City skyline at night shrouded in fog with reflections.
The nave of Riga Cathedral in Riga, Latvia.
House of Blackheads and St. Peter's Church Tower at dusk, Riga,…
Turaida Castle in Latvia
Turaida Castle in Latvia
Barricade in Jēkaba street, Riga, to prevent Soviet Red Army fr…
UN MemberVisa-free · 90 daysPop. 1.9M
72
NestFainder ScoreAI

Great fit

BCost
B+Safety
BClimate
AHDI
Latvia flag

Latvia

Baltic Sea · Latvian

Latvia

Latvia delivers Europe's high quality of life at half the cost—laid-back pace, endless summer days, organic food, and national parks that make raising a family stress-free.

CLIMATE
Baltic Sea
18°C avg · 2000h sun/yr
CURRENCY
EUR €
LANGUAGE
Latvian
SAFETY
Safe
#1 globally · Safety index 64/100
COST OF LIVING
Moderate
Cost index 52/100
TIME ZONE
GMT+2 / GMT+3
UTC+2 / +3

What it's like to live in Latvia

Latvia is a Baltic state located in Northern Europe, bordered by Estonia to the north, Lithuania to the south, Russia to the east, and Belarus to the southeast. Its strategic position on the eastern coast of the Baltic Sea has historically made it a...


Cost of living
vs EU Average11% higher than EU average
1-bed apartment, city
€420Apartment (1 bedroom) in City…
Dinner for two
€10.50Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant
Monthly groceries
€1.10Milk (regular), (1 liter)
Public transit (month)
€1.43One-way Ticket (Local Transpo…
Read the full cost-of-living guide
★ Professional

Your Latvia Roadmap

40+ page personal relocation analysis — visa path, tax strategy, neighbourhood guide, healthcare setup and more.

€29one-time report
What's included
  • Visa & residency path
  • Tax optimisation
  • Neighbourhood guide
  • Healthcare & schools
  • Cost breakdown

Healthcare

  • Latvia operates a mixed public and private healthcare system, with public services managed by the National Health Service (NVD) and funded through taxes and social security contributions.
  • Expats with a residence permit and social security contributions can access public healthcare, but many opt for private insurance due to potential long waiting times and staff shortages in the public sector.
  • Proof of health insurance is a mandatory prerequisite for non-EU/EEA/Swiss citizens applying for a Latvian residence permit, covering emergency treatment and repatriation.
Healthcare guide →
Entry Requirements & Visa Options

Latvia, as part of the Schengen Area, allows citizens of 59 visa-exempt countries—including the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and most Latin American nations—to enter without a visa for up to 90 days within any 180-day period. This limit applies cumulatively across all 29 Schengen countries, so prior visits to France, Germany, or other Schengen states count toward the total. Passport requirements are strict: must be issued within the last 10 years from entry date and...

Digital Nomad Visa available
Read full guide

Travel advisories, hazards, and conflict indicators

What other governments currently advise about traveling here

Cost of living, housing, income, and purchasing power overview

Income tax, corporate tax, and fiscal overview

Job market, business environment, and work permits

International schools, universities, and curricula

Pension, retirement pathways, and financial planning

Seasonal temperatures, rainfall, and sunshine hours

Population, languages, and ethnic composition

Day-to-day expat life and practical tips

Public transit, airports, and getting around

Community, cultural integration, and expat life

Air quality, green spaces, and sustainability

Political system, government structure, and key policies

Location overview, cost of living index, and purchasing power

Economic and geographic overview at a glance

Community perspectives and expat experiences

Ready to stop
browsing and start moving?

Generate a personalized relocation roadmap — visa path, 3 shortlisted cities, tax & timeline.

This content was generated using artificial intelligence based on publicly available information. It is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax, immigration, or professional advice. Information may be incomplete or outdated. Always verify with official sources before making decisions.

Data Source: Safety, crime, and quality metrics are sourced from Numbeo, a crowd-sourced global database of reported data.

All scores are relative comparisons on a 0-100 scale, where 50 = global average. Higher scores mean better than average, lower scores mean worse than average.