TallinnvsRiga
💰
Riga saves you $300/month
16% cheaper on rent, food & transport
📶
Riga has 1x faster internet
200 Mbps avg download speed
🌡️
Continental vs Temperate climate
Different weather patterns year-round
🛂
Estonia offers a digital nomad visa
Long-stay visa for remote workers
💰 Cost of Living Breakdown
Monthly expenses comparison in USD
Expense
Tallinn
Riga
Total Budget
$1,900/mo
$1,600/mo ✓
Rent (1BR)
$900/mo
$550/mo ✓
Coworking
$250/mo
$180/mo ✓
Meal Out
$10
$9 ✓
Coffee
$3.5
$3 ✓
Riga is $300/mo cheaper (19% savings)
💻 Remote Work Essentials
Internet, timezone, and language comparison
🌍 Tallinn
📶 Internet155 Mbps
🕐 TimezoneUTC+2
🗣️ Englishhigh
🛂 Nomad VisaAvailable
Working hours overlap:
🇺🇸 US West1h
🇺🇸 US East4h
🇬🇧 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
Tallinn
ClimateContinental
Avg Temp7°C
Rainy Days147/year
Best months: May
Riga
ClimateTemperate
Avg Temp9°C
Rainy Days155/year
Best months: September
Quarterly Temperatures
Jan
-3°-1°
Apr
5°8°
Jul
18°19°
Oct
7°8°
TallinnRiga
📊 Full Comparison
Category
🌍Tallinn
🌍Riga
💰
Monthly Budget
$1,900
$1,600
Winner📶
Internet Speed
155 Mbps
200 Mbps
Winner🛡️
Safety
4.5/5
4.3/5
⭐
Nomad Score
4.1/10
4.1/10
🍽️
Food Scene
8/10
7/10
🎉
Nightlife
8/10
8/10
🚶
Walkability
8/10
8/10
👥
Community
medium
medium
0
Tallinn wins
vs
2
Riga wins
Which City is Right for You?
Recommendations based on your nomad style
💵Budget Nomad
Riga
$300/mo cheaper with similar quality of life
💻Developer
Riga
200 Mbps is essential for video calls & uploads
🦋Social Butterfly
Either works
Similar social opportunities
🛡️Safety-First
Either works
Both cities are similarly safe
🍜Foodie
Either works
Both have great food scenes
🎉Party Person
Either works
Both have great nightlife
🌍Tallinn
Pros
- +Relatively affordable cost of living for an EU capital
- +Very fast and reliable fiber internet with strong digital infrastructure
- +Compact medieval Old Town with great walkability
- +Lively creative scene in Kalamaja and Telliskivi with cafes and galleries
Cons
- −Long, dark and cold winters can feel tough for some nomads
- −Short daylight hours in December and January impact mood and productivity
- −Restaurant and cafe prices closer to Western Europe than to the Balkans or Romania
- −Small-city feel with a more limited nightlife compared to bigger capitals
🌍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
