Should you visit Riga or Berlin?
Should I visit Riga or Berlin? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the data, which all comes from actual travelers.
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.
Berlin
Berlin is the capital and largest city in Germany. As such, travelers can expect typical European prices for everything from hotels to food to sights and attractions. While it's possible to experience this city on a cheaper budget, don't expect to get much without paying a decent amount.
With a population of about 4.5 million, Berlin is a very international city that is well known for its high level of tolerance, an eclectic nightlife, an artistic vibe and many historical sights. There are museums, palaces and landmarks spread throughout the city. Despite having a significant amount of damage during the last few years of World War II, Berlin has been rebuilt with an interesting diversity of architecture styles. This is particularly true after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. Architecture in the city represents many different historical periods ranging from medieval buildings through modern, glass structures.
Which city is cheaper, Berlin or Riga?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Riga is €82, while the average daily cost in Berlin is €110. 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 city. Below is a breakdown of travel costs for Riga and Berlin in more detail.
Accommodation
If you're traveling alone, you may be able to find a budget hotel or hostel for around €42. But for two people in a standard two-person hotel room in Riga the cost is €84 on average.
The prices for places to stay in Berlin can vary by date, location, and type. Generally, the average cost for accommodation per person is €51, while a typical double-occupancy hotel room for two people will cost around €102.
Food
Riga food costs typically run travelers around €26 per day. Eating every meal in a nicer restaurant will drive the cost up, and grabbing fast food or casual meals will help you save money.
In Berlin travelers spend around €41 a day on food. You can save money by choosing casual restaurants or food stalls, or you can spend plenty more by dining in nicer restaurants at every meal.
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Food
Meals for one day
Riga €26
Berlin €41
Typical Food prices in Riga
Some typical examples of dining costs in Riga are as follows:
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Riga
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Riga.
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Private Guided Virtual Food Tour of Riga:
$12
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Riga Medieval Dinner:
$102
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Riga Medieval Dinner:
$102
Typical Food prices in Berlin
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Berlin:
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Berlin
For Berlin, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
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English Comedy Ticket including Pizza in Berlin Mitte:
$16
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English Comedy Showcase Including Pizza in Berlin Mitte:
$25
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Bitemojo Self Guided Food Tour New To Berlin:
$40
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Dinner Cruise – “This is the CHEF talking”:
$49
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Berlin Kreuzberg - Food Tour:
$53
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Berlin Mitte - Food Tour:
$53
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Berlin Food Tour:
$55
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Withlocals 10 Tastings: Covid-19 Regulated Private Food Tour:
$57
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History Bites: The Berlin History and Food Tour:
$61
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Berlin Dinner Cruise.:
$61
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Fun Dinner and Dancing by Gaiety in Berlin:
$84
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Vegan Food Tour Experience in Berlin:
$87
Local Transportation
The average price of local transportation around Riga is €12 per person, per day. As this average includes both taxis and public transport, keep in mind that the prices of private drivers and taxis are significantly more expensive than public transportation.
Public transportation tends to be much less expensive in Berlin than paying for a taxi or private car service, as is expected. Typically, people spend €14 on transportation in Berlin on average per day.
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Riga
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Riga:
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Riga Tank Ride - 2 Hours - Guided with Return Transfers:
$1,192
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Mercedes-Benz Viano Van Transfer from Riga to Vilnius/Talinn/Any Baltic Country:
$425
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Private Minivan Transfer: Riga to Tallinn:
$418
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Private Minivan transfer from Riga to Kaunas:
$413
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Riga Party Bus Airport Transfer:
$382
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Riga to Vilnius transfer with Sightseeing:
$347
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Riga to Tallinn transfer with Sightseeing:
$335
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Private Minivan Transfer from Kaunas to Riga:
$215
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Riga (Sigulda) Winter Bobsleigh "Olympic + Vuchko" Ride - Guided with Transfers:
$199
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Private transfer from Riga to Vilnius via Rundale palace and Hill of crosses:
$169
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Private Taxi Transfer from Riga or Riga airport to Tallinn:
$153
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Private Transfer from Riga to Vilnius:
$149
Typical Local Transportation prices in Berlin
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Berlin:
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Short Trip Metro Ticket
€1.40
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Bahn Ticket
€3.00
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Short Taxi Ride
€20
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Berlin
Also for Berlin, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Private Departure Transfer from Berlin City Center to Berlin Tegel Airport:
$24
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Berlin Tegel Airport (TXL) to Berlin - Round-Trip Private Van Transfer:
$27
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Berlin Tegel Airport (TXL) to Berlin - Arrival Private Van Transfer:
$27
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Berlin to Berlin Tegel Airport (TXL) - Departure Private Van Transfer:
$27
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Private Airport Transfer: from Berlin to Schonefeld Airport (SXF):
$30
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Private Airport Transfer: from Berlin to Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER):
$30
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Transfer from Berlin Tegel Airport to Berlin city (any hotel or address):
$32
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Berlin Schonefeld Airport (SXF) to Berlin - Departure Private Van Transfer:
$34
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Private Transfer from Berlin City Center to Schönefeld Airport:
$36
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Premium Transfer from Berlin Tegel Airport to Accommodation in Berlin:
$37
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Premium Transfer Accommodation in Berlin to Berlin Tegel Airport:
$37
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Private Business Transfer from Berlin Hotel to Berlin Tegel Airport (TXL):
$41
Is it cheaper to fly into Riga or Berlin?
Prices for flights to both Berlin and Riga 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.
Entertainment
Riga's costs for entertainment, tickets, attractions, and tours will often cost around €17 per person, per day. This cost can vary widely by the type of activity, however, as this includes admission tickets, day tours, museums, and other things to do.
Sightseeing expenses in Berlin, including the cost of admission tickets for day tours, museums, and attractions, usually cost an average of €18 per day, per person.
Tours and Activities in Riga
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Riga are as follows:
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"Best of Riga" 6-hour Private Car & Walking Tour:
$373
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2 Day Gastronomy Tour In Latgale:
$267
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2 Day Gauja National Park Tour:
$199
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2 Day Kurzeme Winery Tour:
$224
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ATV-QUAD rent and guided tours:
$48
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All Inclusive Honest History Tour - Āraiši, Cēsis, Līgatne, Sigulda:
$248
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Alternative Riga Photoshoot Tour:
$49
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An audio tour of Old from St Peter's Church to the Monument of Freedom:
$5.00
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Art Nouveau Small Group Walking Tour of Riga:
$193
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Beer Bike Experience:
$45
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Best of Riga Walking Tour - Highlights and Hidden Gems:
$31
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Best of Riga Walking Tour - Regular Walking tours:
$25
Typical Entertainment prices in Berlin
For Berlin, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:
Tours and Activities in Berlin
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Berlin.
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Rude Bastards tour of Berlin:
$1.87
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Music of Berlin Private Tour: Communist Berlin Exploration Game:
$3.72
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Berlin Private Tour: Third Reich & the Cold War Exploration Game:
$4.96
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Classic Sights and Hidden Histories of Berlin's Museum Island Audio Tour:
$5.48
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Berlin's Centre - Explore the city's modern history with this audio walking tour:
$5.48
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The Dönerkebab: Discover how it changed Germany on an audio walking tour:
$5.48
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Witches, Riots and the Cold War: A Walk Through Wedding Audio Tour by VoiceMap:
$5.48
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In and Around Alexanderplatz Walking Audio Tour by VoiceMap:
$5.48
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Ku'damm Couture and Currywurst Self-guided Audio Tour by VoiceMap:
$5.48
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Into the Heart of Berlin Self-guided Audio Tour by VoiceMap:
$5.48
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Take the U Train: The Story of Berlin's Oldest Elevated Railway Line Audio Tour:
$6.56
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West Kreuzberg: Templars, Bunkers and Prussian Glory Audio Tour by VoiceMap:
$6.88
Alcohol
The average person spends about €16 on alcoholic beverages in Riga per day. The more you spend on alcohol, the more fun you might be having despite your higher budget.
Alcoholic beverages can often be a significant portion of a traveler's budget, and the costs can vary greatly from person to person. In Berlin, the average amount that a visitor spends on alcoholic beverages per day is €13.
Sample the Local Flavors in Riga
Also in Riga, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
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Pub Crawl in Riga:
$37
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Pub Crawl- Your best night out in Riga with our local guide!:
$47
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Riga Public Pub Crawl:
$60
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Riga Happy Hour Pub Crawl:
$64
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Riga Brewery Tour:
$83
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Riga Brewery Tour:
$83
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Riga Beer Killer Bar Crawl:
$83
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Riga Wine Tasting Session:
$115
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Gauja National Park Tour: Castles and Wine Tasting:
$149
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Culinary, Historic and Wine Tour to Sigulda and Cesis:
$224
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Exclusive Latvian Wine Tasting In Riga:
$380
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Exclusive Latvian Wine Tasting in Riga:
$765
Typical Alcohol prices in Berlin
Here are a few samples of the prices for alcohol and nightlife in Berlin from other travelers:
Sample the Local Flavors in Berlin
Also in Berlin, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
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Berlin Pub Crawl And Night Life Tour:
$15
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#1 Berlin Pub Crawl:
$25
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Sean's Wine Tasting Events:
$66
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Welcome to Berlin tour! Sightseeing, souvenirs and visit of a German brewery:
$236
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Riga and Berlin, we can see that Berlin is more expensive. And not only is Riga much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Riga would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Riga 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 Berlin would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Berlin than you might in Riga.
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