We’ll begin with the excellent news: Portugal is a small nation and one of the crucial reasonably priced international locations in Western Europe. We have simply returned from our third time in Portugal and have a good suggestion what the prices of visiting this nation are proper now. It’s a charming nation of cliff-laden coastlines, with sea caves like Benagil and picturesque village surroundings lower than an hour inland. And that’s all earlier than even enthusiastic about its hearty delicacies, which is stuffed with scrumptious pastries and seafood dishes.
As an entire, Portugal will not be costly to go to, particularly when in comparison with different European international locations. But if you wish to get monetary savings even additional, there are particular methods to take action. Whether you select to remain in main cities or a distant village close to the Algarve, this information will present you what to anticipate to pay when visiting Portugal. Most importantly, it can show you how to stretch your treasured {dollars} additional to have an much more unbelievable expertise for much less cash.
Is It Expensive to Visit Portugal?
As we’ve simply mentioned, Portugal will not be one of many stereotypical costly international locations in Europe. Sure, you get the same old peak season charges, particularly in vacationer hotspots. But, total, Portugal is nice for these on a funds. It has such a laidback journey model that it naturally encourages decrease costs. You have beautiful landscapes and beautiful seashores; likelihood is you’ll be lapping up nature for nothing greater than public transportation prices at most.
Don’t simply take our phrase for it, although. How a lot it prices so that you can go to Portugal is determined by your private preferences. Here are the completely different classes and their prices per journey model that you must funds for.
Cost of Accommodation
Portugal has a terrific number of lodging and a strong vacationer infrastructure. The primary factor to notice is that it has areas of condensed tourism, which principally sit alongside its shoreline, whereas inland areas, particularly across the Spanish border, are almost empty of mainstream guests.
Larger cities like Lisbon and Porto supply wider decisions in lodging sorts, with many mid-range properties and even hostels. More distant areas have extra B&Bs and trip leases. Costs range relying on location, with demand being the issue that the majority spikes costs.
Keep in thoughts that for distant areas and trip leases, you’ll doubtless require automotive leases at an additional value. Accommodation location may appear to be one thing you possibly can skimp on to economize, however in actuality, it typically shifts the price elsewhere – both to public transportation or automotive rental. So be sure to incorporate these further bills into your lodging alternative when selecting the place to remain in Portugal. Private properties within the countryside are usually remoted, and with European bushfires, it’s clever to have a strong technique of impartial transport. However, we’ll cowl that value extra in our “transportation in Portugal” part.
Another factor to recollect is that peak seasons get busy, I imply actually busy, and lodging sells out rapidly on the primary vacationer routes. You ought to at all times intention to e book prematurely, particularly for summer time journey dates or to tremendous well-liked locations like Porto, Faro, Albufeira, or Lisbon. The last item you need is to get lumped with costlier lodging since you took your candy time reserving. The finest offers go quick – be that due to location, lodging high quality, or worth for cash.
Accommodation is your largest journey expense when visiting Portugal, so it fairly actually pays to do your analysis. We’ll evaluate the main lodging sorts and offer you an concept of what you will get in your buck.
Accommodation Types
Now that you simply perceive all about tourism and lodging in Portugal, we’ve bought a extra sensible, numbers-based breakdown of the place to remain. We know that funds shapes the place you select to remain when touring. Here’s what you possibly can anticipate for every funds degree when visiting Portugal.
Budget: $40 a Night
Portugal has two ranges of low-cost lodging: hostels and funds motels. We’ll deal with every of those individually, however as a normal rule, you possibly can anticipate to pay round $50-60 per evening for motels. While when you’re on a very tight funds, you possibly can wangle hostel stays for round $20-30. Call it a cheerful common of round $40 per evening.
Hostel stays sometimes contain dormitory rooms and shared amenities like kitchens. This is nice for assembly new folks and saving cash on consuming out. If you’re a little bit of an introvert, you possibly can nonetheless reserve personal rooms at many hostels in Portugal; simply anticipate to pay larger costs, such as you’d spend on an affordable lodge room.
Here are a number of examples of hostels with dorm room costs:
Budget motels are higher for individuals who need their very own house and don’t thoughts consuming out. You get snug however fundamental rooms and get monetary savings for extra thrilling issues, like sightseeing.
Here are a number of examples of funds motels:
Mid Range: $100 a Night
Portugal is overflowing with mid-range motels, particularly in well-liked vacationer locations. If you examine mid-range costs with extra funds choices, you’ll discover a tough estimate of round double the value. As a normal rule, for mid-range costs, you get extra centrally situated lodging with extra tastefully adorned rooms and comfy facilities. Think espresso machines and stylish furnishings somewhat than plain mattress and bedside desk designs.
Here are a number of examples of mid-range properties throughout Portugal:
Luxury: $300 a Night
The sky’s the restrict right here, however begin with tough estimates of round $180 to $400 per evening, as you possibly can typically snag a terrific deal when you journey on low season dates. Call it a cheerful common of $300 per evening. If you’re pleased to pay extra money, although, luxurious motels can rapidly rise to above $400 and even $500 an evening—particularly when you’re touring in Porto or Lisbon.
As a normal rule, although, you will get the ball steadily rolling for luxurious lodging when you pay over $180 an evening. Here are a number of examples:
Cost of Transportation in Portugal
If you’re taking a metropolis break to Portugal, we gained’t lie; no public transport is important. If you keep central, you’ll be inside strolling distance of all the foremost sights. This is nice in peak season, because it means you don’t must pay something or put up with all of the queues and cramped seating areas. Portuguese cities are actually simply accessible.
Even when you keep within the metropolis outskirts, you’ll at most take one of many native buses, Metro, or prepare providers—all of which value round 2 {dollars} per one-way journey. So, total, when you select a metropolis break, funds round a number of {dollars} a day for transportation in Portugal.
Those staying for per week or extra in Portugal, as a substitute of a brief metropolis break, ought to think about public transport. How you must get throughout Portugal varies relying in your itinerary. For occasion, many individuals visiting Portugal cut up per week between Lisbon and Porto. In this case, you should purchase a prepare ticket to journey between the 2. Train tickets from Lisbon to Porto value lower than $20 when booked prematurely – an enormous win. If you’re slowly touring Portugal by prepare or bus, funds between $10-15 a day on common.
Whether or not vacationers want a rental automotive varies relying on their Portugal itinerary. Are you planning on numerous day journeys to distant areas the place there are restricted buses and trains? Or are you staying in a distant villa exterior of main cities like Lisbon and Porto? If you reply sure to both of these, add a funds for automotive leases to your complete value. If you lease a automotive, be sure to have good journey insurance coverage.
If you might be planning a brief metropolis break, Budget $2 to $4 a day at most.
If you might be planning a vacation with day journeys to distant areas/staying in distant lodging: Budget $11 a day for common automotive rental costs.
If you intend an extended, multi-destination vacation, Budget round $15 a day on buses and trains.
What About Getting To Portugal To Begin With?
Another factor to contemplate is the way you’ll get to Portugal. Round-trip flights are the preferred means. Flight costs clearly range relying in your departure level, however round-trip flights from Europe are less expensive than from locations just like the USA or Canada.
Luckily, Portugal has some main worldwide airports with common charters. The primary three are Lisbon Airport, Faro Airport, and Porto Airport, with flights in peak seasons and past. Flight prices range little or no between these—all of it is determined by whether or not you need to go to the north, center, or south of Portugal.
As an instance, right here’s what you must funds for round-trip flights to Porto, relying in your departure metropolis:
New York City to Porto: $500-800 for a return journey.
Los Angeles to Porto: $800-1,000 for a return journey.
London to Porto: $100-150 for a round-trip ticket.
Rome to Porto: $80-120 for a spherical journey.
Dubai to Porto: $600-800 for a return ticket.
Sydney to Porto: $1,500-700 for a spherical journey.
Cost of Food in Portugal
You gained’t break the financial institution with meals in Portugal. The nation has hundreds of thousands of native eateries that serve tasty do-it-yourself items for a fraction of the value you possibly can anticipate elsewhere in Europe—the common meal prices simply $10 in Portugal, together with a drink and a hearty primary dish. A cappuccino prices lower than $2, whereas when you head to the grocery store, you’ll discover 1kg of hen for underneath $7.50 and a pint of milk for round $1.
Of course, whereas your meals funds will inevitably range extensively relying in your tastes and journey model, you must know that Portugal has a baseline budget-friendliness. You’ll spend lower than you’ll in most of Europe to stay inside your funds degree of alternative. Whether you select superb eating daily or persist with grocery procuring and cooking for your self at self-catered lodging, Portugal is comparably low cost for its area in the case of meals.
So, what are you able to truly anticipate from meals in Portugal? Major cities have loads of fast-food eating places and supermarkets. Smaller cities have extra cafes and impartial grocery shops. If you need to save money in your journey prices in Portugal, the easiest way is grocery procuring and sticking to extra informal cafes and eating places. You don’t want the superb eating experiences anyway; do-it-yourself dishes at informal eateries are to die for.
We’ve bought a complete information on conventional meals in Portugal, however listed below are a number of of our favorites that you must attempt when visiting.
Pastel de Nata: A gentle egg custard tart is well-liked in bakeries and low retailers throughout Portugal. It’s served for breakfast and as a noon snack.
Piri Piri Chicken: Nandos launched this dish, which consists of hen in a spicy sauce, to worldwide fame. It’s accessible everywhere in the nation.
Bacalhau: Bacalhau is a salted and dried cod dish with a barely acquired style. Portugal is famed for its fishing historical past, and bacalhau will be discovered everywhere in the shoreline.
Arroz de Marisco: This is a very stereotypical Portuguese seafood dish. It’s not not like paella, and it’s a tomato-based rice dish stocked with mussels, clams, prawns, and an total punchy taste.
Budget Food: $15 Per Day
If you might be on an actual funds, you’ll be cooking meals at your lodging and predominantly counting on groceries. In this case, you possibly can simply get by on $15 a day.
Mid-Range Food: $40 Per Day
A mid-range funds for meals in Portugal ought to account for a takeaway lunch (suppose a panini or sandwich) and a sit-down dinner. Breakfast ought to both be a grocery snack, included in your lodge, or cooked at house.
Luxury Food: $100 Per Day
Luxury meals budgets account for 3 meals out a day. In Portugal, a meal with three programs for one prices round $30 and features a good glass of wine. If you funds for lunch and dinner out, this totals as much as $60, with an additional $20 for breakfast and $20 spare for advert hoc drinks like espresso. You gained’t be counting pennies or making an attempt to match costs on rivaling menus; it’s meals tasting with out psychological monitoring.
Cost of Activities
Activities in Portugal value as a lot as you need them to value. That may appear a weird assertion, however hear us out. Most of its vacationer areas are situated alongside the shoreline, with their primary points of interest being seashores with free entry to swim and sunbathe to your coronary heart’s content material. With its sunny local weather, Portugal is a implausible place to spend time outdoor in nature, completely free of charge. You may have a full day on the seaside free of charge or spend round $10 for a lounger and drink.
Even in the primary cities, Portugal has loads of free points of interest. Lisbon has seven free museums, as an illustration, with out contemplating all of the structure, like cathedrals and dramatic bridges.
Before we get began on an exercise funds, bear in mind a few of these free issues to do for every of its most famed locations:
Faro
Walk the Old Town
Hit the seaside at Praia do Faro
Faro Cathedral
Porto
Porto Cathedral
Ponte de Dom Luis
Mercado Bom Sucesso
Lisbon
Gulbenkian Museum
Church of Sao Roque
Walking its markets
Besides its free points of interest, Portugal additionally has loads of paid issues to do. You can funds round $20 in entrance charges for issues like aquariums, soccer stadium excursions, castles, and palaces. Experience-based half-day excursions ought to value round $40, whereas extra luxurious full-day excursions to historic websites or areas of native tradition can value as much as $100.
Here are a number of examples of what you possibly can anticipate to pay for paid actions:
Budget: $0 to $10 a Day
You can simply get round with out spending greater than $10 a day for these on an actual funds. You’ll be sticking to free points of interest, like museums with free entrance and loads of seashores and climbing trails. This is essentially the most cost-effective means of sightseeing, and it offers you an opportunity to attempt to discover some hidden gems that Portugal presents as a substitute of operating to the same old sights. It’s like an opportunity to get a bit extra artistic.
Mid-Range: $50 a Day
If you need a mixture of free and paid actions, a mid-range funds is for you. You ought to permit between $20 and $80 per day, with a mean of $50 a day to spend on actions in Portugal.
Obviously, the actions themselves range relying on the place you might be visiting. Still, as a normal rule, you possibly can consider common customary admissions for issues like palaces and castles. You ought to then permit for yet one more costly tour (like Sintra from Lisbon for $80) and spend the remainder of your time on free actions.
Luxury: $150 a Day
A luxurious funds will let you spend between $100 and $200 a day on sightseeing. Having a bigger funds for points of interest principally offers you a ticket for smoother experiences. You can e book personal experiences, extra snug transfers, and splash on typical luxuries like wine tastings and gourmand meals tastings.
This funds can consider guided excursions; a full-day tour booked privately typically tots as much as across the $200 mark (like this personal Sintra tour). You also can get pleasure from skip-the-line tickets, excellent when touring in peak season.
A Budget For a Week in Portugal
Now you might have a normal gist of all of the completely different classes when budgeting to go to Portugal, let’s summarize. Most folks go to Portugal for round per week, so we’ll tot up all the things for you and offer you a tough estimate of what you’ll want in your keep.
For the sake of this part, we’ll assume that you simply’ve already factored in further prices like journey insurance coverage. We’ll additionally assume that you’re flying financial system from the US at a $650 return flight (smack bang in the midst of common costs from NYC).
1. Accommodation
Accommodation in Portugal is at its steepest in well-liked vacationer locations just like the cities of Faro, Lisbon, and Porto. Here, you’ll discover extremely sought-after motels that hike up their costs within the peak season or simply promote out fully, leaving you with a lot fewer choices.
You have a mixture of hostels, mid-range, and luxurious motels, although. That selection is sweet because it offers you so many expertise choices. In extra rural areas, you might have decisions of B&Bs and trip leases. Here’s what we’d funds for per week at every funds degree.
Budget: $280
Mid-range: $700
Luxury: $2,100
2. Transport
Since you haven’t informed us your particular itinerary, we’ll give you a template transport itinerary. We’ll allocate you $15 each day (sufficient for long-distance trains, taxis, a rental automotive or many metro rides). And as we talked about earlier than, we’ll function on the idea that you simply’re flying financial system from NYC at a fee of $650.
If this isn’t you, be at liberty to remove this part or add up your individual complete to the top funds.
Not together with flights: Budget $15 per day at a most for transport in Portugal.
Including flights: Budget $775 for return flights from NYC and transport for per week in Portugal.
3. Food
Food is a giant one; apart from flights and lodging, it’s your largest expense. Everyone is aware of Portuguese meals is sweet, so let’s get into budgeting for it.
Budget: $105
Mid-range: $280
Luxury: $700
4. Activities
Activities are an enormous a part of why you’re even visiting, so don’t compromise when you may help it. Have a listing of non-negotiable points of interest and actions you need to expertise when visiting Portugal.
Budget: $70
Mid-range: $350
Luxury: $1,050
So, What Should You Budget For a Week in Portugal?
For these on a low funds, you must simply have the ability to spend per week in Portugal for underneath $1,200 with flights. A mid-range funds needs to be round $2,100, together with flight costs. If you’re on a luxurious funds, we’d counsel permitting simply round $4,600 for per week in Portugal, together with flights.
A Budget For Two Weeks in Portugal
What about if you wish to keep even longer? We know the way stunning Portugal is, and if you wish to journey throughout the nation and even simply absorb the solar longer in a villa, two weeks is ideal. To reiterate, we assume you’ve already factored in further prices like journey insurance coverage. We’re additionally placing in a “placeholder flight” for example, with you flying financial system from NYC, US, at $650 return.
Here’s what two weeks in Portugal will value you:
1. Accommodation
Accommodation will clearly leap up from spending two weeks, not one, in Portugal. You is perhaps staying in several places and properties throughout this time, or you might get actually cozy in a single house away from house. Either means, right here’s what to anticipate.
Budget: $560
Mid-range: $1,400
Luxury: $4,200
2. Transport
In two weeks, you’ll be more likely to e book automotive leases, so make it possible for your journey insurance coverage is sorted. If not, you’ll most positively be utilizing numerous transport. Our $15 estimate ought to nonetheless cowl you except you might have younger driver premiums or one thing like that.
Not together with flights: Budget $210 for 2 weeks, permitting for $15 per day on transport.
Including flights: Budget $860 for return flights from NYC and transport for 2 weeks in Portugal.
3. Food
Portuguese meals actually transforms your journey in its personal proper – it’s simply so scrumptious. You’ll have all the things from Portuguese tarts to spicy hen and extra seafood than you’ve ever seen in your goals. In two weeks, you possibly can rack up fairly the meals invoice; let’s see what you’ll be spending per funds degree.
Budget: $210
Mid-range: $560
Luxury: $1,400
4. Activities
Last however not least, we’ve got actions: arguably the entire level of even touring to Portugal. You’ve bought a lot which you can expertise in two weeks. You can take many extra day journeys and expertise extra of Portugal’s wider areas, probably even switching between completely different bases in a multi-destination journey.
Regardless of your itinerary, right here’s what you possibly can anticipate to pay in your actions in two weeks:
Budget: $140
Mid-range: $700
Luxury: $2,100
$2,100 is ideal for a luxurious funds of $150 a day for sightseeing. This is sufficient for a number of personal day journeys, like spending $300-400 on a personal tour of Sintra, and loads of luxurious experiences like wine tastings as properly. You’ll get to all the primary historic websites and points of interest with smoother crusing, like skip-the-line tickets and personal guides.
So, What Should You Budget For Two Weeks in Portugal?
For these on a low funds, $1,770 is sufficient for 2 weeks in Portugal with flights. A mid-range funds is round $3,520, together with flights. For these with a luxurious funds, permit $8,560 for 2 weeks in Portugal, together with flights.
Budgeting For Portugal: FAQs
Budgeting for Portugal is tremendous straightforward. There are a number of elements to contemplate when making an attempt to avoid wasting money, together with whether or not you’re staying in main cities, taking day journeys to see native tradition, or sticking to seashores and delicacies tasting. Hopefully, you now know what class you fall into and the way a lot you must funds.
In this part, we’ll cowl the commonest FAQs. Here’s what folks ask when visiting Portugal.
How a lot does a meal value in Portugal?
Budget round $10 a meal at a cheap restaurant, together with a primary meal and drink. If a date evening is extra up your avenue, funds round $40 for a 3 course meal for 2 folks at mid vary eating places.
Is Portugal costly for Americans?
Not in any respect. Portugal is a lot cheaper than America on common. It is round 50% cheaper to spend time in Portugal than in America, so Americans will discover the nation a pleasant break from these larger charges. Accommodation and meals are cheaper, and there may be much less of a tipping tradition (10% is non-obligatory and appreciated at formal eating places).
Can you reside in Portugal on $3000 a month?
You can simply dwell in Portugal for $3,000 a month. The common complete value for a household of 4 residing in Portugal is $2,500 a month. For a single particular person, that’s simply over $700.
Is Spain or Portugal cheaper?
As lengthy as you don’t select Lisbon and Porto, Portugal is massively cheaper than Spain. Porto and Lisbon are on a par with Spain’s costliest cities—it’s simply the way in which with European metropolis break locations, as all the things will get hiked up with the demand from short-haul vacationers.
What To Budget While Visiting Portugal
Travel bills for per week in Portugal value $1,200 on a good funds, $2,100 on a mid-range funds, and $4,600 on a luxurious funds, all together with $650 return flights. There’s lots of variation, and your funds to go to Portugal varies massively relying in your journey model and preferences. With that mentioned, there’s the tourism infrastructure to cater to all funds ranges—an enormous bonus of visiting Portugal.
Looking for extra inspiration forward of your journey? Check out these 30 finest issues to do in Portugal, handpicked by yours really. There’s a lot to see throughout your entire nation. And who is aware of, perhaps you’ll have some further money to increase your keep now that you simply’ve discovered the right way to funds for Portugal. You may add on a visit to different Western European international locations close by, like Spain, France, or Germany.
Whatever your plans and funds sort, have a implausible keep in Portugal. You’ll find it irresistible.