Should you visit Riga or Lulea?
Should I visit Riga or Lulea? 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.
Lulea
Lulea is in northern Sweden, in Norrbotten. It's a mid sized city with about 70,000 residents. It also has a technical university, the Lulea University of Technology, which was created in 1971. The city of Lulea is located at the mouth of Lule River on the Gulf of Bothnia. The city's economy is focused on research, education, trade and services. The university's educational programs appeal to new businesses that range from local companies to multinational corporations. There is also a prominant IT sector in the city.
Which city is cheaper, Lulea 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 Lulea is €89. 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 Lulea 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 average price for accommodation for two people in Lulea is €94. This is for two people sharing a typical double occupancy hotel room.
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 Lulea can vary widely. However, the average price for food per day is €30 per person, and a typical meal will cost around €12 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
Lulea €30
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
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 €18 per day to get around in Lulea.
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
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Lulea
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Lulea:
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Lulea City Center to Lulea Airport (LLA) - Departure Private Transfer:
$70
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Lulea Private Transfer from Central Lulea to Lulea Airport:
$100
Is it cheaper to fly into Riga or Lulea?
Prices for flights to both Lulea 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 €13 per person, per day in Lulea. 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
Tours and Activities in Lulea
Here are a few actual costs in Lulea for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
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Northern Lights tour in a luxury minibuss:
$181
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 Lulea may vary from person to person, on average a person spends €15 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
When comparing the travel costs between Riga and Lulea, we can see that Lulea 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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