Europe

Money, cards and tipping in Latvia

Capital: RigaLatvian, Russian, LithuanianUpdated October 2026

EUREuro

Money in Latvia

Cards almost everywhere Cards and contactless work in most places; carry some cash for markets, rural guesthouses and small cafés. US$1 ≈ €0.89 (03 Oct 2026).

Key facts

Tipping: About 10% in restaurants for good service; check whether service is already on the bill.
ATMs: Bank ATMs (Swedbank, SEB, Citadele, Luminor) are fine; avoid Euronet and decline currency conversion.
Paying by phone: Apple Pay and Google Pay are widely accepted in shops, restaurants and Bolt.
Price level: about 57% of US prices (World Bank PPP).

Cash or card, by place

Place	Cards	Notes
Riga	Cards almost everywhere	Cards and phones work almost everywhere; carry cash for markets and small cafés.
Jūrmala	Cards almost everywhere	Cards and phones work in most places; keep some cash for beach kiosks and small cafés.

Quick answers

Do you tip in Latvia?

About 10% in restaurants for good service; check whether service is already on the bill.

Is Latvia cashless?

Cards almost everywhere. Cards and contactless work in most places; carry some cash for markets, rural guesthouses and small cafés.

What currency does Latvia use?

The Euro (EUR). US$1 ≈ €0.89 (03 Oct 2026).

Sources

Compiled and reviewed by SoloSquare. How we compile and score this. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.