Riga, Latvia Report of what it's like to live there - 03/16/26
Personal Experiences from Riga, Latvia
Background:
1. Was this post your first expatriate experience? If not, what other cities have you lived in as an expat?
I have lived overseas in eastern and southern Africa and South America. This is my first time living in Europe.
2. What is your home city/country? How long is the trip to post from there, with what connections? How easy/difficult is it to travel to this city/country?
It's about 12 hours with one connection to NYC or DC.
3. What years did you live here?
2024-2027.
4. How long have you lived here?
1.5 years.
5. What brought you to this city (e.g. diplomatic mission, business, NGO, military, teaching, retirement, etc.)?
Diplomatic mission
Housing, Groceries & Food:
1. What is your housing like? What are typical housing sizes, locations, and commute times for expatriates?
Housing is either in apartments or houses in the city center, outside the center by nearby (and a bit closer to the embassy), or farther out from the center but closer to one of the preferred international schools. Most housing is quite nice and almost all is 15-20 minutes driving or less.
2. How would you describe the availability and cost of groceries and household supplies relative to your home country?
Groceries and household supplies are available; you can get anything from EU countries. Price is lower than NYC or DC, and lower than a lot of other European cities, but not cheap.
3. What household or grocery items do you wish you had shipped to post?
They pretty much have everything you need here.
4. What typical restaurants, food delivery services, and/or takeout options are popular among expatriates?
There are a lot of fancy modern European restaurants, and a small handful of more international options. Lots of food delivery options: pizza, burgers, kebabs, some other Asian food.
5. Are there any unusual problems with insects or other infestations in housing?
No.
Daily Life:
1. How do you send and receive your letters and package mail? Are local postal facilities adequate?
Post has DPO and you can also ship directly to your home through Amazon.de or other vendors. DHL, Fedex, etc., are here.
2. What is the availability and cost of household help, and what types of help are typically employed by expatriates?
Household help is not that common among the expat community as it's more expensive than in Africa, Latin America, etc. I think it's around 50 euros for a half day house cleaning.
3. Do you feel that it is safe to walk, run or hike outside? Are there areas where bike riding is possible? What is the availability and safety of outdoor space for exercising? Are these easily accessible?
Yes, it's super safe. Your main limiter will be the weather. It's too cold/dark (in my view) to run or bike outside from October to March/April. There are parks, forests, and bogs that are lovely but not a lot of hills/real "hiking". It's more like quiet forest or beach walks.
4. What kinds of gyms or other sports/workout facilities are available? Are they expensive?
There's a decent embassy gym and a number of Planet Fitness-like places around the city. There are a couple of Crossfit gyms.
5. Are credit cards widely accepted and safe to use locally? Are ATMs common and do you recommend using them? Are they safe to use?
Yes and yes.
6. How much of the local language do you need for daily living? Are local language classes/tutors available and affordable?
Most younger people and service industry folks will speak English. The locals will love it if you learn a little Latvian, and hate it if you speak Russian.
7. Would someone with physical disabilities have difficulties living in this city?
I think it's possible but might be challenging in some parts of town (e.g., Old Town, where there are a lot of cobblestones) and areas that don't have much sidewalk.
Transportation:
1. Are local buses, trams, trains or taxis safe and affordable?
Yes, public transportation works relatively well and is affordable. Bolt is the local version of Uber and is very inexpensive and reliable.
2. What kind of vehicle(s) including electric ones do you recommend bringing to post, given the terrain, infrastructure, availability of parts, burglary/carjacking risks, etc.? What kind of car or vehicles do you advise not to bring?
Pretty much anything you want. Charging stations aren't everywhere but you could probably manage an electric car if you bring your own charger.
Phone & Internet:
1. Is high-speed home Internet access available? How long does it typically take to install it after arrival?
Yes, not expensive, and can be installed before you arrive.
2. Do you have any recommendations regarding mobile phones? Did you keep your home-country plan or use a local provider?
Local providers are good and inexpensive.
Pets:
1. Are qualified veterinarians and/or good kennel services available? Do animals need to be quarantined upon entry to the country? Are there other considerations regarding pets that are particular to this country?
You have to follow the EU regs but vets are good.
Employment & Volunteer Opportunities:
1. What types of jobs do most expatriate spouses/partners have? Locally based or telecommuting? Full-time or part-time? Can you comment on local salary scales?
Telecommuting or working at the embassy. There are not a lot of well-paying jobs available locally.
2. What volunteer opportunities are available locally?
There's an animal shelter that needs dog walkers and is pretty popular. There's an international women's club that organizes a lot of charity drives and one-off volunteer events as well.
3. What is the typical dress code at work and in public places? Is formal dress ever required?
Business casual at the embassy.
Health & Safety:
1. Are there personal security concerns to be aware of at this post? Please describe.
No, it's super safe. Although Old Town gets a little wild late at night - lots of bars popular with Europeans from more expensive places looking for somewhere to party.
2. Are there any particular health concerns? What is the quality of available medical care? What medical conditions typically require medical evacuation?
Local medical care is pretty good. I've never heard of someone being Medevaced, but I imagine it's possible if they had a super complicated situation that required a specialist not available here.
3. What is the air quality like at post (good/moderate/bad)? Are there seasonal air quality issues? Does the air quality have an impact on health?
Good. The air is very fresh here.
4. Are there any particular mental health issues that tend to crop up at post, such as Seasonal Affective Disorder (winter blues)?
Yes, SAD is a thing. It's incredibly dark from October-March. Like daytime is 10am-3pm and sometimes we don't see the sun for weeks, because even though it's technically "daytime" it's gray all day.
5. What is the overall climate: is it extremely hot or cold, wet or dry, at any time of year, for example?
Very seasonal, which is nice.
Expat Life:
1. What is the relative size of the expatriate community? How would you describe overall morale among expatriates?
There are a decent number of Brits and a few other European expats, and some foreign university students, but otherwise I haven't interacted with a lot of expats.
2. What are some typical ways to socialize, either with local people or with other expatriates? Are there groups or clubs that you can recommend?
There are embassy events and self-organized social groups, and the aforementioned international women's club. Not much else going on that's open/welcoming to foreigners.
3. Is this a good city for single people? For couples? For families? Why or why not?
I would say not ideal for single people given how closed off local people are.
4. Is it easy to make friends with locals here? Are there any prejudices or any ethnic groups who might feel uncomfortable here?
No it's not. It's very anti-Russian.
5. Is this a good city for LGBT expatriates? Why or why not?
There is at least one gay bar. The president is gay. There's a small annual pride celebration.
6. Are there problems with ethnic, race/racial minorities or religious prejudices? Gender equality?
People of color tend to have a harder time here. There's a lot of vitriol aimed toward foreigners, particularly those from South Asia, who tend to come as foreign students and work as food delivery drivers.
7. What have been the highlights of your time in this country? Best trips or experiences?
Great access to other European destinations through the national low-cost carrier, airBaltic, and through other regional European airlines.
8. What are some interesting/fun things to do in the area? Can you recommend any “hidden gems"?
Lots of museums, nice forest/beach walks, many "high culture" musical/dance performances. They love music, ballet, opera, theater, and the arts generally here.
9. Is this a "shopping post"? Are there interesting handicrafts, artwork, antiques, or other items that people typically buy there?
Not really, but Latvia is known for its amber and the wool blankets/scarves are nice as well.
10. What are the particular advantages of living in this city?
Very easy to navigate, beautiful architecture, decent food/restaurant options. Lots of small museums. Plenty of art exhibits, ballet, opera, etc. happening all the time.
Words of Wisdom:
1. What do you wish you had known about this particular city/country before moving there?
It's impossible to overstate the cultural/social impact of Soviet occupation here, compounded by the war in Ukraine. Latvians see themselves in Ukraine and the constant anxiety over an attack from Russia, as well as lack of tolerance for all things Russian (including Latvian-born Russian speakers) is real. Latvians are not warm or open - so if you like a place where you can keep to yourself, avoid eye contact, not greet people, etc. you'll be happy here. There's a high value placed on solitude and communing with nature.
2. Knowing what you know now, would you still move to this city?
Probably not. This culture/vibe and the long, dark winters are not for me.
3. If you move here, you can leave behind your:
shorts and tank tops.
4. But don't forget your:
heavy winter coat, gloves, hat, scarf, long underwear, and snow boots.
