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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,248 in Ventspils versus $1,589 in Riga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,896 in Ventspils versus $2,415 in Riga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,544 in Ventspils versus $3,241 in Riga.

Living in Ventspils costs roughly 21% less than in Riga, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ventspils is 7% below, Riga is 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.42 €9.83

$17.41 €14.97

-34.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.7 €50.5

$68.3 €58.7

-13.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.29 €6.27

$9.52 €8.19

-23.42%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.41

$3.44 €2.96

-18.60%

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

$1.78 €1.53

$1.77 €1.52

0.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.13

$1.31 €1.12

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.44 €2.96

$5.76 €4.96

-40.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 €2.48

$5.65 €4.86

-48.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.00

$1.33 €1.14

-12.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.16 €1.00

$1.64 €1.41

-29.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.01 €2.59

$2.87 €2.47

4.88%

Eggs

$2.97 €2.56

$3.15 €2.71

-5.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.46 €8.14

$12.36 €10.63

-23.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.75 €6.67

$7.56 €6.50

2.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.50 €9.89

$11.61 €9.99

-0.95%

Apples (1kg)

$0.96 €0.82

$1.73 €1.49

-44.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 €1.39

$1.92 €1.65

-16.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$2.55 €2.19

-18.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.57 €3.07

$3.55 €3.05

0.56%

Potato (1kg)

$0.78 €0.67

$1.08 €0.93

-27.78%

Onion (1kg)

$0.58 €0.50

$1.10 €0.95

-47.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.79 €1.54

-28.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.76

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.80 €4.13

$5.95 €5.12

-19.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.20 €7.05

$7.97 €6.85

2.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 €1.08

$1.85 €1.59

-32.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.36

$2.19 €1.88

-27.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 €0.72

$1.79 €1.54

-53.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.16 €32.82

$34.67 €29.83

10.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.40 €2.06

$2.80 €2.41

-14.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.72 €0.62

$0.80 €0.69

-10.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.35 €8.90

$13.90 €11.96

-25.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.88 €1.62

$1.81 €1.56

3.87%

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

$25.6K €22.0K

$30.9K €26.6K

-17.24%

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

$24.3K €20.9K

$31.4K €27.0K

-22.41%

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

$319 €275

$330 €284

-3.34%

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

$17.02 €14.64

$20.25 €17.42

-15.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.40 €17.55

$20.59 €17.71

-0.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.76 €30.76

$51.7 €44.51

-30.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.02 €17.22

$30.43 €26.18

-34.21%

Cinema Ticket

$7.02 €6.04

$11.61 €9.98

-39.53%

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

$349 €301

$546 €470

-36.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.9K €11.9K

$15.3K €13.2K

-9.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.6 €46.10

$91.7 €78.9

-41.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.95 €37.81

$46.86 €40.31

-6.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.6 €70.2

$97.3 €83.7

-16.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$138 €118

-13.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$267 €230

$579 €498

-53.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$245 €211

$403 €346

-39.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$428 €368

$1,077 €927

-60.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 €385

$708 €609

-36.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,007 €866

$3,261 €2,805

-69.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$718 €617

$2,229 €1,917

-67.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,036 €891

$1,569 €1,349

-33.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.63

-26.78%

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

Last update for Ventspils: June 1, 2026

Last update for Riga: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $267 in Ventspils and $579 in Riga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Riga pays 51% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $59.0 in Ventspils vs $68.0 in Riga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $235 vs $264 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

Ventspils vs Riga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ventspils and Riga differ by about 27% in total monthly costs ($1,248 vs $1,589 including rent). Ventspils is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Riga earns 51% 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: $267 in Ventspils versus $579 in Riga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $349 in Ventspils versus $546 in Riga. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Riga. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,248 in Ventspils versus $1,589 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, Ventspils and Riga 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 27% less than in Riga. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.