A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Addis Ababa vs. Riga for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Addis Ababa or Riga?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

If you're trying to decide where to visit between Addis Ababa or Riga, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.

Where Should I go: Addis Ababa or Riga?

Addis Ababa

Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia and also the nation's largest when ranked by its population of over three million. There are also more than 120 international missions and embassies in Addis Ababa, making the city a hub for international diplomacy concerning Africa. Other draws include its thriving marketplaces, spicy food, and rich coffee.

Riga

Riga is the vibrant capital city of Latvia. It continues to gain popularity as a tourist destination in part because it is the base for the airline Air Baltic. This affordable airline offers discount flights around Europe and most of these flights pass through Riga with a forced overnight layover. This encourages travelers to visit this fascinating city for at least a night or two.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Historical Tours in Ethiopia, and The Best Adventure Tours to Ethiopia.


Which place is cheaper, Riga or Addis Ababa?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in Addis Ababa is $68, while the average daily cost in Riga is $113. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Addis Ababa and Riga in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Addis Ababa $44
    Riga $57
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Addis Ababa $88
    Riga $114
Compare Hotels in Addis Ababa and Riga

Looking for a hotel in Addis Ababa or Riga? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.

Hotels in Addis Ababa


Hotels in Riga


Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.


Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Addis Ababa Hotel Prices and Riga Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Addis Ababa $7.91
    Riga $16
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Addis Ababa

Some typical examples of transportation costs in Addis Ababa are as follows:


  • Short Taxi Ride
    $0.53

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Addis Ababa

Also for Addis Ababa, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • City/Airport Transfers-Addis Ababa: $19
  • Addis Shuttles: On-Time & Reliable, Airport Transfers: $20
  • City/Airport Transfer in Addis Ababa - Shuttles: $22

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Riga

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Riga:

  • Riga - Tallin: Transfer and Tour through beautiful landmarks: $494
  • From Private Transfer to Tallinn with Sightseeing: $466
  • From Private Transfer to Vilnius with Sightseeing: $433
  • From Private Transfer to Tallinn: $347
  • From Transfer to Tallinn with Turaida Museum Reserve: $233
  • From Vilnius: One-Way Private Transfer to Riga: $185
  • Riga Limo Airport Transfer : $165
  • From Cesis and Sigulda Day Trip with Hotel Transfers: $152
  • Riga Private Mercedes Benz Airport Transfer: $140
  • Private transfer Riga - Hill of Crosses - Riga: $105
  • Riga Gun Experience: Roundtrip Transfer and 4 Firearms: $97
  • Paintball Adventure: Expert Guide & Transfers Included!: $81

Is it cheaper to fly into Addis Ababa or Riga?

Prices for flights to both Riga and Addis Ababa change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.





Food
  • Food Meals for one day
    Addis Ababa $18
    Riga $36
Typical Food Prices in Addis Ababa

Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Addis Ababa:


  • Slice of Cake
    $0.12

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Addis Ababa

For Addis Ababa, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Local Ethiopian Food Tour Addis Ababa: $62
  • Ethiopian Cultural Dinner in Addis Ababa with LIVE Traditional Dance Show: $77
  • Culinary Class and Food Tour in Addis Ababa : $82
  • Food tours in Addis Ababa tastever with lunch: $120
  • Private Ethiopian Home Cooking Class in Addis Ababa with Transfer: $124
  • Half Day + Dinner Addis Ababa City Tour: $150
  • Ethiopian Cooking Class and Coffee Ceremony with a Local in Addis with transfers: $154
  • Market Tour and Cooking Class with a Coffee Ceremony at a Home in Addis Ababa: $168
  • Food Tour in Addis Ababa: $205
  • Food tours in Addis Ababa Ethiopia: $243

Typical Food Prices in Riga

Some typical examples of dining costs in Riga are as follows:


  • Fast Food Lunch
    $6.28

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Riga

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Riga.

  • Central Market Latvian Food Tour: $42
  • Medieval Guided Tour & Three-Course Dinner Experience: $98

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Addis Ababa $8.16
    Riga $23

Tours and Activities in Addis Ababa

Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Addis Ababa.

  • Addis Ababa highlights of the city tour: $53
  • Addis Ababa City - Half Day Tour: $55
  • Addis Ababa highlight city tour: $56
  • Guided: Addis Ababa City Tour: $58
  • Full Day Tour of Addis Ababa With Hotel PickUp And Drop-off: $58
  • Guided City Tour: $59
  • Addis Food Tasting Tour : $59
  • Addis Ababa city Tour: $60
  • Half Day City Tour of Addis Ababa : $60
  • Museums tour of Addis Ababa with coffee tasting: $62
  • Addis Ababa Bole Airport Culinary and Walking Tour : $62
  • Guided City Tour / Addis Ababa Guided City Tour: $63

Tours and Activities in Riga

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Riga are as follows:

  • The best of Bauska walking tour: $76
  • 2 Day Gastronomy Tour In Latgale : $244
  • 2 Day Kurzeme Winery Tour: $204
  • 2 Hours Walking Tour in Legends and Secret of Riga's Old Town : $60
  • 2.5-Hour Riga Cruiser Bike Tour: $87
  • 3-Hour Private Paintball Game Experience in Zīles: $87
  • 5 Hour Shared Tour to Hill of Crosses from Riga: $83
  • ATV Quad Off Road or City Tour in Riga: $144
  • Beer Bike Experience : $36
  • Best of Riga Walking Tour: $184
  • Best of Riga Walking Tour - Highlights and Hidden Gems: $66
  • Crafted Cocktails: A Masterclass Experience: $81

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Addis Ababa $6.74
    Riga $21

Sample the Local Flavors in Addis Ababa

Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Addis Ababa:

  • Pub-crawl Tour ( locally crafted beer and wine tasting ): $58
  • The Pub Crawl Royale: A Battle of the Best Drinks: $65
  • Night Tour Addis Ababa beer and wine tasting: $69

Sample the Local Flavors in Riga

Also in Riga, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:

  • Old town pub & bar crawl, hidden gems, and local party: $25
  • Pub Crawl in Riga: $33
  • Riga Pub Crawl Nightlife Experience: $35
  • Riga's Old Town Beer Bike Tour & Guided Pub Crawl: $38
  • Riga Happy Hour Pub Crawl: $54
  • Riga Brewery Tour: $54
  • Riga Beer Killer Bar Crawl: $55
  • Riga Brewery Tour: $71
  • Riga Wine Tasting Session: $104
  • Riga Pub Crawl & Party Bus Tour: $531
  • Yacht Tour with Medieval Banquet and Wine Tasting: $3,371


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Addis Ababa and Riga, we can see that Riga is more expensive. And not only is Addis Ababa much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Addis Ababa is in Africa and Riga is in Europe, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Addis Ababa would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Addis Ababa and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Riga would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Riga than you might in Addis Ababa.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Addis Ababa Expensive? and Is Riga Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Addis Ababa or Riga?

Addis Ababa has a larger population, and is about 4 times larger than the population of Riga. When comparing the sizes of Addis Ababa and Riga, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.