Should you visit Santorini or Portimao?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Santorini or Portimao, this travel cost comparison can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.
Santorini
Santorini is a volcanic island that is part of the Cyclades group of the Greek Islands. It has some spectacular views, beautiful sunsets, and excellent beaches. As one of the most popular of the Greek Islands to visit, Santorini sees many tourists every year. However, it's for a good reason, as the famous white-washed buildings that spill down the hill, some with blue domes that match the gorgeous color of the water, are set against the beautiful mountainous backdrop of one of the most scenic areas of the Mediterranean. Home to several of these small and scenic towns such as Oia, Kamari, Perissa, and Fira, visitors can explore the large island, enjoy delicious food, swim at the beaches, hike the hills, and sail the blue waters.
Portimao
The second biggest city in the Alrgarve region of Portugal, Portimao sits on the coast where the Arade River meets the Atlantic Ocean. It is renowned for its fresh fish restaurants and is also a popular destination for beachgoers at the Praia da Rocha to the south of the city.
Which city is cheaper, Portimao or Santorini?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Santorini is €131, while the average daily cost in Portimao is €121. 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 city. Below is a breakdown of travel costs for Santorini and Portimao in more detail.
Accommodation
The prices for places to stay in Santorini can vary by date, location, and type. Generally, the average cost for accommodation per person is €66, while a typical double-occupancy hotel room for two people will cost around €132.
Accommodation prices vary by location and style, but travelers pay on average about €124 for a double occupancy room in Portimao.
Food
In Santorini travelers spend around €38 a day on food. You can save money by choosing casual restaurants or food stalls, or you can spend plenty more by dining in nicer restaurants at every meal.
The price of a meal in Portimao can vary widely. However, the average price for food per day is €36 per person, and a typical meal will cost around €14 based on the spending of previous visitors. Less expensive dining options can be found by eating street food or at fast food restaurants.
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Food
Meals for one day
Santorini €38
Portimao €36
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Santorini
For Santorini, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
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Santorini Caldera: Sunset Cruise with Dinner:
$56
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Wine & Food Tour:
$69
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A taste of Mediterranean Cuisine Dinner:
$86
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Santorini Volcano and Thirassia Sunset Dinner Cruise:
$92
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Fira: 4-Hour Walking Food Tour With Tastings:
$100
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Akrotiri Easy Hike, Beach Visit and Cooking Class:
$106
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Santorini : Sunset Sea Kayak & Snorkel with Dinner:
$118
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Santorini : Cooking Class, Easy Hike, and Snorkeling:
$131
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Santorini Sunset Fishing Trip with Dinner and Drinks:
$154
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Santorini Cooking Class with Wine Tasting & Lunch:
$177
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Santorini Cooking Class and Wine-Tasting Tour:
$177
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5-Hour Food Tour w/ Minibus:
$194
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Portimao
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Portimao.
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Portimão - Food Tour:
$96
Local Transportation
Public transportation tends to be much less expensive in Santorini than paying for a taxi or private car service, as is expected. Typically, people spend €23 on transportation in Santorini on average per day.
While taxis and private drivers typically cost much more than public transportation, people usually spend around €30 per day to get around in Portimao.
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Santorini
Also for Santorini, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Airport, Port, and Hotels Minibus Transfer:
$8.07
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Santorini Airport and Ferry Ports Shared Transfer:
$10
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Transfer Service:
$12
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Oia Sunset: Evening Shuttle Transfer and Free Time:
$16
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Santorini transfer service:
$17
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Santorini Airport Hotels Transfer Shuttle Bus Service:
$28
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Transfer from Santorini Airport&Port all destination except OIA up to 4 customer:
$37
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Santorini Airport Transfer to Fira or Imerovigli:
$56
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Santorini Private Ride Transfer Services:
$65
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Santorini Taxi Service & Airport, Hotel and Port Transfers:
$65
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Tour of Caldera on Sailing Boat & Bus Transfer:Volcano-Hot springs-Thirassia-Oia:
$75
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Private Deluxe Transfer:
$86
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Portimao
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Portimao:
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Private Transfer from Portimao to Faro (FAO) Airport:
$96
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Private Transfer from Hotel da Rocha to Faro (FAO) Airport:
$96
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Airport Transfer:
$94
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Faro Airport Private Transfer to or from Portimão/Praia da Rocha:
$88
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Transfer Praia da Rocha - Balaia Golf (Albufeira):
$66
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Transfer Portimão - Balaia Golf (Albufeira):
$62
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Transfer Portimão - Boavista Golf (Lagos):
$52
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Transfer Praia da Rocha - Boavista Golf (Lagos):
$52
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Faro Private Transfer to or from Portimão:
$44
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Faro Shared Transfer to or from Portimão:
$38
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Transfer Portimão - Alamos Golf (Portimão) Pending:
$36
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Transfer Praia da Rocha - Alamos Golf (Portimão):
$36
Is it cheaper to fly into Santorini or Portimao?
Prices for flights to both Portimao and Santorini 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.
Entertainment
Sightseeing expenses in Santorini, including the cost of admission tickets for day tours, museums, and attractions, usually cost an average of €29 per day, per person.
Activities, things to do, and other forms of entertainment usually cost around €33 per person, per day in Portimao. This cost includes the price of admission tickets to attractions and museums as well as daily tours.
Tours and Activities in Santorini
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Santorini.
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Firostefani & Oia Village Minibus Panoramic Tour:
$22
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Minibus Panoramic Sightseeing Tour:
$23
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Unique Oia's Sunset Tour in Santorini:
$30
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Santorini-Unique Oia’s Sunset Tour:
$31
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Royalty Unique Oia’s Sunset Tour in Santorini:
$31
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Mesa Gonia, Pyrgos and Oia Tour:
$33
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From Nea Kameni and Hot Springs 4-Hour Tour:
$38
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Archaeological Bus Tour To Akrotiri Excavations & Red Beach:
$40
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Island Bus Tour: The Majestic Spots Of Santorini:
$44
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3 Hour Santorini Walking Tour with Hotel Pickup:
$50
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Santorini Volcano and Thirassia Islands Tour:
$51
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Volcanic Sunset Cruise:
$54
Tours and Activities in Portimao
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Portimao are as follows:
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1 Hour - Express tour to Benagil Cave:
$28
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2 Hours Portimão Walking Tour:
$20
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2.5-Hour Cruise to Benagil Caves From Portimão:
$37
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2h30min Private Benagil Caves Tour & Snorkeing & Cliff-jumping with Lots of fun!:
$373
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Afternoon Sailing and Caves Tour from Portimao:
$44
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Algarve Coastline Tour from Portimao jeep and boat tour:
$75
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Algarve Jeep Safari tours:
$38
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Benagil & Marinha Boat Tour:
$44
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Benagil - Private Tour with Captain - Algarve Cave Captain:
$348
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Benagil Boat Tour with Local Guide:
$35
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Benagil Cave and Marinha Beach Boat Tour from Portimao:
$37
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Benagil Caves Tour & Snorkeling & Cliff-jumping - lots of fun and adventure:
$50
Alcohol
Alcoholic beverages can often be a significant portion of a traveler's budget, and the costs can vary greatly from person to person. In Santorini, the average amount that a visitor spends on alcoholic beverages per day is €21.
The average person spends about €24 on alcoholic beverages in Portimao per day. The more you spend on alcohol, the more fun you might be having despite your higher budget.
Sample the Local Flavors in Santorini
Also in Santorini, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
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5-Hour Santorini Tour with Wine Tasting:
$59
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Private Wine Tasting in a Winery With Caldera View:
$65
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Santorini Highlights Tour with Wine Tasting:
$69
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4-Hours Santorini Vothonas Village Tour with Wine Tasting:
$89
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Half-Day Santorini Tour Vothonas Village with Wine Tasting:
$93
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Authentic Santorinian Tour at Vothonas Village with Wine Tasting:
$93
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Santorini Small-Group Wine Tour:
$98
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Sunset and Wine Tasting Tour by Electric Bike:
$100
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Santorini-Wine Tour Αround Megalochori Village:
$111
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Santorini Small Group Tour with Wine Tasting:
$115
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Santorini-Wine Tour Around Megalochori Village:
$117
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Santorini-Wine Tour Around Megalochori Village:
$124
Sample the Local Flavors in Portimao
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Portimao:
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Portimão & Carvoeiro: Algarve Wine Tour in a VW T2 Van:
$57
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Algarve Wine Tour of Two Wine Estates:
$72
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Algarve wine tour of two wine estates and lunch at hystorical town of Silves:
$112
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Algarve Wine Tour and Mountain Discovery With Lunch at Mountain Top:
$144
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Alentejo Wine Tour from the Algarve:
$207
When comparing the travel costs between Santorini and Portimao, we can see that Santorini is more expensive. However, the two cities are actually relatively comparable in price, as the difference is somewhat minimal. Generally, this means that you could travel with generally the same travel style and level of luxury in each place. Since both cities are in Europe, it's no surprise that their costs are relatively close, as many destinations here have somewhat similar travel prices overall.
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