Gdańsk vs Riga
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Gdańsk edges it, 67 to 64, winning 4 of the 9 factors. Gdańsk is stronger on safety, cost of living; Riga on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Gdańsk | Riga |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 54 ✓ | 41 |
| Safety | 83 ✓ | 68 |
| Healthcare | 74 ✓ | 67 |
| Internet | no data | 67 |
| Visa ease | 90 | 90 |
| Getting there & around | 42 | 44 ✓ |
| Climate | 25 | 25 |
| Air quality | 83 | 91 ✓ |
| Quality of life | 84 ✓ | 82 |
Cost
| Metric | Gdańsk | Riga |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one person | $1,354 ✓ | $1,823 |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Gdańsk | Riga |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 0.7 ✓ | 4.5 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 74.4 | 76.5 ✓ |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 82 ✓ | 77 |
| Life expectancy | 75.4 yrs ✓ | 73.2 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Gdańsk | Riga |
|---|---|---|
| Download | no data | 44.7 Mbps |
| Upload | no data | 13.8 Mbps |
Visa
| Metric | Gdańsk | Riga |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data |
| Visa-free days, US passport | 90 days | 90 days |
| Visa-free days, EU passport | unlimited | unlimited |
| Visa-free days, UK passport | 90 days | 90 days |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Gdańsk | Riga |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 84 | 96 ✓ |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 4 | 4 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 4 | 4 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Gdańsk | Riga |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 3 | 3 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 12.7 µg/m³ | 8.9 µg/m³ ✓ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Gdańsk or Riga?
- Gdańsk is cheaper: about $1,354 per month versus $1,823 for one person.
- Is Gdańsk or Riga safer?
- Gdańsk scores higher on safety (83 vs 68), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Gdańsk or Riga?
- M-Lab has no reliable measurement for one of the two cities.
More comparisons
Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Digital Nomad Visas 2026; Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Estimates of rates of homicides per 100 000 population; UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); WHO Ambient Air Quality Database, June 2026 update (V8); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); WhereNext city cost estimates 2026 (city pages). Dataset 2026.09.4. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.