Moving to Estonia from Latvia
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Latvia to Estonia — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Latvia to Estonia, you would find that Estonia is 4.4% more expensive than Latvia overall. A €64,304 salary in Latvia would need to be roughly €67,065 in Estonia to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Estonian.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Latvia to Estonia.
What does your salary buy?
€64,304 → €67,065
To maintain the same standard of living in Estonia
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 37.3% more
Groceries
pay 2.6% more
Transportation
pay 2.4% less
Housing
pay 25.4% more
Childcare
pay 49.9% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 14.9% more
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Latvia to Estonia, and how the trend has changed.
Key Indicator Comparison
How Latvia and Estonia stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
of residents who feel safe walking alone at night
per 100,000 people per year
Estonia generally does better on safety, though Latvia leads in feel safe walking at night.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Estonia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Latvia leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Latvia generally does better on environment, though Estonia leads in air pollution deaths.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
Estonia generally does better on infrastructure, though Latvia leads in water stress level.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
Estonia performs significantly better than Latvia across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
percentage of adults who can read and write
Estonia generally does better on family life, though Latvia leads in literacy rate.
Data: State Revenue Service, Latvia, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Riga | Tallinn |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 31°/20°F (0°/-7°C) | 31°/21°F (0°/-6°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 60°/42°F (15°/6°C) | 57°/41°F (14°/5°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 67°/51°F (20°/11°C) | 65°/51°F (19°/10°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 41°/31°F (5°/0°C) | 40°/31°F (4°/-1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Riga | Tallinn |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 28°/18°F (-2.3°/-7.8°C) | 29°/20°F (-1.4°/-6.6°C) |
| Feb | 29°/18°F (-1.7°/-7.6°C) | 29°/18°F (-1.8°/-7.5°C) |
| Mar | 37°/24°F (2.7°/-4.7°C) | 36°/24°F (2.0°/-4.3°C) |
| Apr | 50°/34°F (9.8°/1.0°C) | 47°/32°F (8.2°/0.1°C) |
| May | 61°/43°F (16.2°/5.9°C) | 59°/41°F (14.9°/5.0°C) |
| Jun | 68°/50°F (20.1°/10.0°C) | 66°/49°F (19.1°/9.7°C) |
| Jul | 71°/54°F (21.7°/12.3°C) | 70°/54°F (21.2°/12.1°C) |
| Aug | 70°/53°F (21.0°/11.8°C) | 68°/53°F (19.9°/11.6°C) |
| Sep | 61°/46°F (16.3°/8.0°C) | 58°/45°F (14.5°/7.2°C) |
| Oct | 51°/39°F (10.4°/4.0°C) | 48°/38°F (9.1°/3.3°C) |
| Nov | 39°/31°F (3.9°/-0.5°C) | 38°/30°F (3.3°/-1.2°C) |
| Dec | 33°/24°F (0.3°/-4.4°C) | 33°/24°F (0.3°/-4.6°C) |
Data:
Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre,
Estonian Meteorological and Hydrological Institute
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Latvia and Estonia. To live, work, or study long-term in Estonia, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Estonia's immigration authority.
Latvia passport holder visiting Estonia
Visa Free
Estonia passport holder visiting Latvia
Visa FreeData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Estonia than Latvia?
Day-to-day costs in Estonia run about 4% higher than Latvia on average; specific cities can swing further.
How much money do I need to move to Estonia?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a €64,304 comparable salary, that's around €16,766 in Estonia for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, deposits, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Estonia?
With 40.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Estonia can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Latvia and Estonia.
Is Estonia safe for expats?
Estonia generally does better on safety, though Latvia leads in feel safe walking at night. The homicide rate in Estonia is 1.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 3.6 in Latvia. About 75% of people in Estonia feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in Estonia compared to Latvia?
Estonia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Latvia leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 34.4 doctors per 10,000 people in Estonia, compared to 33.8 in Latvia. Estonia scores 79 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Latvia: 75).
What's the weather like in Estonia compared to Latvia?
The average high temperature in Tallinn is 48°F, compared to 50°F in Riga. Tallinn receives around 27.3 in of rainfall per year, while Riga gets 24.9 in.
What language do they speak in Estonia?
The official language in Estonia is Estonian. In Latvia, the official language is Latvian.
