Should you visit Setubal or Porto?
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 Setubal and Porto can help you decide which place is right for you.
Setubal
Setubal is a busy working port and major commercial fishing center. Setubal is a city that has always had a close connection to the seas, and this is celebrated along the newly rejuvenated waterfront, which encompasses the colorful fishing harbor, the popular urban park and the Troia Peninsula ferry terminal. Within the charming historic center is a maze of narrow alleys, hidden plazas, and family-owned shops, along with Portugal's largest fish market. Setubal is primarily an industrial city, but is situated in a region of immense beauty; to the east is the stunning Serra da Arrabida, to the north is historic Palmela, while to the south are the paradise beaches of the Troia Peninsula. Setubal may not be a conventional holiday destination, but there is a surprising amount to see and do within the city and the surrounding region.
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.
Which city is cheaper, Porto or Setubal?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Setubal is €99, while the average daily cost in Porto is €100. 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 Setubal and Porto in more detail.
Accommodation
Double occupancy rooms typically run around €94 in Setubal For nicer amenities and a premiere location, you can expect to pay a bit more.
Double occupancy rooms typically run around €104 in Porto For nicer amenities and a premiere location, you can expect to pay a bit more.
Food
Setubal food costs typically run travelers around €28 per day. Eating every meal in a nicer restaurant will drive the cost up, and grabbing fast food or casual meals will help you save money.
While meal prices in Porto can vary, the average travelers spends about €29 per day on food. Based on the spending habits of previous travelers, when dining out, an average meal in Porto should cost around €12 per person. Breakfast prices are usually a little cheaper than lunch or dinner. The price of food in sit-down restaurants in Porto is often higher than fast food prices or street food prices.
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Food
Meals for one day
Setubal €28
Porto €29
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Porto
For Porto, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
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Traditional Portuguese sweets cooking class:
$30
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Pastel de Nata cooking class in Porto:
$30
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Food Tour:
$61
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Authentic Porto Food Tour & Market Experience for private groups:
$61
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Half-Day Brunch Food Tour in Porto:
$66
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Craft Beer & Food Tour:
$73
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Withlocals The 10 Tastings: Porto Private Food Tour:
$73
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Half-Day Porto Walking Food Tour and Tasting for Small-Group:
$75
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Withlocals Your Way: Porto 100% Personalised Private Food Tour:
$77
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Dinner with Fado Show and Night Lights Tour:
$79
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Porto by Night Tour With Dinner and Fado Show:
$85
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3-Hour Porto by Night Tour with Fado Show & Dinner:
$85
Local Transportation
To get around in Setubal, the average visitor spends €43 per day, per person. This includes the costs of taxi rides and private drivers as well as public transportation, which tends to be much more affordable.
To get around in Porto, the average visitor spends €16 per day, per person. This includes the costs of taxi rides and private drivers as well as public transportation, which tends to be much more affordable.
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Porto
Also for Porto, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Private and exclusive transfer Porto to Faro (vice versa):
$1,148
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Minivan transfer Lisbon to Porto:
$914
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Transfer Porto - Up to 7 People:
$871
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Lisbon to Porto Private Transfer:
$846
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Transfer Porto - Up to 3 People:
$746
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Transfer Tour Between Lisbon and Porto:
$743
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Porto to/from Lisbon Private Transfer With Stops Aveiro, Coimbra, Fátima, Óbidos:
$709
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Private and exclusive transfer Porto to Lisboa (vice versa):
$641
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Transfer Porto / Lisboa or Lisboa / Porto with Tour:
$608
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Transfer Porto | Lisbon or Lisbon | Porto:
$597
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Private and exclusive transfer Porto to Compostela (vice versa):
$574
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Hassle-Free transfer from Porto to Lisbon:
$504
Is it cheaper to fly into Setubal or Porto?
Prices for flights to both Porto and Setubal 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
In Setubal, the costs for things to do, activities, admission tickets, and other sightseeing expenses are on average €9.97 per person, per day.
In Porto, the costs for things to do, activities, admission tickets, and other sightseeing expenses are on average €20 per person, per day.
Tours and Activities in Setubal
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Setubal.
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3 Castels tour and Cabo Espichel visit (All Included):
$172
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Arrábida National Park Rock Climbing Experience:
$141
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Arrábida National Park, Azeitão and Sesimbra - IncrediblePortugal Private Tours:
$120
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Arrábida Uncovered: The Adventure:
$93
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Dolphin Watching and Boat Tour in Sesimbra:
$50
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Full Day - Private Tour Arrábida Park:
$185
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Full Day Private Tour - Dolphin Watching and Secret beaches of the Arrábida!:
$809
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Private Tour in Sintra / Roca Cape / Cascais:
$112
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Rock Climbing and Rappelling Experience in Serra da Arrábida:
$75
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Seaview board tour in the Arrábida Coast! - NEW!!!:
$95
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Sesimbra Beach & Cave Tour:
$199
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Sport Fishing Tour - All Inclusive:
$93
Tours and Activities in Porto
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Porto.
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2-Hours of Porto Sunset Segway Tour - Guided Experience:
$58
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3-Hour Best of Porto Segway Tour - Guided Experience:
$61
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3-Hour Electric Porto Bike Tour:
$51
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3-Hour Embrace Porto Private Tour:
$33
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3-Hour Guided Walking Tour of Porto:
$31
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3-Hour Porto Bike Tour:
$44
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3-Hour Walking Tour: Tiles of Porto:
$34
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3-Hour of Porto Highlights on a Electric Bike - Guided Tour:
$45
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4 hour Cultural Walking Tour and Fado Show:
$51
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5 Food & Wine Houses Walking Tour:
$80
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6-Day North Portugal Tour: Porto, Braga, Fátima, Coimbra, Guimaraes, Aveiro and Batalha, from Lisbon:
$1,157
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7-Day The Way of St James Bike Tour- The Coast Path - Camino to Santiago:
$2,011
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 Setubal, the average amount that a visitor spends on alcoholic beverages per day is €8.00.
Alcoholic beverages can often be a significant portion of a traveler's budget, and the costs can vary greatly from person to person. In Porto, the average amount that a visitor spends on alcoholic beverages per day is €15.
Sample the Local Flavors in Setubal
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Setubal:
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SUP Tour w/ Local Food & Wine Tasting:
$115
Sample the Local Flavors in Porto
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Porto:
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Magic Train Tour and Port Wine Tastings:
$12
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Porto Hop-On Hop-Off Tour with Optional River Cruise and Wine Tasting:
$19
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Porto Pub Crawl with Unlimited beer:
$19
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Private Porto Secrets Walking Tour With free Port Wine Tasting:
$21
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4-hour Guided Porto Pub Crawl including drinks:
$22
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Fun Discovery Walk in Porto's Centre: the most mysterious pub crawl:
$23
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Pub Crawl Porto:
$24
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Authentic Oporto Walking Tour with Wine Tasting:
$30
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Wine Tour:
$30
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Porto Half-Day Tour and Wine Tasting at Caves Croft:
$45
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Wine Tour Porto:
$46
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Port Wine Lodges Tour Including 7 Wine Tastings:
$48
When comparing the travel costs between Setubal and Porto, we can see that Porto 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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