A Travel Price Comparison for Portugal Lisbon vs. Porto for Attractions, Food, Nightlife, and Old Town

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Should you visit Lisbon or Porto?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Should I visit Lisbon or Porto? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.

Lisbon

Lisbon is a picturesque, colorful, and vibrant city. It's an amazing and huge city with tons of activities and things to do. Many visitors also come here because of it's amazing beauty. Other reasons to visit include shopping, museums, and nightlife.

Porto

Porto is a cultural, cosmopolitan, and dynamic port city. As it's a big city, visitors will find plenty to do, too. With stunning beauty, it attracts visitors from all around. It's also popular because of the food, shopping, and museums.

How is Lisbon different from Porto?

Which is Better for a Holiday?

Is Lisbon or Porto better for Museums and Historical Sights?

You'll find a number of museums and attractions in both Porto and Lisbon.

With plenty of landmarks, attractions, and museums, Lisbon has many famous sights for visitors. World renowned landmarks include St. George's Castle, Jerónimos monastery, the Belém Tower, Santa Justa Lift, and countless world class museums.

Many visitors head to Porto specifically to visit some of its top-rated museums and other sights. With such a long history, there are many landmarks and sights in the city. Popular attractions include the Clérigos Tower, Palácio da Bolsa, and Igreja de São Francisco.


Is Lisbon or Porto better for Food?

Dining out in both Lisbon and Porto can be an enjoyable experience.

For foodies, Lisbon is an obvious choice, as it is one of the food capitals of the world. There are many local restaurants as well as food tours and cooking classes that you can enjoy. Make sure you try the local favorites like bacalhau à brás, frango no churrasco, and pastel de nata.

Porto has long been recognized as a culinary destination. The area's cuisine combines the ocean setting with the agriculture of the surrounding area, so you'll enjoy both seafood dishes as well as fresh meats and vegetables. The area is also famous for its Port wines and red wines.

Is Lisbon or Porto better for Nightlife?

The nightlife scene is relatively similar in Lisbon and Porto.

The nightlife in Lisbon is well established with world renowned clubs and venues. It is a bustling city with a lot of energy late into the night. There are countless bars, clubs, and music venues that cater to every personality type and style.

The nightlife in Porto has something for everybody. This city comes to life in the evening, particularly on weekends when locals and tourists alike flock to the many bars, restaurants, and nightclubs.

Is Lisbon or Porto better for its Old Town?

It's fun to wander around the old towns in both Lisbon and Porto.

With a famous historical old-town, Lisbon offers plenty to see. The city is famous for the Alfama area, which is where you find the traditional buildings, cobblestoned streets, wandering alleyways, and steep hills. Make sure you take in the stunning view from various parts of town.

There is a nice variety of sights in the old town of Porto. Known as Porto Ribeira, the city's historic district is the most visited part of the town. It begins on the banks of the River Douro and climbs into the hills behind it.

Is Lisbon or Porto better for Shopping?

Lisbon often provides a better shopping experience than Porto.

Many people travel to Lisbon specifically to go shopping. For high end shopping, head to The Avenida da Liberdade. It's lined with designer brands and luxury boutiques.

Plenty of visitors enjoy shopping while in Porto. The city has both your standard shopping mall stores as well as local vendors and boutique shops.


Is Lisbon or Porto better for Families?

Kids will enjoy a visit to either Lisbon or Porto.

You'll find plenty of family-friendly things to do in Lisbon. Popular family-friendly activities include exploring Castelo Sao Jorge, visiting the aquarium, hanging out on the beach, and of course, taking the funiculars.

Porto is a very family-friendly destination. The city has several cool museums including the interactive museum, The World of Discoveries. There are also parks, playgrounds, zoos, and aquariums that you can explore. For families that enjoy being outside, this is a great city.

Is Lisbon or Porto better for Couples?

With fun activities for couples, both Lisbon and Porto make for a good place to visit.

Lisbon makes for a fun place to visit for a couple. With it's colorful buildings and dramatic hills, this city offers a truly romantic setting for couples.

Porto is a great city if you're traveling as a couple. You can visit the palaces, enjoy shopping, or dine in a nice Portuguese restaurant. The area is also famous for its wine, so the city has plenty for couples to do on a romantic getaway.

Is Lisbon or Porto better for Backpackers and Budget Travelers?

Lisbon and Porto are both good destinations for backpackers.

Lisbon is a very popular city to visit for backpackers. Hostels are abundant, and you'll have no trouble finding other backpackers to hang out with. Many hostels even organize activities and group meals for travelers.

Many backpackers frequent Porto. By combining world-class activities with affordability, this city has become a popular stop off for backpackers in the area.

Is Lisbon or Porto better for Students?

Both Lisbon and Porto are popular destinations for students.

Lisbon is a very popular city for students and younger travelers. It's a lively city with a lot to see and do for international students.

Porto is very popular with students. The city has a number of good research programs and study abroad opportunities that attract international students from around the world.


Is Lisbon or Porto better for Public Transit?

Lisbon generally offers a better public transit system than Porto.

Visitors in Lisbon can get around quickly with the extensive public transit system. The metro has four lines that go around the city. There are also trams, buses, and the funiculars.

While Porto offers some public transit options, it might not be your first choice. There is a metro system as well as a bus system. While the metro system does have six lines, most stations aren't close to the tourist attractions, so it likely won't be that helpful to visitors.

Is Lisbon or Porto a more walkable city?

Lisbon is more walkable than Porto.

It's very easy to get around on foot in Lisbon. There are many walkable areas that aren't too hilly like Baixa, a stretch along the Tagus River, and Belém.

Porto is somewhat walkable. The city center is very compact with most of the sights within a short walk of each other. The area is also very hilly, so getting from place to place can require a bit of effort.

Lisbon and Porto: Pros and Cons

Lisbon
Pros
  • Popular museums and historical sights
  • Good for shopping
  • Family-friendly
  • Good for couples and romance
  • Good for backpackers and budget travelers
  • Good public transit
  • Very walkable
  • Big city activities
  • Impressive beauty
Porto
Pros
  • Popular museums and historical sights
  • Family-friendly
  • Good for couples and romance
  • Good for backpackers and budget travelers
  • Big city activities
  • Impressive beauty
Cons
  • Less popular for shopping
  • Public transit not as usable
  • Less walkable


Should I spend more time in Porto or Lisbon?

How long in Lisbon or Porto?

In either Lisbon or Porto, you'll find plenty of activities to fill your time. Most visitors tend to spend more time in Lisbon than Porto because of the overall number of sights and activities.

The ideal length of time for a trip to Lisbon is 3-7 days, and the ideal length of time for a trip to Porto is 2-5 days.


  • How many days in Lisbon or Porto? Ideal Length of Stay
    Lisbon 3-7 
    Porto 2-5

One day in Lisbon or Porto?

Each neighborhood in Lisbon has its own distinct appeal, so there are pleny of areas to explore. Make sure you visit the old town while you're here. This city offers a variety of activities to choose from. Since there is so much to do in the area, one day is probably not enough for all of it.

Many travelers enjoy the museums and nightlife when visiting the big city destination of Porto. The old town is one of the main draws for visitors. But since there are so many activities, you'll likely want to spend more than one day exploring.

A weekend in Lisbon or Porto?

It's hard to know how much time to spend in Lisbon. Most visitors spend time around the old town while in the area. A weekend is usually not enough time for a trip here as there is plenty to do. The length of your ideal trip is an individual decision.

Porto is a great place to explore. It is common to spend a weekend here. Don't miss the food, as that's what most people do. With all of its activities, you can easily fill a weekend here. Your budget might influence how long you stay.


Five days in Lisbon or Porto?

Lisbon is a fun place to experience. Visiting the old town is also a must. This would be the perfect place to spend five days, as it has just the right amount of activities.

It's hard to know how much time to spend in Porto. Don't miss the food, as that's what most people do. For many, it makes a great getaway for five days. Make sure you visit the old town while you're here. With all of its activities, you can easily fill five days here. It has many unique tourist attractions and fascinating things to do.

A week in Lisbon or Porto?

Each neighborhood in Lisbon has its own distinct appeal, so there are pleny of areas to explore. Plenty of people spend one week here when traveling. The old town is one of the main draws for visitors. Take your pick from the many activities offered around the area. One week is often enough time to spend here.

Travelers enjoy the shopping and museums when visiting the cultural big city of Porto. This port city offers a variety of activities to choose from. Most visitors spend time around the old town while in the area. Most people find that one week is more than enough time to see everything.

Which city is cheaper, Porto or Lisbon?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in Lisbon is €105, while the average daily cost in Porto is €100. 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. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Lisbon and Porto in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Lisbon €47
    Porto €52
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Lisbon €94
    Porto €104

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Lisbon €19
    Porto €16
Typical Local Transportation prices in Lisbon

Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Lisbon:


  • Taxi Ride
    €6.50

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Lisbon

Also for Lisbon, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • 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

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Porto

Also for Porto, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Transfer to Lisbon from Porto with stop in Fátima or Coimbra (1hour): $348
  • Transfer to Lisbon from Porto: $311
  • Transfer from Porto to Vigo or Vigo to Porto: $398
  • Transfer from Porto to Lisbon with 2 Touristic Stops (Óbidos, Fátima or Coimbra): $425
  • Transfer from Porto Airport to Porto Center: $27
  • Transfer from Oporto to Lisbon with stops: $373
  • Transfer between Oporto and the Airport: $16
  • Transfer Tour Between Lisbon and Porto: $743
  • Transfer Service: $34
  • Transfer Porto | Lisbon or Lisbon | Porto: $597
  • Transfer Porto to Vigo: $173
  • Transfer Porto to São Tiago de Compostela: $281

Is it cheaper to fly into Lisbon or Porto?

Prices for flights to both Porto 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.





Food
  • Food Meals for one day
    Lisbon €34
    Porto €29
Typical Food prices in Lisbon

For Lisbon, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:


  • Coffee
    €2.50

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Lisbon

For Lisbon, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Virtual Portuguese Cooking Lesson: $31
  • Live Online Cooking Class from Pastel de Nata with Filipa: $39
  • Bohemian dinner party on a beautiful rooftop near the coast: $42
  • 2-Hour Pastel de Nata Cooking Class: $51
  • The magic of Pasteis de Nata cooking class in Lisbon: $53
  • Bitemojo Self Guided Food Tour New To Lisbon: $54
  • Withlocals Your Way: Lisbon Personalised Private Food Tour: $56
  • Pastel de Nata Cooking Class with Local Baker: $57
  • Private Groups: Pastel de Nata cooking class and tasting in Lisbon's pastry shop: $57
  • Authentic Portuguese dinner with a local chef: $58
  • Lisbon Food Tour: $62
  • Lisbon Old Town Food Tour by Sitway: $63

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Porto

For Porto, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Pastel de Nata Cooking Class with Grandma's Recipe: $23
  • Traditional Portuguese sweets cooking class: $30
  • Pastel de Nata cooking class in Porto: $30
  • Authentic Porto Food Tour & Market Experience for private groups: $61
  • Private Food Tour – 10 Tastings with Locals: $65
  • Half-Day Brunch Food Tour in Porto: $66
  • Half-Day Food Tour: $68
  • Craft Beer & Food Tour: $73
  • Withlocals The 10 Tastings: Porto Private Food Tour: $73
  • 3-Hour Porto by Night Tour with Fado Show & Dinner: $74
  • Half-Day Porto Walking Food Tour and Tasting for Small-Group: $75
  • Withlocals Your Way: Porto 100% Personalised Private Food Tour: $77

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Lisbon €19
    Porto €20

Tours and Activities in Lisbon

For Lisbon, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • Évora and Arraiolos - 8 Hour Private Tour: $183
  • Évora and Megaliths Full-Day Tour from Lisbon: $82
  • 10 Days Private Tour in Portugal from Lisbon: $2,476
  • 10 Hour Private Tour: Lisbon, Sintra, Cascais and Estoril Highlights: $213
  • 2 Day Street Art Private Tour from Lisbon: $933
  • 2 Days Private Tour In the Algarve from Lisbon: $682
  • 3 Days Private Tour In Lisbon: $639
  • 3 Days Private Tour In the Algarve from Lisbon: $886
  • 3 Days Private Tour. Wines and Gastronomy: $980
  • 3 days Escape in Upper Alentejo, away from the crowds , experience authenticy of POrtugal: $2,053
  • 3-Night Private Tour of Lisbon, Sintra, Cascais, Estoril, Sesimbra and Arrábida: $1,086
  • 3-Night Private Tour of Lisbon, Sintra, Cascais, Estoril, Óbidos, Nazaré and Fátima: $954

Tours and Activities in Porto

Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Porto.

  • 2-Hours of Porto Sunset Segway Tour - Guided Experience: $58
  • 3-Hour Best of Porto Segway Tour - Guided Experience: $61
  • 3-Hour Electric Porto Bike Tour: $51
  • 3-Hour Guided Walking Tour of Porto: $31
  • 3-Hour Porto Bike Tour: $44
  • 3-Hour Walking Tour: Tiles of Porto: $34
  • 3-Hour of Porto Highlights on a Electric Bike - Guided Tour: $45
  • 4 hour Cultural Walking Tour and Fado Show: $51
  • 5 Food & Wine Houses Walking Tour: $80
  • 6-Day North Portugal Tour: Porto, Braga, Fátima, Coimbra, Guimaraes, Aveiro and Batalha, from Lisbon: $1,157
  • 7-Day The Way of St James Bike Tour- The Coast Path - Camino to Santiago: $2,011
  • Admission Ticket to Casa São Roque Art Center: $9.95

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Lisbon €14
    Porto €15

Sample the Local Flavors in Lisbon

Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Lisbon:

  • 1-Hour Portuguese Wine Tasting Session: $22
  • 3-Hour Portuguese History & Flavors Food & Wine Tour: $30
  • Portuguese Wine Tasting and Cheese Lunch: $56
  • Christ the King and Arrábida Small-Group Tour with Wine Tasting from Lisbon: $58
  • Craft Beer, Port & Wine Tour: $68
  • Food & Wine Tasting Walking Tour: $75
  • Santuário Cristo Rei-Sesimbra-Castle Palmela-Bacalhoa Winery with wine tasting: $81
  • Full-Day Évora Wine Tour: $84
  • Wine Tasting in Lisbon: $87
  • Private Van Tour Arrabida and Wine Tasting: $89
  • Wine tasting Private Day Tour ARRABIDA: $92
  • Van Private Tour Arrábida Wine Tour: $96

Sample the Local Flavors in Porto

Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Porto:

  • Magic Train Tour and Port Wine Tastings: $14
  • Cálem Cellar Tour, Interactive Museum & Wine Tasting: $16
  • Porto Hop-On Hop-Off Tour with Optional River Cruise and Wine Tasting: $19
  • Porto Pub Crawl with Unlimited beer: $19
  • Graham's Port Lodge Guided Tour and Wine Tasting: $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
  • Cálem Cellar Tour, Fado Show & Wine Tasting: $26
  • Authentic Oporto Walking Tour with Wine Tasting: $30
  • Graham's Port Lodge Tour with Wine Tasting & Pairings: $34

About these numbers

When comparing the travel costs between Lisbon and Porto, we can see that Lisbon 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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Lisbon vs. Porto Travel Comparison

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