Moving To Latvia: Life in Latvia as an expat
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Latvia is a country I discovered in 2007 since I met my girlfriend then, now wife. It was my first time going to visit her, and first time visiting the country.
It was at the beginning of Winter and a frosty -25 degree celsius welcomed me as soon as I set my feet on the ground outside the plane.
It was the first time I experienced such a cold weather.
Nevertheless, my experience as a tourist was great and I really enjoyed the outdoors, the food and the saunas!
Fast forward to 2017 when I quit my corporate life, I seized that opportunity to travel with her around the world and experience the digital nomad lifestyle.
We ended up spending some time in Latvia that we really enjoyed and wondered what it would be to live there long-term.
She hasn't lived in her country since she left in 2007 and I was opened to test out what the life could be.
So, when the opportunity came up early 2019, we seized it to go and test if Latvia was the country we could imagine ourselves spending our old days.
In this blog article, I will break down the process we went through to move and settle down there and my personal experience of living in Latvia.
Is Latvia A Good Country To Live In?
Decide what appeals to you to live there
We have welcomed our baby girl since the end of 2018 and were then a family of 3. So, we were looking for the comfort to raise our baby in a stress free environment and with a lot of activities to do.
What I loved the most about living in Latvia is how peaceful the lifestyle is. I have not felt stressed for a minute. The life is really laid back and Latvians tend to spend a lot of time outdoors. At least during the warmer days.
The days are long during Summer. You can expect up to 17 hours of daylight.
There are many national parks to explore and the nature is one of a kind.
I also really enjoy the Latvian food and their barbecues. All fruits and vegetables are organic and actually have flavours which is something I missed living in Ireland!
So, if you are a food lover, you will really enjoy your time eating local.
The start up scene in the Baltic countries are on the rise and more and more qualified workforce is needed by local companies to help them grow. I was very interested to learn more about the start up industry and network with local people working in my industry.
Last but not least, the cost of living is very attractive compared to other countries in Europe.
So, overall, Latvia had some great things to offer and was ticking most of the requirements on paper we needed to make our decision.
Is Latvia Expensive To Live In?
Plan your budget
Living in Latvia can be cheap or expensive depending on the type of lifestyle you are after.
But, if you manage to live like a local, an average budget of 600-800 euros a month should be more than enough. We were a family of 3 and we manage to keep our main fixed expenses within that range.
So here are the things to take into considerations:
Accommodation
There are 2 main websites we used to find our place in Latvia.
Rentinriga.lv
You can also get in touch with Liam, the admin of the Facebook group Expatvians: Expats in Riga/Latvia. A very friendly lad from the UK very helpful.
Bills (water, electricity, gas)
Bills are not expensive during Summer. However, they can rise quickly in Winter depending on the type of place you live in.
So, be aware. Expect to pay up to 100 euros in Summer and up to 200-300 in Winter. Most accommodation are very well insulated and I could be just wearing shorts and t-shirts indoors while Winter.
Grocery shopping
Food can be quite expensive in super markets. What locals would do is get in touch with local farmers to provide them with products such as meat, milk, fruits and vegetables.
Latvians live in community and one person knows one person who knows another. So if you are looking for something, just ask and let the word of mouth do its magic!
Internet
We paid 40 euros with baltcom and never had any problem.
The Internet speed in Latvia is one of the fastest in Europe! So, very ideal if you are working from home.
Phone bills
We bought 2 local sim cards that got us unlimited internet by paying 20 euros a month.
Transports
I used the train mostly between Jelgava and Riga. A monthly ticket would cost about 50 euros a month. They are not the fanciest type of train but they will bring you from point A to point B.
Otherwise I’d rent a car from Riga Airport when necessary. Be aware that most credit cards are not accepted for car rental deposit.
Find a job
Finding a job in Latvia as a foreigner not speaking the local language can be a challenge.
However, if you have some IT or marketing experience you may found a few opportunities in companies where the work language is mainly English.
Indeed, the startup scene is on the rise in the Baltic countries and more and more companies are starting to expand internationally and need workforce who speak natively the market language they are expanding into.
You can check the following websites to find some job opportunities:
Also, make sure to join Facebook groups of the country and city you are planning to live in. There are expats facebook group that offer some great insights on the local life and members do not hesitate to share their tips.
You may even find some job offers posted on them specifically for expats.
The Start up scene in Latvia
Iphonephotographyschool, Printful , Mapon, Local
Those are all local start ups with their HQ based in Latvia.
Being in Latvia, I seized the opportunity to learn more about the startup scene. There are many successful companies that already have an international presence and are already recognised as an authority in their fields.
Attending events to network with people working in this industry has been very interesting and opened my mind on business opportunities I never thought about in the past.
Here are two main start up events in Latvia I’d recommend to attend if you are interested to network:
Find an accommodation
Finding an accommodation in Latvia can be a challenge for foreigners. Indeed, some local landlords won't hesitate to make you pay the highest price and some might even scam you.
So, to be safe, ask someone local to do the research for you or ask a local agency to help.
In my case I used the services of Expatvians they really listened to my needs, found the apartments of my interests, did the visit for me via video chat and if that would be the good one, planned a visit at the earliest convenience. It took us 2 weeks from the moment we arrived to move in our new place.
What type of documents you will need to provide:
Registered ID
Bank account
Proof of work or regular income
The rent can go from 250 € per month to more depending on your budget. The bills are different from Summer to Winter and depending on the area you live in. The closer to Riga, the more expensive it is.
I lived in Jelgava which is about 45 minutes drive from Riga, rented a modern apartment with 2 bedrooms and 1 bath for 300€ per month.
Relocating To Latvia: How To Plan the logistics
So, the decision is made you are now leaving to Latvia!
What's next?
Time to plan all the logistics.
Living in Ireland we heard of this courier who would offer relocation services. They use a Van to store your belongings and drive through Europe within a few days to the destination of your choice for delivery.
Their services were reasonable. They charged with a flat fee per kilo of items you wish to send over.
They update you on a daily basis of the delivery status and if they faced any trouble at customs.
We sent over our belongings and our 2 cats one week prior to our arrival and there was no problem at all.
They were very helpful.
Note: as of today 2020, due to COVID 19 restrictions and brexit, they are not offering these services anymore.
I can recommend you two websites that were really helpful in the relocating process
Paperwork once you arrive
Register as a Latvian citizen
If you are planning on staying more than 3 months you will have to register in order to get your social security number. This ID will be asked for every paperwork you will need to do.
Open a bank account
The process of opening a bank account can be simple and quick as he can be a long process.
It really depends who will take care of your request. Also have someone who speak Latvians come with you as most people don’t speak English. Unless you are in Riga. But to be safe, always have someone speaking Latvian or Russian come with you.
Living in Latvia Pros And Cons
Latvia is the fifth country I lived in. I have lived in Ivory Coast, France, England and Ireland before.
So, I am quite used to starting a new life from scratch and familiar with all the process it involves.
Also, I have traveled to 40 countries across 5 continents, so I am used to cultural differences and how to “camouflage” myself in a new environment.
But, the life in Latvia is different.
Probably because I did not live in the expat bubble like I was used to in previous countries I lived in. And this presented some challenges.
Let’s start with the cons.
Cultural differences
It is not something I enjoy talking about but I must admit that it affected my daily life. And that is being cautious of my actions because I am not a local.
It is safe to say that I do not look like a local but I would have hoped it would not be such a big deal living here.
I kinda don't mind it personally, but I do not like that feeling of being stared at when walking on the streets with my family.
I can understand that it is not a common thing to see an African person around here, especially outside of the main city Riga, but I'd have expected it not to be so obvious.
The customer service is not the best.
Don't expect to hear "hello", "good bye" and "thank you" depending on where you go. It happened a few times that I had zero word exchanged with a cashier at the till of a shop.
And if you happened to hand over the cash to pay for your items, you'd be frowned upon. The money must be put down for them to pick it up which is another thing to get used to.
Furthermore, I once got denied services when trying to open a bank account. It turned out the clerk was not willing to serve “someone of colour”…
I had to go to Riga then with a native Latvian speaker to help me open my account.
So, because of that I never knew how to act in public and had to be cautious constantly. Which is not the kind of lifestyle I imagined.
Language barrier
The language was also a barrier.
You may find some young people speaking English, mostly in Riga, but as soon as you go outside of Riga, you have less chances of finding English speakers. So it can be challenging to communicate and make new friends.
Of course, there are local language schools to learn the language to help with your integration. But, until you can align a few words in Latvian, Google translate and the application Loecsen are your best friends!
Latvians are also very introvert by nature which is something I do not mind because I am an introvert person too.
But, for others in needs of a social life, be aware that it can be challenging to make local friends if you do not know anyone to introduce you to their inner circles.
Winter is long and cold
The winter starts around November and lasts up until May. I have lived in Europe already and experienced cold weather while my travels but Winter in Latvia is really cold! The temperature can go down to -30 degrees.
Combine with that the short day light and not many activities to do outdoors with a toddler, we ended up spending most of our times in cafes, in shops or staying at home.
Crazy drivers
If you drive a car, beware of the other drivers, Latvians love to speed even if there is a speed limit and the roads have holes or are bumpy.
Now let’s talk about the pros
Laid back lifestyle
Latvians do enjoy quality time with their family which is one of the things that attracted me to go experience living there.
Community spirit
Latvians do live in community. Everyone knows someone and they are always willing to help whenever they can. It is refreshing to witness that community spirit. This is something I have missed seeing since I have started living in occidental countries.
Beautiful nature
Latvia is home to beautiful national parks. The country being quite small, it is easy to travel around and spend some time outdoors. But I believe images speak more than me trying to describe it. So I’d recommend you to follow one Latvian photographer that I am a big fan of @valdisskudre. He’s always out and about the country capturing the best shots I have seen of Latvia.
Is Latvia A Good Country To Live In?
Overall, Latvia was a great life experience. I have only lived there for 7 months and it was a challenge that got me out of my comfort zone and showed me new aspects of my personality.
But the issue was that I am not as young as I used to be when I moved to the other countries I lived in. I am also not single anymore, I have a family to think of.
Furthermore, I am used to a fast paced kind of lifestyle. And I know I can find a more suitable environment to live for me and my family.
Like the nomad capitalist would say,
“Go where you are treated best”.
And I believe that is one of the luxury and a curse of having traveled to many destinations around the world.
Living in Latvia for a few months made me realise everything I missed from the previous countries I lived in, like:
Cycling from one side to another of a city with city bikes. They have scooters but only in Riga.
Booking a car whenever I need one through an app. They have some but only in Riga.
Meeting up with people from different horizons and not being cautious of my actions constantly
Being able to order an item on amazon and receive it the next day. I missed you Prime delivery!
Food delivery and Japanese food!!!!
I guess I am used to living within a community of expats and having everything at my disposal in case I need it. Everything I need is just a click or a tap away.
And that goes in line with the nomadic millennial lifestyle I have built since the past few years.
Same for my wife, she had to experience the reverse cultural shock and it was not something easy on her. She felt like a stranger in her own country.
And I totally understand how she felt because that is the same feeling I had when I traveled back to Ivory Coast in 2016.
I knew it is a great destination to visit from time to time, but not to live in again because I got used to living the occidental lifestyle.
So what's next?
After long discussions, I believe what we need today is a home base in a European country that matches with our lifestyle and travel from time to time to other destinations we want to visit or stay for a couple of weeks.
But, our Latvian life experience had to come to an end.
That’s the reason why we decided to pack everything once more and come back to Ireland. This is the country where we feel the most comfortable among all the ones we’ve lived in so far.
Now, please bear in mind that my experience living in Latvia might be different from others and we do not all have the same lifestyle needs.
So, if you are planning to go live in Latvia, my advice is to come and test the life here before making your own decision.
In my situation I just know that the life in Latvia does not fit with my lifestyle long-term considering what I know I can find elsewhere.
If you are planning to move to Latvia anytime soon, I hope that you will find this article helpful. I remember that when I was doing my research I could not find much information as detailed. Do not hesitate to reach out if you need more information.
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