Should you visit Albuquerque or Portland?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the prices of travel for Albuquerque and Portland. We’ll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget. So, let's dig into it.
Albuquerque
Albuquerque is a large city in the middle of the desert, right in the heart of New Mexico. It's the largest city in the state and has a lot to offer visitors. The city has a quaint downtown with a handful of good shops and restaurants. The surrounding area is quite beautiful and every fall the city hosts a famous and spectacular hot air balloon festival.
Portland
Referred to as "The City of Roses", Portland is the largest city in Oregon. It sits on the banks of the Columbia River and offers breathtaking views of Mount Hood when the weather allows. Portland is famous for its alternative vibe, live music scene, and popular microbreweries. It's also a mecca for environmentally conscious urban planning. The downtown area is quite compact and walkable. While the city itself may be smaller than you expect, it is still the largest metropolitan area between San Francisco and Seattle.
Which city is cheaper, Portland or Albuquerque?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Albuquerque is $108, while the average daily cost in Portland is $136. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each city. Below is a breakdown of travel costs for Albuquerque and Portland in more detail.
Accommodation
For a normal double-occupancy room in Albuquerque, $110 is the average cost for a hotel room. Also in Albuquerque, the typical price for a place to stay for one person is $55, such as in a hostel.
Travelers usually pay around $152 for a double occupancy room in Portland If you want to be in a premiere location or have high end amenities, you can expect to pay a bit more.
Food
Albuquerque food costs typically run travelers around $33 per day. Eating every meal in a nicer restaurant will drive the cost up, and grabbing fast food or casual meals will help you save money.
While meal prices in Portland can vary, the average travelers spends about $34 per day on food. Based on the spending habits of previous travelers, when dining out, an average meal in Portland should cost around $14 per person. Breakfast prices are usually a little cheaper than lunch or dinner. The price of food in sit-down restaurants in Portland is often higher than fast food prices or street food prices.
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Food
Meals for one day
Albuquerque $33
Portland $34
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Albuquerque
For Albuquerque, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
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The Dinner Detective Murder Mystery Dinner Show - Albuquerque:
$71
Typical Food prices in Portland
For Portland, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
-
Afternoon Drinks (for 2)
$9.50
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Portland
For Portland, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
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Arts District Food Tour:
$84
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Portland's Art District Food Tour:
$84
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Walking Food Tour in Downtown Portland with Brunch:
$86
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Downtown Deluxe Food Tour:
$89
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Tastes of Downtown Portland Walking Food Tour:
$89
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2.5-Hour Dinner Cruise Through Downtown Portland:
$108
Local Transportation
To get around in Albuquerque, the average visitor spends $29 per day, per person. This includes the costs of taxi rides and private drivers as well as public transportation, which tends to be much more affordable.
To get around in Portland, the average visitor spends $20 per day, per person. This includes the costs of taxi rides and private drivers as well as public transportation, which tends to be much more affordable.
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Albuquerque
Also for Albuquerque, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Private Transfer: Albuquerque to Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ):
$622
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Private Transfer: Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ) to Albuquerque:
$622
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Private Departure Transfer To Albuquerque Airport ABQ:
$49
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Private Arrival Transfer from Albuquerque Airport (ABQ):
$81
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Albuquerque to Albuquerque Airport (ABQ) - Departure Private Transfer:
$88
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Albuquerque International Airport One Way Transfer:
$48
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Albuquerque Airport (ABQ) to Albuquerque - Round-Trip Private Transfer:
$177
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Albuquerque Airport (ABQ) to Albuquerque - Arrival Private Transfer:
$88
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Portland
Also for Portland, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Portland Airport (PDX) to Beaverton hotel - Round-Trip Private Transfer:
$281
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Portland Airport (PDX) to Lake Oswego - Round-Trip Private Transfer:
$281
-
Portland Airport (PDX) to Tigard hotel or address - Round-Trip Private Transfer:
$281
-
PDX - Portland Airport Transfer - Chauffeured Round Trip in a Luxury Sedan/SUV:
$267
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Portland Airport (PDX) to Portland downtown - Round-Trip Private Transfer:
$204
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Portland Airport (PDX) to Tigard hotel or address - Arrival Private Transfer:
$141
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Portland Airport (PDX) to Beaverton hotel or address - Arrival Private Transfer:
$141
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Portland Airport (PDX) to Lake Oswego - Arrival Private Transfer:
$141
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PDX - Portland One Way Airport Transfer in a Chauffeured Sedan/SUV:
$133
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Transfer from Portland International Airport to Portland:
$109
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Portland downtown to Portland Airport (PDX) - Departure Private Transfer:
$102
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Portland Airport (PDX) to Portland downtown - Arrival Private Transfer:
$102
Is it cheaper to fly into Albuquerque or Portland?
Prices for flights to both Portland and Albuquerque change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.
Entertainment
In Albuquerque, the costs for things to do, activities, admission tickets, and other sightseeing expenses are on average $20 per person, per day.
In Portland, the costs for things to do, activities, admission tickets, and other sightseeing expenses are on average $19 per person, per day.
Tours and Activities in Albuquerque
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Albuquerque.
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12pm - Public High Noon History, Legends & Lore Tour - Guided Old Town Stroll:
$35
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ABQ NM Film locations Tour, tour your favorite movies/shows filmed in ABQ:
$45
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Albuquerque Scavenger Hunt Adventure:
$21
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Breaking Bad RV Tour, visiting locations from Breaking Bad and Better call Saul:
$80
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Breaking Bad RV Virtural Tour:
$13
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Georgia on My Mind: Georgia O'keeffe and Ghost Ranch Country Tour:
$395
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Guided Bicycle Nature Tour of Albuquerque - Daily:
$69
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Mezcla de Culturas A Walking Tour of ABQ Sawmill District & Historic Old Town:
$75
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New Mexico Flavors Tour Of Old Town Albuquerque:
$124
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New Mexico Mines, Wild West Towns and Turquoise Trail Tour from Albuquerque:
$295
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Private Tour: Albuquerque Full Day:
$295
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Private Tour: Albuquerque Half Day:
$175
Tours and Activities in Portland
For Portland, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
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1-Hour Private Air Tour of Mount Hood and Columbia Gorge:
$430
-
2-Hour Champagne Brunch Cruise Through Downtown Portland:
$78
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2-Hour Lunch Cruise Through Downtown Portland:
$69
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20-Minute Columbia River Gorge Air Tour:
$65
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20-minute Private Gorge Air Tour for 3:
$130
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30-minute Multnomah Falls & Columbia Gorge Air Tour:
$128
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40-minute Aerial Tour of Portland:
$184
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40-minute Private Downtown Portland Air Tour for 3:
$286
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5 Lighthouse Bike Tour with XL Lobster Roll:
$132
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A Walk Through Time Tour in Portland:
$40
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Afternoon Half-Day Multnomah Falls and Columbia River Gorge Waterfalls Tour from Portland:
$65
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All Day Northern Oregon Wineries and Forest Bike Tour:
$245
Alcohol
Alcoholic beverages can often be a significant portion of a traveler's budget, and the costs can vary greatly from person to person. In Albuquerque, the average amount that a visitor spends on alcoholic beverages per day is $16.
Typically, people visiting Portland spend on average $14 on alcoholic beverages per person, per day.
Sample the Local Flavors in Portland
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Portland:
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Power Through Portland Bar Crawl:
$12
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Oregon Priority Wine Tasting Pass:
$40
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Weird Bar Crawl with Fanatical Local:
$49
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Portland's Eastside Craft Brewery Walking Tour:
$55
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Portland Brewery Bike Tour:
$71
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Oregon Famous Wine Country Wine Tasting Adventure:
$75
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Brews & Bites - Food Carts & Brewery Tour:
$94
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Views and Brews, Portland Brewery Bike Tour:
$118
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5-Hour Willamette Valley Wine Tour with Tastings:
$120
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Oregon Coast Brewery Tour:
$130
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Willamette Valley Wine Tasting from Portland:
$139
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Full-Day City & Oregon Wine Tasting Tour:
$140
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Albuquerque and Portland, we can see that Portland is more expensive. And not only is Albuquerque much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Albuquerque would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Albuquerque and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Portland would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Portland than you might in Albuquerque.
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