Cost of Living Comparison Between Riga and Ventspils Cost of Living Comparison Between Riga and Ventspils

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,656 in Riga versus $984 in Ventspils.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,523 in Riga versus $1,543 in Ventspils.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,390 in Riga versus $2,103 in Ventspils.

Living in Riga is roughly 68% more expensive than in Ventspils, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Riga is 20% above, Ventspils is 29% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.75 €14.44

$13.73 €11.83

22.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.1 €59.6

$58.5 €50.5

18.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.41 €8.11

$8.93 €7.69

5.38%

Cappuccino

$3.82 €3.29

$2.62 €2.26

45.80%

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

$1.68 €1.45

$1.68 €1.44

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.19 €1.03

$1.21 €1.04

-1.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.73 €4.94

$3.42 €2.95

67.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.73 €4.08

$2.39 €2.06

97.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 €1.05

$1.18 €1.02

2.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 €1.34

$1.19 €1.03

30.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.57 €2.22

$2.59 €2.23

-0.77%

Eggs

$3.92 €3.38

$3.29 €2.84

19.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.00 €9.48

$10.62 €9.16

3.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.80 €7.59

$8.89 €7.66

-1.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.87 €12.82

$14.39 €12.40

3.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$2.19 €1.89

-0.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 €1.65

$1.92 €1.66

-0.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.54 €2.19

$2.44 €2.11

4.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.21 €2.76

$3.21 €2.77

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 €0.76

$0.94 €0.81

-6.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 €0.90

$1.00 €0.86

5.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 €1.60

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 €0.88

$1.03 €0.89

-0.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 €6.18

$7.13 €6.15

0.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.18 €7.06

$8.07 €6.96

1.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.83

$2.11 €1.81

0.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.76

$2.10 €1.81

-2.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.14 €0.98

53.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.35 €29.61

$17.57 €15.14

95.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.46 €2.98

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 €0.90

$1.07 €0.92

-2.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.78 €16.19

$18.60 €16.03

0.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.80

$1.85 €1.60

12.43%

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

$28.4K €24.5K

$28.6K €24.6K

-0.58%

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

$32.1K €27.7K

$32.5K €28.1K

-1.25%

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

$378 €326

$275 €237

37.46%

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

$21.59 €18.61

$17.17 €14.80

25.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.95 €17.19

$17.20 €14.83

15.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.3 €44.23

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.48 €31.45

Cinema Ticket

$11.18 €9.64

$11.08 €9.55

0.90%

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

$634 €547

$634 €546

0.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.2K €15.7K

$18.0K €15.5K

1.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.1 €61.3

$73.2 €63.1

-2.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.4 €45.17

$51.5 €44.39

1.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 €77.9

$69.4 €59.8

30.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 €122

$104 €89.6

35.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$611 €527

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$396 €341

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,189 €1,025

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$760 €655

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,221 €2,776

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,280 €1,966

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,556 €1,341

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.64

4.2

10.48%

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

Last update for Riga: September 6, 2026

Last update for Ventspils: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $69.0 in Riga vs $59.0 in Ventspils for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $279 vs $271 per month, with Ventspils 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 Ventspils: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Riga and Ventspils differ by about 68% in total monthly costs ($1,656 vs $984 including rent). Ventspils is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,484 in Riga and $1,476 in Ventspils 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.

Childcare runs $634 in Riga versus $634 in Ventspils. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Riga. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $984 in Ventspils versus $1,656 in Riga, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ventspils but tight or insufficient in Riga. The gap between the two cities makes Ventspils 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 Ventspils 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 Ventspils gentler on the wallet – expenses run 68% less than in Riga. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.