💰 Trip to Portugal Cost: 2023 Travel Expense Breakdown

Famous for its beaches, port wine, and custard tarts, Portugal is a semi-affordable European country that can be visited with a budget of $50 to $200 a day.

My one-week trip to Portugal cost a total of $1,341 USD. In this post, I share:

• 💰 Expected travel costs
• 💡 Budgeting tips
• 💵 How much cash to bring
• ✈️ My trip’s costs by category
• 📍 My trip’s costs by major cities

Disclosure: Lists By Lukiih is readers-supported. If you buy through an affiliate link on this post, I may earn a small commission. Thanks!

Is Portugal Expensive To Travel To?

Portugal is a semi-affordable country to visit in Europe. It is considered an affordable country in Western Europe and all-around cheaper than its Iberian neighbor, Spain.

Portugal’s most popular cities, Lisbon and Porto, are cheaper to visit than Spain’s top cities, Barcelona and Madrid, on average.

💰 Trip Daily Budget for Countries in Europe

For comparison, I visited these countries in Europe within a year of visiting Portugal, and here’s how much I spent per day at each one:

Country	Daily Budget
🇵🇹 Portugal	$116
🇮🇹 Italy	$131
🇪🇸 Spain	$155
🇮🇸 Iceland	$306

💰 Trip Daily Budget for Popular Destinations

Here’s how my Portugal trip cost compares to the cost of other popular destinations I’ve visited:

Destination	Daily Budget
🇮🇸 Iceland	$306
🇨🇷 Costa Rica	$233
🇺🇸 Hawaii	$208
🇧🇿 Belize	$207
🇵🇷 Puerto Rico	$182
🇵🇪 Peru	$156
🇪🇸 Spain	$155
🇯🇵 Japan	$145
🇮🇹 Italy	$131
🇰🇭 Cambodia	$123
🇵🇹 Portugal	$116
🇹🇼 Taiwan	$102
🇻🇳 Vietnam	$86
🇹🇭 Thailand	$77

How Much Is a Trip to Portugal?

Here’s how much money you can expect to spend in Portugal on a daily basis and during a one-week trip, depending on your travel style.

🎒 Portugal Trip Cost for a Budget Traveler

Budget travelers can expect to spend approximately $50 per day or $350 for one week of travel in Portugal, excluding flights.

To travel on a tight budget in Portugal, here are some things you’ll need to do:

• Attractions: With its walkable neighborhoods, charming narrow streets, and outdoor spaces, Portugal can be thoroughly enjoyed without having to pay for entrance fees, tours, etc. For example, a typical day tour to Sintra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, starts at $60, but visiting it on your own can cut the cost in half if you take public transportation and limit visits to attractions that have an entrance fee. You can also take advantage of Portugal’s free walking tours.

See how to plan a day trip to the magical town of Sintra.

• Transportation: Get around Portugal by walking or taking advantage of its well-maintained local transportation (e.g., metro and train systems).

Lisbon and Porto both have metros that are less than $2 per ride and even less if you get a special visitor card.

• Food: Dining out is not generally very expensive in Portugal if you avoid popular or high-end restaurants, but you can still save $5 to $10 per day by buying groceries or eating at “tascas”, which are Portuguese eateries.
• Accommodation: Stay at hostels in Portugal for $20 to $25 per night. Even during Portugal’s peak season, you can find hostels for $20 a night in some areas.
• Season: The best time to travel to Portugal to save money and to experience fewer crowds is during the low season, which runs from November to March.

💰 Portugal Trip Cost for a Mid-Range Budget Traveler

A mid-range budget traveler, such as myself, can expect to spend approximately $110 per day or $770 for one week of travel in Portugal, excluding flights.

I break down my Portugal travel expenses by category below.

About My Portugal Trip

To give context to the expenses below, here’s what you need to know about my trip to Portugal:

🗓️ One week. I spent a week in Portugal and visited Lisbon for five days and Porto for two days doing a great itinerary similar to this one.

☀️ Low season. I went to Portugal in late May, which is considered the low season.

Portugal’s high season starts in the summer months and runs from June to early September.

✌️ Two to three travelers. I traveled with one to two other people at all times in Portugal, so I was able to split accommodation, transportation, and food costs.

💰 Mid-range budget. I don’t aim to travel on a budget, but I’m thoughtful about how and where I spend. I consider myself a mid-range budget traveler and these expenses reflect that.

💵 US dollars. All costs listed here are per person and in US dollars, converted from Portugal’s local currency, the euro. The exchange rate was $1 USD = €0.92 at the time of writing.

Total Cost for a Portugal Trip: $1,341

My one-week trip to Portugal cost a total of $1,341 USD, including flights.

My trip’s highlights are featured in this one-week Portugal itinerary.

💰 Cost Breakdown for Portugal

Here’s a quick overview of my Portugal travel expenses by category:

Category	Cost	% of Total Cost	Cost Per Day
✈️ Flights	$528	39%	–
🏠 Accommodation	$420	31%	$60
🍝 Food	$170	13%	$24
🚇 Transportation	$105	8%	$15
⭐ Entertainment	$117	9%	$17
Total	$1,341	100%	$116

💵 Daily Budget in Portugal: $116

My Portugal trip cost $116 per day, excluding flights.

	Daily Budget
Excluding flights	$116
Including flights	$192

A mid-range budget traveler can expect to spend approximately $110 per day in Portugal. This generally means staying at an accommodation that’s about $65 per night, eating at primarily $ to $$ restaurants that come out to roughly $25 per day, using Portugal’s metros and trains for transport, and booking group tours for some of the top attractions.

✈️ Flight Cost to Portugal: $528

My flight from Barcelona, Spain to Lisbon, Portugal was $130.

My flight from Lisbon’s international airport to the United States East Coast was $398. Round-trip flights from the United States will generally be the biggest travel expense when visiting Portugal.

The most expensive months to fly to Portugal from the United States are July and August and the cheapest months to fly to Portugal are November and October, according to Kayak and Skyscanner.

🏠 Accommodation Cost in Portugal: $420

My average cost of accommodation in Portugal was $60 per night. I was able to split accommodations with one other person at all times.

The cities of Lisbon and Porto have an Airbnb tourist tax that must be paid in cash.

Here are all the places I stayed at in Portugal and how much I paid for each one:

Accommodation	Total Cost	Cost Per Day
Lisbon Airbnb & Hotel	$258	$52 (including tax)
Porto Airbnb	$162	$81 (including tax)
Lisbon City tourist tax	$2	–
Porto City tourist tax	$3	–

Portugal’s accommodation prices are moderate, but affordable compared to other popular European countries. Private rooms at mid-range hotels will start at around $60 per night, but you’ll likely have to pay closer to $80 per night during the high season. Luxury hotels can cost anywhere between $300 to $1,000 a night.

🍛 Food Cost in Portugal: $170

My average cost of food in Portugal was $24 per day.

You can expect to spend approximately $25 a day eating in Portugal if you’re on a mid-range budget.

Cheapest Meals in Portugal

Here are the cheapest meals I had in Portugal:

Meal	Location	Cost
Momos (dumplings)	Hole-in-the-wall restaurant (Lisbon)	$6
Sandwich & coffee	Sintra Castle Cafe (Sintra)	$13
Pizza	Pizzaria (Porto)	$13

Most Expensive Meals in Portugal

Here are the most expensive meals I had in Portugal:

Meal	Location	Cost
Wine & seafood dishes	Bartolomeu Bistro & Wine (Porto)	$25
Vegan dishes	The Food Temple (Lisbon)	$24
Middle eastern dishes	Farès (Lisbon)	$23

Some of the unique foods that Portugal is known for include pastéis de nata (custard tarts), sardines, and francesinha (Portuguese sandwich). I averaged two pastéis de nata per day and among the best places, Fábrica de Nata was my favorite. If you’re a foodie, you can learn about and eat Portuguese food during a food tour with over a thousand five-star ratings.

🚙 Transportation Cost in Portugal: $105

My average cost of transportation in Portugal was $15 per day. I was able to split my Uber costs with at least one other person at all times.

Here are all the transportation methods I took in Portugal and how much I paid for each:

Transportation	Total Cost	Cost Per Ride
Metro	$9	$1.50
Uber	$10	$3.33
Train	$86	$43

Expected Costs for Portugal Transportation

There are several ways to get around Portugal and like many other European countries, the most cost-efficient way to get around is by public transportation.

• Both Lisbon and Porto have straightforward and well-maintained metros that cost less than $2 per ride (€1.65 for the Lisbon metro and €1.20 for the Porto Metro).
• Train tickets between Portugal’s two major cities, Lisbon to Porto, range from $30 to $45.
• If you want to explore areas that don’t have public transportation or go on a road trip, you can also drive a rental car in Portugal. Car rentals in Portugal will average about $20 per day, not including gas.
• Ridesharing apps, like Uber, will be on average cheaper than calling a taxi. A 10-minute ride can be as cheap as $5.

🏰 Entertainment Cost in Portugal: $117

My average cost of entertainment in Portugal was $17 per day.

Here are all the activities I paid for in Portugal and how much each cost:

Activity or Attraction	Cost
Sintra day tour (Lisbon)	$75
Cable car ride (Porto)	$6
Clérigos Tower entrance fee (Porto)	$6
Livraria Lello entrance fee (Porto)	$5
Miscellaneous + Shopping	$19

To minimize entertainment costs, you can thoroughly enjoy Portugal by doing more sightseeing, walking through its colorful neighborhoods, and avoiding paying for entrance fees and tours.

Ticket Prices for Tourist Attractions in Portugal

Many of Portugal’s tourist attractions will have an entrance fee and an optional guided tour fee.

Here are the ticket prices for some of the top things to see and do in Portugal’s most popular destinations.

Lisbon’s Popular Tourist Attractions

• Jerónimos Monastery: ~$11 USD
• Belém Tower: ~$7 USD
• Santa Justa Lift: ~$2 USD

The Belém area of Lisbon has two of Portugal’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the monastery and the tower. You can learn more about both in this highly-rated walking tour.

See other great things to do in Lisbon.

Sintra’s Popular Tourist Attractions

• Pena Palace: ~$15 USD
• Quinta da Regaleira: ~$12 USD
• Castelo dos Mouros: ~$9 USD

Check out the best attractions in Sintra.

Porto’s Popular Tourist Attractions

• Clerigos Church: ~$8 USD
• Douro Valley wine tour: ~$100 USD

See other great things to do in Porto.

Cost Breakdown by City in Portugal

Below are my trip expense breakdowns for Portugal’s two larger cities: Lisbon and Porto. You’ll have a smaller Portugal travel budget if you visit smaller towns and do a more off-the-beaten-path itinerary.

🏰 Lisbon Cost Breakdown

I spent a total of $538 USD for five days in Lisbon, so my average cost was $108 per day.

I stayed at an Airbnb and a modern hotel, Casas na Portuguesa, in a central location and was able to split accommodation costs with friends. I also paid for an amazing Sintra day tour (one of my trip’s highlights) which significantly increased my costs.

Lisbon is the most visited city in Portugal. The influx of expats into Lisbon in recent years has driven its cost up, so Porto, the second most visited city in Portugal, is now more affordable to visit. This Lisbon travel guide has more tips on visiting the capital.

Category	Total Cost	Cost Per Day
🏠 Accommodation	$258	$52
🍝 Food	$111	$22
🚇 Transportation	$66	$13
⭐ Entertainment	$94	$19

See how to plan a Lisbon itinerary.

🍷 Porto Cost Breakdown

I spent a total of $272 USD for two days in Porto, so my average cost was $136 per day.

I booked an Airbnb at the last minute in the city center and was able to split accommodation costs with two others.

I also visited Livraria Lello, which is considered to be one of the most beautiful bookstores in the world and has a small entrance fee.

Category	Total Cost	Cost Per Day
🏠 Accommodation	$162	$81
🍝 Food	$59	$29
🚇 Transportation	$39	$20
⭐ Entertainment	$18	$6

See how to plan a Porto itinerary.

Do You Need Cash in Portugal?

Portugal, like many European countries, has a well-established credit card infrastructure. Although rare, some places still rely on cash transactions, so make sure to bring some cash.

Here are some tips on bringing and using cash in Portugal:

💵 1. Withdraw cash in euros.

Portugal’s currency is the euro (€) and shops in Portugal do not take USD.

Multibanco is a Portuguese banking network that can be trusted and won’t charge you an ATM fee (although your bank might still have foreign transaction fees).

Avoid Euronet ATMs when withdrawing cash in Portugal. Throughout Europe, Euronet ATMs consistently have high fees and use terrible exchange rates, so unless you’re in desperate need of cash, I would avoid them.

🏧 2. Carry at least $20 worth of cash while traveling in Portugal.

You’ll rarely need cash in Portugal, especially if you’re staying in Lisbon and Porto. During my 1-week trip, I spent roughly $20 in cash on tipping tour guides, buying small souvenirs, and paying for the Airbnb city tax. I otherwise used my credit card.

I kept my cash in my crossbody pouch, but if you want extra protection against pickpocketing, carry a hidden money belt instead.

💰 3. Tipping in Portugal is not mandatory.

Tipping is generally only done for exceptional service in Portugal.

• At restaurants, locals will leave a 5% to 10% tip for great service. Being an American, I tried to tip a waiter more than 10% at a restaurant and he initially thought I was confused about the bill’s total.
• For tour guides, tipping is more common in Portugal and a 10% tip is customary.

See other Portugal essential travel tips before visiting.

Portugal Trip Planner

To make your travel planning easier, download the trip planner below and use it as a starting point. The planner has country-specific travel information as well as an itinerary, packing list, and map with key places pinned.

The trip planner is built on Notion, which is what I use for all my travel planning (I genuinely love this tool). If you don’t have Notion, creating an account is free.

If you have any questions or thoughts, feel free to leave a comment below.

🧋 This site is run entirely by me, Lukiih. I spend hours researching each destination to ensure its accuracy. If you find my tips helpful, say thanks by buying me bubble tea!