Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Riga and Jekabpils

For one person, living is cheaper in Jekabpils: $1,188 a month against $1,614 in Riga, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Riga
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Riga Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Jekabpils
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Jekabpils Living Index

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Riga

🇱🇻 Latvia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Jekabpils

🇱🇻 Latvia

$1,188

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Riga and in Jekabpils

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,614 in Riga versus $1,188 in Jekabpils.

Riga $1,614
Jekabpils $1,188

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,455 in Riga versus $1,776 in Jekabpils.

Riga $2,455
Jekabpils $1,776

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,295 in Riga versus $2,364 in Jekabpils.

Riga $3,295
Jekabpils $2,364

Living in Riga is roughly 36% more expensive than in Jekabpils, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Riga is 19% above, Jekabpils is 13% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.02 €15.25

$12.35 €11.07

37.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.0 €60.1

$31.09 €27.86

115.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.10 €8.15

$9.08 €8.14

0.22%

Cappuccino

$3.66 €3.28

$3.34 €2.99

9.58%

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

$1.57 €1.41

$1.03 €0.93

52.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.20 €1.07

$0.97 €0.87

23.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.55 €4.97

$5.64 €5.05

-1.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.13 €4.59

$5.17 €4.63

-0.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 €1.10

$1.11 €1.00

9.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 €1.35

$1.43 €1.28

5.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 €2.26

$2.45 €2.19

3.27%

Eggs

$3.72 €3.33

$2.30 €2.06

61.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.35 €9.27

$10.31 €9.24

0.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.57 €7.68

$6.52 €5.84

31.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.55 €12.14

$13.95 €12.50

-2.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.10 €1.88

$1.54 €1.38

36.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 €1.62

$1.68 €1.51

7.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 €2.28

$1.94 €1.74

31.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.17 €2.84

$3.25 €2.91

-2.46%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 €0.74

$0.89 €0.80

-6.74%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 €0.84

$0.91 €0.82

3.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.68 €1.50

$1.67 €1.50

0.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 €0.88

$0.75 €0.67

30.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.64 €5.95

$5.73 €5.14

15.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.94 €7.11

$6.88 €6.16

15.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 €1.83

$1.47 €1.32

38.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 €1.86

$1.66 €1.49

25.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 €1.53

$1.09 €0.98

56.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.18 €29.73

$66.7 €59.7

-50.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.39 €3.04

$1.03 €0.93

229.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 €0.93

$0.37 €0.33

181.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.59 €15.76

$17.82 €15.97

-1.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 €1.80

$1.81 €1.62

10.50%

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

$27.6K €24.8K

$26.9K €24.1K

2.61%

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

$29.5K €26.4K

$29.3K €26.2K

0.71%

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

$366 €328

$266 €238

37.76%

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

$19.33 €17.32

$11.00 €9.85

75.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.06 €17.98

$16.41 €14.70

22.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.52 €44.38

$33.56 €30.08

47.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.17 €32.41

$13.48 €12.08

168.32%

Cinema Ticket

$10.88 €9.75

$10.89 €9.76

-0.09%

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

$721 €646

$603 €540

19.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.1K €16.2K

$7,744 €6,939

133.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.1 €62.8

$69.3 €62.1

1.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.52 €44.38

$28.49 €25.53

73.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.1 €78.0

-0.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$138 €124

$139 €125

-0.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 €557

$226 €203

174.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 €367

$171 €153

139.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 €1,085

$390 €349

210.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$771 €690

$332 €297

132.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,048 €2,732

$853 €764

257.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,996 €1,789

$794 €712

151.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,452 €1,301

$980 €878

48.25%

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 24, 2026

Last update for Jekabpils: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Riga

$409 25.4%

Jekabpils

$171 14.4% 58.2% $238

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Riga

$406 25.1%

Jekabpils

$293 24.7% 27.7% $112

Groceries & Markets

Riga

$267 16.6%

Jekabpils

$236 19.9% 11.6% $31

Eating Out

Riga

$256 15.9%

Jekabpils

$213 17.9% 17% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Riga

$155 9.6%

Jekabpils

$146 12.3% 6.1% $9.4

Sport & Entertainment

Riga

$71 4.4%

Jekabpils

$55 4.7% 22.4% $16

Getting Around

Riga

$49 3%

Jekabpils

$74 6.2% 52.1% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Riga and $226 in Jekabpils. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Riga pays 48% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $67 in Riga vs $31 in Jekabpils for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $236 per month, with Jekabpils cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇱🇻 Riga

🇱🇻 Jekabpils

🕒 Local time

17:04 5:04 PM

Same time as Riga

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

660,187 Capital

22,000

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,614 in Riga and $1,188 in Jekabpils, so Jekabpils is about 26% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 48% 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: $621 in Riga versus $226 in Jekabpils. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,614 per month in Riga versus $1,188 in Jekabpils – Jekabpils is about 26% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Riga runs roughly 50% less than in Jekabpils. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Jekabpils gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Jekabpils wins on affordability, Riga on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.