Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Riga and Liepaja

For one person, living is cheaper in Liepaja: $1,295 a month against $1,614 in Riga, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 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
62

Cost of Living Index in Liepaja
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Liepaja Living Index

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Riga

🇱🇻 Latvia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Liepaja

🇱🇻 Latvia

$1,295

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Riga and in Liepaja

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

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Riga vs $1,295 in Liepaja, rent included.

Riga $1,614
Liepaja $1,295

A couple spends around $2,455 per month in Riga vs $2,008 in Liepaja, rent included.

Riga $2,455
Liepaja $2,008

A family of three spends $3,295 per month in Riga vs $2,722 in Liepaja, rent included.

Riga $3,295
Liepaja $2,722

Riga costs about 25% more than Liepaja, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Riga sits 19% above the global median, while Liepaja is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.02 €15.29

$11.31 €10.16

50.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.0 €60.2

$66.6 €59.8

0.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.10 €8.17

$9.09 €8.17

0.11%

Cappuccino

$3.66 €3.28

$2.75 €2.47

33.09%

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

$1.57 €1.41

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.20 €1.07

$1.21 €1.09

-0.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.55 €4.98

$3.97 €3.56

39.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.13 €4.61

$2.28 €2.05

125.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 €1.10

$1.20 €1.08

1.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 €1.36

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 €2.27

$2.50 €2.24

1.20%

Eggs

$3.72 €3.34

$3.59 €3.22

3.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.35 €9.30

$10.44 €9.38

-0.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.57 €7.70

$8.62 €7.74

-0.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.55 €12.17

$13.71 €12.31

-1.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.10 €1.88

$2.09 €1.88

0.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 €1.63

$1.83 €1.65

-1.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 €2.29

$2.46 €2.21

3.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.17 €2.84

$2.25 €2.03

40.89%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 €0.74

$0.89 €0.80

-6.74%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 €0.85

$0.94 €0.84

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.68 €1.51

$1.72 €1.55

-2.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 €0.88

$0.92 €0.83

6.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.64 €5.96

$6.25 €5.62

6.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.94 €7.13

$6.52 €5.86

21.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 €1.84

$1.93 €1.74

5.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 €1.87

$2.00 €1.80

4.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 €1.54

$1.63 €1.47

4.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.18 €29.80

$33.51 €30.10

-0.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.39 €3.04

$1.91 €1.72

77.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 €0.93

$1.02 €0.92

1.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.59 €15.80

$17.76 €15.95

-0.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 €1.80

$1.82 €1.63

9.89%

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

$27.6K €24.8K

$26.8K €24.1K

3.11%

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

$29.5K €26.5K

$29.2K €26.2K

0.99%

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

$366 €329

$306 €275

19.64%

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

$19.33 €17.37

$17.00 €15.27

13.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.06 €18.02

$19.58 €17.59

2.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.52 €44.49

$55.8 €50.1

-11.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.17 €32.49

$13.49 €12.11

168.12%

Cinema Ticket

$10.88 €9.78

$8.77 €7.87

24.06%

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

$721 €647

$165 €148

337.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.1K €16.3K

$17.9K €16.1K

1.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.1 €63.0

$68.1 €61.1

3.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.52 €44.49

$49.43 €44.40

0.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.1 €78.2

$84.7 €76.0

2.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$138 €124

$140 €125

-1.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 €558

$312 €280

99.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 €368

$233 €209

75.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 €1,088

$648 €582

86.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$771 €692

$455 €409

69.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,048 €2,738

$1,480 €1,330

105.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,996 €1,793

$1,110 €997

79.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,452 €1,305

$1,085 €974

33.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.77

4.2

13.57%

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

Last update for Riga: October 24, 2026

Last update for Liepaja: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Riga

$409 25.4%

Liepaja

$233 18% 43.1% $177

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Riga

$406 25.1%

Liepaja

$343 26.5% 15.5% $63

Groceries & Markets

Riga

$267 16.6%

Liepaja

$259 20% 3.2% $8.5

Eating Out

Riga

$256 15.9%

Liepaja

$186 14.4% 27.3% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Riga

$155 9.6%

Liepaja

$154 11.9% 0.9% $1.4

Sport & Entertainment

Riga

$71 4.4%

Liepaja

$73 5.7% 2.8% $2

Getting Around

Riga

$49 3%

Liepaja

$47 3.6% 3.2% $1.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $621 in Riga versus $312 in Liepaja. 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 34% higher in Riga. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67 in Riga versus $67 in Liepaja. Groceries tell a different story – $267 in Riga vs $259 in Liepaja – so Liepaja wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇱🇻 Riga

🇱🇻 Liepaja

🕒 Local time

01:45 1:45 AM

Same time as Riga

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

660,187 Capital

78,787

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Liepaja: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Riga is pricier by about 25%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,420 per month in Riga and $1,942 in Liepaja. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Liepaja, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $312 there versus $621 in Riga.

Groceries cost about 3% more in Riga, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Kindergarten costs $721 per month in Riga and $165 in Liepaja. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Liepaja, where all-in costs run around $1,295, than in Riga at $1,614. In Liepaja it covers expenses comfortably, while in Riga it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Liepaja – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Liepaja. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Riga makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.