Shared apartments, spare rooms and roommates in Riga

In Riga, many institutions, such as the University of Latvia, Riga Polytechnic University and Riga Medical University, welcome tons of international students every year. Young people choose the Latvian capital to study thanks to the quality of its universities and the possibility of mingling in a different culture.

If you live in a shared apartment in Riga you will surely live in a multicultural environment, with fellow Latvians and other nationalities. Take the opportunity to learn about the lifestyles and cultures of your flatmates, which makes the experience much more enjoyable.

Advantages and disadvantages of sharing a flat in Riga

These are some of the advantages and disadvantages of sharing a flat in this Latvian city:

Advantages of sharing a flat in Riga

• You will be able to choose from a large number of different neighbourhoods and areas of the city to live in, as Riga is very safe. Some of the neighbourhoods preferred by young people are the historic centre, Centrs, Vecrīga and Āgenskalns.

• It is easy to find accommodation in good conditions in Riga, with good price, location and features. Also, if you use the Erasmus Play housing search engine it will be even easier to compare the available rooms.

• In shared apartments, you will be able to choose between single and shared rooms, which will make you save even more on rent.

Disadvantages of sharing a flat in Riga

• If you share a flat with a Latvian, it will probably be difficult for you to make friends at first, since they tend to be reserved and not very communicative. However, young people are often more open to the idea of ​​living with international students, so you can make friends over time.

• The cost of services in Riga is usually very high. You have to ensure that the rental price includes the costs of water, electricity, internet, heating and even garbage collection, otherwise, you will have to add an amount at the end of the month to pay for it.

Erasmus App for your exchange in Riga

There are several apps for Erasmus+ that you can use to make your exchange process easier. You will find a lot of useful information from universities and other students, as well as advice. For example, many young people recommend that you take advantage of the months of your stay in Riga to taste the local cuisine, such as Sachertorte, piragi, Skaba Putra or Karbonades.

How to meet people in Riga

Consider some of the following options to meet other young people in the Latvian capital:

Student associations in Riga

The ESN Riga is the favourite association for young internationals to meet other students who go to the city for a season. Some of the plans that you can join are affordable trips to cities like Jelgava, picnics, exercise afternoons, and theme parties, among others.

Facebook groups for Erasmus in Riga

In the Facebook groups, you will not only be able to meet other young people who are in the same academic cycle as you, but you will also be able to see the activities that are organized by other students and by the ESN Riga.

WhatsApp groups for Erasmus in Riga

You will surely find WhatsApp groups to join. In them, communication between students is usually more direct, and you will even be able to be proactive and propose plans and meetings with other young people on your own.

Tips for living in a shared apartment in Riga

Keep these tips in mind when living in a shared flat in the Latvian capital:

• Winter in Riga is long and cold, the average temperature during the winter season is around -5ºC. Pay attention to what heating system the apartment has and if its use is contemplated in the expenses included in the price or not because that can greatly increase the cost of the monthly rental.

• Use the extra budget that comes from saving on rent to travel to other cities in Latvia and also to Estonia, Lithuania or Russia. Erasmus people often find ways to make their trips affordable!

Frequently asked questions about sharing a flat in Riga