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

Should you visit Tehran or Riga?

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

Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Tehran and Riga. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.

Where Should I go: Tehran or Riga?

Tehran

The capital of Iran, Tehran is a cosmopolitan city with great museums, art galleries, parks, restaurants, and more. It is located in the northernmost part of Central Iran at the foot of the towering Alborz mountain range. Some of the most popular attractions include the Treasury of the National Jewels, Golestan Palace, and the Tajrish Bazaar.

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.

Which place is cheaper, Riga or Tehran?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in Tehran is $78, while the average daily cost in Riga is $113. 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 destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Tehran and Riga in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Tehran $62
    Riga $57
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Tehran $124
    Riga $114
Compare Hotels in Tehran and Riga

Looking for a hotel in Tehran or Riga? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.

Hotels in Tehran


Hotels in Riga


Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.


Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Riga Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Tehran $0.38
    Riga $16

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Riga

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Riga:

  • From Vilnius: One-Way Private Transfer to Riga: $185
  • Riga Limo Airport Transfer : $165
  • Private transfer Riga - Hill of Crosses - Riga: $105
  • Private Transfer from Riga Airport to Hotel with English speaking driver: $54
  • Private Transfer from Riga Airport RIX to Riga City Center: $32

Is it cheaper to fly into Tehran or Riga?

Prices for flights to both Riga and Tehran 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
    Tehran $14
    Riga $36

Typical Food Prices in Riga

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


  • Fast Food Lunch
    $6.28

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Riga

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

  • Riga Medieval Dinner: $110

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Tehran $4.59
    Riga $23

Tours and Activities in Riga

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

  • The best of Bauska walking tour: $76
  • 1 Day Riga Sightseeing Red Bus Grand Tour: $28
  • 2 Day Kurzeme Winery Tour: $204
  • 5 Hour Shared Tour to Hill of Crosses from Riga: $83
  • ATV Quad Off Road or City Tour in Riga: $144
  • Admission Ticket to Live Silver Museum: $12
  • An audio tour of Old from St Peter's Church to the Monument of Freedom: $5.20
  • Art Nouveau in Written & Audio Guides Tour: $8.85
  • Daily Bike Tour in Riga with Professional Guide: $44
  • For Japanese: Riga Old Town Walking Tour: $42
  • Full Day Gauja National Park Ultimate Hiking & Sightseeing Trip: $277
  • Full Day Private Shore Tour in Riga from Riga Cruise Port: $196

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Tehran -
    Riga $21

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: $33
  • Riga Happy Hour Pub Crawl: $54
  • Riga Brewery Tour: $54
  • Riga Beer Killer Bar Crawl: $55
  • Riga Wine Tasting Session: $104


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Tehran and Riga, we can see that Riga is more expensive. And not only is Tehran much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Tehran is in Middle East and Riga is in Europe, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Tehran would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Tehran 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 Tehran.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Tehran Expensive? and Is Riga Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Tehran or Riga?

Tehran has a larger population, and is about 10 times larger than the population of Riga. When comparing the sizes of Tehran and Riga, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.