Should you visit Riga or Tartu?
Should I visit Riga or Tartu? 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.
Tartu
Tartu is a university town that is also the second largest city in Estonia. It has a population of about 100,000 and dates back to 1030, making it the oldest city in the country. The Emajogi River passes through town and it has a lovely old town that's pleasant to explore. The city is a great place to see day to day life in Estonia. It is a very real town with people going about their daily lives. If you find yourself here when the weather is nice, you'll be greeted by crowds of happy locals out enjoying the weather. They make full use of the warm, sunny weather with festivals, events, and concerts during the summer. This is easily the most fun and eventful time to visit the city.
Which city is cheaper, Tartu 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 Tartu is €84. 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 Tartu 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.
Travelers usually pay around €76 for a double occupancy room in Tartu If you want to be in a premiere location or have high end amenities, you can expect to pay a bit more.
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 Tartu cost around €30 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 €12.
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Food
Meals for one day
Riga €26
Tartu €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
Typical Food prices in Tartu
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Tartu:
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Danishes
€0.76
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Lunch for Two
€4.93
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Ice Cream
€1.27
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Cookies
€0.51
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Coffee & Cake
€3.47
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.
Tartu's transportation costs can vary by the type of transport chosen by visitors. Naturally, taxis and private drivers cost much more than public transportation options. On average, visitors spend €22 per person, per day on transportation in Tartu.
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Riga
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Riga:
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Riga Tank Ride - 2 Hours - Guided with Return Transfers:
$1,192
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Mercedes-Benz Viano Van Transfer from Riga to Vilnius/Talinn/Any Baltic Country:
$425
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Private Minivan Transfer: Riga to Tallinn:
$418
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Private Minivan transfer from Riga to Kaunas:
$413
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Riga Party Bus Airport Transfer:
$382
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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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Private Minivan Transfer from Kaunas to Riga:
$215
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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
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Private Taxi Transfer from Riga or Riga airport to Tallinn:
$153
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Private Transfer from Riga to Vilnius:
$149
Is it cheaper to fly into Riga or Tartu?
Prices for flights to both Tartu 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.
Sightseeing, admission tickets, things to do, and other entertainment expenses in Tartu can vary widely by price. On average, visitors spend around €13 per person, per day on entertainment and sightseeing here.
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 Tartu
For Tartu, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:
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Art Museum ticket
€0.95
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Movie Ticket
€3.47
Tours and Activities in Tartu
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Tartu.
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Tartu Toy Museum Entrance Ticket:
$7.46
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Water Park Entrance Ticket:
$11
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Tartu city cultural tour:
$479
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Tartu city cultural tour:
$479
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Guided tour “Love stories of Tartu”:
$496
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The best of Tartu walking tour:
$496
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.
Alcoholic beverages can often be a significant portion of a traveler's budget, and the costs can vary greatly from person to person. In Tartu, the average amount that a visitor spends on alcoholic beverages per day is €13.
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 Tartu
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Tartu:
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Private Distillery Tour in Tartu with Tastings:
$25
When comparing the travel costs between Riga and Tartu, we can see that Tartu 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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