Should you visit Istanbul or Porto?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Istanbul or Porto, this travel cost comparison can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.
Istanbul
Istanbul is strategically located on the Bosphorus and is split between Europe and Asia. It truly is a city where east meets west. Istanbul is the cultural and financial hub of Turkey, and also the most populous city. The sites are countless and there's something for everybody, whether you're interested in art, music, food, or adventure. You can pass many days exploring both the residential and commercial pockets of this city. Much of the appeal is hidden away along back alleys or within corner shops.
Porto
Porto is the second largest city in Portugal. It is also the capital of the Northern Region and a hub for commercial and industrial activity. The city is not as large as you might expect, with a population of only about 300,000 residents, but the metropolitan area has a population of about 2.5 million. This includes nearby cities such as Gaia, Matosinhos, Maia and Gondomar.
Which city is cheaper, Porto or Istanbul?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Istanbul is $95, while the average daily cost in Porto is $119. 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 Istanbul and Porto in more detail.
Accommodation
A hotel room in Istanbul is about $118 This assumes double occupancy and modest accommodations.
Double occupancy rooms typically run around $122 in Porto For nicer amenities and a premiere location, you can expect to pay a bit more.
Food
On average, meal and food prices in Istanbul cost around $24 per person, per day. While this price can vary widely by location, the type of restaurant, and the amount of food ordered, a typical meal often costs around $9.60.
While meal prices in Porto 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 Porto 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 Porto is often higher than fast food prices or street food prices.
-
Food
Meals for one day
Istanbul $24
Porto $34
Typical Food prices in Istanbul
Some typical examples of dining costs in Istanbul are as follows:
-
Juice
$0.24
-
Turkish Delight
$0.07
-
Dessert
$1.00
-
Pastries
$0.18
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Istanbul
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Istanbul.
-
Istanbul Dinner Cruise & Show:
$29
-
Istanbul Dinner Cruise Show:
$30
-
Bosphorus Dinner Cruise Inc. Dinner and Belly Dance Show with Hotel Transfer:
$34
-
Alaturca Ottoman Dramatic Stage Show & Dinner Cruise ( Non - Alcoholic ):
$35
-
Bosphorus Dinner Show Cruise With Non Alcoholic Menu ISTANBUL Dinner cruise:
$36
-
Bosphorus Dinner & Show Cruise (All Inclusive):
$36
-
Bosphorus Dinner Cruise An Unforgettable Experience in Istanbul:
$36
-
Bosphorus Dinner Cruise & Night Show from Istanbul:
$37
-
Istanbul Cruise&Show with Dinner:
$37
-
Istanbul Dinner Cruise & Show:
$39
-
Istanbul Bosphorus Dinner Cruise & Soft Drinks:
$40
-
Istanbul Dinner Cruise&Show:
$40
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Porto
For Porto, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
-
Traditional Portuguese sweets cooking class:
$30
-
Pastel de Nata cooking class in Porto:
$30
-
Food Tour:
$61
-
Authentic Porto Food Tour & Market Experience for private groups:
$61
-
Half-Day Brunch Food Tour in Porto:
$66
-
Craft Beer & Food Tour:
$73
-
Withlocals The 10 Tastings: Porto Private Food Tour:
$73
-
Half-Day Porto Walking Food Tour and Tasting for Small-Group:
$75
-
Withlocals Your Way: Porto 100% Personalised Private Food Tour:
$77
-
Dinner with Fado Show and Night Lights Tour:
$79
-
Porto by Night Tour With Dinner and Fado Show:
$85
-
3-Hour Porto by Night Tour with Fado Show & Dinner:
$85
Local Transportation
The cost of a taxi ride in Istanbul is significantly more than public transportation. On average, past travelers have spent $5.56 per person, per day, on local transportation in Istanbul.
To get around in Porto, the average visitor spends $19 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.
Typical Local Transportation prices in Istanbul
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Istanbul are as follows:
-
Ferry
$0.33
-
Local Bus
$0.35
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Istanbul
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Istanbul:
-
Private Transfer from Istanbul to Bodrum:
$1,244
-
Istanbul 5-Day City Package with Hotel, City Tours and Airport Transfers:
$722
-
Transfer From Istanbul to Bodrum:
$722
-
Transfer From Istanbul to Izmir:
$653
-
Transfer From Istanbul to Kusadasi:
$647
-
2-Hour Bosphorus Yacht Cruise with Transfers:
$500
-
4-Day Wonderful Istanbul Including Accommodation Plus Transfer:
$474
-
Istanbul Airport to Kartalkaya Transfer:
$460
-
Safe Istanbul Airport Transfer in Luxury with English Speaking Chauffeur:
$355
-
4-Day Istanbul City Package including Full-Day Istanbul City Tour plus Airport Transfers:
$350
-
Istanbul to Bursa Uludag private minivan transfer service:
$348
-
Private Luxury Transfer from Istanbul Airport to Istanbul City:
$317
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Porto
Also for Porto, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
-
Porto Shared Transfer: To or from Airport:
$10
-
Matosinhos Private Transfer to Oporto Airport:
$11
-
Porto Shared Arrival Transfer:
$12
-
Porto Shared Departure Transfer:
$12
-
Oporto Airport Shared Arrival Transfer:
$12
-
Oporto Airport Shared Departure Transfer:
$12
-
Oporto Airport Private Departure Transfer:
$12
-
Private Transfer to or from the Airport:
$13
-
Oporto Airport Private Transfer to Matosinhos:
$13
-
Private Airport Transfer: from Porto to Porto Airport (OPO):
$15
-
Oporto Airport Private Arrival Transfer:
$15
-
Gaia Private Transfer to Oporto Airport:
$15
Is it cheaper to fly into Istanbul or Porto?
Prices for flights to both Porto and Istanbul 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
Entertainment and activities in Istanbul typically cost an average of $35 per person, per day. This includes fees paid for admission tickets to museums and attractions, day tours, and other sightseeing expenses.
In Porto, the costs for things to do, activities, admission tickets, and other sightseeing expenses are on average $24 per person, per day.
Typical Entertainment prices in Istanbul
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Istanbul are as follows:
Tours and Activities in Istanbul
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Istanbul are as follows:
-
1 Day - Istanbul Tour:
$315
-
1 Day Cappadocia Hot Air Balloon Tour From Istanbul:
$300
-
1 Day Istanbul & Ephesus Tour By Plane - YK230:
$419
-
1 Day Regular Cappadocia Tour by Plane - YK0011:
$384
-
1 Day Tour - Sapanca:
$300
-
1 Night 1 Day Cappadocia Tour from Istanbul - Including Hot Air Balloon Tour:
$496
-
1 Night 1 Day Cappadocia Travel from Istanbul - Including Hot Air Balloon Tour:
$509
-
1 Night 1 Day Cappadocia Trip from/to Istanbul - Including Hot Air Balloon Tour:
$513
-
1 Night 1 Day Trip from Istanbul to Cappadocia - Including Hot Air Balloon Tour:
$490
-
1 Night 2 Days Cappadocia Trip from/to Istanbul - Including Hot Air Balloon Tour:
$521
-
1 Night 2 Days Ephesus, Kusadasi, Hierapolis & Pamukkale Tour from/to Istanbul:
$372
-
1 Night Cappadocia Trip with Hot Air Balloon Tour:
$525
Tours and Activities in Porto
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Porto.
-
Sightseeing Walk- The Perfect Introduction to the City:
$1.24
-
Torre dos Clerigos Entrance Ticket:
$4.85
-
MMIPO - Museu da Misericórdia do Porto Admission Ticket:
$7.46
-
Admission Ticket to Casa São Roque Art Center:
$9.95
-
World of Discoveries Skip-the-Line Entry Ticket:
$13
-
MagicTrain Tour and Port Wine Cellar Visit & Tasting:
$13
-
FC Museum & Stadium Tour:
$15
-
Lonely Planet Experience: Highlights and Hidden Gems of Porto:
$15
-
Skip the Line: Tour FC Porto - Museum and Stadium Ticket:
$15
-
SEA LIFE Porto Entrance Ticket:
$15
-
Small Group Arrábida Bridge Climb Tour:
$15
-
Night Life Tour Porto:
$16
Alcohol
The average person spends about $8.51 on alcoholic beverages in Istanbul per day. The more you spend on alcohol, the more fun you might be having despite your higher budget.
Alcoholic beverages can often be a significant portion of a traveler's budget, and the costs can vary greatly from person to person. In Porto, the average amount that a visitor spends on alcoholic beverages per day is $18.
Sample the Local Flavors in Istanbul
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Istanbul:
-
Daily Tekirdag Wine Tasting Tour from Istanbul:
$427
Sample the Local Flavors in Porto
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Porto:
-
Magic Train Tour and Port Wine Tastings:
$12
-
Porto Hop-On Hop-Off Tour with Optional River Cruise and Wine Tasting:
$19
-
Porto Pub Crawl with Unlimited beer:
$19
-
Private Porto Secrets Walking Tour With free Port Wine Tasting:
$21
-
4-hour Guided Porto Pub Crawl including drinks:
$22
-
Fun Discovery Walk in Porto's Centre: the most mysterious pub crawl:
$23
-
Pub Crawl Porto:
$24
-
Authentic Oporto Walking Tour with Wine Tasting:
$30
-
Wine Tour:
$30
-
Porto Half-Day Tour and Wine Tasting at Caves Croft:
$45
-
Wine Tour Porto:
$46
-
Port Wine Lodges Tour Including 7 Wine Tastings:
$48
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Istanbul and Porto, we can see that Porto is more expensive. And not only is Istanbul much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Istanbul would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Istanbul 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 Porto would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Porto than you might in Istanbul.
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