Which place is cheaper, David or Porto?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
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Should you visit Porto or David?
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 David can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Porto or David?
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.
David
In the Pacific West of Panama, David is the capital city of Chiriqui province. The city's population of almost 150,000 is among the wealthiest in the country. There is a well established middle class and unemployment remains low in the area. The area has grown rapidly in recent years with growing commercial and banking sectors. The city is well connected to the rest of the country by the Pan American Highway.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Portugal, The Best 10-Day Tours in Portugal, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Panama City, and The Best 2-Week Tours from Panama City.
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Porto Prices
Portugal PricesDavid Prices
Panama Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPorto €160David €33
The average daily cost (per person) in Porto is €160, while the average daily cost in David is €33. 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 David in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPorto €72David €11
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPorto €144David €22
Compare Hotels in Porto and David
Looking for a hotel in Porto or David? 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: Porto Hotel Prices and David Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Porto €21David €10
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Porto
Also for Porto, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Porto Airport: Transfer to/from Valenca Do Minho Station: $12
- Porto Airport Transfer from/to Porto Center : $12
- Oporto Shared Departure Transfer: From Hotels to Airport: $14
- Oporto Airport Private Transfer to Gaia: $17
- Gaia Private Transfer to Oporto Airport: $17
- Oporto Airport: Private Arrival Transfer to Porto city hotels: $18
- Porto Private Transfer to/from Matosinhos: $20
- Gaia Private Transfer to Porto: $20
- Porto Private Airport Arrival Transfer: $20
- Oporto Airport Private Arrival Transfer: $20
- Matosinhos Private Transfer to Oporto Airport: $20
- Oporto Airport Private Transfer to Matosinhos: $20
Is it cheaper to fly into Porto or David?
Prices for flights to both David 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
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Food Meals for one dayPorto €63David €15
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 Antero de Quental: $42
- Porto Walking Food Tour: $66
- Bolhão Market Guided Food Tour: $78
- Semi - Private Oporto Food Tour : $83
- Craft Beer & Food Tour in Porto: $83
- Traditional Portuguese Cooking Class in Porto with Chef Maria: $89
- Semi Private Oporto Fado Show with Dinner: $90
- Porto Heritage Night Tour With Fado Show And Dinner Included: $94
- Porto Food & Wine Tasting Tour with Lunch or Dinner Option: $94
- Porto Food Tour of 8 Tastings: Custard Tart, Bifana & Hidden Gems: $95
- Private Walking Food Tour with Tastings: $96
- Fado Show with Dinner in a Traditional Fado House: $102
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Porto €25David €3.73
Tours and Activities in Porto
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Porto.
- Self-Guided Tour Adventure Discovering Porto: $1.17
- Porto Walking Tour - The Perfect Introduction to the City: $1.20
- Self Guided Tour in Porto with 100 Captivating Audio Stories: $3.58
- Porto - Origin & Present - Guided Tour: $3.59
- Tour of Vila Nova de Gaia : $3.59
- Porto's Old Town Tour & Ribeira: $3.59
- Porto Scavenger Hunt and Highlights Self-Guided Tour: $3.59
- Porto Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided Tour: $4.49
- Porto Highlights the Original Walking Tour: $4.78
- Porto by the Ocean: Self-Guided Puzzle Adventure: $7.16
- Amazing Secrets of Self-Guided Puzzle Adventure: $7.16
- Love in Romantic Exploration Game and Tour: $7.16
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPorto €19David -
Sample the Local Flavors in Porto
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Porto:
- Wine Experience Museum with 3 Wine Tastings: $24
- Private visit with wine tasting in Alijó Douro: $24
- Pub Crawl Porto: $26
- Flavours of Portugal – Wine Tastings at WOW Wine School: $30
- Taylor's Port Cellars Visit & Port Wine Tasting: $30
- Halloween Pub Crawl 4 bars, 1 club, Scary Games & 7 Drinks: $30
- Authentic Oporto Walking Tour with Wine Tasting: $33
- Porto Wine Tasting with GUIDED TOUR: $36
- Porto City Tour with Wine Tasting: $41
- 5 Port Wine Tasting with pairings: $42
- Luxury Yacht Cruise with Wine Tasting & Snacks: $54
- Port and Douro Wine Walking Tour With 10 Wine Tastings: $54
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Porto and David, we can see that Porto is more expensive. And not only is David much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Porto is in Europe and David is in Central America, 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 David would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in David 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 David.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Porto Expensive? and Is David Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Porto or David?
Porto has a larger population, and is about 3 times larger than the population of David. When comparing the sizes of Porto and David, 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.
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.