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

Should you visit Kampala or Riga?

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

Should I visit Kampala or Riga? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.

Where Should I go: Kampala or Riga?

Kampala

Kampala is the capital of Uganda in the South part of the country near Lake Victoria. It is the largest city in Uganda, with a population of over two million people. This city is very safe and the locals are known to be very kind and approachable.

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.

Which place is cheaper, Riga or Kampala?

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

The average daily cost (per person) in Kampala is $69, 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 Kampala and Riga in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Kampala $59
    Riga $57
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Kampala $118
    Riga $114
Compare Hotels in Kampala and Riga

Looking for a hotel in Kampala 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 Kampala


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: Kampala Hotel Prices and Riga Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Kampala $2.49
    Riga $16
Typical Local Transportation prices in Kampala

Some typical examples of transportation costs in Kampala are as follows:


  • Taxi around town
    $3.99

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Kampala

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Kampala:

  • Entebbe Airport taxi. For a safe, affordable and reliable 24/7 airport transfer.: $45
  • Entebbe kampala airport transfers: $80
  • Entebbe Airport Transfers: $80
  • Private Transfer from Kampala to Entebbe Airport (EBB) Uganda: $129
  • Private Transfer from Entebbe Airport (EBB) Uganda to Kampala: $129
  • Full-Day Kampala Trip with Lunch and Hotel Transfers: $200
  • From 3-Day Murchison Falls Safari with Transfer: $2,200

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Riga

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Riga:

  • Arrival Private Transfer from Riga Airport RIX to Riga City by Minibus: $91
  • Arrival Private Transfer from Riga Airport RIX to Riga City by Minivan: $47
  • Arrival Private Transfer from Riga Airport RIX to Riga City by Sedan Car: $34
  • From Cesis and Sigulda Day Trip with Hotel Transfers: $152
  • From Private Transfer to Tallinn: $348
  • From Private Transfer to Tallinn with Sightseeing: $456
  • From Private Transfer to Vilnius with Sightseeing: $413
  • From Vilnius: One-Way Private Transfer to Riga: $185
  • Mercedes-Benz V-Class Transfer from RIGA to Vilnius/Tallinn/Any Baltic Location: $515
  • Private Minivan Transfer: Riga to Tallinn: $438
  • Private Transfer From Riga Airport To Riga City Center: $38
  • Private Transfer From Riga City Center To Riga Airport: $44

Is it cheaper to fly into Kampala or Riga?

Prices for flights to both Riga and Kampala 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
    Kampala $8.40
    Riga $36
Typical Food prices in Kampala

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Kampala:


  • Lunch for 2
    $1.60

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Kampala

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

  • Like a local cooking Tours: $26
  • Momma Ida's Ugandan Cuisine Cooking Tour: $30
  • Cooking Class for Typical Ugandan Food in Kampala: $31
  • Half Day Private Ugandan Local Foods in Kampala Cooking Class: $31
  • Three-Hour Food Tour: $41
  • Private Cooking Class with a Local Host: $47
  • Cooking Class With a Local (Kampala, Jinja, Entebbe - 4 Hours): $56
  • Kampala City Walking Food Tour: $77
  • Night-time Boda Boda Street Food Tour: $91
  • Fishing Village Food Tour & Luwombo Stop: $102
  • Amazing Race - Food Tour: $103
  • The Food Tour | Uganda | Half day: $123

Typical Food prices in Riga

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


  • Fast Food Lunch
    $6.27

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
  • Riga Medieval Dinner: $97
  • Riga Medieval Dinner: $109
  • Private Cooking Master Class In The Latvian Family : $132

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Kampala -
    Riga $23

Tours and Activities in Kampala

Here are a few actual costs in Kampala for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:

  • Uganda Community Tour: $15
  • African Fabric Market Tour : $18
  • Amazing Tour Experience with a local: $20
  • Kampala Half-Day Walking Tour with Local Female Guides: $20
  • 3-Hour Walking Tour with Optional Gaddafi Mosque: $24
  • Entebbe Walking Tour (3 Hours) with Zoo and Botanical Gardens Options: $25
  • Tombs, King’s palace and Gaddafi mosque walk tours: $26
  • Steve Kampala Walking tours: $27
  • 3 Hours Walking Tour in Kampala: $28
  • Complete Kampala Tour Experience: $28
  • Kampala Guided walking Tour: $30
  • Free Female Guided Walking Tours Kampala (3 Hours): $30

Tours and Activities in Riga

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

  • First Discovery Walk and Reading Walking Tour: $3.27
  • Riga's Architecture: A self-guided audio tour of the city's art nouveau history: $5.20
  • An audio tour of Old from St Peter's Church to the Monument of Freedom: $5.20
  • Riga Self-Guided Audio Tour: $6.00
  • City Exploration Game and Tour: $6.53
  • Riga Scavenger Hunt and Best Landmarks Self-Guided Tour: $6.59
  • Self-Guided Highlights Scavenger Hunt & Walking Tour: $7.07
  • Riga Old Town Legends Audio Tour on Your Phone (ENG): $7.39
  • Entrance Ticket - House of the Black Heads: $7.62
  • Complete Self-guided Audio Tour on your Phone: $8.60
  • Admission Ticket to Live Silver Museum: $12
  • Self-Guided Audio Tour: $14

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Kampala -
    Riga $21

Sample the Local Flavors in Kampala

Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Kampala:

  • Kampala Pub Crawl | Uganda | 4 hours: $65
  • Kampala Bar Crawl, Beer Tasting and Street Food (6 Hours): $71

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
  • Pub Crawl- Your best night out in Riga with our local guide! : $38
  • Riga Public Pub Crawl : $54
  • Riga Happy Hour Pub Crawl: $54
  • Riga Beer Killer Bar Crawl: $55
  • Riga Brewery Tour: $58
  • Riga Brewery Tour: $70
  • Riga Wine Tasting Session: $98
  • Exclusive Latvian Wine Tasting In Riga: $335
  • Yacht Tour with Medieval Banquet and Wine Tasting: $3,379


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Kampala and Riga, we can see that Riga is more expensive. And not only is Kampala much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Kampala 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 Kampala would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Kampala 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 Kampala.

Which is Bigger, Kampala or Riga?

Kampala is bigger, and its population is about 82% larger than the population of Riga. When comparing the population of Kampala vs. 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 and the activities that interest you.

Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.
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Kampala vs. Riga Travel Comparison

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