Should you visit Riga or Hamburg?
Should I visit Riga or Hamburg? 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.
Hamburg
Hamburg is most noted for its port, which is the largest in Germany and the second busiest in Europe. Despite it's size, it is actually located about 100 kilometers from the North Sea on the River Elbe. The popularity of this port has given Hamburg the nickname as Germany's Gateway to the World. The city itself is the second largest in Germany and the metropolitan area has a population of over 4 million people.
Which city is cheaper, Hamburg 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 Hamburg is €93. 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 Hamburg 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.
Hamburg's average price for two people sharing a typical double-occupancy hotel room is €86. A typical place to stay for one person, per day is €43.
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.
The price of a meal in Hamburg can vary widely. However, the average price for food per day is €28 per person, and a typical meal will cost around €11 based on the spending of previous visitors. Less expensive dining options can be found by eating street food or at fast food restaurants.
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Food
Meals for one day
Riga €26
Hamburg €28
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 Hamburg
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Hamburg:
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Pink Thai Soup Dinner and Spring Rolls
€15
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Currywurst and Pommes Frites
€5.00
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Donner Kebab and Coke
€6.00
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Traditional Hamburg Dinner w/ Beer
€15
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Donner Kebab Lunch
€4.00
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Sandwich and Coffee Break
€6.00
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Fish Sandwich from Fish Market
€3.50
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Coffee and Donut
€4.00
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Hamburg
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Hamburg.
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Historic Reeperbahn Tour with Optional Dinner in Hamburg:
$38
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St. Georg Hamburg - Food Tour:
$45
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HafenCity & Elbphilharmonie - Food Tour:
$50
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Sternschanze Hamburg - Food Tour:
$53
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St. Pauli - Food Tour:
$53
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Eat Like A Local : Hamburg Private Food Tour With Tastings:
$146
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.
While taxis and private drivers typically cost much more than public transportation, people usually spend around €23 per day to get around in Hamburg.
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Riga
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Riga:
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Airport transfer & private driver services:
$25
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Departure Private Transfer Riga City to Riga Airport RIX by Minibus:
$93
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Departure Private Transfer Riga City to Riga Airport RIX by Minivan:
$46
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Departure Private Transfer Riga City to Riga Airport RIX by Sedan Car:
$26
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English Speaking Private Arrival Transfer from Riga Airport:
$25
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English Speaking Private Departure Transfer to Riga Airport:
$37
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English Speaking Private Minibus Arrival Transfer from Riga Airport:
$49
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Mercedes-Benz Viano Van Transfer from Riga to Vilnius/Talinn/Any Baltic Country:
$425
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PanCars CITY RACE + airport/hotel transfer:
$81
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Private Airport Transfer: from Riga to Riga International Airport (RIX):
$18
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Private Arrival Transfer from Riga Airport (RIX) to Riga City Center:
$19
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Private Departure Transfer from Riga City Center to Riga Airport (RIX):
$19
Typical Local Transportation prices in Hamburg
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Hamburg:
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Hamburg
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Hamburg:
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Private Airport Transfer: from Hamburg to Hamburg Airport (HAM):
$38
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Private Airport Transfer: Hamburg Airport (HAM) to Hamburg:
$38
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Private Transfer: HAM Hamburg Airport to Hamburg City Center:
$40
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Private Departure Transfer from Hamburg City to Hamburg Airport:
$42
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Hamburg Airport Transfers : Hamburg Airport HAM to Hamburg in Business Car:
$58
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Hamburg Airport Transfers : Hamburg to Hamburg Airport HAM in Business Car:
$58
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Arrival Private Transfers from Hamburg Airport HAM to Hamburg City:
$59
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Departure Private Transfers from Hamburg City to Hamburg Airport HAM:
$62
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Private Transfer: Hamburg Airport (HAM) to Hamburg:
$65
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Private Transfer: Hamburg to Hamburg Airport (HAM):
$65
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Hamburg Airport Transfers : Hamburg Airport HAM to Hamburg in Luxury Van:
$73
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Hamburg Airport Transfers : Hamburg to Hamburg Airport HAM in Luxury Van:
$77
Is it cheaper to fly into Riga or Hamburg?
Prices for flights to both Hamburg 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.
Activities, things to do, and other forms of entertainment usually cost around €31 per person, per day in Hamburg. This cost includes the price of admission tickets to attractions and museums as well as daily tours.
Tours and Activities in Riga
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Riga are as follows:
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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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Riga's Architecture: An art nouveau history audio tour:
$5.00
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Entrance Ticket - House of the Black Heads:
$8.28
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Riga Art Nouveau walking tour:
$8.71
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Classic Car Museum Tour:
$9.95
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Riga Self-Guided Audio Tour:
$12
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Gastronomic tour with professional chef:
$19
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The Best Of Riga Walking Tour:
$22
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Daily Riga Bike Tour:
$22
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The Best Of Riga Walking Tour:
$23
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Best of Riga Walking Tour - Regular Walking tours:
$25
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Best of Riga Walking Tour - Highlights and Hidden Gems:
$31
Typical Entertainment prices in Hamburg
Here are a few typical costs in Hamburg for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
Tours and Activities in Hamburg
Here are a few actual costs in Hamburg for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
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Panoptikum Hamburg Ticket:
$8.58
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Hamburg Self-Guided Audio Tour:
$15
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City Cruise on Alster Lake:
$18
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Express outer Elbphilharmonietour:
$19
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GROUP TICKETS HOP-ON HOP-OFF City Tour by Bus:
$20
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Hop-On Hop-Off Tour - Yellow Double Decker - GROUP TICKETS:
$20
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City Tour of Hamburg with Hop-On, Hop-Off Ticket:
$22
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Line A Hop-On Hop-Off Sightseeing Tour:
$22
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Hop-On/ Hop-Off Sightseeing Tour Classic Line:
$22
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City Walking Tour JEWISH HAMBURG:
$22
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City Walking Tour DEADLY KIEZ:
$22
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Hop-on Hop-off Tour by Bus:
$23
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.
While the amount that someone spends on alcohol while visiting Hamburg may vary from person to person, on average a person spends €14 per day on alcoholic beverages.
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
Sample the Local Flavors in Hamburg
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Hamburg:
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Hamburg Pub Crawl: 4 Bars, 1 Shot per Bar:
$14
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Corona Pub Crawl with special drinks:
$62
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Private guided Club & Pub tour - Pub Crawl:
$358
When comparing the travel costs between Riga and Hamburg, we can see that Hamburg is more expensive. However, the two cities are actually relatively comparable in price, as the difference is somewhat minimal. Generally, this means that you could travel with generally the same travel style and level of luxury in each place. Since both cities are in Europe, it's no surprise that their costs are relatively close, as many destinations here have somewhat similar travel prices overall.
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