Should you visit Lisbon or Barcelona?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the prices of travel for Lisbon and Barcelona. 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.
Lisbon
Portugal's capital city of Lisbon continues to grow in popularity as a travel destination. The cultural scene has come to life in recent years and the city itself is stunningly beautiful. It sits on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean and is made up of hills that create a dramatic and scenic layout. The city has many white-bleached limestone buildings, narrow alleyways, and a laidback charm that appeals to visitors.
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain with a population of over 1.5 million people. It's also the capital of Catalonia and is located on the northeastern part of the Mediterranean coast. Barcelona is one of the country's most popular travel destinations because of its rich history, interesting architecture, and vibrant culture. Barcelona hosted the 1992 Summer Olympic games and that had a strong influence over tourism in the area. Many different neighborhoods were renovated and rebuilt. Modern design became the norm in many parts of the city, although there is still an old city feel and many efforts at preservation.
Which city is cheaper, Barcelona or Lisbon?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Lisbon is €96, while the average daily cost in Barcelona 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 Lisbon and Barcelona in more detail.
Accommodation
For a normal double-occupancy room in Lisbon, €86 is the average cost for a hotel room. Also in Lisbon, the typical price for a place to stay for one person is €43, such as in a hostel.
The average price for accommodation for two people in Barcelona is €148. This is for two people sharing a typical double occupancy hotel room.
Food
In Lisbon travelers spend around €31 a day on food. You can save money by choosing casual restaurants or food stalls, or you can spend plenty more by dining in nicer restaurants at every meal.
While meal prices in Barcelona can vary, the average travelers spends about €25 per day on food. Based on the spending habits of previous travelers, when dining out, an average meal in Barcelona should cost around €10 per person. Breakfast prices are usually a little cheaper than lunch or dinner. The price of food in sit-down restaurants in Barcelona is often higher than fast food prices or street food prices.
-
Food
Meals for one day
Lisbon
€31
Barcelona
€25
Typical Food prices in Lisbon
For Lisbon, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Lisbon
For Lisbon, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
-
2-Hour Pastel de Nata Cooking Class:
$55
-
Private Family-Friendly Food Tour:
$67
-
3-Hour Bike Food Tour:
$70
-
Lisbon Hands-on Portuguese Cooking Class:
$80
-
Lisbon by night - Walking Tour, Fado and Dinner:
$108
-
Drag Queen Cooking Party and Live Show:
$119
-
Half–Day Private Electric Tuk Tuk Guided Food Tour:
$119
-
Azeitão and Alentejo Wine and Food Tour from Lisbon:
$182
-
Lisbon Fado and Dinner Private Prestige Tour:
$327
-
Fado Dinner Show Private Night Lisbon Tour:
$273
Typical Food prices in Barcelona
Some typical examples of dining costs in Barcelona are as follows:
-
Hot Cocoa & Churro
€4.15
-
Sandwich
€1.70
-
Baguette & Horchata
€3.80
-
Tapas on the beach
€8.28
-
Gelatto
€2.50
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Barcelona
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Barcelona.
-
Bus and Walking Tour with Dinner:
$58
-
Barcelona Gourmet Food Tour with a 3 Michelin Star Sommelier:
$89
-
Private Cooking Class & Market Tour:
$101
-
Market to Fork: Market Tour and Private Cooking Class:
$143
-
Half-Day Spanish Cooking Class & Market Tour:
$78
-
Flamenco Show and Optional Dinner at a Tablao:
$52
-
Requesens Palace Dinner with Medieval Show:
$85
-
Casa Batlló: Tapas Dinner, Live Concert, and Audio Tour:
$151
-
New Year's Eve Dinner and Flamenco Show:
$91
-
Old Barcelona Tour, Boqueria Market & Cooking Workshop:
$101
Local Transportation
Public transportation tends to be much less expensive in Lisbon than paying for a taxi or private car service, as is expected. Typically, people spend €17 on transportation in Lisbon on average per day.
The cost of a taxi ride in Barcelona is significantly more than public transportation. On average, past travelers have spent €15 per person, per day, on local transportation in Barcelona.
Typical Local Transportation prices in Lisbon
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Lisbon:
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Lisbon
Also for Lisbon, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
-
Lisbon Airport: Shared Arrival and Departure Transfers:
$12
-
Lisbon Sailing Tour with Transfers:
$35
-
Lisbon Airport Transfer Service to Cascais Hotels:
$46
-
Private Transfer from/to Lisbon Airport:
$46
-
Lisbon Airport Transfer to Cascais, Estoril or Sintra:
$64
-
Lisbon Airport to City Center Private Transfer:
$68
-
Full-Day Kayak Tour with Picnic and Transfer:
$97
-
Transfer between Lisbon and Popular Cities in Portugal:
$260
-
Lisbon Airport to or from Algarve Private Transfer:
$358
-
Lisbon to Seville Private Transfer:
$666
Typical Local Transportation prices in Barcelona
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Barcelona are as follows:
-
10 Trip Metro Ticket
€7.80
-
Airport Bus
€5.00
-
Metro
€2.10
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Barcelona
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Barcelona:
-
Barcelona Private Transfer Between Sants Station & City:
$85
-
From Luxury Transfers to La Roca Village:
$24
-
Barcelona Airport to Cruise Port: Private Transfers:
$67
-
Barcelona Airport Private Transfer to/from City Center:
$67
-
Barcelona Airport Private 1-Way or Round-Trip Transfer:
$62
-
Barcelona Private 1-Way Transfer Between Airport & City:
$88
-
Barcelona Airport to City Center Private Transfer:
$48
-
Barcelona City to Cruise Terminal Private Transfers:
$51
-
Barcelona Private Arrival Transfer:
$89
-
Barcelona-El Prat Airport: Transfer to Barcelona City:
$66
Entertainment
Sightseeing expenses in Lisbon, including the cost of admission tickets for day tours, museums, and attractions, usually cost an average of €14 per day, per person.
Entertainment and activities in Barcelona typically cost an average of €23 per person, per day. This includes fees paid for admission tickets to museums and attractions, day tours, and other sightseeing expenses.
Tours and Activities in Lisbon
Here are a few actual costs in Lisbon for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
-
Lisboa Story Centre: 1-Day Admission Ticket:
$8.48
-
Private 1.5-Hour Kickstart Tour w/ a Local:
$9.10
-
4-Hour Walking Tour and Free Tram Ride:
$16
-
Belém Guided Tour:
$17
-
Small Group Walking Tour of Belém:
$18
-
Self-Drive City Tour With GPS Audio Guide:
$20
-
Lisbon’s South Side, River Tejo & 3-Hour Walking Tour:
$22
-
Private Off the Beaten Path Tour with a Local:
$26
-
Old Lisbon Private Walk Tour:
$26
-
Lisbon Half-Day Private Tour:
$28
Typical Entertainment prices in Barcelona
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Barcelona are as follows:
Tours and Activities in Barcelona
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Barcelona are as follows:
-
Free Bike Tour:
$0.00
-
90 Minutes Kickstart Private Tour:
$13
-
Barcelona Half-Day Modernist Walking Tour:
$19
-
La Roca Shopping Village Express Tour from Barcelona:
$24
-
Barcelona 3-h Bike Tour and optional lunch at Hard Rock Cafe:
$26
-
Barcelona Private Bike Tour:
$29
-
Art Nouveau & Gaudí Tour in German:
$30
-
Ciutadella Park Segway Tour:
$35
-
Barcelona 60 Minute Segway Tour:
$35
-
60-minutes Segway Tour:
$35
Alcohol
The average person spends about €12 on alcoholic beverages in Lisbon per day. The more you spend on alcohol, the more fun you might be having despite your higher budget.
The average person spends about €11 on alcoholic beverages in Barcelona per day. The more you spend on alcohol, the more fun you might be having despite your higher budget.
Sample the Local Flavors in Lisbon
Also in Lisbon, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
-
From Private Wine Tour with Setúbal & Arrábida:
$61
-
Arrábida: Full-Day Private Tour with Wine Tasting:
$71
-
Port Wine Tasting & Tapas:
$90
-
Private Van Tour Evora and Alentejo Wine Tasting:
$91
-
Private Wine Tour in Lisbon:
$91
-
Lisbon Wine Tasting, Tapas and Old City Tour:
$118
-
Cheleiros and Bucelas Wine Tasting Tour from Lisbon:
$205
-
Setúbal Region & Arrábida: Full-Day Private Wine Tour:
$239
-
Sintra: Full-Day Tour from Lisbon with Wine Tasting:
$64
-
Portuguese Wine Tasting and Cheese Lunch:
$44
Sample the Local Flavors in Barcelona
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Barcelona:
-
Wine Tasting & Tapas:
$60
-
4x4 Winery Tour with Tapas & Wine Tasting from Barcelona:
$88
-
Barcelona Wine Tasting: Catalan and Spanish Wines:
$21
-
Alta Alella Wine Tour by Electric Bike from Barcelona:
$88
-
Montserrat, Sitges and Torres Wine Tour from Barcelona:
$106
-
Estrella Damm Brewery Guided Tour with Tasting:
$9.54
-
Backpacker Pub Crawl:
$18
-
Columbus Monument with Optional Wine Tasting:
$7.16
-
Barcelona Wine Tasting:
$85
-
The Original Barcelona Pub Crawl:
$18
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Lisbon and Barcelona, we can see that Barcelona is more expensive. And not only is Lisbon much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Lisbon would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Lisbon 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 Barcelona would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Barcelona than you might in Lisbon.
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