Which place is cheaper, Kathmandu or Riga?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
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Should you visit Riga or Kathmandu?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Riga or Kathmandu? 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: Riga or Kathmandu?
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.
Kathmandu
Kathmandu is the capital and largest city in the country of Nepal. Its metropolitan area forms one large urban area that includes the area of Patan to the south. As of 2011 there were 2.5 million residents in the Kathmandu metropolis and over 3 million in the entire metropolitan area. Kathmandu is likely to be your entry point into Nepal and is a great place to pick up supplies and arrange the details for any treks you hope to do. Many travelers rush through Kathmandu, turned off by the pollution and crowds, but to skip Kathmandu is to miss a major cultural, financial, and influential part of what defines the country of Nepal. The city itself is quite fun to explore if you allow it enough time and an open mind.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Nepal, and The Best 10-Day Tours in Nepal.
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Riga Prices
Latvia PricesKathmandu Prices
Nepal Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayRiga €122Kathmandu €47
The average daily cost (per person) in Riga is €122, while the average daily cost in Kathmandu is €47. 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 Riga and Kathmandu in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personRiga €52Kathmandu €30
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomRiga €104Kathmandu €60
Compare Hotels in Riga and Kathmandu
Looking for a hotel in Riga or Kathmandu? 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.
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: Riga Hotel Prices and Kathmandu Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Riga €9.63Kathmandu €5.22
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Riga
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Riga:
- Riga Airport Transfer: $36
- Private Transfer from Riga International Airport RIX to Riga City: $38
- Riga Airport: Bus Transfer to/from Klaipeda: $43
- Riga Airport to Hotel Transfer: $45
- Transfer from Riga center to Airport: $53
- Transfer from Riga Airport to Riga Old city: $53
- Departure Private Transfer Riga City to Riga Airport RIX by Minivan: $53
- Riga City to Riga Airport - Private Transfer: $57
- Riga Airport to Riga City - Private Transfer: $57
- Private Transfer from Riga Cruise Port to Riga Airport (RIX): $59
- Jurmala Airport Transfer service and Riga - Jurmala transfers: $65
- Departure Transfer from Riga to Riga Airport RIX by Car or Van: $72
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Kathmandu
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Kathmandu:
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Taxi Ride€1.13
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Kathmandu
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Kathmandu:
- Kathmandu - Arrival transfer from airport to hotel: $12
- Tribhuvan International Airport Transfer Service: $12
- Airport Transfers in Kathmandu – Pickup OR Drop-Off Service: $15
- Kathmandu Airport Private Transfer: Arrival or Departure Service: $15
- Private car transfer from Kathmandu Airport to hotels in Kathmandu: $15
- Kathmandu Airport Private Transfers: $16
- Kathmandu Airport Transfer Service: $18
- Private Transfer: Kathmandu Domestic Airport to Hotel Vehicle: $20
- Private Transfer: Kathmandu Hotels to Domestic Airport Vehicle: $20
- Deluxe Toyota Coaster Mini Bus Transfer From Kathmandu to Pokhara or V. V.: $22
- Private Transfer: Kathmandu International Airport to Hotel: $25
- Rent a Private Car with Driver for Kathmandu City Transfer: $25
Is it cheaper to fly into Riga or Kathmandu?
Prices for flights to both Kathmandu 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.
Food
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Food Meals for one dayRiga €57Kathmandu €11
Typical Food Prices in Riga
Some typical examples of dining costs in Riga are as follows:
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Fast Food Lunch€5.77
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
Typical Food Prices in Kathmandu
Some typical examples of dining costs in Kathmandu are as follows:
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Dessert€1.02
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Dinner for Two€2.26
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Kathmandu
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Kathmandu.
- Saturday Hidden Kathmandu Walk and Food Tour: $9.50
- Local Women Lead Nepali Cooking & Momo-Making Class: $20
- Authentic Private Nepali Cooking Class in Kathmandu: $23
- Cook and Eat: Cooking Class in Kathmandu near Thamel: $24
- Best Nepali Cooking Class in Thamel with Local Market Trip: $30
- Momo Cooking Class -The Art Of Making MoMo with Home Chef: $35
- Patan Food Tour Walking and Food Testing: $35
- Walking Food Tour in Hidden Local Eateries of Kathmandu: $36
- Everest Eats Kathmandu Food Tour with 15+ Tastings: $39
- Walking Food tour: Food and Drink Tasting with Guide In Kathmandu: $40
- Women Empowerment Project(Nepali cooking class & jewelry workshop: $50
- Newari Cooking Class with a Home Chef- From market to the plate.: $50
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Riga €14Kathmandu €6.04
Tours and Activities in Riga
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Riga are as follows:
- Canal Boat Tour with Welcome Drink & Audio Guide: $8.21
- Entrance Ticket - House of the Black Heads: $8.21
- Medieval Quest Experience: $8.27
- Panorama Riga Observation Deck Ticket: $9.38
- Old Town Electrobus Tour + Audio Guide & Drink: $9.38
- Evening or Sunset Boat Tour with Welcome Drink: $10
- Rowing boats and Pedal boat rental - River Cruises Latvia: $11
- Riga Panorama trip – Golden Autumn | River Cruises Latvia: $11
- Riga Golden Autumn Canal & River Cruise | River Cruises LV: $11
- Audio Tour of Riga Old Town: $12
- Old Riga Walking Tour: Legends & Hidden Gems, 1 hour: $12
- Canal Boat Sightseeing Tour With Audio guide: $12
Typical Entertainment Prices in Kathmandu
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Kathmandu are as follows:
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Monkey Temple for Two€1.13
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Patan Durbar Square Entrance for Two€2.82
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Swayambhunath Stupa€1.13
Tours and Activities in Kathmandu
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Kathmandu are as follows:
- All Seven UNESCO Sightseeing Tour in Kathmandu Valley: $5.00
- Full Day Guided Tour in Kathmandu: $5.00
- Full Day Private Tour of Seven World Heritage Sites in Kathmandu: $5.00
- Private Chandragiri Cable Car and The Monkey Temple Tour: $5.00
- Kathmandu Full Day Sightseeing Tour: $5.00
- From 2 Stupas & Kopan Monastery Spiritual Tour: $7.00
- Private Full Day Kathmandu Day Tour | Top 4 UNESCO Heritage Sites: $9.50
- Full Day 7 UNESCO Tour with Lunch - Private/Group: $10
- Full Day 7 UNESCO Heritage Private Tour with Lunch.: $10
- Full Day Top 4 UNESCO Tour with Lunch - Private/Group: $10
- Sauraha Chitwan to Kathmandu Tourist Bus Tickets: $12
- Chitwan to Kathmandu Tourist Bus Ticket (Luxury Sofa Seater): $12
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayRiga €20Kathmandu €4.34
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
Sample the Local Flavors in Kathmandu
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Kathmandu:
- Bar Tour & Pub Crawl -Sip, Stroll, Repeat Thamel's Night: $75
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Riga and Kathmandu, we can see that Riga is more expensive. And not only is Kathmandu much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Riga is in Europe and Kathmandu is in Asia, 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 Kathmandu would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Kathmandu 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 Kathmandu.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Riga Expensive? and Is Kathmandu Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Riga or Kathmandu?
Kathmandu has a larger population, and is about 94% larger than the population of Riga. When comparing the sizes of Riga and Kathmandu, 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.
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.