Cost of Living Comparison Between Riga and Saldus Cost of Living Comparison Between Riga and Saldus

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,589 in Riga versus $1,418 in Saldus.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,375 in Riga versus $2,209 in Saldus.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,162 in Riga versus $2,999 in Saldus.

Living in Riga is roughly 12% more expensive than Saldus, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Riga 18% above, Saldus 6% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.46 €15.04

$17.19 €14.81

1.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.2 €60.5

$69.5 €59.9

0.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.21 €7.94

$9.18 €7.91

0.33%

Cappuccino

$3.53 €3.04

$3.49 €3.01

1.15%

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

$1.84 €1.59

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.32 €1.13

3.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.88 €5.07

$5.70 €4.91

3.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.93 €5.11

$5.68 €4.89

4.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.36 €1.18

0.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 €1.41

$1.61 €1.39

1.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.88 €2.48

$3.02 €2.60

-4.64%

Eggs

$3.26 €2.81

$3.14 €2.71

3.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.40 €10.68

$12.39 €10.67

0.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.66 €6.60

$7.87 €6.78

-2.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.69 €10.07

$11.71 €10.09

-0.17%

Apples (1kg)

$1.67 €1.44

$1.65 €1.42

1.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.91 €1.64

-3.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.66 €2.29

$2.52 €2.18

5.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.60 €3.11

$3.57 €3.08

0.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 €0.89

$1.05 €0.90

-1.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 €0.94

$1.11 €0.95

-1.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.79 €1.54

$1.77 €1.52

1.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.81 €0.70

1.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.84 €5.03

$5.87 €5.06

-0.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.25 €7.11

$8.23 €7.09

0.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.62

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.88

$2.17 €1.87

0.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.69 €1.46

$1.03 €0.88

64.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.03 €30.18

$36.57 €31.51

-4.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.86 €2.47

$2.81 €2.42

1.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 €0.72

$0.80 €0.69

5.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.73 €11.83

$13.98 €12.04

-1.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.57

$1.79 €1.54

1.68%

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

$30.0K €25.9K

$30.8K €26.5K

-2.30%

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

$31.2K €26.9K

$32.2K €27.8K

-3.14%

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

$320 €276

$329 €283

-2.57%

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

$19.81 €17.07

$19.97 €17.21

-0.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.19 €17.40

$20.39 €17.57

-0.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 €44.43

$51.5 €44.33

0.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.33 €26.14

Cinema Ticket

$11.52 €9.92

$11.69 €10.07

-1.45%

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

$555 €478

$552 €475

0.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K €13.5K

$15.3K €13.2K

2.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.6 €77.2

$92.3 €79.5

-2.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.21 €39.81

$46.12 €39.73

0.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.7 €82.4

$95.2 €82.1

0.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 €118

$135 €116

1.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$578 €498

$355 €306

62.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$404 €349

$250 €215

61.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 €935

$739 €637

46.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$699 €602

$458 €395

52.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,268 €2,816

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,224 €1,917

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,568 €1,351

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 9, 2026

Last update for Saldus: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $578 in Riga and $355 in Saldus. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $70.0 in Riga vs $70.0 in Saldus for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $266 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 Saldus: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Riga and Saldus differ by about 12% in total monthly costs ($1,589 vs $1,418 including rent). Saldus is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,383 in Riga and $2,128 in Saldus to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $578 in Riga versus $355 in Saldus. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $555 in Riga versus $552 in Saldus. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Riga pay roughly 0% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,418 in Saldus versus $1,589 in Riga, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Saldus but tight or insufficient in Riga. The gap between the two cities makes Saldus 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 Saldus 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 Saldus gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Riga. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.