Moving to Greece from Latvia

moving to

What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Latvia to Greece — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Latvia to Greece, you would find that Greece is 8.8% more expensive than Latvia overall. A €65,700 salary in Latvia would need to be roughly €71,399 in Greece to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Greek. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Athens averages 72°F vs 50°F in Riga, making it significantly warmer.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Latvia to Greece.

What does your salary buy?

€65,700 €71,399

To maintain the same standard of living in Greece

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 8.4% more

Groceries

pay 22.4% more

Transportation

pay 24.0% more

Housing

pay 32.9% more

Childcare

pay 31.8% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 8.6% more

See full cost of living breakdown

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 Greece, and how the trend has changed.

Living there in 2020
357 ↑ 2% vs 2015

people born in Latvia live in Greece · UN DESA

Who's moving to Greece?

Top countries of origin for Greece's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

How Latvia and Greece stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

per 100,000 people per year

LV
3.6
GR
1.1
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

LV
9.8
GR
7.3

Greece performs significantly better than Latvia across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

LV
$3,034
GR
$3,454
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

affects wait times and access to care

LV
33.8
GR
63.7

Greece generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Latvia leads in healthcare spending per person.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

LV
40.0
GR
23.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

LV
3.6t
GR
5.0t

Latvia generally does better on environment, though Greece leads in air pollution deaths.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

LV
26.4
GR
43.0
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

LV
1.1%
GR
20.7%

Latvia generally does better on infrastructure, though Greece leads in broadband per 100 people.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

LV
6.5%
GR
11.0%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

LV
$37,800
GR
$36,300

Latvia generally does better on employment & economy, though Greece leads in poverty rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

LV
75.9 yrs
GR
81.5 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

LV
4.8
GR
3.5

Latvia generally does better on family life, though Greece leads in life expectancy.

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.

Riga Rain: 24.9 in/yr (633 mm)
50° / 36°F

Avg. annual high / low

Athens Rain: 16.3 in/yr (414 mm)
72° / 54°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Riga Athens
Jan–Mar 31°/20°F (0°/-7°C) 57°/42°F (14°/6°C)
Apr–Jun 60°/42°F (15°/6°C) 78°/57°F (26°/14°C)
Jul–Sep 67°/51°F (20°/11°C) 90°/67°F (32°/20°C)
Oct–Dec 41°/31°F (5°/0°C) 65°/50°F (18°/10°C)
View all months
Month Riga Athens
Jan 28°/18°F (-2.3°/-7.8°C) 54°/41°F (12.5°/5.2°C)
Feb 29°/18°F (-1.7°/-7.6°C) 56°/42°F (13.5°/5.4°C)
Mar 37°/24°F (2.7°/-4.7°C) 60°/44°F (15.7°/6.7°C)
Apr 50°/34°F (9.8°/1.0°C) 68°/49°F (20.2°/9.6°C)
May 61°/43°F (16.2°/5.9°C) 79°/57°F (26.0°/13.9°C)
Jun 68°/50°F (20.1°/10.0°C) 88°/65°F (31.1°/18.2°C)
Jul 71°/54°F (21.7°/12.3°C) 92°/69°F (33.5°/20.8°C)
Aug 70°/53°F (21.0°/11.8°C) 92°/69°F (33.2°/20.7°C)
Sep 61°/46°F (16.3°/8.0°C) 85°/63°F (29.2°/17.3°C)
Oct 51°/39°F (10.4°/4.0°C) 74°/56°F (23.3°/13.4°C)
Nov 39°/31°F (3.9°/-0.5°C) 65°/50°F (18.1°/9.8°C)
Dec 33°/24°F (0.3°/-4.4°C) 57°/44°F (14.1°/6.8°C)

Data: Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre, Hellenic National Meteorological Service Hellenic National Meteorological Service

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Latvia and Greece. To live, work, or study long-term in Greece, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Greece's immigration authority.

Latvia passport

Latvia passport holder visiting Greece

Visa Free
Latvia passport holders can enter Greece without a visa.
Greece passport

Greece passport holder visiting Latvia

Visa Free
Greece passport holders can enter Latvia without a visa.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Greece than Latvia?

Day-to-day costs in Greece run about 9% higher than Latvia on average; specific cities can swing further.

How much money do I need to move to Greece?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a €65,700 comparable salary, that's around €17,850 in Greece for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Greece?

With 43.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Greece 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 Greece.

Is Greece safe for expats?

Greece performs significantly better than Latvia across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Greece is 1.1 per 100,000 people, compared to 3.6 in Latvia.

How is healthcare in Greece compared to Latvia?

Greece generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Latvia leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 63.7 doctors per 10,000 people in Greece, compared to 33.8 in Latvia. Greece scores 77 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Latvia: 75).

What's the weather like in Greece compared to Latvia?

The average high temperature in Athens is 72°F, compared to 50°F in Riga. Athens receives around 16.3 in of rainfall per year, while Riga gets 24.9 in.

What language do they speak in Greece?

The official language in Greece is Greek. In Latvia, the official language is Latvian.

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At a Glance

LV GR
Population 1,842,226 10,533,871
Currency Euro (€) Euro (€)
Languages Latvian Greek
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +371 +30
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 112