---
title: "Riga vs Vilnius for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/riga-vs-vilnius
description: "Under balanced weights Vilnius edges it, 65 to 64, winning 6 of the 9 factors. Riga is stronger on nothing outright; Vilnius on nothing outright. 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
---

# Riga vs Vilnius for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Vilnius edges it, 65 to 64, winning 6 of the 9 factors. Riga is stronger on nothing outright; Vilnius on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

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

| Metric | Riga | Vilnius | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 41 | 44 | Vilnius |
| Safety | 68 | 73 | Vilnius |
| Healthcare | 67 | 70 | Vilnius |
| Internet | 67 | 72 | Vilnius |
| Visa ease | 90 | 90 | tie |
| Getting there & around | 44 | 39 | Riga |
| Climate | 25 | 25 | tie |
| Air quality | 91 | 92 | Vilnius |
| Quality of life | 82 | 83 | Vilnius |

## Cost

| Metric | Riga | Vilnius | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $1,823 | $1,719 | Vilnius |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Riga | Vilnius | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 4.5 | 4.2 | Vilnius |
| Political stability (0–100) | 76.5 | 81.9 | Vilnius |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 77 | 78 | Vilnius |
| Life expectancy | 73.2 yrs | 74.1 yrs | Vilnius |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Riga | Vilnius | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 44.7 Mbps | 58.6 Mbps | Vilnius |
| Upload | 13.8 Mbps | 15 Mbps | Vilnius |

## Visa

| Metric | Riga | Vilnius | 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 | Riga | Vilnius | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 96 | 60 | Riga |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 4 | 4 | tie |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 4 | 4 | tie |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Riga | Vilnius | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 3 | 3 | tie |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 8.9 µg/m³ | 8.5 µg/m³ | Vilnius |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Riga or Vilnius?

Vilnius is cheaper: about $1,719 per month versus $1,823 for one person.

### Is Riga or Vilnius safer?

Vilnius scores higher on safety (73 vs 68), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.

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

Vilnius: a measured median of 58.6 Mbps versus 44.7 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [Riga](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/riga) · [Vilnius](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/vilnius). 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/riga-vs-vilnius