Should you visit Riga or Monaco?
Should I visit Riga or Monaco? 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.
Monaco
Monaco is a small city-state that is completely surrounded by France. The Italian Riviera is only a few kilometers to the east and the country enjoys a wonderful, Mediterranean climate. Monaco is also the second smallest independent state in the world, with the Vatican being the smallest. It is six times as large of the Vatican and also the world's most densely populated independent country. It is entirely urban and a fun place to spend a few days.
Which city is cheaper, Monaco 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 Monaco is €148. 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 Monaco 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.
Monaco's average price for two people sharing a typical double-occupancy hotel room is €188. A typical place to stay for one person, per day is €94.
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.
On average, meal and food prices in Monaco cost around €43 per person, per day. While this price can vary widely by location, the type of restaurant, and the amount of food ordered, a typical meal often costs around €17.
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Food
Meals for one day
Riga €26
Monaco €43
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.
The average price of local transportation around Monaco is €14 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.
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 Monaco
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Monaco:
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Private Departure Transfer from Monaco Hotels to Nice Airport:
$65
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Monaco Transfer: Monaco Cruise Port to Nice Airport:
$80
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Departure Private Transfers from Monaco City to Nice Airport NCE:
$98
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Nice Airport Transfers : Monaco City to Nice Airport NCE in Business Car:
$108
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Departure Private Transfers from Monaco City to Nice Airport NCE in Luxury Van:
$118
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Nice Airport Transfers : Monaco City to Nice Airport NCE in Luxury Van:
$124
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Nice Airport Transfers : Monaco City to Nice Airport NCE in Luxury Car:
$157
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Monaco Private Transfer from Monaco-Ville to Nice Airport:
$174
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Between Monaco and Nice: Single Helicopter Transfer:
$199
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Private transfer: Monaco Airport (MCM) to Monaco:
$622
Is it cheaper to fly into Riga or Monaco?
Prices for flights to both Monaco 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.
Monaco's costs for entertainment, tickets, attractions, and tours will often cost around €18 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.
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 Monaco
Here are a few typical costs in Monaco for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
Tours and Activities in Monaco
Here are a few actual costs in Monaco for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
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Oceanographic Museum of Monaco Ticket:
$14
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Monaco Hop on Hop Off Sightseeing Bus Tour:
$29
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Monte-Carlo and Monaco sightseeing walking tour with an expert guide:
$56
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Group tour of French Riviera from the port of Monaco/Monte-Carlo:
$112
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Helicopter Sightseeing Flight:
$164
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Monaco 30/60-Minute Ferrari Driving Experience:
$185
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Lamborghini Sports Car Experience from Monaco:
$211
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Monaco Private Walking Tour:
$245
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Monaco Shore Excursion to Nice, Eze, Monaco & Monte-Carlo Full Day Tour:
$249
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Private Tour: Personal Travel Photographer Tour in Monaco:
$279
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30 Minute Ferrari California T Sports Car Experience from Monaco:
$290
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Monaco Private Walking Tour:
$332
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 Monaco may vary from person to person, on average a person spends €21 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 Monaco
Also in Monaco, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
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Authentic Wine Tasting Experience:
$48
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Monaco Shore Excursion: Private Tour of Nice and Eze with Wine Tasting:
$657
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Private St-Jeannet, St-Paul-de-Vence, and Wine Tour from Monaco:
$843
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Riga and Monaco, we can see that Monaco 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 Monaco would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Monaco than you might in Riga.
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