---
title: "Nantes vs Riga for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/nantes-vs-riga
description: "Under balanced weights Nantes edges it, 65 to 64, winning 5 of the 9 factors. Nantes is stronger on healthcare; Riga on getting there & around, cost of living. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you."
dataset: 2026.09.4 (2026-09-26)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# Nantes vs Riga for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Nantes edges it, 65 to 64, winning 5 of the 9 factors. Nantes is stronger on healthcare; Riga on getting there & around, cost of living. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

## Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)

| Metric | Nantes | Riga | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 30 | 41 | Riga |
| Safety | 69 | 68 | Nantes |
| Healthcare | 85 | 67 | Nantes |
| Internet | 73 | 67 | Nantes |
| Visa ease | 90 | 90 | tie |
| Getting there & around | 30 | 44 | Riga |
| Climate | 33 | 25 | Nantes |
| Air quality | 93 | 91 | Nantes |
| Quality of life | 80 | 82 | Riga |

## Cost

| Metric | Nantes | Riga | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $2,344 | $1,823 | Riga |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Nantes | Riga | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 1 | 4.5 | Nantes |
| Political stability (0–100) | 61.8 | 76.5 | Riga |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 82 | 77 | Nantes |
| Life expectancy | 81.9 yrs | 73.2 yrs | Nantes |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Nantes | Riga | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 57.4 Mbps | 44.7 Mbps | Nantes |
| Upload | 17.6 Mbps | 13.8 Mbps | Nantes |

## Visa

| Metric | Nantes | Riga | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed | tie |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data | — |
| Visa-free days, US passport | 90 days | 90 days | tie |
| Visa-free days, EU passport | unlimited | unlimited | tie |
| Visa-free days, UK passport | 90 days | 90 days | tie |

## Getting there and around

| Metric | Nantes | Riga | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 0 | 96 | Riga |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 4 | 4 | tie |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 4 | 4 | tie |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Nantes | Riga | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 4 | 3 | Nantes |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 8 µg/m³ | 8.9 µg/m³ | Nantes |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Nantes or Riga?

Riga is cheaper: about $1,823 per month versus $2,344 for one person.

### Is Nantes or Riga safer?

Nantes scores higher on safety (69 vs 68), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.

### Where is the internet faster, Nantes or Riga?

Nantes: a measured median of 57.4 Mbps versus 44.7 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [Nantes](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/nantes) · [Riga](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/riga). 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).

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/nantes-vs-riga