Living in Latvia as a Pakistani student: money, housing, work and daily life
Latvia has 80 English-taught programmes in our catalogue, nearly all in Riga — engineering at RTU, medicine at RSU, everything at the University of Latvia. Living costs are among the lowest in the EU, but the money you must show rose on 1 January 2026 to €780 a month (€9,400 a year), roughly the national minimum wage. Older guides quote half that.
Figures come from the government portal Study in Latvia, the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (PMLP) and the universities' own pages, checked in September 2026.
What a month costs
Latvia uses the euro. The official portal puts a student month at €450–700, or €700–800 including a private room. The University of Latvia publishes its dormitory price: a single room €267 a month, €291 from July 2026; shared rooms are cheaper.
| Item | Per month |
|---|---|
| University dormitory, shared room | €120–200 |
| University dormitory, single room (University of Latvia) | €267 → €291 from 1 July 2026 |
| Room in a shared flat, Riga | €250–400 |
| Food (cooking yourself) | €180–250 |
| Public transport (student e-ticket) | €10–20 |
| Health insurance (required; ≥ €43,000 cover) | ≈ €25 |
| Phone + internet | €10–20 |
| Total, dormitory | ≈ €450–600 |
| Total, private room | ≈ €650–800 |
Tuition in our catalogue: median about €1,700 a semester, with RSU medicine well above. Jelgava and Daugavpils are cheaper than Riga for the few programmes offered there.
What you must show for the permit — the January 2026 change
| Requirement | Amount |
|---|---|
| Living expenses to show, from 1 January 2026 | €780 / month — €9,400 a year |
| Residence permit fee — standard (30 days) | €160 |
| Residence permit fee — 10 business days | €280 |
| Residence permit fee — 5 business days | €560 |
| Health insurance | Valid in Latvia and Schengen for at least one year, minimum €43,000 cover, including repatriation |
| Accepted proof | Stamped bank statement in your own name plus a copy of the bank card |
The permit runs for the study period plus four months after graduation to look for work or apply for a master's; master's and doctoral graduates can extend that by a further nine months.
Finding a room
- University dormitory: the University of Latvia, RTU and RSU all run dormitories in Riga; apply through the international office when admitted. Shared rooms are the bargain; singles around €270–290.
- Private room or flat: SS.lv, City24 and Facebook groups. Deposit of one to two months; a written contract, which the PMLP wants for the address declaration.
- Riga districts: Purvciems, Imanta and Ziepniekkalns are far cheaper than the centre for a fifteen-minute tram ride.
How to not get scammed
- No deposit before a viewing — video at minimum.
- Bank transfer after a signed contract. Never Western Union or gift cards.
- You must be able to declare the address for the permit. A landlord who refuses is one to avoid.
Working while you study — 20 hours for bachelor students
A bachelor student on a study residence permit may work up to 20 hours a week in term and full-time (40 hours) during holidays. Master's and doctoral students may work full-time after completing their first year. No separate work permit is needed.
| Situation | Allowed? |
|---|---|
| Bachelor: up to 20 h/week in term | Yes — no extra permit |
| Bachelor: full-time in the holidays | Yes |
| Master's / PhD after the first year | Yes — full-time |
| On a tourist or Schengen C visa | No |
English-speaking work: Riga's shared-service centres (finance, IT support), hospitality and delivery. Latvian or Russian opens the rest. Wages are modest — work covers living costs, not tuition.
Your first month: the checklist
| When | Do this | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Before you fly | Residence permit approved via the PMLP and your university's invitation; collect the visa | Legal entry |
| Week 1 | Enrol at the university and collect the student card | Transport e-ticket at the student rate |
| Week 1 | Buy a Latvian SIM (LMT, Tele2, Bite) | Everything runs on SMS |
| Week 1–2 | Present your health insurance policy and collect the residence permit card at the PMLP | Your legal stay |
| Week 2 | Declare your address and open a bank account (Swedbank, SEB, Citadele) | Rent, wages |
| Each year | Extend the permit (€75 / €140 / €290 by speed) before expiry | Cannot be done after it lapses |
Weather and the dark — what to bring
Riga in January averages −5°C, with 80–90 days of snow cover a year and 20–30 cm on the ground in January and February; July averages 18°C. December has six to seven hours of daylight. Plan like Finland.
| Month (Riga) | Typical daytime | What you need |
|---|---|---|
| Sep–Oct | 8–16°C | Jacket, waterproof shoes |
| Nov–Mar | −7 to 1°C | Insulated coat (−20°C rated), thermal layer, boots with grip, gloves, hat, reflector |
| Apr–May | 6–15°C | Jacket, layers |
| Jun–Aug | 17–23°C | Light clothes; nights barely dark |
Buy the coat and boots in Latvia in October. A reflector in the dark months is expected of everyone on foot.
Halal food, prayer, and being Muslim in Latvia
- Prayer: Riga has an Islamic cultural centre with Friday prayers, and prayer rooms run by the international student communities at RSU and RTU — ask the Pakistani student society on arrival.
- Halal meat from a handful of Turkish, Arab and Central Asian shops in Riga; kebab shops everywhere. Read labels — pork (cūkgaļa) is in most sausages and many ready meals.
- Ramadan in summer: 18-hour days in June; the centre publishes adjusted timetables.
- Alcohol: part of student life; declining is unremarkable.
Where the Pakistani students are
Riga holds almost the entire Pakistani student community in Latvia — RSU (medicine and health sciences) and RTU (engineering) the largest groups, then the University of Latvia. Jelgava and Daugavpils are small but cheaper.
Latvia costs little to live in and, since January 2026, real money to enter — build the file on €9,400, not the old figure. Once in, it is a simple, cold, well-organised place with a permit that gives you four months after graduation. Use the Programmes page to filter Latvia, and register free to see which of the 80 you qualify for.