Cost of Living in Latvia
Eurostat puts consumer prices in Latvia at 80.6 in 2025, where the EU average is 100, so about 19.4% below average. Housing and energy are far cheaper, at 55.6, while food is above the EU level at 107.5. Households spent €619 a month per member in 2025.
What does it cost to live in Latvia? This page uses official figures only: consumer prices, household spending and housing costs from the Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia (CSB), and price levels, house prices and housing cost burden from Eurostat. Where no official national figure exists, we leave the item out.
Rent and housing costs in Latvia
Price levels in Latvia against the EU average, 2023 to 2025
Rent in Latvia
The Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia (CSB) and Latvijas Banka do not publish a national average rent in euros, so we do not show one. The official data shows the pace instead. Rents paid by tenants were 1.1% higher in September 2026 than a year earlier, against 2.6% in the euro area. House prices rose faster: 11.4% in the year to the second quarter of 2026, against 4.7% across the EU.
Housing is cheap by EU standards. Eurostat puts the price level for housing, water, electricity and gas at 55.6 in 2025, where the EU average is 100. Households spent an average of €235.01 a month on housing maintenance in 2025, 11.4% of their disposable income, according to the CSB. In Riga city the figure was €274.40, about 16.8% more. In 2025, 5.7% of people lived in a household spending more than 40% of its disposable income on housing, against 7.6% across the EU.
Consumer prices and inflation
Consumer prices in Latvia were 3.2% higher in September 2026 than a year earlier, according to the CSB. On the harmonised index used for euro area comparisons, the rate was 3.0%, against 3.8% in the euro area, and the flash estimate for October 2026 is 3.0%. Transport drove the rise, up 12.6% over the year, with fuels for transport up 35.3%. Housing, water, electricity and gas rose 7.3%, with heat energy up 9.1% and natural gas 16.6%. Food went the other way: food and non-alcoholic beverages were 4.8% cheaper than a year earlier.
| Commodity group | On a year (Sep 2025 to Sep 2026) | Since December 2025 | On the month |
|---|---|---|---|
| All consumer prices | +3.2% | +3.1% | +0.2% |
| Transport | +12.6% | +11.2% | +2.1% |
| Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels | +7.3% | +5.3% | +0.8% |
| Insurance and financial services | +6.8% | +5.6% | 0.0% |
| Restaurants and accommodation services | +5.7% | +7.4% | -2.4% |
| Recreation, sport and culture | +5.6% | +5.4% | -0.6% |
| Personal care, social protection and miscellaneous goods and services | +3.8% | +3.2% | -0.7% |
| Health | +2.9% | +3.6% | +0.3% |
| Alcoholic beverages, tobacco | +2.3% | +6.7% | -0.1% |
| Furnishings, household equipment and routine household maintenance | +1.8% | +0.6% | -0.3% |
| Education services | +1.8% | +1.4% | +3.9% |
| Information and communication | +1.4% | +1.5% | +0.3% |
| Clothing and footwear | -0.4% | +2.4% | +2.1% |
| Food and non-alcoholic beverages | -4.8% | -5.0% | -0.8% |
Price levels are below the EU average overall. Eurostat puts prices for household consumption in Latvia at 80.6 in 2025, where the EU average is 100, so about 19.4% lower. Food is the exception, at 107.5, above the EU average. Transport stands at 84.2 and restaurants and hotels at 87.4.
What households spend
Households in Latvia spent an average of €619 a month per household member on consumption in 2025, according to the CSB Household Budget Survey. That is €196, or 46%, more than in 2019, but only 7% more at constant prices. Spending was highest in Riga city, at €781 per member, against €657 in urban areas and €524 in rural areas. Food took the largest share, 24.4%, followed by housing and utilities at 16.2%.
| Spending group | Share of spending | Per household member a month |
|---|---|---|
| Food and non-alcoholic beverages | 24.4% | €151 |
| Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels | 16.2% | €100 |
| Transport | 11.9% | €74 |
| Recreation, sport and culture | 8.2% | €51 |
| Restaurants and accommodation services | 6.6% | |
| Health | 6.5% | |
| Information and communication | 5.6% | |
| Personal care, social protection and miscellaneous goods and services | 4.6% | |
| Furnishings, household equipment and routine household maintenance | 4.6% | |
| Clothing and footwear | 3.9% | |
| Insurance and financial services | 3.8% | |
| Alcoholic beverages and tobacco | 2.9% | |
| Education services | 0.9% | |
| Total consumption spending | 100% | €619 |
Transport
Transport took 11.9% of household spending in 2025, or €74 per household member a month. Transport prices were 12.6% higher in September 2026 than a year earlier, while the price level for transport stood at 84.2 against the EU average of 100 in 2025. There is no national fare table. In Riga, the city operator Rīgas satiksme charges €30 for a one-month ticket on trams, trolleybuses and buses, and €1.50 for a 90-minute ticket. See our guide to cost of living in Riga.
Energy and local costs
On the harmonised index, electricity, gas and other fuels rose 9.3% in the year to September 2026, close to the euro area rate of 9.4%. In the national index, electricity rose 6.0% and heat energy 9.1%. Real estate tax is set by each municipality, and we found no official national average for household energy bills or local taxes, so we do not show one.
What it means for pay and hiring
Employees in Latvia earned an average of €1,815 gross and €1,346 net a month in 2025, and a median of €1,462 gross, according to the CSB. In the second quarter of 2026 the average reached €1,886 gross. The minimum wage is €780 a month in 2026. Consumption spending of €619 per household member is about 46.0% of the average net wage, and average housing maintenance costs of €235.01 per household about 17.5%. With prices 3.2% higher on a year and energy and transport rising fastest, budget for pay reviews. See average salary in Latvia, Latvia minimum wage and our city guide to hiring in Riga.
Employers also pay 23.59% in social contributions on top of gross pay in 2026, as our guide to hiring in Latvia explains. Hiring in Latvia? We do placement. We source, screen and interview remote professionals across Europe, then deliver a shortlist of 3 candidates within 21 days for a flat $6,500, or your deposit back. Prefer to run the search yourself? Post a job for $299. See how placement works or browse remote jobs in Latvia.
This is general information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change and collective agreements can set different terms. Confirm with a local accountant or lawyer before you hire.
Frequently asked questions
Is Latvia expensive compared with the rest of the EU?
No. Eurostat puts the price level for household consumption in Latvia at 80.6 in 2025, where the EU average is 100. Housing and energy stand at 55.6, while food is above the EU average at 107.5.
What is the average rent in Latvia?
No official national average rent in euros is published. Official data shows the trend: rents paid by tenants were 1.1% higher in September 2026 than a year earlier, against 2.6% in the euro area. Households spent €235.01 a month on housing maintenance in 2025.
How much do households in Latvia spend a month?
An average of €619 per household member a month in 2025, according to the CSB Household Budget Survey. Food took 24.4% and housing and utilities 16.2%.
What is the inflation rate in Latvia?
Consumer prices were 3.2% higher in September 2026 than a year earlier, according to the CSB. The harmonised rate was 3.0%, and the flash estimate for October 2026 is 3.0%.
Are house prices rising in Latvia?
Yes. House prices were 11.4% higher in the second quarter of 2026 than a year earlier, against 4.7% across the EU, according to provisional Eurostat data.
Sources
- Eurostat, Price level indices, prc_ppp_ind_1. Checked 5 Nov 2026.
- Eurostat, Harmonised index of consumer prices, prc_hicp_minr. Checked 5 Nov 2026.
- CSB, In September, the average level of consumer prices rose by 0.2 %, 8 Oct 2026. Checked 5 Nov 2026.
- Eurostat, House price index, prc_hpi_q. Checked 5 Nov 2026.
- Eurostat, Housing cost overburden rate, ilc_lvho07a. Checked 5 Nov 2026.
- CSB, Housing maintenance expenditure per one household, MAI010. Checked 5 Nov 2026.
- CSB, Household Budget Survey 2025, press release of 17 Aug 2026. Checked 5 Nov 2026.
- Rīgas satiksme, Ticket types and prices. Checked 5 Nov 2026.
- CSB, Average monthly and median wages, DSV010. Checked 5 Nov 2026.
