MoscowvsRiga
📶
Riga has 2x faster internet
200 Mbps avg download speed
🌡️
Continental vs Temperate climate
Different weather patterns year-round
💰 Cost of Living Breakdown
Monthly expenses comparison in USD
Expense
Moscow
Riga
Total Budget
$1,800/mo
$1,600/mo ✓
Rent (1BR)
$1,200/mo
$550/mo ✓
Coworking
$180/mo
$180/mo
Meal Out
$8 ✓
$9
Coffee
$3
$3
Riga is $200/mo cheaper (13% savings)
💻 Remote Work Essentials
Internet, timezone, and language comparison
🌍 Moscow
📶 Internet95 Mbps
🕐 TimezoneUTC+3
🗣️ Englishmedium
🛂 Nomad VisaNot available
Working hours overlap:
🇺🇸 US West0h
🇺🇸 US East3h
🇬🇧 London8h
🇩🇪 Berlin8h
🌍 Riga
📶 Internet200 Mbps
🕐 TimezoneUTC+2
🗣️ Englishhigh
🛂 Nomad VisaNot available
Working hours overlap:
🇺🇸 US West1h
🇺🇸 US East4h
🇬🇧 London8h
🇩🇪 Berlin8h
🌡️ Climate Comparison
Weather patterns and best times to visit
Moscow
ClimateContinental
Avg Temp7°C
Rainy Days126/year
Best months: September, July, August, May
Riga
ClimateTemperate
Avg Temp9°C
Rainy Days155/year
Best months: September
Quarterly Temperatures
Jan
-6°-1°
Apr
9°8°
Jul
21°19°
Oct
6°8°
MoscowRiga
📊 Full Comparison
Category
🌍Moscow
🌍Riga
💰
Monthly Budget
$1,800
$1,600
Winner📶
Internet Speed
95 Mbps
200 Mbps
Winner🛡️
Safety
3/5
4.3/5
Winner⭐
Nomad Score
3.6/10
4.1/10
Winner🍽️
Food Scene
7/10
7/10
🎉
Nightlife
8/10
8/10
🚶
Walkability
7/10
8/10
👥
Community
small
medium
Winner0
Moscow wins
vs
5
Riga wins
Which City is Right for You?
Recommendations based on your nomad style
💵Budget Nomad
Riga
$200/mo cheaper with similar quality of life
💻Developer
Riga
200 Mbps is essential for video calls & uploads
🦋Social Butterfly
Riga
Larger nomad community for networking
🛡️Safety-First
Riga
Significantly higher safety rating
🍜Foodie
Either works
Both have great food scenes
🎉Party Person
Either works
Both have great nightlife
🌍Moscow
Pros
- +World-class museums, theatres and classical music including the Bolshoi and Tretyakov Gallery
- +Dense, efficient metro network that makes it easy to move around the vast city
- +Fast fixed broadband and widespread 4G/5G coverage in urban areas
- +Cost of living lower than Western Europe for comparable big-city infrastructure
Cons
- −Ongoing geopolitical situation, sanctions and travel restrictions make long stays complex for many nationalities
- −Many Western payment apps and services do not work; foreign cards can be limited or blocked
- −English is not widely spoken outside younger and professional circles, Russian is very useful
- −Harsh, long winters with short daylight hours and temperatures well below freezing
🌍Riga
Pros
- +Lower cost of living and rent than most Western European capitals
- +Good, reliable internet with high fixed broadband speeds and growing 5G coverage
- +Atmospheric UNESCO-listed Old Town with cobbled streets and churches
- +Strong café culture with several laptop-friendly specialty coffee shops
Cons
- −Winters are long, dark and cold with snow and ice common
- −Weather can be grey and damp for long stretches outside summer months
- −Job and networking opportunities are more limited than in larger EU capitals
- −Some infrastructure and buildings outside the centre feel a bit dated
