A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Riga vs. Vilnius for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

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Should you visit Riga or Vilnius?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Should I visit Riga or Vilnius? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and 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.

Vilnius

Vilnius is the capital and largest city in the country of Lithuania. It has a population of more than 500,000 residents and is located in the valley between the Neris River and the Vilnia River in the southeastern part of the country. Visitors come to the city for its beautiful Old Town, impressive architecture, and fascinating culture. In 2009 it was named the European Capital of Culture along with the city of Linz, in Austria.

Which city is cheaper, Vilnius 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 Vilnius is €76. 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. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Riga and Vilnius in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Riga €42
    Vilnius €34
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Riga €84
    Vilnius €68

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Riga €12
    Vilnius €6.64

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Riga

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Riga:

  • Private Departure Transfer from Riga City to Riga RIX Airport: $15
  • 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
  • Private Transfer: Riga to Riga International Airport (RIX): $21
  • English Speaking Private Arrival Transfer from Riga Airport: $25
  • Airport transfer & private driver services: $25
  • Departure Private Transfer Riga City to Riga Airport RIX by Sedan Car: $26
  • Private Minibus Departure Transfer to Riga Airport: $27
  • Private Taxi transfer from Jurmala to Riga: $27
  • English Speaking Private Departure Transfer to Riga Airport: $37
  • Transfer service Riga airport: $37

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Vilnius

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Vilnius:

  • Vilnius Airport Departure Private Transfer: $14
  • Private Airport Transfer: Vilnius International Airport (VNO) to Vilnius: $16
  • Private Airport Transfer: from Vilnius to Vilnius International Airport (VNO): $16
  • Private Vilnius Airport Departure Transfer: $16
  • Private Arrival Transfer from Vilnius VNO Airport to Vilnius City: $17
  • Private Departure Transfer from Vilnius City to Vilnius VNO Airport: $17
  • Vilnius Airport Arrival Private Transfer: $17
  • Private Vilnius VNO Airport - Vilnius City Round-Trip Transfer: $33
  • Private Vilnius Airport Arrival Transfer: $37
  • Departure Private Transfer Vilnius City to Vilnius VNO by Minivan: $46
  • Arrival Private Transfer from Vilnius VNO in Minivan: $46
  • Vilnius Private 1-Way Airport Transfer: $57

Is it cheaper to fly into Riga or Vilnius?

Prices for flights to both Vilnius 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
  • Food Meals for one day
    Riga €26
    Vilnius €32
Typical Food prices in Riga

Some typical examples of dining costs in Riga are as follows:


  • Fast Food Lunch
    €5.77

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 Vilnius

Some typical examples of dining costs in Vilnius are as follows:


  • Dinner for Two
    €13

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Vilnius

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Vilnius.

  • Vilnius - City of Contrasts - The Original City Tour by bicycle (bike+food tour): $32
  • National Dinner with Folk Show in Vilnius: $49
  • Dinner in local family: $66
  • Cooking Class in Vilnius: $71
  • Cooking Class: $74
  • Vilnius Dinner in the Darkness: $115
  • Dinner in the Dark Dining Experience in Riga: $281

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Riga €17
    Vilnius €7.78

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 Vilnius

Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Vilnius are as follows:


  • Walking Tour
    €5.79

Tours and Activities in Vilnius

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Vilnius are as follows:

  • The old town of An audio tour from Cathedral Square to the Gate of Dawn: $5.99
  • Museum of illusions Entrance Ticket: $14
  • Vilnius Self-Guided Audio Tour: $14
  • Vilnius Guided Ghost Walking Tour: $15
  • Vilnius Sightseeing - City Tour: $15
  • Regular walking tour of Soviet Vilnius: $15
  • Regular 2 hr walking tour of Jewish Vilnius: $15
  • Vilnius City Tour audio guide one round 11 languges: $16
  • Vilnius Old Town 2-hour Ghost Tour: $23
  • Bicycle tour Contrasts of Vilnius: $25
  • Highlights of Vilnius - Short City Bike Tour: $25
  • From Vilnius Trakai audio guided tour 11 languages: $27

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Riga €16
    Vilnius €5.10

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 Vilnius

Here are a few samples of the prices for alcohol and nightlife in Vilnius from other travelers:


  • Beer
    €4.34

Sample the Local Flavors in Vilnius

Also in Vilnius, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:

  • Vilnius Pub Crawl: $15

About these numbers

When comparing the travel costs between Riga and Vilnius, we can see that Riga 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.

Budget Your Trip

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Riga vs. Vilnius Travel Comparison

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