Cost of Living Comparison Between Riga and Rijeka Cost of Living Comparison Between Riga and Rijeka

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,589 in Riga versus $1,572 in Rijeka.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,415 in Riga versus $2,371 in Rijeka.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,241 in Riga versus $3,170 in Rijeka.

Living in Riga is roughly 1% more expensive than Rijeka, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Riga 19% above, Rijeka 17% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.41 €14.99

$12.60 €10.85

38.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.3 €58.8

$69.7 €60.0

-2.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.52 €8.20

$10.27 €8.84

-7.30%

Cappuccino

$3.44 €2.97

$2.32 €1.99

48.28%

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

$1.77 €1.52

$3.48 €3.00

-49.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.12

$2.16 €1.86

-39.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.76 €4.96

$4.29 €3.70

34.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.65 €4.86

$4.69 €4.04

20.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 €1.14

$1.18 €1.01

12.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 €1.41

$1.62 €1.40

1.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.87 €2.47

$3.95 €3.40

-27.34%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.71

$3.56 €3.07

-11.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.36 €10.64

$16.29 €14.03

-24.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.56 €6.51

$11.14 €9.60

-32.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.61 €10.00

$14.58 €12.56

-20.37%

Apples (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.60 €1.38

8.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 €1.66

$1.71 €1.47

12.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 €2.20

$1.76 €1.52

44.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.55 €3.05

$2.60 €2.24

36.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.22 €1.05

-11.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 €0.95

$1.27 €1.10

-13.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.79 €1.54

$1.08 €0.93

65.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.76

$1.18 €1.02

-24.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.95 €5.13

$5.92 €5.09

0.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.97 €6.86

$8.30 €7.14

-3.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.57 €1.35

17.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 €1.88

$2.11 €1.82

3.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.79 €1.54

$1.92 €1.65

-6.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.67 €29.86

$55.7 €47.95

-37.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 €2.41

$5.67 €4.89

-50.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 €0.69

$1.33 €1.14

-39.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 €11.97

$28.69 €24.70

-51.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 €1.56

$1.71 €1.47

5.85%

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

$30.9K €26.6K

$37.6K €32.4K

-17.74%

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

$31.4K €27.0K

$26.5K €22.8K

18.50%

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

$330 €284

$184 €158

79.68%

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

$20.25 €17.44

$22.09 €19.02

-8.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.59 €17.73

$32.71 €28.16

-37.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.7 €44.55

$51.3 €44.13

0.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.43 €26.20

$14.78 €12.73

105.89%

Cinema Ticket

$11.61 €10.00

$9.24 €7.96

25.65%

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

$546 €470

$293 €252

86.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.3K €13.2K

$16.8K €14.5K

-8.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.7 €79.0

$92.8 €79.9

-1.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.86 €40.35

$34.41 €29.63

36.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.3 €83.8

$98.9 €85.2

-1.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$138 €118

$103 €88.9

33.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$579 €498

$661 €569

-12.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$403 €347

$531 €457

-24.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,077 €928

$1,062 €915

1.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$708 €610

$772 €665

-8.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,261 €2,808

$4,187 €3,606

-22.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,229 €1,919

$4,039 €3,478

-44.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,569 €1,351

$1,573 €1,355

-0.28%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Rijeka: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $579 in Riga and $661 in Rijeka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rijeka pays 0% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68.0 in Riga vs $70.0 in Rijeka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $264 vs $298 per month, with Riga 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 Rijeka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Riga and Rijeka differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($1,589 vs $1,572 including rent). Rijeka is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Rijeka earns 0% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $579 in Riga versus $661 in Rijeka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $546 in Riga versus $293 in Rijeka. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Riga pay roughly 13% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,572 in Rijeka versus $1,589 in Riga, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Rijeka but tight or insufficient in Riga. The gap between the two cities makes Rijeka 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 Rijeka 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 Rijeka gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Riga. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.