Which place is cheaper, Santander or Porto?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Porto or Santander?
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 Santander can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Porto or Santander?
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.
Santander
Santander is the capital of the Cantabria Region which runs along the northern coast of Spain. Located right on the bay, it is a place of many historic churches and a handful of interesting museums that range from archaeological discoveries of the region, to maritime history, and cultural features like bullfighting. There is also a large selection of beaches for those looking for a more relaxing getaway in the sun and sand.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Portugal, The Best 10-Day Tours in Portugal, The Best 10-Day Tours from Madrid, and The Best 10-Day Tours from Barcelona.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPorto €126Santander €108
The average daily cost (per person) in Porto is €126, while the average daily cost in Santander is €108. 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 Santander in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPorto €65Santander €51
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPorto €130Santander €102
Compare Hotels in Porto and Santander
Looking for a hotel in Porto or Santander? 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 Santander Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Porto €21Santander €24
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
- Aveiro Private Transfer to Porto: $79
- Departure Transfer: Porto to Porto Airport OPO in Business Car: $76
- Departure Transfer: Porto to Porto Airport OPO in Luxury Van: $92
- 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
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Santander
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Santander:
- Private Transfer from Santander city to Bilbao Airport: $251
- Private Transfer from Santander Port to Bilbao Airport: $251
- Private Transfer from Santander city to Bilbao: $251
- Santander Private Transfer from the city centre to Santander Airport: $43
- Santander Private Transfer from Santander Airport to City centre: $43
- One-way Private Transfer From/To Santander Airport: $41
- Santander Private Departure Transfer: $35
- Santander Private Arrival Transfer: $35
Is it cheaper to fly into Porto or Santander?
Prices for flights to both Santander 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 €36Santander €41
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
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Porto €25Santander €18
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
- Porto Walking Tour - The Perfect Introduction to the City: $1.09
- Ultimate Ribeira Walking Tour: $2.60
- 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
- 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: $7.82
- Casa São Roque Direct Entry Ticket: $8.56
Tours and Activities in Santander
Here are a few actual costs in Santander for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- City Sightseeing Santander Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour: $23
- From Cantabria Private Tour: $492
- From Gastronomic Tour: $128
- From Potes, Santillana and Altamira Day Tour: $42
- From Santillana del Mar & Altamira Museum Tour: $64
- Full Day Self Guided Tour in Santillana del Mar and Comillas: $54
- Full Day Tour Lakes of Covadonga and Santillana from Santander: $46
- Gastronomy tour: $119
- Obregón: Parque de la Naturaleza de Cabárceno Entry Ticket: $26
- Picos de Europa and Potes Guided Tour from Santander : $84
- Private Puente Viesgo Caves Full-Day Tour from Santander: $212
- 1-Hour City Cruise Around the Bay: $14
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPorto €19Santander €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
- 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 Santander, we can see that Porto is more expensive. And not only is Santander much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Santander would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Santander 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 Santander.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Porto Expensive? and Is Santander Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Porto or Santander?
Porto has a larger population, and is about 36% larger than the population of Santander. When comparing the sizes of Porto and Santander, 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 Santander?
Both places have a temperate climate with four distinct seasons. As both cities are in the northern hemisphere, summer is in July and winter is in January.
Should I visit Porto or Santander in the Summer?
The summer brings many poeple to Porto as well as Santander. The summer months attract visitors to Porto because of the city activities and the family-friendly experiences.
In July, Porto is generally around the same temperature as Santander. Daily temperatures in Porto average around 21°C (69°F), and Santander fluctuates around 19°C (66°F).
The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Santander. People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Porto this time of the year. In the summer, Porto often gets more sunshine than Santander. Porto gets 308 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Santander receives 213 hours of full sun.
Porto usually gets less rain in July than Santander. Porto gets 16 mm (0.6 in) of rain, while Santander receives 50 mm (2 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Summer Average Temperatures JulyPorto 21°C (69°F)Santander 19°C (66°F)
Should I visit Porto or Santander in the Autumn?
Both Santander and Porto are popular destinations to visit in the autumn with plenty of activities. The city's sights and attractions, the shopping scene, and the natural beauty of the area are the main draw to Porto this time of year.
Porto is around the same temperature as Santander in the autumn. The daily temperature in Porto averages around 17°C (62°F) in October, and Santander fluctuates around 16°C (60°F).
Porto usually receives more sunshine than Santander during autumn. Porto gets 184 hours of sunny skies, while Santander receives 133 hours of full sun in the autumn.
It rains a lot this time of the year in Santander. It's quite rainy in Porto. In October, Porto usually receives around the same amount of rain as Santander. Porto gets 131 mm (5.2 in) of rain, while Santander receives 138 mm (5.4 in) of rain each month for the autumn.
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Autumn Average Temperatures OctoberPorto 17°C (62°F)Santander 16°C (60°F)
Should I visit Porto or Santander in the Winter?
Both Santander and Porto during the winter are popular places to visit. Many travelers come to Porto for the museums, the shopping scene, and the cuisine.
In the winter, Porto is around the same temperature as Santander. Typically, the winter temperatures in Porto in January average around 10°C (50°F), and Santander averages at about 9°C (49°F).
In the winter, Porto often gets more sunshine than Santander. Porto gets 124 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Santander receives 91 hours of full sun.
Santander gets a good bit of rain this time of year. It rains a lot this time of the year in Porto. Porto usually gets more rain in January than Santander. Porto gets 171 mm (6.7 in) of rain, while Santander receives 149 mm (5.9 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Winter Average Temperatures JanuaryPorto 10°C (50°F)Santander 9°C (49°F)
Should I visit Porto or Santander in the Spring?
The spring attracts plenty of travelers to both Porto and Santander. Many visitors come to Porto in the spring for the activities around the city and the natural beauty.
In April, Porto is generally a little warmer than Santander. Daily temperatures in Porto average around 14°C (56°F), and Santander fluctuates around 12°C (53°F).
In Porto, it's very sunny this time of the year. Porto usually receives more sunshine than Santander during spring. Porto gets 217 hours of sunny skies, while Santander receives 148 hours of full sun in the spring.
Santander receives a lot of rain in the spring. Porto gets a good bit of rain this time of year. In April, Porto usually receives less rain than Santander. Porto gets 112 mm (4.4 in) of rain, while Santander receives 135 mm (5.3 in) of rain each month for the spring.
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Spring Average Temperatures AprilPorto 14°C (56°F)Santander 12°C (53°F)
Typical Weather for Santander and Porto
| Porto | Santander | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | 10°C (50°F) | 171 mm (6.7 in) | 9°C (49°F) | 149 mm (5.9 in) |
| Feb | 11°C (51°F) | 169 mm (6.7 in) | 10°C (50°F) | 116 mm (4.6 in) |
| Mar | 12°C (54°F) | 112 mm (4.4 in) | 10°C (51°F) | 119 mm (4.7 in) |
| Apr | 14°C (56°F) | 112 mm (4.4 in) | 12°C (53°F) | 135 mm (5.3 in) |
| May | 16°C (60°F) | 89 mm (3.5 in) | 14°C (58°F) | 94 mm (3.7 in) |
| Jun | 19°C (66°F) | 53 mm (2.1 in) | 17°C (62°F) | 63 mm (2.5 in) |
| Jul | 21°C (69°F) | 16 mm (0.6 in) | 19°C (66°F) | 50 mm (2 in) |
| Aug | 20°C (69°F) | 22 mm (0.9 in) | 19°C (67°F) | 89 mm (3.5 in) |
| Sep | 20°C (67°F) | 64 mm (2.5 in) | 18°C (64°F) | 88 mm (3.4 in) |
| Oct | 17°C (62°F) | 131 mm (5.2 in) | 16°C (60°F) | 138 mm (5.4 in) |
| Nov | 13°C (55°F) | 152 mm (6 in) | 12°C (53°F) | 181 mm (7.1 in) |
| Dec | 11°C (51°F) | 176 mm (6.9 in) | 10°C (50°F) | 157 mm (6.2 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.