Should you visit Lisbon or Madrid?
Should I visit Lisbon or Madrid? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the data, which all comes from actual travelers.
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.
Madrid
Madrid, the capital of Spain, overs visitors countless opportunities to experience Spain's culture, art, cuisine, and nightlife. It is the largest city in Spain, and as such has much to explore. The city is situated on the Iberian Peninsula on the Spanish central Castillian plateau. If you're flying into Spain, you'll likely fly into the Madrid airport as it's one of the largest airports in Europe. Madrid is well connected to the rest of Spain with planes, trains and buses, making it a popular place to visit for many travelers doing a European tour.
Which city is cheaper, Madrid or Lisbon?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Lisbon is €103, while the average daily cost in Madrid is €107. 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 Madrid in more detail.
Accommodation
An average hotel room with basic furnishings costs about €92 in Lisbon For the most convenient locations and nicer amenities you can expect to pay a bit more.
Travelers usually pay around €118 for a double occupancy room in Madrid If you want to be in a premiere location or have high end amenities, you can expect to pay a bit more.
Food
In Lisbon travelers spend around €33 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.
The price of a meal in Madrid can vary widely. However, the average price for food per day is €27 per person, and a typical meal will cost around €11 based on the spending of previous visitors. Less expensive dining options can be found by eating street food or at fast food restaurants.
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Food
Meals for one day
Lisbon €33
Madrid €27
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:
-
Wine & Dine Food Tour:
$22
-
History and Flavors Half-Day Food Tour:
$29
-
Virtual Portuguese Cooking Lesson:
$31
-
Live Online Cooking Class from Pastel de Nata with Filipa:
$39
-
Live Fado & Alfama Tour with Traditional Dinner:
$40
-
Bohemian dinner party on a beautiful rooftop near the coast:
$42
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3-Hour Self-Guided Locals' Food Tour:
$48
-
The magic of Pasteis de Nata cooking class in Lisbon:
$53
-
Bitemojo Self Guided Food Tour New To Lisbon:
$54
-
2-Hour Pastel de Nata Cooking Class:
$55
-
Zero-Waste Cooking Workshop:
$56
-
Withlocals Your Way: Lisbon Personalised Private Food Tour:
$56
Typical Food prices in Madrid
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Madrid:
-
Coffee
€2.00
-
Ice Cream
€3.00
-
Kebabs (for 2)
€16
-
Croissant
€1.50
-
Lunch at Airport (for 2)
€16
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Madrid
For Madrid, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
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Virtual Cooking Class: The Spanish Paella Experience:
$24
-
Florida Retiro Dinner Show:
$38
-
Murder Mystery Dinner Experience:
$49
-
Virtual cooking - spanish "tortilla de patatas":
$50
-
Skip the Line: Flamenco Show with Dinner and Workshop in Madrid Ticket:
$52
-
Private Food Tour in The 10 Tastings:
$53
-
Homemade pasta cooking class and lunch in the heart of Madrid:
$58
-
Mamaz Social Italian Dinner in Madrid:
$60
-
3-hour Virtual Spanish Cooking Class in Madrid:
$62
-
Opera and Zarzuela Show and Dinner:
$62
-
Authentic Italian Dinner in Madrid:
$68
-
Zarzuela Opera and Dinner at La Castafiore Restaurant in Madrid:
$68
Local Transportation
Lisbon's transportation costs can vary by the type of transport chosen by visitors. Naturally, taxis and private drivers cost much more than public transportation options. On average, visitors spend €19 per person, per day on transportation in Lisbon.
To get around in Madrid, the average visitor spends €15 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 Lisbon
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Lisbon:
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Lisbon
Also for Lisbon, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Transfer To or From Paris:
$1,709
-
Private Lisbon route: Transfers, city tour and full day Sintra w/ driver & guide:
$1,680
-
Transfer 3 legs: Lisbon - Algarve - Porto - Lisbon:
$1,443
-
Transfer Lisboa - Barcelona:
$1,354
-
Transfer from Lisbon to Madrid (And Vice Versa):
$1,300
-
Private ONE WAY transfer from Lisbon to Seville with private pick up & drop off:
$1,151
-
Transfer from Lisbon to Sevilha (And Vice Versa):
$1,013
-
Transfer To or From Barcelona:
$989
-
Seville PRIVATE Transfer from Lisbon with 1 Optional stop in Évora:
$886
-
Chauffeur LISBON Private Transfer to SEVILLE (5 to 8 passengers):
$886
-
Lisbon to Sevile Transfer:
$832
-
Full Day Transfer from Lisbon to Oporto:
$809
Typical Local Transportation prices in Madrid
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Madrid are as follows:
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Madrid
Also for Madrid, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Ultra - Madrid Private Airport Transfer from city centre to Madrid airport MAD:
$9.41
-
Ultra - Madrid Private Airport Transfer from Madrid airport MAD to city centre:
$9.41
-
Transfer to Lisbon from Madrid with stop in Évora (1hour):
$658
-
Transfer to Lisbon from Madrid:
$585
-
Transfer in private vehicle from Madrid City to Madrid Barajas Airport:
$31
-
Transfer in private minivan from Madrid City to Madrid Barajas Airport:
$50
-
Transfer in private minivan from Madrid Airport to City:
$50
-
Transfer in Private Vehicle from Madrid Barajas Airport to City:
$31
-
Transfer from/to Madrid Barajas Airport:
$59
-
Transfer From Madrid To Lisbon Portugal:
$485
-
Royal Palace and Prado Museum – With Transfer Included:
$98
-
Round trip transfer in private vehicle from-to Madrid Barajas Airport in Madrid:
$63
Is it cheaper to fly into Lisbon or Madrid?
Prices for flights to both Madrid and Lisbon 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
Sightseeing, admission tickets, things to do, and other entertainment expenses in Lisbon can vary widely by price. On average, visitors spend around €19 per person, per day on entertainment and sightseeing here.
In Madrid, the costs for things to do, activities, admission tickets, and other sightseeing expenses are on average €27 per person, per day.
Tours and Activities in Lisbon
For Lisbon, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
-
Évora Private Tour from Lisbon:
$326
-
Évora and Arraiolos - 8 Hour Private Tour:
$54
-
Évora and Estremoz: Private Full-Day Tour from Lisbon:
$388
-
Évora and Megaliths Full-Day Private Tour from Lisbon:
$315
-
Óbidos Experience:
$40
-
Óbidos, Alcobaça, Batalha & Nazare Private Tour:
$121
-
10 Days Private Tour in Portugal from Lisbon:
$2,476
-
10 Hour Private Tour: Lisbon, Sintra, Cascais and Estoril Highlights:
$213
-
12-Day Portugal and Andalucia Tour from Madrid:
$1,595
-
2 Day Street Art Private Tour from Lisbon:
$933
-
2 Days Private Tour In the Algarve from Lisbon:
$682
-
2 Days Tour to Heart of Serra da Estrela from Lisbon:
$398
Tours and Activities in Madrid
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Madrid.
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1-Hour Historic Tour of Madrid by Scrooser:
$29
-
10 Days Tour Heart of Spain:
$1,592
-
10-Day Andalusia and Morocco escorted tour from Madrid:
$1,680
-
10-Day Guided Tour Morocco and Andalusia from Madrid:
$1,709
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11-Day Portugal and Andalucia Guided Tour from Madrid:
$1,735
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12-Day Morocco and South of Spain Tour from Madrid:
$1,722
-
13-Day Mediterranean Capitals Guided Tour from Madrid:
$2,114
-
2 Day Bus Tour: Granada, Toledo & Madrid from Costa del Sol:
$259
-
2 Hour Hidden Oasis Retiro Park Madrid Small Group Segway Tour:
$33
-
2 Hours Secrets of Madrid Retiro Park Tour:
$11
-
2-Day Guided Tour Cordoba and Seville from Madrid:
$404
-
2-Day Tour of Cordoba and Sevilla from Madrid:
$406
Alcohol
Typically, people visiting Lisbon spend on average €14 on alcoholic beverages per person, per day.
Alcoholic beverages can often be a significant portion of a traveler's budget, and the costs can vary greatly from person to person. In Madrid, the average amount that a visitor spends on alcoholic beverages per day is €16.
Sample the Local Flavors in Lisbon
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Lisbon:
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Lisbon Pub Crawl:
$17
-
Lisbon Pub Crawl with Free Drinks:
$18
-
Lisbon Pub Crawl:
$18
-
Lisbon 4-Hour Pub Crawl:
$18
-
Alternative Pub Crawl with a Local Guide:
$28
-
3-Hour Portuguese History & Flavors Food & Wine Tour:
$30
-
Portuguese Wine Tasting and Cheese Lunch:
$44
-
From Half-Day Wine Tasting Tour:
$50
-
Christ the King and Arrábida Small-Group Tour with Wine Tasting from Lisbon:
$58
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From Private Wine Tour with Setúbal & Arrábida:
$61
-
Sintra: Full-Day Tour from Lisbon with Wine Tasting:
$64
-
Private Full-Day Arrábida Park and Wine Tour:
$67
Typical Alcohol prices in Madrid
Some typical examples of the costs for nightlife and alcohol in Madrid are as follows:
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Beer
€5.00
-
Drinks and Tapas (for 2)
€13
Sample the Local Flavors in Madrid
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Madrid:
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5-Hour Pub Crawl:
$13
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Madrid Pub Crawl:
$14
-
Pub Crawl in Madrid:
$15
-
Pub Crawl Madrid by Madpartycrew:
$19
-
Wine Tasting near Plaza Mayor:
$20
-
Private Pub Crawl Madrid:
$21
-
Wine Tasting Experience:
$32
-
Madrid Wine Tasting, Flamenco Class, and Pub Crawl:
$44
-
Madrid 6-Hour Tapas and Flamenco Bar Crawl:
$46
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Madrid Tapas and Mysteries Walking Tour with Private Option and Pub Crawl:
$47
-
Wine Tasting and Flamenco Master Class in Madrid:
$58
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Segovia and Spanish Versailles Full-Day Tour with Wine Tasting:
$62
When comparing the travel costs between Lisbon and Madrid, we can see that Madrid is more expensive. However, the two cities are actually relatively comparable in price, as the difference is somewhat minimal. Generally, this means that you could travel with generally the same travel style and level of luxury in each place. Since both cities are in Europe, it's no surprise that their costs are relatively close, as many destinations here have somewhat similar travel prices overall.
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