Which place is cheaper, Lima or Riga?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
Jump to 
Should you visit Riga or Lima?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Riga or Lima? 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 Lima?
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.
Lima
Lima, the capital city of Peru, is likely to be your point of entry for the country. Lima was founded in 1535 and was the seat of the Spanish rule for 300 years. It's a surprisingly modern city despite its rich history, but many beautiful churches and colonial architecture remain today. There are also large slum areas that highlight the poverty that exists in the city. The city and its surrounding metropolitan area have a population of about 8.5 million people, many of whom came from the Andes Mountains in search of work. Unfortunately the work opportunities are limited and the poverty is obvious as you arrive in Lima.
For some great organized tour ideas, see Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Peru, and The Best Adventure Tours to Peru.
-
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayRiga €104Lima €71
The average daily cost (per person) in Riga is €104, while the average daily cost in Lima is €71. 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 Lima in more detail.
Accommodation
-
Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personRiga €53Lima €45
-
Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomRiga €106Lima €90
Compare Hotels in Riga and Lima
Looking for a hotel in Riga or Lima? 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 Lima Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
-
Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Riga €15Lima €5.27
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Riga
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Riga:
- Private Transfer from Riga Airport (RIX) to Riga Cruise Port: $26
- Riga Airport to Hotel Transfer: $27
- Private Transfer from Riga City Center to Riga Airport RIX: $32
- Riga Airport Transfer: $33
- Riga Airport: Bus Transfer to/from Klaipeda: $39
- Riga Airport: Bus Transfer to/from Klaipeda: $39
- Riga Airport to Riga City - Private Transfer: $53
- Riga City to Riga Airport - Private Transfer: $53
- Private Transfer from Riga Airport to Hotel with English speaking driver: $54
- Riga Airport to City Center Private Transfers: $59
- Private Transfer from Riga Airport to Riga City: $71
- Paintball Adventure: Expert Guide & Transfers Included!: $81
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Lima
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Lima are as follows:
-
Taxi Ride€4.99
-
Taxi Ride€4.99
-
Short Taxi Ride€3.74
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Lima
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Lima:
- QuickLlama: Transfer from Miraflores Kennedy Park to Lima Airport: $5.00
- QuickLlama: Door-to-door transfer from Lima Airport to Miraflores: $5.00
- QuickLlama: Door-to-door transfer from Miraflores to Lima Airport: $5.00
- Lima Airport: Bus Transfer to/from Miraflores: $5.63
- Lima Airport: BUS Transfer to/from Lima city center: $6.00
- Private Transfer from Jorge Chavez Airport to Hotels in Lima: $13
- LIMA AIRPORT SHUTTLE - Shared Transfer: $13
- Private transfers from Lima Airport or to Lima Airport: $17
- Transfer from Hotel/Airbnb Miraflores/San Isidro/Barranco to Airport: $18
- Transfer from Lima city to the airport: $18
- Taxi transfers from and to the Lima Airport and Paracas Ica: $20
- Private Transfer from Lima Airport to Hotel by Aludy Travel: $20
Is it cheaper to fly into Riga or Lima?
Prices for flights to both Lima 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
-
Food Meals for one dayRiga €33Lima €16
Typical Food Prices in Riga
Some typical examples of dining costs in Riga are as follows:
-
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 Latvian Food Tour: $42
- Unique Food Tour: $52
- Medieval Guided Tour & Three-Course Dinner Experience: $97
- Riga Medieval Dinner: $114
- Private Cooking Master Class In The Latvian Family : $131
- Taste Market Tour & Cooking Masterclass: $139
- Cooking Experience with Chef: Learn & Dine: $140
- Latvian Food: Cooking Masterclass with a Chef: $153
Typical Food Prices in Lima
Some typical examples of dining costs in Lima are as follows:
-
Lunch for Two€3.99
-
Ice cream€3.24
-
Coffee€2.74
-
Donut€0.87
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Lima
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Lima.
- Lima Market Food Tour: $33
- Lima Market Food Tour: $34
- Peruvian Food Tour Through Local Markets: $40
- Ceviche Cooking Class Including Pisco Sour Lesson: $40
- Lima Street Food Tour: $40
- Lima Street Food Tour: $45
- Lima Food Tour: $45
- Street Food Tour in Miraflores District: $45
- Cooking Workshop and Water Circuit Tour: $45
- Barranco Tour with Dinner: $47
- Bohemian tour of Barranco with Dinner: $47
- Private Cooking Class With a Local Family in Lima: $48
Entertainment
-
Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Riga €21Lima €7.96
Tours and Activities in Riga
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Riga are as follows:
- First Discovery Walk and Reading Walking Tour: $3.23
- City Exploration Game and Tour on your Phone: $6.45
- City Exploration Game and Tour: $6.46
- Self-Guided Highlights Scavenger Hunt & Walking Tour: $7.00
- Riga Old Town Legends Audio Tour on Your Phone (ENG): $7.39
- Entrance Ticket - House of the Black Heads: $7.53
- Complete Self-guided Audio Tour on your Phone: $8.50
- Boat tour in Canal and Daugava: $9.69
- Discover Riga's Art Nouveau Self-Guided Audio Tour: $11
- Self-Guided Audio Tour: $11
- Riga Nightlife Ticket: $11
- Canal Boat Sightseeing Tour: $13
Typical Entertainment Prices in Lima
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Lima are as follows:
-
Entrance to Museo Larco (for 2)€15
-
Movie Tickets€2.12
Tours and Activities in Lima
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Lima are as follows:
- Free Walking Tour of Lima: $2.00
- Peru's Best Bike Experience since 2014 - 4 Hours Hire: $9.90
- Customize your trip to Peru with Lima Experience: $12
- bike tour: $12
- Skip the Line: Larco Museum Admission Ticket: $13
- Beach tour and surfboards for rent in Lima, Peru: $14
- Barranco Street Art Tour: $17
- Party tour Fridays Barranco / Saturdays Miraflores: $18
- Private Beach Guided Bike Tour in Lima : $19
- Private Tour with guide in Museo de Arte de Lima - MALI: $20
- Guided Walking Tour in Barranco: $20
- Lima Downtown Tour from Miraflores in 3 hrs: $21
Alcohol
-
Alcohol Drinks for one dayRiga €20Lima €5.17
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: $25
- Pub Crawl in Riga: $33
- Riga Evening Adventure: Pub Crawl & Games Night: $37
- Riga's Old Town Beer Bike Tour & Guided Pub Crawl: $38
- Riga Happy Hour Pub Crawl: $54
- Riga Beer Killer Bar Crawl: $55
- Latvian Wine Tasting & Monk Show: $75
- Old Town Sightseeing & Latvian Wine Tasting with Show: $97
- Riga Wine Tasting Session: $103
- Riga Pub Crawl & Party Bus Tour: $526
- Yacht Tour with Medieval Banquet and Wine Tasting: $3,341
Typical Alcohol Prices in Lima
Some typical examples of the costs for nightlife and alcohol in Lima are as follows:
-
Bottle of Wine€6.71
-
Beer€3.74
-
Cocktail€2.99
Sample the Local Flavors in Lima
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Lima:
- Gin and Rum Distillery Tour: $12
- Lima Pub Crawl - Party tour: Friday Barranco/Saturday miraflores: $18
- Exclusive Pub Crawl with 10+ benefits: $18
- Party Tour in Miraflores with Bar Crawl and Drinks: $18
- Pub Crawl in Lima: $25
- Local Wine Tour : $39
- Local Wine Tour: $50
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Riga and Lima, we can see that Riga is more expensive. And not only is Lima much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Riga is in Europe and Lima is in South America, 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 Lima would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Lima 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 Lima.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Riga Expensive? and Is Lima Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Riga or Lima?
Lima has a larger population, and is about 10 times larger than the population of Riga. When comparing the sizes of Riga and Lima, 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.
When is the best time to visit Riga or Lima?
Riga has a temperate climate with four distinct seasons, but Lima experiences a warm climate with fairly sunny weather most of the year.
Should I visit Riga or Lima in the Summer?
Both Lima and Riga are popular destinations to visit in the summer with plenty of activities. Most visitors come to Riga for the city activities and the family-friendly experiences during these months. Plenty of visitors come to Lima because of the warm climate and sunshine that lasts throughout the year.
In July, Riga is generally around the same temperature as Lima. Daily temperatures in Riga average around 17°C (63°F), and Lima fluctuates around 18°C (64°F).
In July, Riga usually receives more rain than Lima. Riga gets 79 mm (3.1 in) of rain, while Lima receives 12 mm (0.5 in) of rain each month for the summer.
-
Summer Average Temperatures JulyRiga 17°C (63°F)Lima 18°C (64°F)
Should I visit Riga or Lima in the Autumn?
Both Lima and Riga during the autumn are popular places to visit. The autumn months attract visitors to Riga because of the city's sights and attractions, the shopping scene, and the natural beauty of the area. Warm weather and sunshine bring visitors to Lima year-round.
Riga is much colder than Lima in the autumn. The daily temperature in Riga averages around 7°C (45°F) in October, and Lima fluctuates around 19°C (66°F).
Riga usually gets more rain in October than Lima. Riga gets 60 mm (2.4 in) of rain, while Lima receives 7 mm (0.3 in) of rain this time of the year.
-
Autumn Average Temperatures OctoberRiga 7°C (45°F)Lima 19°C (66°F)
Should I visit Riga or Lima in the Winter?
The winter attracts plenty of travelers to both Riga and Lima. The museums, the shopping scene, and the cuisine are the main draw to Riga this time of year. Lima attracts visitors year-round for its warm weather and sunny climate.
It's quite cold in Riga in the winter. In the winter, Riga is much colder than Lima. Typically, the winter temperatures in Riga in January average around -5°C (23°F), and Lima averages at about 23°C (73°F).
In January, Riga usually receives more rain than Lima. Riga gets 33 mm (1.3 in) of rain, while Lima receives 4 mm (0.2 in) of rain each month for the winter.
-
Winter Average Temperatures JanuaryRiga -5°C (23°F)Lima 23°C (73°F)
Should I visit Riga or Lima in the Spring?
The spring brings many poeple to Riga as well as Lima. Many travelers come to Riga for the activities around the city and the natural beauty. The warm climate attracts visitors to Lima throughout the year.
In April, Riga is generally much colder than Lima. Daily temperatures in Riga average around 5°C (42°F), and Lima fluctuates around 22°C (72°F).
Riga usually gets more rain in April than Lima. Riga gets 39 mm (1.5 in) of rain, while Lima receives 2 mm (0.1 in) of rain this time of the year.
-
Spring Average Temperatures AprilRiga 5°C (42°F)Lima 22°C (72°F)
Typical Weather for Lima and Riga
| Riga | Lima | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | -5°C (23°F) | 33 mm (1.3 in) | 23°C (73°F) | 4 mm (0.2 in) |
| Feb | -4°C (24°F) | 25 mm (1 in) | 24°C (75°F) | 2 mm (0.1 in) |
| Mar | -0°C (31°F) | 31 mm (1.2 in) | 23°C (73°F) | 3 mm (0.1 in) |
| Apr | 5°C (42°F) | 39 mm (1.5 in) | 22°C (72°F) | 2 mm (0.1 in) |
| May | 12°C (53°F) | 43 mm (1.7 in) | 20°C (68°F) | 5 mm (0.2 in) |
| Jun | 15°C (60°F) | 61 mm (2.4 in) | 19°C (66°F) | 11 mm (0.4 in) |
| Jul | 17°C (63°F) | 79 mm (3.1 in) | 18°C (64°F) | 12 mm (0.5 in) |
| Aug | 16°C (62°F) | 79 mm (3.1 in) | 17°C (63°F) | 15 mm (0.6 in) |
| Sep | 12°C (54°F) | 76 mm (3 in) | 18°C (64°F) | 13 mm (0.5 in) |
| Oct | 7°C (45°F) | 60 mm (2.4 in) | 19°C (66°F) | 7 mm (0.3 in) |
| Nov | 2°C (36°F) | 61 mm (2.4 in) | 20°C (68°F) | 5 mm (0.2 in) |
| Dec | -2°C (28°F) | 49 mm (1.9 in) | 22°C (72°F) | 3 mm (0.1 in) |
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.