I dont agree on this. I lived there and I am regularly going there since 2008. It is definitely cheaper than any western EU nation such as Germany, Belgium, Netherlands and France. I never come up with anything twice expensive than western EU. Only utilities can be more expensive since it is much colder than many other countries. Rent is definitely one of the difference which is much cheaper than Western EU. Just to give some idea you can always use this site to compare.
https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-livin...urg&city2=Riga