Riga’s cheap prices, super cheap booze, bustling nightlife, and beautiful scenery make it an ideal location for budget travelers… except that it’s located away from the normal budget traveler’s trail. However, you can find cheap flights to Riga from most major cities if you book ahead.
In this Riga travel price guide, we’ve outlined the estimated travel expenses for food, accommodation, attractions, alcohol, and other things common expenses to help you budget your trip to Riga.
This article is part of our City Price Guide Series — Click here to see all our city price guides.
Average Daily Costs for Visiting Riga
It costs around €40-€65/day to visit Riga comfortably as a budget traveler.
If you want to upgrade your accommodations, add another €60-€80+ per night depending on your level of accommodation. These prices also don’t include big nights out at the bar/pub, club entry fees, souvenir/clothing shopping, tours, random purchases, nicer food, etc.
Average Daily Cost of Budget Travel in Riga: €58 (Approx. $62)
- Attractions: €6 (one paid attraction + any free sights)
- Food: €25
- Breakfast: €2
- Lunch: €8
- Dinner: €13
- Treat (dessert/beer/wine): €2
- Transportation: €1.50
- Accommodation (Hostel): €26
Daily Cost of Frugal Travel in Riga: €37 (Approx. $41)
- Attractions: €5 (free walking tour + visit one of the free sights)
- Food: €14
- Breakfast: €2
- Lunch: €3
- Dinner: €8
- Beer: €1
- Transportation: €0 (walk)
- Accommodation (Cheap Hostel): €18
Riga Attraction and Museum Prices
Attractions in Riga are affordable and often free but some free sites may ask for a donation. We suggest taking a walking tour to learn about the city’s history.
Food Prices in Riga
Food can be very affordable in Riga but you’ll want to do a little research to find the best quality. However, if you plan on eating in Castle Square, you’ll pay a premium.
Many places offer “business lunch,” which is a fixed-price menu that consists of a starter, a main, and a drink. Expect to pay anywhere from €5-€9.
Like most Baltic and Eastern European cuisine, traditional Latvian food is heavy on pork, potatoes, and cabbage. Pickled vegetables – mushrooms, cucumbers, and beets – are a common accompaniment to all meals.
Read more of our strategies for Eating and Drinking in Europe on a Budget.
Budget Breakfast Prices in Riga: €3-€6
- Many hostels will offer a free simple breakfast that normally consists of cereal, bread/croissant, and maybe milk, coffee, tea, or juice (some hostels will offer more and some less). Hotel breakfasts tend to be overpriced, so skip those in most cases.
- Breakfast pastry from the bakery will cost around €2-€3.
- Coffee’s popularity has surged in Riga and a decent cup at a café will run €1.50-€2.50.
- A pancake brunch will cost about €4.50-€6.
Budget-Friendly Breakfast Spots
- Big Bad Bagels: Cozy spot serving up tasty bagels.
- Rigensis: Great coffee, cakes, and other traditional pastries.
- Lido: Food court serving hearty Latvian meals from breakfast to dinner for a solid price. Chain with multiple locations.
- Ze Donats: Cute and quirky spot with fun doughnuts.
Budget Lunch Prices in Riga: €5-€10
- Super budget travelers can make a super cheap lunch of bread, cheese, and fruit from any grocery store for a few euros.
- Pelmeni (small, meat-stuffed dumplings) are available at stands and for takeaway and are a popular budget choice. Expect to pay €2-€4 for a meal at XL Pelmeni, a local favorite.
- FolkKlub Ala offers traditional Latvian food for cheap; it caters to tourists and locals alike. Entrees run €3.50-€5, and beer €1.50-€3. It’s also a good choice for dinner if you’re looking for local eats.
- Kebab or falafel at a stand runs €1.75-€3.50.
- Riga Central Market is full of local vendors selling food, vegetables, and fruit for cheap. A great place to get takeaway, running around €3-€6 for a meal.
Budget Dinner Prices in Riga: €8-€12
- Pretty much all the options from the Budget Lunch section above also apply to dinner.
- Greek, Middle Eastern, Indian, and Asian cuisine are all solid budget choices. Meals run €4-€6 at CityWok and similar establishments.
- A traditional meal of upscale Latvian food at Key to Riga in Castle Square will cost €18-€30; expect similar prices at other Castle Square restaurants.
Budget-Friendly Lunch and Dinner Spots
- Folkklubs Ala Pagrabs: Go here. Hearty and delicious Lativan dishes at great prices. Nice atmosphere. Lots of beer.
- Lido: Lido is a chain cafeteria-style restaurant with multiple locations. Good for a quick meal. Good amount of traditional dishes.
- Lido Atputas Centrs: One of the most popular Lido restaurants.
- StockPot: Homemade soups.
- Wok to Walk: International chain serving cheap and tasty noodles.
- Street Burgers: Solid burger joint. Burgers cost around €7.
- Picerija Piranija: Simple but good pizza place.
Drink and Alcohol Prices in Riga
- Beer in a bar costs about €2-€3.
- Beer from a grocery runs €1 or less, a bottle of wine about €6.
- Coffee runs €1–€2.
Transportation Prices in Riga
Transit access can be purchased by the number of trips or for a set amount of time. Visit the official Riga public transportation website to learn more.
- 24-hour access, all routes: €5
- 3-day access, all routes: €8
- 5-day access, all routes: €10
- For 1/2/10 trips, ticket prices are €1.5/€3/€15.
Airport transit from the city center:
- via bus: €2 (on-bus), €1.15 (off-bus). Bus 22 provides transport from the airport to Old Town.
- via taxi: €11.40-€14.50
Bicycle rental: €3/€6/€13 for 1/2/24 hour rentals.
Hostel, Hotel, & Rental Apartment Prices in Riga
Like most of Eastern Europe, hostels in Riga are cheap and they’re usually high quality. Rental apartments are also super affordable so that’s a great option if you want some privacy or are traveling in a group. Hotel prices in Riga are also affordable so that is an option if you’re looking for extra comfort.
Hostel Prices in Riga: €18-€28/night
The nightly price of a well-rated hostel in Riga starts around €20-€25/night per person—although many hostels raise their prices on the weekend (remember, these prices are for a bed in a shared dorm room). Private rooms start are around €40-€55. Check out the latest hostel prices at Hostelworld since prices are always fluctuating.
The Best-Rated Hostels in Riga
Budget Hotel Prices in Riga: €65-€90/night
A decent budget hotel that is in Riga’s city center will cost around €75/night. You can find cheaper hotels if you want to stay farther away from the center of the city or if you don’t mind staying in a junky place.
We suggest checking out Booking.com to see hotel prices for your dates since they’re always changing.
Budget Rental Apartment in Riga: €65-€90+/night
Riga is starting to jump on the vacation rental apartment bandwagon so it’s becoming easier to find a decent place to stay. These rentals can be a good option for large groups or travelers who want a little more space (and a kitchen). On the other hand, there are a few downsides to rental apartments — like limited/inconvenient check-in processes and extra cleaning fees/service charges (which can make short stays quite a bit more expensive). For short stays, we prefer hotels/hostels but rental apartments can be a nice option for longer stays.
Airbnb is always popular but you can sometimes find cheaper/better options on our list of Airbnb Alternatives.
Get More Budget Travel Tips for Europe
Check out our guide on How Much It Costs To Backpack Europe to learn more about budgeting your entire trip (including many more city price guides).
James Feess is the creator of The Savvy Backpacker and the author of the book “The Savvy Backpacker’s Guide To Europe On A Budget”. He’s been blogging about budget travel in Europe since 2010.
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