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

Should you visit Porto or Puerto del Carmen?

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 Puerto del Carmen can help you decide which place is right for you.

Where Should I go: Porto or Puerto del Carmen?

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.

Puerto del Carmen

Located on the south-eastern coast of the Canary Island of Lanzarote, Puerto del Carmen is a popular resort area best known for its high concentration of bars, pubs, restaurants, and clubs. By day, visitors frequent the beaches for swimming, sunbathing, windsurfing, and other watersports - and by night, they flock to enjoy the live music and drinks of the area's thriving nightlife.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Portugal, The Best 10-Day Tours in Portugal, The Best 3-Day Tours from Madrid, and The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Madrid.


Which place is cheaper, Puerto del Carmen 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 Puerto del Carmen is €173. 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 Puerto del Carmen in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Porto 65
    Puerto del Carmen 98
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Porto 130
    Puerto del Carmen 196
Compare Hotels in Porto and Puerto del Carmen

Looking for a hotel in Porto or Puerto del Carmen? 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 Puerto del Carmen


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 Puerto del Carmen Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Porto 21
    Puerto del Carmen 39

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Porto

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

  • Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer service in Porto APT-HTL (OPO): $39
  • Transfer from Porto to the Douro Valley : $218
  • Transfer from Porto Airport to / from Gerês: $128
  • Transfer Train/Bus station Campanhã to Porto City: $23
  • Transfer Porto: $32
  • Transfer Oporto - Aeroport / Up to 4 passengers: $27
  • Transfer From Porto To Lisbon: $283
  • Transfer Airport (OPO) - Porto Centro: $33
  • Tesla S Luxury Executive Porto Airport Transfer: $36
  • TRANSFER: AEROPORTO PORTO>VILA NOVA GAIA SEDAN: $48
  • Service Transfer Airport to Porto or Vila Nova de Gaia: $65
  • São Pedro to Sao Paulo Guarulhos Airport (GRU)-Departure Transfer: $80

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Puerto del Carmen

Also for Puerto del Carmen, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Lanzarote : Parasailing activity with hotel transfer: $102

Is it cheaper to fly into Porto or Puerto del Carmen?

Prices for flights to both Puerto del Carmen 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
    Puerto del Carmen 51

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
  • 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
  • Portuguese Craft Beer and Food Tour: $74
  • Semi - Private Oporto Food Tour: $74
  • Craft Beer & Food Tour in Porto: $75
  • Secret Food Tour: $77
  • Semi Private Oporto Fado Show with Dinner: $80

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Porto 25
    Puerto del Carmen 17

Tours and Activities in Porto

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

  • 4 Hour Blissful Wave Experience at Maceda Haven: $76
  • Ultimate Ribeira Walking Tour: $2.60
  • 1 Day Tour to Douro Valley from Porto: $207
  • 1.5-Hour Private Electric Tuk Tuk Sightseeing Tour Historic Porto: $26
  • 2 Hour Private Tuktuk Tour in Porto Douro to Left bank: $63
  • 2 Hour Private Tuktuk Tour in Porto to Monastery and Cellars: $81
  • 2 Hour Private Tuktuk Tour in Porto to Monastery and Cellars: $79
  • 3-Hour Cano-Rafting Tour on the Paiva River: $49
  • 3-Hour Electric Porto Bike Tour: $49
  • 3-Hour Porto Highlights on a Electric Bike Guided Tour: $48
  • 3-Hour Private Bike Tour Porto: $135
  • 3-Hour Walking Tour: Tiles of Porto: $30

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Porto 19
    Puerto del Carmen 60

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
  • 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
  • Porto Pub Crawl With Unlimited Beer: $20
  • Pub Crawl with Shots and Drinking Games: $21
  • Poças: Guided Tour & Port Wine Tasting with Pastel de Nata: $21
  • Poças Guided Visit and Port Wine Tasting with Pastel de Nata: $21
  • Rooftop Fado concert, Port wine tasting, Portuguese tart: $21
  • Classic Wine Tasting with GUIDED TOUR: $22
  • Pub Crawl Porto: $23


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Porto and Puerto del Carmen, we can see that Puerto del Carmen is more expensive. And not only is Porto much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Porto would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Porto 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 Puerto del Carmen would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Puerto del Carmen than you might in Porto.

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


Which is Bigger, Porto or Puerto del Carmen?

Porto has a larger population, and is about 8 times larger than the population of Puerto del Carmen. When comparing the sizes of Porto and Puerto del Carmen, 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.