Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia, on the Daugava river near the Gulf of Riga. Known for its UNESCO-listed Old Town, Europe's greatest concentration of Art Nouveau architecture, the vast Central Market and a growing craft-beer and restaurant scene, it blends Hanseatic, Swedish, Russian and Soviet layers into one of the Baltics' most walkable capitals.
Local currency: Euro (EUR). Latvia has used the euro since 2014. This guide uses 1 EUR = 1.15 USD for every conversion..
Daily budget by traveller style
Typical per-person daily spend in Riga.
- Mid-range
- EUR 110/day (~$127)
- Luxury
- EUR 250+/day (~$288+)
Cost breakdown
Typical price ranges across major spending categories.
Accommodation
- Hostel
- EUR 15-30 (~$17-35)
- Budget
- EUR 50-80 (~$58-92)
- Midrange
- EUR 90-150 (~$104-173)
- Luxury
- EUR 200-400 (~$230-460)
Food
- Street
- EUR 3-8 (~$3.50-9)
- Local
- EUR 10-18 (~$11.50-21)
- Midrange
- EUR 20-35 (~$23-40)
- Fine
- EUR 50-100 (~$58-115)
Transport
- Bus
- EUR 1.50 (~$1.73) for a 90-minute single ticket valid on city buses, trams and trolleybuses with transfers; a 30-day pass is about EUR 30 (~$35). Prices change, so confirm at rigassatiksme.lv
- Taxi
- EUR 5-12 (~$6-14) for a typical ride inside central Riga by app (Bolt or similar)
- Airport
- Bus 22 to the city centre: EUR 1.50 (~$1.73) with a pre-bought ticket from the Rigas Satiksme or Mobilly app, airport machines or Narvesen kiosks, or EUR 1.81 (~$2.08) paid by card to the driver; a taxi costs about EUR 15-25 (~$17-29)
- Daytrip
- Vivi suburban train to Jurmala, Sigulda or Cesis is typically EUR 2-8 (~$2.30-9) one way; confirm fares at vivi.lv
Activities
- Museum
- EUR 5-12 (~$6-14)
- Sites
- Free-EUR 10 (~$0-12); the Old Town streets, parks and Daugava embankment are free
- Tour
- EUR 15-40 (~$17-46)
- Excursion
- EUR 40-100 (~$46-115)
Trip budgets by length
What a typical trip to Riga costs end-to-end.
Weekend 2 Days traveller
EUR 110-180 (~$127-207) per person including hostel or budget hotel
Week 7 Days Budget traveller
EUR 295-440 (~$339-506) per person staying in hostels
Week 7 Days Midrange traveller
EUR 980-1,700 (~$1,127-1,955) per person in mid-range hotels with restaurant meals
Money-saving tips
Practical ways to stretch your budget further.
Buy public transport tickets in advance in the Rigas Satiksme or Mobilly app; a 90-minute ticket (EUR 1.50, ~$1.73) allows transfers, and the airport bus 22 costs EUR 1.50 with a pre-bought ticket versus EUR 1.81 paid to the driver
Eat lunch at self-service cafeterias and lunch-of-the-day menus (EUR 6-10, ~$7-11.50) and keep dinner for one special meal
Skip Old Town terrace dinners most nights; Centrs and Agenskalns cafes are often 30-40% cheaper
Use the free sights: the Old Town, Freedom Monument, Bastejkalns, the Art Nouveau district, the Daugava embankment and Mezaparks
Buy smoked fish, cheese, rye bread and fruit at the Central Market for a cheap picnic
Tap water in Riga meets drinking-water standards; refill a bottle instead of buying water, though some visitors dislike the chlorine taste
Visit museums on discounted or free days where offered (the annual Museum Night in May is the best-known example); check each museum site