Should you visit Nairobi or Porto?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Nairobi and Porto can help. It includes a travel cost comparison in addition to other factors. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.
Where Should I go: Nairobi or Porto?
Nairobi
Nairobi is Kenya's capital as well as the country's largest city. With a population of about 3 million, it is also one of the largest cities in Africa. It is a prominent city both politically and financially within the region. There are many international companies that are located in Nairobi and the Nairobi Securities and Exchange is one of the largest in Africa.
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.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Safaris in Kenya, The Best Budget Safaris in Kenya, The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Portugal, and The Best 10-Day Tours in Portugal.
Which place is cheaper, Porto or Nairobi?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
The average daily cost (per person) in Nairobi is $68, while the average daily cost in Porto is $186. 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 destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Nairobi and Porto in more detail.
Accommodation
Looking for a hotel in Nairobi or Porto? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.
Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.
Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here:
Nairobi Hotel Prices and
Porto Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Nairobi
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Nairobi:
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Nairobi
Also for Nairobi, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
-
Nairobi City Taste Experience with Minivan Transfer:
$245
-
Road Transfer from Nairobi to Amboseli:
$200
-
Private Road Transfer from Nairobi to Amboseli national park:
$197
-
Airport transfers:
$180
-
Private Transfer in Nairobi:
$180
-
Private Transfer from Nairobi Airport or city To Maasai Mara By Road:
$135
-
Private Transfer from Nairobi Airport or City to Mara by road:
$135
-
Nairobi Airports Private Transfers:
$100
-
Nairobi National Park Tour with Game Drive and Transfer:
$95
-
Nairobi National Park Game Drive Tour With Transfer:
$95
-
Nairobi Airport to Hotel Transfers with city tour:
$80
-
Private Transfer to Naivasha from Nairobi:
$80
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Porto
Also for Porto, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
-
Transfer from porto airport to Porto city (or return):
$116
-
Transfer from Porto to the Douro Valley:
$294
-
Transfer Taxi Service Porto , Gaia , Airport , Train , Bus , Ship:
$63
-
Transfer Porto to Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport:
$21
-
Transfer Porto Centro to Airport (OPO):
$41
-
Transfer Oporto - Aeroport / Up to 4 passengers:
$29
-
Transfer Airport (OPO) - Porto Centro:
$47
-
Private transfer from Santiago de Compostela to Oporto:
$544
-
Private transfer from Oporto to Lisbon or Lisbon to Oporto:
$264
-
Private transfer between Porto and Lisbon - up to 5 stops:
$235
-
Private airport transfers from Porto to various cities.:
$18
-
Private Transfer to Porto from Tarouca:
$132
Is it cheaper to fly into Nairobi or Porto?
Prices for flights to both Porto and Nairobi 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
Nairobi $13
Porto $73
Typical Food Prices in Nairobi
For Nairobi, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Nairobi
For Nairobi, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
-
Karibu Kitchens Nairobi Food Tour with 15+ Tastings:
$55
-
Traditional Kenyan Cooking Class & Local Market Tour:
$55
-
Cooking Lesson of Local Food $ Lunch:
$68
-
Dinner/Lunch Eating Experience Carnivore Restaurant & Transport:
$75
-
Barbecue Lunch/ Dinner At The Carnivore Restaurant - Nairobi:
$85
-
Safari Park dinner with live band music and cat dance show.:
$90
-
BBQ Dinner & Cat Dancers Experience at Safari Park Hotel:
$90
-
Safari Park Dinner with Safari Cats Dance Show:
$97
-
Private Market Tour and Traditional Kenyan Cooking Class in Nairobi with a Local:
$98
-
Safari Cat Dancers Show And Dinner:
$100
-
Nairobi dinner and safari cat dancers:
$100
-
Nairobi National Park Afternoon Game Drive/ Dinner Carnivore Restaurant:
$100
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 Porto Wine (Sé do Porto):
$41
-
Pastel de Nata Cooking Class with Porto Wine (Lapa):
$41
-
Eat Porto Like a Local: The Ultimate Full-Meal Food Tour:
$68
-
Porto Food Tour Market Tapas and Port Wine Cellar Experience:
$70
-
Authentic Porto Small Group Food Tour with Local Tastings:
$78
-
Porto Food Tour:
$88
-
Shopping, cooking and eating together at my home in Porto:
$88
-
Craft Beer & Food Tour in Porto by Taste Porto (since 2013):
$88
-
Small Group Porto Food Tour Traditional Taverns and Local Dishes:
$88
-
Food Tour: Wine, Beer & Liquor - Porto’s Secret Spots:
$94
-
Private Porto Market Tour & Authentic Portuguese Cooking Class:
$99
-
Fado Tour with Guide, Dinner & Live Show in Porto:
$100
Entertainment
Typical Entertainment Prices in Nairobi
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Nairobi's activities, tours, and tickets:
Tours and Activities in Nairobi
For Nairobi, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
-
1 Day Bike Tour to Hell’s Gate And Lake Naivasha:
$139
-
1 Day Hell's Gate Bicycle Tour (minimum 2 Pax):
$280
-
1 Day Pure Adrenaline Adventure with Kenyan BBQ Lunch Experience:
$200
-
1 Day Purple Farm Tour from Nairobi Tea Tasting and Lunch:
$295
-
1 Day Tour Hiking Mt. Longonot and lake Naivasha Boat ride:
$75
-
1-Day Mount Longonot Hiking Adventure From Nairobi:
$145
-
2 Days Amboseli Safari using a 4x4 Landcruiser jeep(with options):
$160
-
2 Days Tour :Mt.Longonot Hiking TOUR &Hells Gate Bicycle Riding:
$200
-
3 Day Maasai Mara Group Joining Safari With Guided Tour:
$250
-
3 Days 2 Nights Maasai Mara Group Tour with 4x4 Jeep:
$210
-
3 Days Maasai Mara Camping Safari on 4x4 Land Cruiser Jeep:
$285
-
3 Days Maasai Mara Group Safari on 4x4 Land Cruiser Jeep:
$295
Tours and Activities in Porto
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Porto.
-
3 Hour Complete Porto City Tour:
$233
-
3-Hour Guided Walking Tour of Porto:
$33
-
3-Hour Porto Highlights on a Electric Bike Guided Tour:
$52
-
3-Hour Porto Jewish Heritage Walking Tour with Local Guide:
$35
-
3h30 tour in Porto by Tuk Tuk:
$115
-
4 Hour Blissful Wave Experience at Maceda Haven:
$82
-
6 Bridges and Ribeira Boat Tour, Shared – Sunset Option:
$47
-
Adventure Day in the Douro: Stand Up Paddle (SUP) and Reboque Bowl:
$127
-
Authentic Braga & Guimarães: Small Historical Group Tour:
$69
-
Aveiro Half Day Private Tour Porto w/ Moliceiro River Cruise:
$123
-
Aveiro Half-Day Small Group Tour from Porto:
$58
-
Aveiro Small Group Tour with Typical Boat Ride, offer wine bottle:
$112
Alcohol
Sample the Local Flavors in Porto
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Porto:
-
1 Demarcation Museum Tickets and Port Wine Tasting:
$5.87
-
Poças Guided Visit and Port Wine Tasting with Pastel de Nata:
$27
-
Poças Guided Visit and Wine Tasting of 3 Port Wines:
$27
-
Poças Guided Visit and Wine Tasting of 2 DOC Douro & 1 Port Wine:
$27
-
Premium wine tasting at Quinta das Arcas:
$28
-
Fado Concert with Port Wine Tasting at Quinta da Boeira:
$29
-
Cellar Tour, Port Wine Tasting & Fado Show at Fonseca:
$29
-
Taylor's Port Cellars Visit & Port Wine Tasting:
$29
-
Classic Wine Tasting with GUIDED TOUR:
$30
-
Porto Hop On Hop Off Bus Tour with Wine tasting & Night tour:
$32
-
Authentic Oporto Walking Tour with Wine Tasting:
$33
-
Cálem Cellar Tour, Live Fado Show and Wine Tasting:
$33
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Nairobi and Porto, we can see that Porto is more expensive. And not only is Nairobi much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Nairobi is in Africa and Porto is in Europe, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Nairobi would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Nairobi 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 Nairobi.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Nairobi Expensive? and Is Porto Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Nairobi or Porto?
Nairobi has a larger population, and is about 10 times larger than the population of Porto. When comparing the sizes of Nairobi and Porto, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.
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