Should you visit Portimao or Split?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the prices of travel for Portimao and Split. 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.
Portimao
The second biggest city in the Alrgarve region of Portugal, Portimao sits on the coast where the Arade River meets the Atlantic Ocean. It is renowned for its fresh fish restaurants and is also a popular destination for beachgoers at the Praia da Rocha to the south of the city.
Split
Spit is a historic city in Central Dalmatia with many opportunities to glimpse its fascinating past in its historic city center. Centuries ago the city grew up around a Diocletian palace that was used as refuge by the locals.
Today, as you wander around the historic center, you can see the remains of the Roman walls, temples, and squares. Despite it's appeal to tourists, Split is much more than just a tourist destination. It is larger than you might initially realize and it spreads well beyond the historic center. There is a population of about 300,000 in the larger area and it is an economic center for the region.
Split is also a must-visit on a trip through the country. It can easily fit in to a one-week itinerary of Croatia, or many other routes, as it's centrally located and very accessible.
Split has a beautiful climate with mild winters, countless sunny days, and a generally pleasant temperature. As such, there are many opportunities to enjoy yourself outdoors, whether by participating in sports or walking around the city's quaint streets. Winters in Split are also quite mild, but there may be one snowy day, on average, every year. This rare snowfall can cause a significant disruption in the flow of traffic.
Which city is cheaper, Split or Portimao?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Portimao is €121, while the average daily cost in Split is €88. 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 Portimao and Split in more detail.
Accommodation
Accommodation prices vary by location and style, but travelers pay on average about €124 for a double occupancy room in Portimao.
For a normal double-occupancy room in Split, €118 is the average cost for a hotel room. Also in Split, the typical price for a place to stay for one person is €59, such as in a hostel.
Local Transportation
While taxis and private drivers typically cost much more than public transportation, people usually spend around €30 per day to get around in Portimao.
Public transportation tends to be much less expensive in Split than paying for a taxi or private car service, as is expected. Typically, people spend €12 on transportation in Split on average per day.
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Portimao
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Portimao:
-
Transfer Praia da Rocha - Boavista Golf (Lagos):
$52
-
Transfer Praia da Rocha - Balaia Golf (Albufeira):
$66
-
Transfer Praia da Rocha - Alto Golf Pestana (Alvor):
$36
-
Transfer Praia da Rocha - Alamos Golf (Portimão):
$36
-
Transfer Portimão - Boavista Golf (Lagos):
$52
-
Transfer Portimão - Balaia Golf (Albufeira):
$62
-
Transfer Portimão - Alto Golf Pestana (Alvor):
$36
-
Transfer Portimão - Alamos Golf (Portimão) Pending:
$36
-
Private Transfer from Portimao to Faro (FAO) Airport:
$96
-
Private Transfer from Hotel da Rocha to Faro (FAO) Airport:
$96
-
Faro Shared Transfer to or from Portimão:
$38
-
Faro Private Transfer to or from Portimão:
$44
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Split
Also for Split, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
-
Shuttle Transfer between Airport and City Center:
$9.07
-
Shared Departure Transfer: Split, Trogir, Makarska,Tucepi and Baska Voda Hotels to Split Airport:
$19
-
Private Airport Transfer: from Split to Split Airport (SPU):
$26
-
Private Airport Transfer: from Split Airport (SPU) to Split:
$26
-
Private Departure Transfer: Split, Trogir, Makarska, Tucepi and Baska Voda Hotels to Split Airport:
$31
-
Krka Waterfalls National Park Shared Transfer from Split:
$34
-
Luxury private transfer: Split airport to Split:
$39
-
Luxury private transfer: Split to Split airport:
$39
-
Private transfer Split airport to Split (hotel, apartment, ferry...) up to 3 pax:
$46
-
Private transfer Split airport to Split (hotel, apartment, ferry...) up to 3 pax:
$47
-
Split Airport - Split Transfer:
$47
-
Airport Private Transfer from Split:
$49
Is it cheaper to fly into Portimao or Split?
Prices for flights to both Split and Portimao 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
The price of a meal in Portimao can vary widely. However, the average price for food per day is €36 per person, and a typical meal will cost around €14 based on the spending of previous visitors. Less expensive dining options can be found by eating street food or at fast food restaurants.
Food in Split costs travelers about €19 per day on average. Restaurants can vary significantly in price, so choose wisely if you're trying to save money. Fast food and street stalls are typically your cheapest options, which sit down restaurants can be significantly more expensive.
-
Food
Meals for one day
Portimao €36
Split €19
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Portimao
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Portimao.
-
Portimão - Food Tour:
$96
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Split
For Split, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
-
Krka Waterfalls with Dinner in Split included:Pizza or Burger with Fries & Drink:
$62
-
Private Dining: Traditional Dalmatian family dinner near Marjan Hills:
$102
-
Cooking Class in a Dalmatian Ethno Village Tour from Split:
$116
-
The Real Split Food Tour:
$118
-
Exclusive tour: NP Krka Bike Tour with traditional dinner:
$174
-
Hvar Wine Tour + Dalmatian Dinner:
$255
Entertainment
Activities, things to do, and other forms of entertainment usually cost around €33 per person, per day in Portimao. This cost includes the price of admission tickets to attractions and museums as well as daily tours.
Sightseeing expenses in Split, including the cost of admission tickets for day tours, museums, and attractions, usually cost an average of €2.97 per day, per person.
Tours and Activities in Portimao
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Portimao are as follows:
-
1 Hour - Express tour to Benagil Cave:
$28
-
2 Hours Portimão Walking Tour:
$20
-
2.5-Hour Cruise to Benagil Caves From Portimão:
$37
-
2h30min Private Benagil Caves Tour & Snorkeing & Cliff-jumping with Lots of fun!:
$373
-
Afternoon Sailing and Caves Tour from Portimao:
$44
-
Algarve Coastline Tour from Portimao jeep and boat tour:
$75
-
Algarve Jeep Safari tours:
$38
-
Benagil & Marinha Boat Tour:
$44
-
Benagil - Private Tour with Captain - Algarve Cave Captain:
$348
-
Benagil Boat Tour with Local Guide:
$35
-
Benagil Cave and Marinha Beach Boat Tour from Portimao:
$37
-
Benagil Caves Tour & Snorkeling & Cliff-jumping - lots of fun and adventure:
$50
Tours and Activities in Split
For Split, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
-
Emanuel Vidović Gallery Entrance Ticket:
$2.35
-
City Museum Entrance Ticket:
$3.13
-
Split Sightseeing: Explore the city's glorious Roman ruins on this audio tour:
$5.99
-
Museum of Illusions Split Admission Ticket:
$10
-
Museum of Illusions Entrance Ticket:
$11
-
Virtual Reality Movie Experience in Split:
$12
-
Best of Split Walking Tour:
$12
-
360 Virtual Tour of Ancient Split:
$14
-
Semisubmarine tour:
$16
-
Walking Tour Split:
$17
-
Grand Split Walking Tour with Diocletian's Palace:
$17
-
Split guided city tour for small groups:
$17
Alcohol
The average person spends about €24 on alcoholic beverages in Portimao per day. The more you spend on alcohol, the more fun you might be having despite your higher budget.
Typically, people visiting Split spend on average €6.38 on alcoholic beverages per person, per day.
Sample the Local Flavors in Portimao
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Portimao:
-
Portimão & Carvoeiro: Algarve Wine Tour in a VW T2 Van:
$57
-
Algarve Wine Tour of Two Wine Estates:
$72
-
Algarve wine tour of two wine estates and lunch at hystorical town of Silves:
$112
-
Algarve Wine Tour and Mountain Discovery With Lunch at Mountain Top:
$144
-
Alentejo Wine Tour from the Algarve:
$207
Sample the Local Flavors in Split
Also in Split, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
-
Tower Pub Crawl in Split:
$37
-
Krka Waterfalls Tour & Wine Tasting from Split:
$37
-
Krka Waterfalls and Sibenik Day Trip Including Wine Tasting from Split:
$49
-
Wine Tasting With walking Small group Tour in Split:
$53
-
Blue Lagoon & Wine tasting - 3 islands tour:
$87
-
Split Wine Tasting Walking Tour:
$101
-
Hvar 3-Hour Wine Tasting Tour:
$113
-
Zinfandel Wine Tour:
$124
-
Full-Day Split Food and wine tour to Peljesac:
$133
-
Beer Tasting Split - visit to the local brewery:
$137
-
Diocletian's Palace Private Food and Wine Tour:
$147
-
Solta Island Wine Tasting Tour Including Lunch:
$152
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Portimao and Split, we can see that Portimao is more expensive. And not only is Split much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Split would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Split 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 Portimao would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Portimao than you might in Split.
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