Which place is cheaper, Lima 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 Lima?
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 Lima can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Porto or Lima?
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.
Lima
Lima, the capital city of Peru, is likely to be your point of entry for the country. Lima was founded in 1535 and was the seat of the Spanish rule for 300 years. It's a surprisingly modern city despite its rich history, but many beautiful churches and colonial architecture remain today. There are also large slum areas that highlight the poverty that exists in the city. The city and its surrounding metropolitan area have a population of about 8.5 million people, many of whom came from the Andes Mountains in search of work. Unfortunately the work opportunities are limited and the poverty is obvious as you arrive in Lima.
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 Peru, and The Best Adventure Tours to Peru.
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Porto Prices
Portugal PricesLima Prices
Peru Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPorto €160Lima €85
The average daily cost (per person) in Porto is €160, while the average daily cost in Lima is €85. 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 Lima in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPorto €72Lima €47
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPorto €144Lima €94
Compare Hotels in Porto and Lima
Looking for a hotel in Porto or Lima? 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 Lima Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Porto €21Lima €5.44
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
- Oporto Shared Departure Transfer: From Hotels to Airport: $14
- Oporto Airport: Private Arrival Transfer to Porto city hotels: $17
- Private Departure Transfer: Porto city Hotels to Oporto Airport: $17
- Matosinhos Private Transfer to Oporto Airport: $17
- Oporto Airport Private Transfer to Matosinhos: $17
- Oporto Airport Private Departure Transfer: $17
- Oporto Airport Private Arrival Transfer: $17
- Private One-way Transfer from Porto Airport to Porto: $18
- Private One-way Transfer from Porto to Porto Airport: $18
- Porto Private Transfer to/from Matosinhos: $19
- Oporto Airport Private Transfer to Gaia: $19
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Lima
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Lima are as follows:
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Taxi Ride€5.15
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Taxi Ride€5.15
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Short Taxi Ride€3.86
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Lima
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Lima:
- Private Transfer From Lima To Huacachina With 2 Stops: $255
- Lima round trip transfers airport - hotel - airport + City Tour: $218
- Private Transfer from Lima hotels to Pisco Cruise Port: $213
- Private Transfer from Jorge Chavez Airport (LIM) to Pisco Port: $213
- Private Transfer from Jorge Chavez Airport (LIM) to Pisco Port: $195
- Private Transfer from Lima City Hotels to Pisco Cruise Port: $195
- Lima Airport Luxury Arrival or Departure Transfer: $163
- Premium Peruvian Horse Show with Lunch & Transfers: $159
- Private Largevan Transfer - Arrival Lima Airport to Hotel: $79
- Transfer in Private Van from the Airport to Hotels in Lima: $60
- Private Transfer from Jorge Chávez (LIM) Airport to Lima: $57
- Airport Transfer: Jorge Chavez Airport LIM to Lima by Sedan: $51
Is it cheaper to fly into Porto or Lima?
Prices for flights to both Lima 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 €63Lima €29
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Porto
For Porto, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Vegan Pastel de Nata Cooking Class with Port Wine: $41
- Pastel de Nata Cooking Class with Porto Wine (Lapa): $41
- Pastel de Nata Cooking Class with Porto Wine (Sé do Porto): $41
- 4 Hour Traditional Aveiro Portuguese Food Tour: $66
- Porto Food Tour Market Tapas and Port Wine Cellar Experience: $70
- Dinner with Fado and Portuguese Traditional Music: $70
- Bolhão Market Guided Food Tour: $76
- Authentic Porto Small Group Food Tour with Local Tastings: $77
- Private Fabulist Food Tour: $82
- Taste of the Ocean Authentic Porto Seafood Tour: $82
- Authentic Porto Food Tour + Traditional Restaurant Stop: $87
- Aveiro Private Cooking Experience (for vacation rental guests): $87
Typical Food Prices in Lima
Some typical examples of dining costs in Lima are as follows:
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Lunch for Two€4.12
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Ice cream€3.35
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Coffee€2.83
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Donut€0.90
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Lima
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Lima.
- Food tours on the forbidden side of Lima (Min. 3 Guests – Max. 6): $5.00
- Miraflores Cooking Class Ceviche, Tartar & Pisco Sour: $45
- Lima Street Food Tour: Taste Authentic Peruvian Delights: $45
- Dinner at Mangos Larcomar Restaurant: $48
- Lima Street Food Tour : Try the best Peruvian street food: $49
- Private Churros Cooking Class, Miraflores & Hotel Pickup: $50
- Food Tour and Market Experience: 12 Peruvian Snacks: $50
- Private Cooking Class in Causa & Lomo Saltado: $55
- Lima Market Tour & Ceviche Cooking Class with Pisco Sour: $59
- Lima Market Food Tour: $65
- Dinner at the Huaca Pucllana Restaurant: $67
- Water Magic Circuit, Downtown and Street Food Tour: $69
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Porto €25Lima €8.22
Tours and Activities in Porto
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Porto.
- Self-Guided Tour Adventure Discovering Porto: $1.14
- Porto Walking Tour - The Perfect Introduction to the City: $1.16
- The Unvanquished Tour in Porto City Center: $1.75
- Porto History and Culture Walking Tour with Local Guides: $2.80
- Porto - Origin & Present - Guided Tour: $3.48
- Porto Old Town Hidden Gems and Douro Views Walking Tour: $3.48
- Self-Guided Tapas Tour of Porto: $3.49
- Porto Scavenger Hunt & Highlights Self-Guided Walking Tour: $3.49
- Porto's #1 Walking Tour: $3.50
- Tour of Vila Nova de Gaia: $3.50
- Porto Gaia Self-Guided City Walking Tour & Scavenger Hunt: $3.50
- Porto's Old Town Tour & Ribeira: $3.50
Typical Entertainment Prices in Lima
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Lima are as follows:
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Entrance to Museo Larco (for 2)€15
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Movie Tickets€2.19
Tours and Activities in Lima
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Lima are as follows:
- 1 Day Tour to Huacachina from Lima (Dunebuggy + Vineyards): $225
- 2 Day Tour from Nazca Lines Flight, Paracas, and Huacachina: $279
- 2 Day Tour from Paracas, Ballestas Island and Huacachina: $134
- 2 Day Tour from Paracas, Huacachina, and Pisco Vineyard: $134
- 2-Day Tour in Paracas and Visit Huacachina: $140
- 2D Tour from Lima Paracas and Huacachina with Night in Huacachina: $230
- 3 Days Tour of Paracas Huacachina and Nazca: $275
- 3 Hours Walking Tour of Lima Old Town and Catacumbs: $59
- 3-Day Tour Discover Paracas and Huacachina from Lima: $260
- 8-Hour Private Tour Lima Viceroyalty and Gold Museum with Lunch: $120
- A Half Day Lima City Tour: $45
- A Journey Through Time: Lima's Historic Center & Catacombs Tour: $20
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPorto €19Lima €5.34
Sample the Local Flavors in Porto
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Porto:
- 1 Demarcation Museum Tickets and Port Wine Tasting: $5.80
- Crazy Pub Crawl with 9 Drinks, Free Shots, Wild Games +VIP: $15
- Porto Pub Crawl With Unlimited Beer: $21
- Porto:Pub Crawl 4Bars,8Drinks,Games & VIP Club Entry: $21
- 4-hour Guided Porto Pub Crawl with 6 drinks and VIP CLUBentry: $21
- Chocolate and Wine Tasting Activity in Matosinhos Portugal: $24
- Pub Crawl Porto: $25
- Poças Guided Visit and Wine Tasting of 2 DOC Douro & 1 Port Wine: $27
- Poças Guided Visit and Port Wine Tasting with Pastel de Nata: $27
- Premium wine tasting at Quinta das Arcas: $28
- Fado Concert with Port Wine Tasting at Quinta da Boeira: $29
- Taylor's Port Cellars Visit & Port Wine Tasting: $29
Typical Alcohol Prices in Lima
Some typical examples of the costs for nightlife and alcohol in Lima are as follows:
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Bottle of Wine€6.93
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Beer€3.86
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Cocktail€3.09
Sample the Local Flavors in Lima
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Lima:
- Lima Pub Crawl - Party tour: Friday Barranco/Saturday miraflores: $22
- Discover Miraflores nightlife with Bar Crawl Lima: $24
- Local Wine Tour: $77
- From Lima Paracas and Huacachina Oasis Dunes and Wine Tour: $89
- From Paracas & Huacachina & Wine Tasting: $135
- Full Day Paracas, Huacachina and Wine Tasting from Lima: $139
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Porto and Lima, we can see that Porto is more expensive. And not only is Lima much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Porto is in Europe and Lima is in South 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 Lima would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Lima 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 Lima.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Porto Expensive? and Is Lima Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Porto or Lima?
Lima has a larger population, and is about 30 times larger than the population of Porto. When comparing the sizes of Porto and Lima, 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.
When is the best time to visit Porto or Lima?
Porto has a temperate climate with four distinct seasons, but Lima experiences a warm climate with fairly sunny weather most of the year.
Should I visit Porto or Lima in the Summer?
Both Lima and Porto during the summer are popular places to visit. Many visitors come to Porto in the summer for the city activities and the family-friendly experiences. Warm weather and sunshine bring visitors to Lima year-round.
Porto is a little warmer than Lima in the summer. The daily temperature in Porto averages around 21°C (69°F) in July, and Lima fluctuates around 18°C (64°F).
It's quite sunny in Porto. In the summer, Porto often gets more sunshine than Lima. Porto gets 308 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Lima receives 36 hours of full sun.
Porto usually gets more rain in July than Lima. Porto gets 16 mm (0.6 in) of rain, while Lima receives 12 mm (0.5 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Summer Average Temperatures JulyPorto 21°C (69°F)Lima 18°C (64°F)
Should I visit Porto or Lima in the Autumn?
The autumn attracts plenty of travelers to both Porto and Lima. Most visitors come to Porto for the city's sights and attractions, the shopping scene, and the natural beauty of the area during these months. Lima attracts visitors year-round for its warm weather and sunny climate.
In the autumn, Porto is cooler than Lima. Typically, the autumn temperatures in Porto in October average around 17°C (62°F), and Lima averages at about 19°C (66°F).
Porto usually receives more sunshine than Lima during autumn. Porto gets 184 hours of sunny skies, while Lima receives 60 hours of full sun in the autumn.
Porto gets a good bit of rain this time of year. In October, Porto usually receives more rain than Lima. Porto gets 131 mm (5.2 in) of rain, while Lima receives 7 mm (0.3 in) of rain each month for the autumn.
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Autumn Average Temperatures OctoberPorto 17°C (62°F)Lima 19°C (66°F)
Should I visit Porto or Lima in the Winter?
The winter brings many poeple to Porto as well as Lima. The winter months attract visitors to Porto because of the museums, the shopping scene, and the cuisine. The warm climate attracts visitors to Lima throughout the year.
In January, Porto is generally much colder than Lima. Daily temperatures in Porto average around 10°C (50°F), and Lima fluctuates around 23°C (73°F).
In the winter, Porto often gets less sunshine than Lima. Porto gets 124 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Lima receives 185 hours of full sun.
Porto receives a lot of rain in the winter. Porto usually gets more rain in January than Lima. Porto gets 171 mm (6.7 in) of rain, while Lima receives 4 mm (0.2 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Winter Average Temperatures JanuaryPorto 10°C (50°F)Lima 23°C (73°F)
Should I visit Porto or Lima in the Spring?
Both Lima and Porto are popular destinations to visit in the spring with plenty of activities. The activities around the city and the natural beauty are the main draw to Porto this time of year. Plenty of visitors come to Lima because of the warm climate and sunshine that lasts throughout the year.
Porto is much colder than Lima in the spring. The daily temperature in Porto averages around 14°C (56°F) in April, and Lima fluctuates around 22°C (72°F).
The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Porto. Porto usually receives more sunshine than Lima during spring. Porto gets 217 hours of sunny skies, while Lima receives 182 hours of full sun in the spring.
It's quite rainy in Porto. In April, Porto usually receives more rain than Lima. Porto gets 112 mm (4.4 in) of rain, while Lima receives 2 mm (0.1 in) of rain each month for the spring.
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Spring Average Temperatures AprilPorto 14°C (56°F)Lima 22°C (72°F)
Typical Weather for Lima and Porto
| Porto | Lima | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | 10°C (50°F) | 171 mm (6.7 in) | 23°C (73°F) | 4 mm (0.2 in) |
| Feb | 11°C (51°F) | 169 mm (6.7 in) | 24°C (75°F) | 2 mm (0.1 in) |
| Mar | 12°C (54°F) | 112 mm (4.4 in) | 23°C (73°F) | 3 mm (0.1 in) |
| Apr | 14°C (56°F) | 112 mm (4.4 in) | 22°C (72°F) | 2 mm (0.1 in) |
| May | 16°C (60°F) | 89 mm (3.5 in) | 20°C (68°F) | 5 mm (0.2 in) |
| Jun | 19°C (66°F) | 53 mm (2.1 in) | 19°C (66°F) | 11 mm (0.4 in) |
| Jul | 21°C (69°F) | 16 mm (0.6 in) | 18°C (64°F) | 12 mm (0.5 in) |
| Aug | 20°C (69°F) | 22 mm (0.9 in) | 17°C (63°F) | 15 mm (0.6 in) |
| Sep | 20°C (67°F) | 64 mm (2.5 in) | 18°C (64°F) | 13 mm (0.5 in) |
| Oct | 17°C (62°F) | 131 mm (5.2 in) | 19°C (66°F) | 7 mm (0.3 in) |
| Nov | 13°C (55°F) | 152 mm (6 in) | 20°C (68°F) | 5 mm (0.2 in) |
| Dec | 11°C (51°F) | 176 mm (6.9 in) | 22°C (72°F) | 3 mm (0.1 in) |
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.