Cost of Living Comparison Between Riga and Jekabpils Cost of Living Comparison Between Riga and Jekabpils

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,593 in Riga versus $1,303 in Jekabpils.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,433 in Riga versus $1,905 in Jekabpils.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,273 in Riga versus $2,507 in Jekabpils.

Living in Riga is roughly 22% more expensive than in Jekabpils, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Riga is 19% above, Jekabpils is 2% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.60 €15.41

$12.97 €11.36

35.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.2 €59.8

$33.03 €28.92

106.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.05 €7.93

$9.22 €8.07

-1.84%

Cappuccino

$3.59 €3.14

$3.40 €2.98

5.59%

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

$1.77 €1.55

$1.06 €0.93

66.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.13

$0.93 €0.81

38.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.69 €4.99

$4.88 €4.28

16.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.85 €5.12

$5.93 €5.20

-1.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 €1.16

$1.10 €0.96

20.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 €1.48

$1.62 €1.42

3.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.89 €2.53

$2.93 €2.56

-1.37%

Eggs

$3.16 €2.77

$2.26 €1.98

39.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.37 €10.83

$9.24 €8.09

33.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.59 €6.64

$6.81 €5.97

11.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.89 €10.41

$11.65 €10.21

2.06%

Apples (1kg)

$1.73 €1.52

$1.20 €1.05

44.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 €1.63

$1.83 €1.61

1.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.59 €2.27

$2.05 €1.80

26.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.52 €3.09

$3.43 €3.00

2.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 €0.95

$1.09 €0.95

-0.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 €0.97

$0.89 €0.78

23.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.76 €1.55

1.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 €0.76

$0.85 €0.74

2.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.65 €4.95

$5.66 €4.95

-0.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.03 €7.03

$6.79 €5.95

18.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 €1.58

$1.47 €1.29

23.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 €1.99

$1.17 €1.03

94.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.48 €1.30

20.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.85 €30.52

$37.03 €32.43

-5.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.96 €2.59

$1.03 €0.90

187.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.34 €0.30

138.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.80 €12.08

$13.65 €11.95

1.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 €1.58

$1.86 €1.63

-2.69%

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

$30.4K €26.6K

$30.0K €26.3K

1.33%

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

$31.9K €28.0K

$31.3K €27.4K

2.02%

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

$323 €283

$278 €243

16.11%

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

$20.16 €17.66

$11.48 €10.05

75.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.43 €17.89

$17.01 €14.89

20.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 €45.59

$51.1 €44.77

1.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.25 €26.50

$13.62 €11.93

122.10%

Cinema Ticket

$11.44 €10.02

$11.63 €10.18

-1.63%

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

$543 €476

$552 €483

-1.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K €13.8K

$7,995 €7,002

97.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.3 €80.0

$91.2 €79.8

0.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.00 €40.29

$29.41 €25.76

56.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.4 €85.3

$94.2 €82.5

3.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 €118

$134 €117

0.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$597 €523

$353 €309

69.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$418 €366

$252 €221

65.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,064 €932

$745 €653

42.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$684 €599

$460 €403

48.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,167 €2,774

$850 €744

272.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,094 €1,834

$806 €706

159.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,545 €1,353

$998 €874

54.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.63

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

Last update for Riga: July 14, 2026

Last update for Jekabpils: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $597 in Riga and $353 in Jekabpils. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Riga pays 55% 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: $68.0 in Riga vs $33.00 in Jekabpils for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $233 per month, with Jekabpils cheaper across the board.

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 Jekabpils: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Riga and Jekabpils differ by about 22% in total monthly costs ($1,593 vs $1,303 including rent). Jekabpils is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 55% higher in Riga, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $597 in Riga versus $353 in Jekabpils. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,593 per month in Riga versus $1,303 in Jekabpils – a 22% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Jekabpils runs roughly 6% less than in Riga. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,303 in Jekabpils versus $1,593 in Riga, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Jekabpils but tight or insufficient in Riga. The gap between the two cities makes Jekabpils the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Riga and Jekabpils 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 Jekabpils gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Riga. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.