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

Should you visit Porto or Saint Croix?

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 Saint Croix can help you decide which place is right for you.

Where Should I go: Porto or Saint Croix?

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.

Saint Croix

Sometimes all you want out of a vacation is the warmth of the sun, the sound of the waves and the taste of a cold drink. No more. No less. That's exactly what you can expect in St. Croix.

The largest of the U.S. Virgin Islands, St. Croix is a place of our leisure and relaxation. It's a bit of an expensive lifestyle for its 50,000 residents and daily visitors, but when you're living on island time, money is never a worry. There are no worries on island time.

This once volcanic island is covered in incredible beaches, stunning mountains, palm tress in the wind and historic colonial towns. While they may be a bit old and rundown, the Danish architecture still stands as a unique part of this island's legacy. Don't expect much window-shopping, though. That was not a feature incorporated in this style of architecture. If you want to know if a store is open, just step on in, but remember, shop hours are also running on island time.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Portugal, and The Best 10-Day Tours in Portugal.


Which place is cheaper, Saint Croix or Porto?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.

The average daily cost (per person) in Porto is $185, while the average daily cost in Saint Croix is $277. 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 Saint Croix in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Porto $83
    Saint Croix $149
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Porto $166
    Saint Croix $298
Compare Hotels in Porto and Saint Croix

Looking for a hotel in Porto or Saint Croix? 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 Saint Croix


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 Saint Croix Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Porto $24
    Saint Croix $35

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
  • Private One-way Transfer from Porto Airport to Porto: $18
  • Gaia Private Transfer to Oporto Airport: $19
  • Porto Private Airport Arrival Transfer: $20
  • Transfer Porto to Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport: $21
  • Porto Airport Transfer: $24
  • Porto Private Transfer to Gaia: $24
  • Porto Airport Transfer from/to Porto Center: $24
  • Porto Private Airport Departure Transfer: $27

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Saint Croix

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Saint Croix:

  • Private Transfer from St. Croix Henry E. Rohlsen Airport (STX) to St. Croix: $176
  • Private Transfer from St.Croix hotels to St. Croix Cruise Port: $173
  • Private Transfer from St.Croix Cruise Port to St.Croix hotels: $173
  • Henry E. Rohlsen Airport (STX) to St.Croix - Round-Trip Transfer: $165
  • St. Croix to St. Croix Airport (STX) - Departure Private Transfer: $90
  • St.Croix Airport (STX) to St.Croix - Arrival Private Transfer: $90
  • Private Transfer from St. Croix Airport to St. Croix Cruise Port: $86
  • Private Transfer from St. Croix Port to St. Croix Airport (STX): $86
  • St. Croix to Henry E. Rohlsen Airport (STX) - Departure Transfer: $83

Is it cheaper to fly into Porto or Saint Croix?

Prices for flights to both Saint Croix 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 $73
    Saint Croix $97

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 with Porto Wine (Sé do Porto): $41
  • Porto Food Tour Market Tapas and Port Wine Cellar Experience: $71
  • Dinner with Fado and Portuguese Traditional Music: $71
  • Bolhão Market Guided Food Tour: $77
  • Private Fabulist Food Tour: $83
  • Taste of the Ocean Authentic Porto Seafood Tour: $83
  • Authentic Porto Small Group Food Tour with Local Tastings: $87
  • 4 Hour Traditional Aveiro Portuguese Food Tour: $88
  • Porto Food Tour: $88
  • Private Walking Food Tour with Tastings: $100
  • Fado Tour with Guide, Dinner & Live Show in Porto: $100
  • Authentic Porto Food Tour & Market Experience: $101

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Saint Croix

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

  • A Morning Cultural Experience Through Food Cooking Class St. Croix: $90
  • A Evening Cultural Experience Through Food Cooking Class St. Croix: $100
  • C'sted Sip & Savor Mixology Class with VI Food Tours: $131
  • Taste of Twin City Food Tour with VI Food Tours: $155

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Porto $29
    Saint Croix $58

Tours and Activities in Porto

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

  • Porto Walking Tour - The Perfect Introduction to the City: $1.18
  • Porto Gaia Self-Guided City Walking Tour & Scavenger Hunt: $1.42
  • Porto Scavenger Hunt & Highlights Self-Guided Walking Tour: $2.46
  • Aveiro Self-Guided City Walking Tour & Scavenger Hunt: $3.17
  • Self-Guided Tours in Porto with 100 Captivating Audio Stories: $3.53
  • Porto - Origin & Present - Guided Tour: $3.54
  • Porto Self-Guided City Walking Tour & Scavenger Hunt: $3.54
  • Porto's #1 Walking Tour: $3.54
  • Porto History and Culture Walking Tour with Local Guides: $3.54
  • Porto Highlights the Original Walking Tour: $4.72
  • Porto Self Guided Audio Experience: $6.00
  • Porto Audio guided walking tour 3h00 and 27 audio commentary: $6.96

Tours and Activities in Saint Croix

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Saint Croix are as follows:

  • Christiansted's Artisan Shopping Tour: $33
  • Guided Kayak Tour of Salt River Bay Ecology and History: $125
  • Horseback Riding Experience: $160
  • Island Chocolate Experience with Tasting: $62
  • Parasail Experience in St Croix: $85
  • Private Sailing Tour of Pirate Waters and Shipwrecks: $175
  • Sea Turtle Snorkel Tour: $59
  • St Croix Island Tour: $118
  • St Croix Tiki Tours Frederiksted’s Tiki Boat Experience: $80
  • St. Croix African Heritage Walking Tour: $52
  • St. Croix Ghost Tour of Historic Christiansted: $45
  • St. Croix’s Forts, Freedom, and Beaches: A Self-Drive Audio Tour: $25

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Porto $21
    Saint Croix $27

Sample the Local Flavors in Porto

Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Porto:

  • Crazy Pub Crawl with 9 Drinks, Free Shots, Wild Games +VIP: $14
  • Porto Pub Crawl With Unlimited Beer: $21
  • Private visit with wine tasting in Alijó Douro: $24
  • Chocolate and Wine Tasting Activity in Matosinhos Portugal: $25
  • Pub Crawl Porto: $25
  • Poças Guided Visit and Port Wine Tasting with Pastel de Nata: $27
  • Premium wine tasting at Quinta das Arcas: $28
  • Wine tasting of 5 Port Wines with a Sommelier: $29
  • Fado Concert with Port Wine Tasting at Quinta da Boeira: $29
  • Port : Cockburn's Port Lodge Tour & Main Room Wine Tasting: $31
  • Porto Hop On Hop Off Bus Tour with Wine tasting & Night tour: $32
  • Cálem Cellar Tour, Live Fado Show and Wine Tasting: $33

Sample the Local Flavors in Saint Croix

Also in Saint Croix, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:

  • Farm to Bottle Tour at Prosperity Farm Distillery: $35
  • Frederiksted Historical Tour with Rum Distillery: $115


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Porto and Saint Croix, we can see that Saint Croix is more expensive. And not only is Porto much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Porto is in Europe and Saint Croix is in Caribbean Islands, 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 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 Saint Croix would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Saint Croix 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 Saint Croix Expensive?.



When is the best time to visit Porto or Saint Croix?

Porto has a temperate climate with four distinct seasons, but Saint Croix experiences a warm climate with fairly sunny weather most of the year.

Should I visit Porto or Saint Croix in the Summer?

Both Saint Croix and Porto during the summer are popular places to visit. Most visitors come to Porto for the city activities and the family-friendly experiences during these months. Warm weather and sunshine bring visitors to Saint Croix year-round.

In the summer, Porto is cooler than Saint Croix. Typically, the summer temperatures in Porto in July average around 21°C (69°F), and Saint Croix averages at about 29°C (83°F).

Porto usually gets less rain in July than Saint Croix. Porto gets 16 mm (0.6 in) of rain, while Saint Croix receives 66 mm (2.6 in) of rain this time of the year.


  • Summer Average Temperatures July
    Porto 21°C (69°F) 
    Saint Croix 29°C (83°F)

Should I visit Porto or Saint Croix in the Autumn?

The autumn attracts plenty of travelers to both Porto and Saint Croix. The autumn months attract visitors to Porto because of the city's sights and attractions, the shopping scene, and the natural beauty of the area. Saint Croix attracts visitors year-round for its warm weather and sunny climate.

In October, Porto is generally much colder than Saint Croix. Daily temperatures in Porto average around 17°C (62°F), and Saint Croix fluctuates around 28°C (82°F).

Saint Croix receives a lot of rain in the autumn. Porto gets a good bit of rain this time of year. In October, Porto usually receives less rain than Saint Croix. Porto gets 131 mm (5.2 in) of rain, while Saint Croix receives 146 mm (5.7 in) of rain each month for the autumn.


  • Autumn Average Temperatures October
    Porto 17°C (62°F) 
    Saint Croix 28°C (82°F)

Should I visit Porto or Saint Croix in the Winter?

The winter brings many poeple to Porto as well as Saint Croix. The museums, the shopping scene, and the cuisine are the main draw to Porto this time of year. The warm climate attracts visitors to Saint Croix throughout the year.

Porto is much colder than Saint Croix in the winter. The daily temperature in Porto averages around 10°C (50°F) in January, and Saint Croix fluctuates around 26°C (78°F).

Porto receives a lot of rain in the winter. Porto usually gets more rain in January than Saint Croix. Porto gets 171 mm (6.7 in) of rain, while Saint Croix receives 43 mm (1.7 in) of rain this time of the year.


  • Winter Average Temperatures January
    Porto 10°C (50°F) 
    Saint Croix 26°C (78°F)

Should I visit Porto or Saint Croix in the Spring?

Both Saint Croix and Porto are popular destinations to visit in the spring with plenty of activities. Many travelers come to Porto for the activities around the city and the natural beauty. Plenty of visitors come to Saint Croix because of the warm climate and sunshine that lasts throughout the year.

In the spring, Porto is much colder than Saint Croix. Typically, the spring temperatures in Porto in April average around 14°C (56°F), and Saint Croix averages at about 27°C (80°F).

It's quite rainy in Porto. In April, Porto usually receives more rain than Saint Croix. Porto gets 112 mm (4.4 in) of rain, while Saint Croix receives 72 mm (2.8 in) of rain each month for the spring.


  • Spring Average Temperatures April
    Porto 14°C (56°F) 
    Saint Croix 27°C (80°F)

Typical Weather for Saint Croix and Porto

Porto Saint Croix
Temp (°C) Rain (mm) Temp (°C) Rain (mm)
Jan 10°C (50°F) 171 mm (6.7 in) 26°C (78°F) 43 mm (1.7 in)
Feb 11°C (51°F) 169 mm (6.7 in) 26°C (78°F) 39 mm (1.5 in)
Mar 12°C (54°F) 112 mm (4.4 in) 26°C (79°F) 49 mm (1.9 in)
Apr 14°C (56°F) 112 mm (4.4 in) 27°C (80°F) 72 mm (2.8 in)
May 16°C (60°F) 89 mm (3.5 in) 28°C (82°F) 94 mm (3.7 in)
Jun 19°C (66°F) 53 mm (2.1 in) 28°C (83°F) 64 mm (2.5 in)
Jul 21°C (69°F) 16 mm (0.6 in) 29°C (83°F) 66 mm (2.6 in)
Aug 20°C (69°F) 22 mm (0.9 in) 29°C (84°F) 101 mm (4 in)
Sep 20°C (67°F) 64 mm (2.5 in) 28°C (83°F) 127 mm (5 in)
Oct 17°C (62°F) 131 mm (5.2 in) 28°C (82°F) 146 mm (5.7 in)
Nov 13°C (55°F) 152 mm (6 in) 27°C (81°F) 126 mm (4.9 in)
Dec 11°C (51°F) 176 mm (6.9 in) 26°C (80°F) 71 mm (2.8 in)