A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Porto vs. Budva for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Porto or Budva?

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

Which city is more affordable and which is best for your travel style? If you're trying to figure out where to go next, comparing the travel costs between Porto and Budva can help you decide which place is right for you.

Where Should I go: Porto or Budva?

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.

Budva

A coastal resort in Montenegro, Budva is probably the country's most popular tourist destination. Not only does it host a number of great beaches, but it is also home to a picturesque old town center located on a small peninsula. Some of its best features include narrow winding lanes, historic buildings, churches, and small squares.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Portugal, The Best 10-Day Tours in Portugal, Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Montenegro, and The Best Adventure Tours to Montenegro.


Which place is cheaper, Budva or Porto?

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

The average daily cost (per person) in Porto is €126, while the average daily cost in Budva is €91. 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 Porto and Budva in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Porto 65
    Budva 37
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Porto 130
    Budva 74
Compare Hotels in Porto and Budva

Looking for a hotel in Porto or Budva? 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.

Hotels in Porto


Hotels in Budva


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: Porto Hotel Prices and Budva Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Porto 21
    Budva 20

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Porto

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

  • Airport Transfers: $27
  • Airport transfer with vintage Vw Kombi van: $107
  • Arrival Transfer from Porto Airport OPO to Porto in Private Car/Van: $97
  • Arrival Transfer: Porto Airport OPO to Porto in Business Car: $76
  • Departure Transfer: Porto to Porto Airport OPO in Business Car: $76
  • Departure Transfer: Porto to Porto Airport OPO in Luxury Van: $92
  • Douro Valley Private One-Way Transfer (Régua, Pinhão, Lamego): $175
  • Effortless Wheels Seamless Transfer Experience Porto-Lisbon: $364
  • Exclusive Private Transfer Gaia - Porto Airport: $46
  • From Porto Bus Station: Transfer to/from Lisbon Oriente: $4.22
  • From One-Way Private Transfer to Lisbon: $642
  • From Private Transfer to Lisbon with Coimbra & Fatima: $627

Typical Local Transportation Prices in Budva

Some typical examples of transportation costs in Budva are as follows:


  • Daily Car Rental
    65

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Budva

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Budva:

  • Private Transfer from Budva to Dubrovnik: $272
  • Private Transfer from Budva or Becici to Dubrovnik airport: $239
  • Herceg Novi to Budva one way transfer: $144
  • Transfer from Podgorica Airport to Kotor: $139
  • Private transfer Tivat/Kotor/Budva-Podgorica: $125
  • Budva to Podgorica one way transfer: $113
  • Tivat to Budva one way transfer: $102
  • Private transfer from Budva to Dubrovnik City: $98
  • Private Transfer from Bar to Podgorica Airport (TGD): $97
  • Private Transfer from Petrovac to Tivat Airport (TIV): $87
  • Private Transfer from Petrovac to Tivat airport: $81
  • Private Transfer from Sveti Stefan to Tivat airport: $71

Is it cheaper to fly into Porto or Budva?

Prices for flights to both Budva and Porto 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
    Porto 36
    Budva 31

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 in Downtown Porto: $37
  • Tastiest Calories Food Tour: $48
  • Bolhão Market and Codfish Tasting Guided Food Tour: $52
  • Bolhão Market & Codfish Tasting Food Tour: $53
  • Christmas All Inclusive Dinner River Cruise with DJ on Board : $55
  • Porto Food Tour: Full Meal & Drinks: $56
  • Porto Food Tour - Do Eat Better Experience: $57
  • 3-Hour Food Tour: $68
  • Half-Day Food Tour: $68
  • Semi - Private Oporto Food Tour: $74
  • Portuguese Craft Beer and Food Tour: $74
  • Craft Beer & Food Tour in Porto: $75

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Budva

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Budva.

  • Cooking Class with dinner/lunch in Ulcinj Montenegro : $49

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Porto 25
    Budva 22

Tours and Activities in Porto

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

  • City Highlights Guided Walking Tour: $1.07
  • Ultimate Ribeira Walking Tour: $2.61
  • First Discovery Walk and Reading Walking Tour: $3.21
  • The Unvanquished Tour in Porto City Center: $3.26
  • From Portugal eSIM Tourist Data Plan: $4.81
  • Highlights Self-Guided Scavenger Hunt and City Tour: $5.35
  • Porto Scavenger Hunt and Best Landmarks Self-Guided Tour: $5.43
  • City Exploration Game and Tour on your Phone: $6.41
  • Porto (Gaia) Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided Tour: $7.65
  • Scavenger Hunt and City Highlights Walking Tour: $7.65
  • Porto (Gaia) Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided Tour: $7.83
  • Torre dos Clerigos Entrance Ticket: $8.56

Tours and Activities in Budva

Here are a few actual costs in Budva for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:

  • 1-Hour Guided Lipa Cave Adventure in Montenegro: $15
  • Blue Cave Tour on Kayaks in Montenegro: $81
  • Budva 1 hour Private walking tour: $66
  • Budva Bay Boat Tour - Exploring Budva With A Local: $70
  • Budva Bay SUP & Kayaking Tours to Coastal Caves: $43
  • Budva old town private tour: $172
  • Budva private day tour from Kotor: $310
  • Budva/Petrovac: Premium Paragliding Experience: $107
  • 3-Hour Paddle Board or Kayak Tour to Coastal Caves: $43
  • City Private Tour: $126
  • Exploring Caves & Private Boat Tour: $70
  • Hidden paradise tour with snorkeling and lunch: $214

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Porto 19
    Budva 14

Sample the Local Flavors in Porto

Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Porto:

  • Museu do Vitral Entry Ticket and Wine Tasting: $8.56
  • Museu do Vitral Entry Ticket with Wine Tasting: $8.73
  • Tickets for Port Cellar Visit and Wine Tasting at Fonseca: $11
  • Guided City Pub Crawl with Club Entry: $13
  • Magic Train Tour and Port Wine Tastings: $15
  • Mysterious Pub Crawl Interactive City Discovery Game: $19
  • Pub Crawl with 5 Drinks: $19
  • Douro and Port Wine Tasting: $20
  • Pub Crawl Porto Live night: $21
  • Pub Crawl with Shots and Drinking Games: $21
  • Poças: Guided Tour & Port Wine Tasting with Pastel de Nata: $21
  • Rooftop Fado concert, Port wine tasting, Portuguese tart: $21

Sample the Local Flavors in Budva

Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Budva:

  • Full Day Private Skadar Lake Wine Tour Experience from Budva: $177


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Porto and Budva, we can see that Porto is more expensive. And not only is Budva much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Budva would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Budva 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 Budva.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Porto Expensive? and Is Budva Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Porto or Budva?

Porto has a larger population, and is about 50 times larger than the population of Budva. When comparing the sizes of Porto and Budva, 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.