 km

From you

Riga
Gulbene

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 Gulbene: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,584 in Riga, $1,289 in Gulbene – roughly 23% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,376 per month in Riga and $1,934 in Gulbene. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,584 in Riga and $1,289 in Gulbene. That's a gap of about 23%.

Kindergarten costs $673 per month in Riga and $674 in Gulbene. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Gulbene, where all-in costs run around $1,289, than in Riga at $1,584. In Gulbene it covers expenses comfortably, while in Riga it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Riga has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,289 in Gulbene to $1,584 in Riga. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Gulbene. 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.