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

Should you visit Moshi or Riga?

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

If you're trying to decide where to visit between Moshi 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: Moshi or Riga?

Moshi

Moshi is a town in northern Tanzania, near the Kenyan border. It’s known as a gateway to Kilimanjaro National Park, home to Africa’s highest mountain, Mount Kilimanjaro. Trails run up the mountain's cloud-ringed, snow-capped dome, through alpine forests and meadows home to elephants and leopards. The noticeably clean capital of the densely populated Kilimanjaro region sits at the foot of Mt Kilimanjaro and makes a good introduction to the splendors of the north. It's a low-key place with an appealing blend of African and Asian influences and a self-sufficient, prosperous feel, due in large part to its being the center of one of Tanzania's major coffee-growing regions. Virtually all visitors are here to climb Mt Kilimanjaro or to recover after having done so. Yet there’s much more to do, including cultural tours and hikes on the mountain’s lower slopes.

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 Wildlife Tours to Tanzania, and The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Tanzania.


Which place is cheaper, Riga or Moshi?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.

The average daily cost (per person) in Moshi is $84, while the average daily cost in Riga is $142. 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 Moshi and Riga in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Moshi $36
    Riga $60
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Moshi $72
    Riga $120
Compare Hotels in Moshi and Riga

Looking for a hotel in Moshi 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 Moshi


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: Moshi Hotel Prices and Riga Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Moshi $17
    Riga $11

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Moshi

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

  • Private Airport transfers from any hotel in Zanzibar (Departures): $30
  • Airport transfer: $45
  • Private Transfer from Kilimanjaro Airport to Moshi: $47
  • Kilimanjaro Airport Private Transfer from/to Moshi: $49
  • Kilimanjaro Airport Private Transfer: $50
  • Airport Transfer between Moshi and Kilimanjaro International Airport: $54
  • Reliable Kilimanjaro Airport Transfer to Your Hotel: $55
  • Tanzania Private Airport Transfer: $67
  • Moshi/Arusha: Private Transfer from Kilimanjaro Airport: $70
  • Kilimanjaro Airport (JRO) Private Transfer to Mount Kilimanjaro: $78
  • Kilimanjaro Airport Transfer to Moshi/Arusha: $107

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Riga

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Riga:

  • Transfer from Riga center to Airport: $53
  • Transfer from Riga Airport to Riga Old city: $53
  • 4x4 Off-Road Adventure with Hotel Transfers: $258
  • Riga Limo Airport Transfer: $176
  • Riga Limo Airport Transfer: $183
  • Riga Gun Experience: Roundtrip Transfer and 4 Firearms: $163
  • Riga City to Riga Airport - Private Transfer: $57
  • Riga City to Riga Airport (RIX) - Private Transfer.: $75
  • Riga Airport: Bus Transfer to/from Klaipeda: $43
  • Riga Airport to Riga City - Private Transfer: $57
  • Riga Airport to Hotel Transfer: $45
  • Riga Airport Transfer: $36

Is it cheaper to fly into Moshi or Riga?

Prices for flights to both Riga and Moshi 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
    Moshi $34
    Riga $66

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Moshi

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

  • Kili View Tanzanian Cooking Class: $26
  • Cooking class and Coffee tour in Moshi Kilimanjaro: $40
  • Authentic Chagga Cooking Class: Farm-to-Table Experience in Moshi: $50
  • Market-to-Table Cooking Class with Local Chagga Host: $79
  • Private Market Tour and Tanzanian Cooking Class in Moshi: $86
  • Spice Picking with Zanzibar Cooking Class: $193
  • 3 Days Chaga Culture: Cooking, NGO Projects, Banana Beer, Hiking: $209

Typical Food Prices in Riga

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


  • Fast Food Lunch
    $6.71

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Riga

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

  • Central Market Traditional Food Tour in a Small Group: $41
  • Central Market Latvian Food Tour: $53
  • Khinkali and Pelmeni Cooking Master Class: $70
  • Exclusive Igloo for Lunches, Dinners and Events: $71
  • Riga Medieval Dinner: $129
  • Riga Medieval Dinner: $129
  • Latvian Art Museum, Dinner, and Black Balsam Tasting: $210
  • Pizza Making Master Class in Riga: $249
  • Traditional Latvian Dinner with Private Folk Show: $252

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Moshi $19
    Riga $16

Tours and Activities in Moshi

For Moshi, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • Materuni Waterfall and Coffee Plantation Half Day Tour: $30
  • Materuni Waterfall & Chemka Hot Springs Day Tour: $35
  • Moshi - Arusha: Materuni Waterfalls Hike and Organic Coffee Tour: $40
  • Moshi Half Day Tour: Materuni Waterfall hike & Coffee Plantation: $40
  • 1-Day Moshi Villages bike tour: $50
  • Bodaboda Experience to Materuni Waterfall and Coffee Tour: $52
  • Chemka Hot Springs Tour from Moshi: $59
  • Marangu & Chagga - Cultural Day Tour form Moshi: $59
  • Day trip to materuni waterfalls and coffee tour from Moshi: $60
  • Kilimanjaro Cultural Tour: Chagga, Songs, Cuisine & Community: $65
  • Discover the Serenity of Rau Forest on a Half-Day Bike Tour: $65
  • Kibosho Village Day Tour Experience from Moshi: $67

Tours and Activities in Riga

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

  • 2 Hours Walking Tour in Legends and Secret of Riga's Old Town: $88
  • 2.5-Hour Riga Cruiser Bike Tour: $88
  • 3-Hour Private Paintball Game Experience in Zīles: $94
  • 5,5 Hour Small Group Tour to Hill of Crosses from Riga: $89
  • ATV Quad guided off road tour: $201
  • Aeroplane Flight Experience: $80
  • Aeroplane Flight Experience: $80
  • Audio Tour of Riga Old Town: $12
  • Bachelorette Party Adventure's Organization: $46
  • Best of Riga Private Walking Tour: $477
  • Bobsleigh - Truly Unique Winter Adventure!: $172
  • Deluxe Riga Tour from Cruise Port: $53

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Moshi $3.37
    Riga $23

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: $21
  • Pub Crawl with Local Guide: $29
  • Pub Crawl in Riga: $36
  • Riga Pub Crawl: $41
  • Latvian Brewery Visit & 5 Beer tasting: $47
  • Riga Evening Adventure: Pub Crawl & Games Night: $50
  • Game Night & Pub Crawl: $52
  • Latvian Brewery Visit and Beer Tasting: $53
  • Prosecco Bike & Pub Crawl: $65
  • Riga Brewery Tour: $76
  • Riga's Old Town Beer Bike Tour & Guided Pub Crawl: $94
  • Riga Sip and Paint Experience with Latvian Wine Tasting: $101


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

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


Which is Bigger, Moshi or Riga?

Riga has a larger population, and is about 5 times larger than the population of Moshi. When comparing the sizes of Moshi 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.