Should you visit Riga or Munich?
Should I visit Riga or Munich? 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.
Munich
Munich is the capital city of Bavaria and a top travel destination within Germany. It has stunning architecture and a cultural scene that rivals Berlin. It has some of the country's top museums, festivals, and concerts. Munich is most famous for its Oktoberfest, which is easily the busiest time of year in the city. The architecture is what surprises most travelers. It's quite impressive and truly adds to the character of the city. Although much of Munich was destroyed during World War II, the city has successfully rebuilt most of the buildings in their previous style. Much of the city remains as it was in the 1800s. There are two major research universities in Munich, helping to make it a center for engineering, business, and the sciences.
Which city is cheaper, Munich 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 Munich is €116. 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 Munich 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.
A hotel room in Munich is about €138 This assumes double occupancy and modest accommodations.
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 €15 per day to get around in Munich.
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Riga
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Riga:
-
Airport transfer & private driver services:
$25
-
Departure Private Transfer Riga City to Riga Airport RIX by Minibus:
$93
-
Departure Private Transfer Riga City to Riga Airport RIX by Minivan:
$46
-
Departure Private Transfer Riga City to Riga Airport RIX by Sedan Car:
$26
-
English Speaking Private Arrival Transfer from Riga Airport:
$25
-
English Speaking Private Departure Transfer to Riga Airport:
$37
-
English Speaking Private Minibus Arrival Transfer from Riga Airport:
$49
-
Mercedes-Benz Viano Van Transfer from Riga to Vilnius/Talinn/Any Baltic Country:
$425
-
PanCars CITY RACE + airport/hotel transfer:
$81
-
Private Airport Transfer: from Riga to Riga International Airport (RIX):
$18
-
Private Arrival Transfer from Riga Airport (RIX) to Riga City Center:
$19
-
Private Departure Transfer from Riga City Center to Riga Airport (RIX):
$19
Typical Local Transportation prices in Munich
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Munich:
-
Single Zone Trip on Subway
€2.30
-
Inner District Subway Day Pass
€5.20
-
City transport day ticket
€11
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Munich
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Munich:
-
Ultra - Munich Private Airport Transfer from City Centre to Munich Airport MUC:
$9.41
-
Airport Transfer by Bus:
$12
-
Private Airport Transfer: from Munich to Munich Airport (MUC):
$47
-
Munich to Munich Airport (MUC) - Departure Private Van Transfer:
$47
-
Graz: Private Transfer to or from Munich Airport:
$53
-
Private Business Transfer from Munich City Center to Munich Airport (MUC):
$60
-
Munich City Departure Private Transfer to Munich Train Station in Business Car:
$65
-
Munich City Departure Private Transfer to Munich Central Station in Luxury Van:
$71
-
Private Departure Transfer: Munich City Center to MUC Munich Airport:
$76
-
Munich to Munich Airport (MUC) - Departure Private Car Transfer:
$81
-
Private Airport Transfer to or from the City Center:
$81
-
Private Departure Transfer from Munich City Hotels to Munich Airport MUC:
$82
Is it cheaper to fly into Riga or Munich?
Prices for flights to both Munich 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
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.
Munich food costs typically run travelers around €22 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.
-
Food
Meals for one day
Riga €26
Munich €22
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.
-
Private Guided Virtual Food Tour of Riga:
$12
-
Central Market Latvian Food Tour:
$34
-
Riga Medieval Dinner:
$102
-
Riga Medieval Dinner:
$102
Typical Food prices in Munich
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Munich:
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Munich
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Munich.
-
Viktualienmarkt 2-Hour Gourmet Food Tour: Munich:
$40
-
3-Hour Food Tour Through Haidhausen:
$44
-
Munich Traditional Bavarian Culture, Beer And Food Tour Including Traditional Bavarian Dress:
$200
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 €23 per person, per day in Munich. 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:
-
An audio tour of Old from St Peter's Church to the Monument of Freedom:
$5.00
-
Riga's Architecture: An art nouveau history audio tour:
$5.00
-
Riga Art Nouveau walking tour:
$8.71
-
Classic Car Museum Tour:
$9.95
-
Riga Self-Guided Audio Tour:
$12
-
Self-Guided Audio Tour:
$14
-
Riga Sightseeing Tour by Canal Boat:
$16
-
Gastronomic tour with professional chef:
$19
-
The Best Of Riga Walking Tour:
$22
-
Daily Riga Bike Tour:
$22
-
The Best Of Riga Walking Tour:
$23
-
Best of Riga Walking Tour - Regular Walking tours:
$25
Typical Entertainment prices in Munich
Here are a few typical costs in Munich for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
Tours and Activities in Munich
Here are a few actual costs in Munich for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
-
Haunted City Exploration Game and Tour:
$5.64
-
Old Town Walking Tour in Spanish:
$16
-
CityTourCard Public Transport & Discounts:
$16
-
SEA LIFE Munich Admission Ticket:
$18
-
Day Ticket to Sea Life:
$21
-
Nymphenburg Palace/Munich Residenz Guided Tour:
$21
-
Crypts, Roof Terraces, & Hidden Things Walking Tour:
$21
-
24-Hour Hop-On Hop-Off Express Tour of Munich:
$21
-
Spooky Theatrical Performances and Old Town Tour:
$32
-
Munich Card (Group) with public transport: Save at attractions & tours!:
$33
-
Mysterious Old Town Theatrical Tour:
$33
-
City Tour & FC Bayern Munich Soccer Arena Tour:
$34
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 Munich may vary from person to person, on average a person spends €29 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:
-
Pub Crawl in Riga:
$37
-
Pub Crawl- Your best night out in Riga with our local guide!:
$47
-
Riga Public Pub Crawl:
$60
-
Riga Happy Hour Pub Crawl:
$64
-
Riga Brewery Tour:
$83
-
Riga Brewery Tour:
$83
-
Riga Beer Killer Bar Crawl:
$83
-
Riga Wine Tasting Session:
$115
-
Gauja National Park Tour: Castles and Wine Tasting:
$149
-
Culinary, Historic and Wine Tour to Sigulda and Cesis:
$224
-
Exclusive Latvian Wine Tasting In Riga:
$380
-
1.5-Hour Latvian Wine Tasting Experience:
$476
Typical Alcohol prices in Munich
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in Munich:
Sample the Local Flavors in Munich
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Munich:
-
Munich's Original Pub Crawl:
$28
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Riga and Munich, we can see that Munich 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 Munich would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Munich than you might in Riga.
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