How Expensive is Portugal: Portugal Trip Cost Breakdown

Being part of the European Union, the currency used in Portugal is the Euro and all prices in this post are indicated in Euro. I use XE Converter, a neat little app to check live conversion rates.

I have visited the following regions and cities: Porto, Viana do Castelo, Peneda-Gerês National Park, Guimarães, Douro Valley, Lisbon, Sintra, Ericeira and Peniche. Or put alternatively: pretty much anything North of Portugal’s capital plus Lisbon itself.

Portugal’s prices are certainly still affordable but not as affordable as they once were!

Transportation Costs In Portugal

Inbound To And Outbound From Portugal

Flights from the main airports in Europe range from 80 € to pretty much open-end. I have found the small outsourced airport Frankfurt Hahn to be fairly cheap with only 40 € one way including baggage fees. I like to use Skyscanner to compare flight rates across Europe.

However, if you happen to be in Spain already or plan to go there afterward, there are cheaper options to travel to and from the most western country of Continental Europe. For example, book your journey from one of the many regular options via BlaBlaCar from Spain to Portugal. It is around 70 € upwards from Barcelona to Porto, Lisbon or anything in between as well as about 30 to 50 € from Madrid or Seville to Porto or Lisbon.

Another option is going by coach. However, as a ticket from Lisbon to let’s say Frankfurt (Main) in Germany is about 135 € and you will spend a day and a half on the bus, I would most definitely opt for a different way of travelling.

And lastly, the train. Being booked on an InterRail ticket you could hop on the train in Paris and go to Lisbon via Porto without switching trains. Careful though, even if you have chosen to travel with InterRail, you will have to pay an extra charge when going with the high-speed trains like the French TGV (3 to 22 € extra) or the Portuguese Alfa Pendular (an additional 10 €) as well as the Portuguese IC (4 € extra).

How Expensive is Public Transport in Portugal

In any of the cities, you pay about 3 € for a bus ticket. Outside the cities, I got the impression that people hardly ever use the bus and there are close to none around.

If you need to get from A to B in the Portuguese hinterland, asking around at a local café surely is an option as Portuguese people are very friendly and someone will most likely help you out. In the more frequented seasons, there will always be other travellers around who you will be able to hitch a ride.

Going by tram in Lisbon will cost you 3.10 € and just about 6.60 € to buy an all-day ticket.

Several routes connect Portugal’s cities with each other. The Alfa Pendular is the fastest option here with a rail network from Braga up North via Porto, Coimbra, Lisbon, Albufeira to Faro in the Southwest. If you have more time and less money, reserve a spot on the Portuguese IC (Intercidade) trains to get around.

To give you an idea of the prices:

Lisbon to Porto

32 € by Alfa Pendular

23 € by IC

Lisbon to Faro

24 € by Alfa Pendular

21 € by IC

The cost of fuel is comparable to other European countries, so it is not that cheap. Plus, using the highways you will have to pay quite a few tolls, which work out to not be cheap either. In the end, renting a campervan or a car is a trade-off between the cost of fuel and tolls on the one hand and saving money for accommodation on the other hand as you can sleep inside your vehicle.

Looking to plan a 14-day road trip through Portugal? Check out my article here.

Uber is available across Portugal too. I used it in Lisbon and it was reasonable at 13 € for about 16 km. Other than that, there are bikes, scooters and – not to forget – your feet to move around.

Accommodation Costs in Portugal

Looking at accommodation, you will again have various options to choose from. Here are some of my recommendations.

Costs For Camping and Campervans

Different prices are depending on the season you are exploring Portugal. These also depend on the campsite itself. Travelling through Portugal in the winter season, I never paid more than 4 € per night per person at a campsite, plus about 5 € for the campervan.

The most I had to pay was 28 € for two people and a van at Lisbon Camping. Heading into the summer season, it is even up to 48 € for two and for what you get not worth your money if you ask me. Luckily in Portugal, you can do wild camping and pretty much stop and set yourself up anywhere. There are only very few areas where you are not allowed to do that, and they are all marked with signs.

If you’re not into camping or feel like a nice comfy bed for a change, Airbnb surely is a great option. Booking yourselves into an Airbnb ranges from 20 € per night for a room for 2 in Porto and Lisbon, prices upwards pretty much open end depending on your fanciness.

Of course, the closer to the city centre, the more expensive they are. Make sure you book your Airbnb as early as possible especially in summer as rooms are booked out fast.

Price for Hotels & Hostels in Portugal

All throughout Europe, I am a big fan of comparing room rates on Booking.com, as the variety is huge and I have never been disappointed as reviews seem accurate and you always know what to expect.

In Portugal, you can find anything from budget hotels and hostels to luxury hotels that cost a few hundred euros per night.

Staying For Free In Portugal

My all-time favourite: Housesitting. I can’t say it often enough, but who wouldn't want to explore a country by staying in a nice and cozy home with sweet and furry company? It’s the absolute best!! I have been using the website Trusted Housesitters for over 6 years now and have sitted in some epic places and saved a lot of money too.

Alternatively, try out couch surfing and experience Portugal through the eyes of your host. They are usually invaluable for some local recommendations and you will definitely save money.

Cost of Food & Eating in Portugal

What You Pay For Eating Out

Compared to other countries across Europe, you will find it is a little cheaper to eat and drink in Portugal.

To give you an idea, I have listed the following numbers for your budget calculation:

Lunch for 2 with drinks in the city centre: 15 – 30 €+

Meal for 2 in a fast food restaurant: 10 – 15 €

Basic dinner for 2 with drinks: 25 – 40 €

Coffee: 0.50 – 1.10 €

Pastel de Nata and other pastries: 0.70 – 1.00 €

Bottle of wine in a restaurant: from 3 – 5 €

The Portuguese love to eat out in company and regularly do so. However, they arrive at the restaurant no earlier than 8 pm and most kitchens do not open before that time either. If you witness someone having dinner in the early evening, you will know for sure who they are: tourists!

Another thing I want to make you aware of when eating out is that in Portugal you will be charged for everything on the table – olives, cheese, bread, butter, sardines and so on. I have seen many restaurants just bringing out appetizers no matter if you asked for them or not. If you don’t want to pay for it, just leave it on the table. It is not that expensive though, so you might as well enjoy it.

Cost of Groceries in Portugal

Prices for shopping in the supermarket are comparable to any other Western countries and groceries are best bought either at Continente which is a huge supermarket chain to be found all over Portugal or the German brand Lidl which is currently expanding worldwide (yay!). If you find yourselves in the city centre look for the smaller supermarket Pingo Doce which will still offer you reasonable prices and variety. I can also recommend buying local fruits and vegetables in one of these tiny Portuguese shops as they are cheap and totally yummy!

Note to self: Branded health and beauty products are a bit more expensive than in other European countries. So better stock up in advance.

Weekly grocery shopping: 60 to 80 € for two people (heavily depending on your lifestyle of course)

Bottle of good quality wine: from 2 € (there are often specials like getting the second one half price or something similar, so look out for those!)

Local beer (Super Bock Albadia, Sagres Bohemia): less than 1 € per bottle

Did you know that the minimum wage in Portugal is only 820 € gross salary in 2024 and therefore relatively low? Well, neither did I. However, it also means that prices for services will not burn a hole in your pocket, so if you’re in need of a haircut you might as well wait for another week and go get one while you’re travelling Portugal.

Cost of Tourist Attractions And Sightseeing

The biggest money-saving tip I can give you when it comes to exploring a city in Portugal: Have a look online whether anyone offers free walking tours in the city you want to discover.

For example, Porto Walkers and Lisbon free walking tours will take you around their cities on foot, show you all the cool things and provide you with so much interesting background information.

Cost of Tours & Activities In Portugal

In general, sightseeing in Portugal will not come at a high expense. You will only pay between 1 and 10 € for most entrance fees. To give you an idea:

Guimarães

Duke’s Palace in Guimarães: 5 €

Castelo de Guimarães: 2 €

Viana do Castelo

Santuário de Santa Luzia: 0.80 €

Cable car to the sanctuary one way: 2 €

Cable car to the sanctuary roundtrip: 3 €

Other Cities

Castelo de Lindoso: 2 €

Entrance to Paiva Walkways: 1 €

How To Save Money In Porto

The super handy Porto Card can be bought at the tourist info in the city centre. With this, you’ll be able to visit 11 different museums in the city and enjoy discounts on an additional 8 other museums, in several restaurants, when visiting the aquarium and for boat tours on the Douro River.

And the biggest plus, of course, is public transport will not cost you anything extra. Additional info can be found here.

You can opt to buy the card for an individual or a couple of days:

13.00 € for 1 day

20.00 € for 2 days

25.00 € for 3 days

33.00 € for 4 days

How To Save Money in Lisbon

When going sightseeing in Lisbon, you might want to check out buying the Lisboa Card. This 3-in-1 option allows you to take public transport as well as museums for free and gives you discounts on certain sights and tours.

After your purchase, the card will be valid for you to use for one year until you’ve started validating it in Lisbon. Purchase options are the following:

19.00 € for 24 hrs

32.00 € for 48 hrs

40.00 € for 72 hrs

To find out more, visit this website.

Now, you’re wondering why it is worth buying the Lisboa Card and how you will make the most of your trip to Portugal’s capital? 

Lots of sights, attractions and locations in Portugal can be best explored on your own at your very own pace. So, how about you rather focus your research on what you really don’t want to miss in Portugal and for the most important must-do, you choose to do a tour?

Here are some of the tours that I have done and can highly recommend:

Porto Walkers Wine Tour (4 hrs.): 20 €

Gerês National Park Special Day Tour with DETOURS (with pick-up and drop-off in Porto): 100 €

Walking, biking or trekking with Descubra Minho: On request

Surf lesson: From 20 €, depending on season

Cost of Nightlife & Drinks in Portugal

Having travelled the country, done some great surfing and lots of hiking and now you need to have a night out and enjoy a good party? Well, look no further and go to Bairro Alto in Lisbon. You will find nice bars, great music and lots of cool people. If you happen to have made some local Portuguese friends, let them take you to the local bars and clubs to avoid the tourist trap nightclubs and entrance fees (5 € minimum).

Depending on the region and season, whether there are many travellers around, the prices alternate a bit, of course. The following will give you an idea of what to expect:

Local beer (0.5l): 1.00 €

Imported beer (0.33l): 2.00 €

Glass of house wine: 1.50 to 2.00 €

Bottle of Apple cider: 1.00 to 1.50 €

Caipirinha: 3.00 to 5.00 €

I know which one I’d choose, not only because of the price but because I’d rather experience and try out the local stuff as imported beers I can have anywhere.

If you end your party night by taking a cab ride back to your hotel, Airbnb or campervan: keep 0.50 € per km ready because that’s approximately how much the driver will charge you. Or use Uber and you know right away how much you will have to pay (and you can do so over the app directly).

Portugal Trip Cost – Final Words

If you’re on a tight budget, Portugal is maybe not the cheapest option for a trip in Southern Europe anymore, but it certainly lives up to its hype with sights, friendly locals and stunning coastline and beaches.

Interested in learning about all the other reasons why Portugal is so fantastic? Read on here.