Should you visit Riga or Turku?
Should I visit Riga or Turku? 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.
Turku
Turku, a city on the southwest coast of Finland, straddles the Aura River. Dating from the 13th century, it's known for Turku Castle, a medieval fortress with a history museum, perched at the river mouth. Restaurants line the cobbled riverside streets. On the eastern bank lies the Old Great Square, a former trade hub, surrounded by grand buildings. The nearby Turku Cathedral houses a royal tomb and a museum. The historic castle and cathedral point to the city's rich cultural history when it was the Finnish capital, and contemporary Turku is full of experimental art and vibrant festivals, thanks in part to its spirited university population (the country's second largest), who make Turku's nightlife young and fun. As the first city many visitors encounter arriving by ferry from Sweden and Aland, it's a splendid introduction to the Finnish mainland.
Which city is cheaper, Turku 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 Turku is €109. 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 Turku 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 prices for places to stay in Turku can vary by date, location, and type. Generally, the average cost for accommodation per person is €61, while a typical double-occupancy hotel room for two people will cost around €122.
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.
Food in Turku costs travelers about €26 per day on average. Restaurants can vary significantly in price, so choose wisely if you're trying to save money. Fast food and street stalls are typically your cheapest options, which sit down restaurants can be significantly more expensive.
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Food
Meals for one day
Riga €26
Turku €26
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.
Public transportation tends to be much less expensive in Turku than paying for a taxi or private car service, as is expected. Typically, people spend €35 on transportation in Turku on average per day.
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
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Turku
Also for Turku, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Turku (TKU) to City Center to Airport - Private Transfer:
$68
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Turku Private Transfer from Turku (TKU) Airport to City centre:
$83
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Turku Private Transfer from Turku city centre to Turku airport:
$83
Is it cheaper to fly into Riga or Turku?
Prices for flights to both Turku 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 expenses in Turku, including the cost of admission tickets for day tours, museums, and attractions, usually cost an average of €18 per day, per person.
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
Tours and Activities in Turku
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Turku.
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Romantic tour in Turku:
$496
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The best of Turku 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 Turku, the average amount that a visitor spends on alcoholic beverages per day is €9.35.
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 we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Riga and Turku, we can see that Turku 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 Turku would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Turku than you might in Riga.
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