Live Baltic

Riga asking prices are double deal prices, but like for like the gap is 9–17%

Live Baltic research · Published 20 October 2026 · Listings collected 20 Oct 2026; deals Jan–Sep 2026

Last updated: 20 October 2026 · Published: 20 October 2026

In short

Riga listings look twice as expensive as what flats actually sell for. That's mostly because the ads are dominated by new builds, while most flats that change hands are Soviet-era. Compare like with like and asking prices are 9–17% above deal prices.

+110.6%

Median asking price vs median deal price, all flats (6,370 ads, 7,763 deals)

9–17%

The gap like for like, comparing buildings of the same era

73% vs 18.8%

Share of ads vs deals in buildings from 2001 or later

9.58%

Gross yield on deal prices for Soviet-era (1941–1990) flats (401 rental ads, 4,379 deals)

Asking vs deal price, € per m², by building era
Asking (ads)Deals (State Land Service)

before 1941

Asking (ads) 1,795
Deals (State Land Service) 1,530

1941–1990

Asking (ads) 1,160
Deals (State Land Service) 1,061

2001 and later

Asking (ads) 2,791
Deals (State Land Service) 2,505

All flats

Asking (ads) 2,589
Deals (State Land Service) 1,230
Download the data (Excel)Flats for sale in RigaFlats for rent in RigaRiga neighbourhoodsRead the Tallinn report

Latviski

We compared every Riga apartment ad we could collect on 20 October 2026 (2,045 unique rental ads and 6,370 unique sale ads from City24 and ss.lv, with ads on both portals counted once) against 7,763 Riga apartment purchase deals dated January to September 2026 in the State Land Service (VZD) real estate market data.

Key findings

  1. The median asking price is €2,589/m² (n=6,370 sale ads). The median deal price is €1,230/m² (n=7,763 deals). Asking prices are 110.6% higher.
  2. That gap is mostly about what is advertised. 73.0% of sale ads with a known building era are in buildings from 2001 or later (n=4,592), against 18.8% of deals (n=7,727). 2,628 of the ads are units in new-development projects.
  3. Like for like, the gap is 9–17%: 9.3% for 1941–1990 buildings (685 ads, 4,379 deals), 11.4% for 2001 and later (3,351 ads, 1,452 deals) and 17.3% for buildings before 1941 (551 ads, 1,741 deals).
  4. The portal matters too. Sale ads on ss.lv that are not also on City24 ask a median €1,600/m² (n=1,842), 30.1% above deals; City24 ads outside new-development projects ask €2,640/m² (n=1,900).
  5. The median asking rent is €11.56/m² a month (n=2,045 rental ads). That is a gross yield of 5.36% on asking prices.
  6. Soviet-era (1941–1990) flats yield 9.58% gross on deal prices (401 rental ads, 4,379 deals). Pre-1941 buildings yield 8.31% (363 rental ads, 1,741 deals) and 2001-and-later buildings 6.51% (320 rental ads, 1,452 deals).
  7. New buildings rent for 60% more per m² than Soviet-era ones (€13.59 vs €8.47) but sell for 136% more (€2,505 vs €1,061 per m²).
  8. Our deal prices match the State Land Service's own published medians: for the second half of 2025 it reports €996/m² for standard-series flats in residential districts (3,069 deals) and €2,449/m² for new-project flats there (1,173 deals).

Where yields are highest

Gross rental yield on State Land Service deal prices, by building era. Rental ads collected 20 October 2026; deals January–September 2026. Riga has no district-level deal prices, so this split is by building era, not district.

Older and Soviet-era buildings yield more than new builds, because deal prices are much lower while rents are closer.

Building eraYield on deal pricesRental ads (n)Deals (n)
Soviet-era, 1941–19909.58%4014,379
Pre-19418.31%3631,741
2001 and later6.51%3201,452

Swedbank: housing affordability in Riga (Q2 2026)

Swedbank's quarterly review looks at the buying side: how large a flat an average household can afford with a mortgage. Our data adds the rent side.

"Each Baltic capital faced similar factors in the second quarter as in the first months of 2026. In Tallinn, net wage growth exceeded apartment price growth due to a significant boost from the personal income tax reform. This kept housing affordability considerably higher than a year ago. Conversely, in Vilnius and now also in Riga, prices increased more rapidly than wages. Paired with an increase in interest rates, this has pushed affordability below last year’s levels."

Source: Swedbank, "Baltic Housing Affordability - 2026 Q2".

"Market activity was at or above the long-term average, yet below last year’s exceptional performance. After adjusting for population size, activity was almost identical in Tallinn and Vilnius, with Riga landing slightly below that."

Source: Swedbank, "Baltic Housing Affordability - 2026 Q2".

Swedbank's Latvian edition adds that in Q2 2026 an average Riga household, spending no more than 30% of income on the mortgage, could afford a 108 m² flat, less than a year earlier; affordability fell for Soviet-era series flats, while in the new-build market households could afford a couple of square metres more than a year before. Series-flat prices rose by more than 8% year on year. Read the Latvian review

Swedbank assumes a 30-year mortgage at the average market rate, household income of 1.5 average net monthly wages in Riga, and no more than 30% of income spent on the loan.

On the rent side, Soviet-era (1941-1990) flats in Riga yield 9.58% gross on deal prices (401 rental ads / 4,379 deals) and new builds (2001+) 6.51% (320 / 1,452).

Quotes used with Swedbank's permission. Swedbank has not reviewed Live Baltic's calculations.

This section in Latvian

City

Riga apartments. Rents and asking prices from ads collected 20 October 2026; deal prices January–September 2026.
AreaRental ads (n)Rent €/m²Sale ads (n)Asking €/m²Deals (n)Deal €/m²Yield on askingYield on dealsAsking vs deal gap
Riga2,045€11.56n=2,045 rental ads6,370€2,589n=6,370 sale ads7,763€1,230n=7,763 deals5.36%n=2,045 rental ads, 6,370 sale ads11.28%n=2,045 rental ads, 7,763 deals+110.6%n=6,370 sale ads, 7,763 deals

The city-wide yield on deal prices (11.28%) is overstated: rental ads are newer than the flats that sell (29.5% of rental ads with a known era are 2001+, n=1,085, against 18.8% of deals). Use the building-era table for like-for-like yields.

Asking prices by source

Riga apartment sale ads by portal, compared with the median deal price.
Sale adsnAsking €/m²Deal €/m² (n=7,763)Asking vs deal gap
ss.lv1,842€1,600n=1,842 sale ads€1,230n=7,763 deals+30.1%n=1,842 sale ads, 7,763 deals
City24 (not new-development project units)1,900€2,640n=1,900 sale ads€1,230n=7,763 deals+114.7%n=1,900 sale ads, 7,763 deals
City24 new-development project units2,628€2,834n=2,628 sale ads€1,230n=7,763 deals+130.5%n=2,628 sale ads, 7,763 deals
All asks excluding new-development project units3,308€2,009n=3,308 sale ads€1,230n=7,763 deals+63.4%n=3,308 sale ads, 7,763 deals

Building era

Riga apartments by building era.
BuiltRental ads (n)Rent €/m²Sale ads (n)Asking €/m²Deals (n)Deal €/m²Yield on dealsYield on askingAsking vs deal gap
before 1941363€10.60n=363 rental ads551€1,795n=551 sale ads1,741€1,530n=1,741 deals8.31%n=363 rental ads, 1,741 deals7.09%n=363 rental ads, 551 sale ads+17.3%n=551 sale ads, 1,741 deals
1941–1990401€8.47n=401 rental ads685€1,160n=685 sale ads4,379€1,061n=4,379 deals9.58%n=401 rental ads, 4,379 deals8.76%n=401 rental ads, 685 sale ads+9.3%n=685 sale ads, 4,379 deals
1991–20001insufficient sample5insufficient sample155€1,262n=155 dealsinsufficient sampleinsufficient sampleinsufficient sample
2001 and later320€13.59n=320 rental ads3,351€2,791n=3,351 sale ads1,452€2,505n=1,452 deals6.51%n=320 rental ads, 1,452 deals5.84%n=320 rental ads, 3,351 sale ads+11.4%n=3,351 sale ads, 1,452 deals

Flat size

Riga apartments by floor area.
Floor areaRental ads (n)Rent €/m²Sale ads (n)Asking €/m²Deals (n)Deal €/m²Yield on asking
10–29.99 m²276€14.67n=276 rental ads471€2,579n=471 sale ads968€1,070n=968 deals6.83%n=276 rental ads, 471 sale ads
30–40.99 m²387€11.11n=387 rental ads680€2,489n=680 sale ads1,566€1,119n=1,566 deals5.36%n=387 rental ads, 680 sale ads
41–54.99 m²453€10.38n=453 rental ads1,540€2,557n=1,540 sale ads2,508€1,143n=2,508 deals4.87%n=453 rental ads, 1,540 sale ads
55–69.99 m²339€10.47n=339 rental ads1,409€2,640n=1,409 sale ads1,556€1,397n=1,556 deals4.76%n=339 rental ads, 1,409 sale ads
70–250 m²590€12.95n=590 rental ads2,270€2,604n=2,270 sale ads1,165€1,713n=1,165 deals5.97%n=590 rental ads, 2,270 sale ads

We don't show deal-price yields by size or rooms: within each band, advertised and sold flats differ too much in age and location. Use the building-era table.

Rooms

Riga apartments by number of rooms.
RoomsRental ads (n)Rent €/m²Sale ads (n)Asking €/m²Deals (n)Deal €/m²Yield on asking
1584€11.45n=584 rental ads825€2,300n=825 sale ads2,013€1,074n=2,013 deals5.97%n=584 rental ads, 825 sale ads
2793€11.21n=793 rental ads2,230€2,586n=2,230 sale ads3,287€1,228n=3,287 deals5.20%n=793 rental ads, 2,230 sale ads
3441€11.76n=441 rental ads2,212€2,632n=2,212 sale ads1,866€1,386n=1,866 deals5.36%n=441 rental ads, 2,212 sale ads
4+222€12.71n=222 rental ads1,084€2,605n=1,084 sale ads568€1,629n=568 deals5.85%n=222 rental ads, 1,084 sale ads

We don't show deal-price yields by size or rooms: within each band, advertised and sold flats differ too much in age and location. Use the building-era table.

Districts, asking prices only

Riga apartment ads by district.
DistrictRental ads (n)Rent €/m²Sale ads (n)Asking €/m²Yield on asking
Centrs970€13.59n=970 rental ads2,175€2,839n=2,175 sale ads5.74%n=970 rental ads, 2,175 sale ads
Āgenskalns152€14.89n=152 rental ads502€3,029n=502 sale ads5.90%n=152 rental ads, 502 sale ads
Vecrīga88insufficient sample167€3,800n=167 sale adsinsufficient sample
Purvciems87insufficient sample248€2,058n=248 sale adsinsufficient sample
Teika73insufficient sample158€2,072n=158 sale adsinsufficient sample
Imanta53insufficient sample175€2,012n=175 sale adsinsufficient sample
Ziepniekkalns51insufficient sample189€2,401n=189 sale adsinsufficient sample
Latgale49insufficient sample103€1,633n=103 sale adsinsufficient sample
Pļavnieki43insufficient sample281€2,167n=281 sale adsinsufficient sample
Ķengarags42insufficient sample209€2,179n=209 sale adsinsufficient sample
Mežaparks38insufficient sample104€2,980n=104 sale adsinsufficient sample
Pleskodāle-Šampēteris34insufficient sample195€2,688n=195 sale adsinsufficient sample

Only Centrs and Āgenskalns have 100+ rental ads. The State Land Service open data has no district field, so there are no district deal prices.

Stock mix

Share in buildings from 2001 or later, among ads and deals with a known building era.
GroupWith known era (n)Share built 2001+
Rental ads1,08529.5%n=1,085 rental ads
Sale ads4,59273.0%n=4,592 sale ads
Deals7,72718.8%n=7,727 deals

Download the data

Free to reuse with credit to Live Baltic (livebaltic.com). Press: press@livebaltic.com

Method

  • Rents and asking prices are from ads on City24 and ss.lv collected on 20 October 2026, Riga apartments only, monthly lets only (daily and weekly lets excluded). An ad on both portals (same street, house number, rooms, floor area within 1 m² and price within 5%) is counted once; identical reposts on ss.lv are counted once.
  • Deal prices are from the State Land Service (VZD) real estate market open data on data.gov.lv (2026 file, updated 9 October 2026): Riga apartment purchase deals dated January–September 2026. We keep whole apartments only (no part shares), one apartment per deal, residential use, 10–250 m², at least €5,000 and €300–15,000 per m², and exclude 292 deals where three or more flats in one building changed hands on the same day. Deals registered after early October are not included.
  • Gross yield = 12 × median monthly asking rent per m² ÷ median price per m² × 100, before costs, taxes, vacancy and fees. Rents are asking rents, not contracts.
  • A figure is shown only with at least 100 rental ads and at least 100 sale ads or deals behind it.
  • Building era: the State Land Service first-use year for deals; for ads, City24's build year or new-development project flag, and the ss.lv building series (pre-war → before 1941; Stalin-era, Khrushchev-era and later Soviet series → 1941–1990; new project → 2001 and later). Renovated, special-project and private-house series are left unknown. Era is known for 1,085 of 2,045 rental ads, 4,592 of 6,370 sale ads and 7,727 of 7,763 deals.

Further reading

Sources

  • City24 (city24.lv)
  • ss.lv
  • State Land Service (VZD) real estate market open data and median apartment deal prices (data.gov.lv)

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