Should you visit Riga or Moscow?
Should I visit Riga or Moscow? 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.
Moscow
Moscow is the capital of Russia and is notable for its important role in history. It's a very sprawling city with many museums and fascinating buildings. Ten percent of Russia's population lives in this capital city and it's a financial and political center for the country. The Moskva River weaves its way through the city and you will find most of the city's sights and attractions on the northern side of the river.
Which city is cheaper, Moscow 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 Moscow is €54. 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 Moscow 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.
For a normal double-occupancy room in Moscow, €68 is the average cost for a hotel room. Also in Moscow, the typical price for a place to stay for one person is €34, such as in a hostel.
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 Moscow cost around €12 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 €4.80.
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Food
Meals for one day
Riga €26
Moscow €12
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
Typical Food prices in Moscow
For Moscow, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Moscow
For Moscow, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
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Virtual Home Cooking with Russian Family:
$22
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Moscow Food Tour:
$67
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An evening at the monastery with dinner:
$80
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Traditional Russian Cooking Class and Meal in Moscow with a Friendly Local:
$91
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Private Market Tour and Traditional Russian Cooking Class in Moscow:
$101
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Food Tour:
$102
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Traditional Russian Cooking Class and Meal in a Local Home in Moscow:
$117
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Moscow Metro and Russian Dinner Private tour:
$127
-
Moscow River Cruise with Dinner and Lively Firework with a Private Guide:
$133
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Private food tour: Russian culinary culture:
$144
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Moscow Yummy Food tour:
$160
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Red Square and River Cruise with Dinner Private Tour:
$167
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.
To get around in Moscow, the average visitor spends €5.24 per day, per person. This includes the costs of taxi rides and private drivers as well as public transportation, which tends to be much more affordable.
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
Typical Local Transportation prices in Moscow
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Moscow are as follows:
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Moscow
Also for Moscow, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Ultra - Moscow Private Airport Transfer - City Center to Domodedovo Intl Airport:
$8.71
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Ultra - Moscow Private Airport Transfer City Centre to Sheremetyevo Airport SVO:
$9.41
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Moscow Train Stations Private Arrival/Departure Transfer:
$22
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Private Arrival or Departure Transfer One Way: Moscow Airports to City Center:
$23
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Private Arrival or Departure Transfer: Moscow Airports to Moscow City Center:
$30
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Private Airport Transfer: Moscow to Sheremetyevo International Airport (SVO):
$30
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Private Airport Transfer: from Moscow to Vnukovo International Airport (VKO):
$30
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Moscow DME/SVO/VKO Airports Private Arrival/Departure Transfer:
$32
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Private transfer from the Moscow center hotel to Sheremetyevo Airport:
$34
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Moscow to Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport (SVO) - Departure Private Transfer:
$36
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Departure Private Transfer Moscow City to Moscow Train Station by Business Car:
$38
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Private Business Transfer from Vnukovo Airport (VKO) to Moscow City Center:
$40
Is it cheaper to fly into Riga or Moscow?
Prices for flights to both Moscow 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.
In Moscow, the costs for things to do, activities, admission tickets, and other sightseeing expenses are on average €14 per person, per day.
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
Typical Entertainment prices in Moscow
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Moscow's activities, tours, and tickets:
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Theater Tickets
€13
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Kremlin Entry (2)
€12
Tours and Activities in Moscow
For Moscow, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
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Moscow classical tour:
$6.38
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Admission ticket to Kolomenskoye Historical and Architectural Museum and Reserve:
$7.02
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Tsaritsyno Museum entrance ticket:
$8.14
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Admission ticket to the The Museum of Cosmonautics:
$11
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The Jewish Museum and Tolerance Center Admission Ticket:
$12
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Admission ticket to the State Museum of GULAG's History, Moscow:
$13
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The Museum of Victory Admission Ticket:
$13
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Admission ticket to the Tochka-G Museum of Erotic Art, Moscow:
$14
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Admission ticket to Gallery of the European and American XIX-XX centuries art:
$14
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Tretyakov Gallery Admission Ticket:
$16
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Admission ticket to the New Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow:
$17
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1-hour scenic Moscow River Cruise:
$18
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 Moscow spend on average €6.73 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
Sample the Local Flavors in Moscow
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Moscow:
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Pub Crawl Moscow Guided Tour in Classic Soviet Van:
$79
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Private Wine Tour in Moscow with History, Architecture and Friendly Local Guide:
$121
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Riga and Moscow, we can see that Riga is more expensive. And not only is Moscow much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Moscow would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Moscow 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 Moscow.
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