Should you visit Riga or Helsinki?
Should I visit Riga or Helsinki? 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.
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital of Finland and dates back to 1550. Helsinki is an international metropolis with a diverse population, but also a small town vibe. The city itself has a population of just over 600,000 but the metropolitan area, including Espoo and Vantaa, has a population of more than 1.3 million. There are many outdoor bars and cafes that take advantage of the warmer summer months. During this time there are long days, and the population floods into the street after a long and cold winter, so visiting during the summer is a fun and lively experience.
Which city is cheaper, Helsinki 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 Helsinki is €112. 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 Helsinki 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.
Travelers usually pay around €118 for a double occupancy room in Helsinki If you want to be in a premiere location or have high end amenities, you can expect to pay a bit more.
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 average traveler spends about €27 per day in Helsinki for food, but obviously this is dependent on the type of restaurant and the amount of food ordered. To save money you can grab a lighter lunch or dinner, or you can try fast food or street food.
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Food
Meals for one day
Riga €26
Helsinki €27
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
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Helsinki
For Helsinki, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
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Helsinki Food Tour Including Tastings:
$137
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 Helsinki than paying for a taxi or private car service, as is expected. Typically, people spend €18 on transportation in Helsinki on average per day.
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Riga
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Riga:
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Transfer service Riga airport:
$37
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Taxi Transfer:
$42
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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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Riga Tank Ride - 2 Hours - Guided with Return Transfers:
$1,192
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Riga Return Airport Transfer:
$66
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Riga Party Bus Airport Transfer:
$382
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Riga Limo Airport Transfer:
$133
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Riga International Airport RIX Luxury Van Private Departure Transfer:
$54
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Riga International Airport RIX Luxury Van Private Arrival Transfer:
$54
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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
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Helsinki
Also for Helsinki, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Ultra - Helsinki Private Transfer from City Centre to Helsinki Cruise Port:
$8.71
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Ultra - Helsinki Private Transfer from Helsinki Cruise Port to City Centre:
$8.71
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Private Airport Transfer: from Helsinki to Helsinki-Vantaa Airport (HEL):
$33
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Private Departure Transfer from Helsinki City Center to Helsinki Airport (HEL):
$34
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Private Departure Transfer from Helsinki City to Helsinki Vantaa Airport:
$40
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Airport transfer in Helsinki:
$50
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Best Transfer Helsinki:
$50
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VIP Transfer Helsinki Airport:
$53
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Private Chauffeur Transfer Helsinki:
$56
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VIP car Airport Transfer Helsinki:
$56
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Departure Private Transfer Luxury Van Helsinki City to Helsinki Port:
$62
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Arrival Private Transfer Business Car Helsinki Port to Helsinki City:
$62
Is it cheaper to fly into Riga or Helsinki?
Prices for flights to both Helsinki 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 Helsinki, including the cost of admission tickets for day tours, museums, and attractions, usually cost an average of €22 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
Tours and Activities in Helsinki
For Helsinki, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
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Skip the Line: Flying Cinema Tour Of Helsinki Experience, single ticket:
$15
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Skip the Line: SEA LIFE Helsinki Entrance Ticket:
$19
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Helsinki Self-Guided Audio Tour:
$20
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Sightseeing Boat Tour in Archipelago of Helsinki:
$27
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Hop-On Hop-Off City Tour (ticket for 24 hours):
$37
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City Sightseeing Helsinki Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour:
$37
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City Sightseeing Helsinki Hop On Hop Off Tour:
$37
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Artificial Intelligence City Tour of Helsinki:
$37
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Helsinki Like a Local: Customized Private Tour:
$38
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Private Helsinki Budha Tour Half Day:
$40
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Helsinki Music Walking Tour:
$50
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Helsinki Shared group tour:
$51
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.
Typically, people visiting Helsinki spend on average €13 on alcoholic beverages per person, per day.
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
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Riga and Helsinki, we can see that Helsinki 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 Helsinki would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Helsinki than you might in Riga.
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