Latvia

Latvia offers a European city with the sea alongside it: Riga is compact, Jūrmala is half an hour away, and Kurzeme and Latgale supply the quiet provinces. Costs are below Scandinavia and northern Germany, rent is moderate, and winter utility bills are the item that surprises. The climate is continental: snowy winters, mild summers and a long wet autumn. Latvian is required for citizenship and many positions, the labour market is narrow, and salaries trail Western Europe.