Portugal is one of the most visited countries in Europe. It used to be a budget vacation destination for those looking for old world European charm and stunning Mediterranean views at a fraction of the cost of other western European countries. However, with the increase in tourism, Portugal has also seen an increase in prices. But a visit to Portugal will still cost a fraction of the price of those neighboring countries (like France or Italy). We’ll break down our Portugal travel costs below, show you how to save money and where we suggest you splurge. Keep reading for help creating your own Portugal vacation budget.
We visited Portugal for 10 days in 2024 as a couple. However, we’ve update this post for planning a vacation in 2026. I revisited all of the same booking sites to price out a 2026 Portugal travel budget below. We’ll provide you with the total Portugal travel costs, daily costs and itemized costs so you can have an idea of what you will actually spend on your Portugal vacation.
10 Days In Portugal: Full Portugal Itinerary
Portugal Travel Costs
Our 10-day Portugal travel costs total $5443 for two people. This breaks down to $272/day/person. This would be considered a mid-range Portugal travel budget. Since we are coming from America, and our budget reflects that, we kept the prices below in US dollars. This budget is also for traveling during the shoulder season (May or September), when prices are lower than the summertime but not quite as low as the off season (Winter).
Portugal travel costs breakdown:
- Accommodations – $1286
- Food – $1110
- Transportation – $2302
- Flights – $1800
- Public transport – $292
- Car rental & gas – $210
- Activities – $745
Accommodations
We stayed at moderate to budget level accommodations that were all private. We are mid-level travelers. As we are very active travelers we spend very little time in our rooms so we tend to get very cheap rooms so we can spend more money on food 😉 However, I was super surprised when updating this post to find that accommodation costs have gone up a lot in 2 years. Check them out yourself! We stayed in some sketchier places and to stay in those same places today, we’d spend $1286 on accommodations. That is a Portugal travel cost of $143/night for a double occupancy private room.
Food
This is always where we splurge. We spent $1110 for two people on 10 days worth of food. This is around $55/person/day. This is way more than it needs to be. We regularly ate at sit down restaurants for most of our meals and ate frequent street snacks. If we had eaten less amazingly, we think we could have spent around $35/person/day instead. It’s super helpful that you are not required or expected to tip in Portugal – however, don’t be surprised if you pay with cash and they don’t bring you back exact change.
For a daily breakdown in meal prices, here’s what to expect:
- Breakfast – $4-$18
- Lunch – $7-$20
- Dinner – $15-$50
While food in Portugal can be super cheap, Portaul also has a vibrant food scene. There are world renowned chefs throughout the country creating fresh and sumptuous meals. So while we always love to save money, consider splurging on a meal or two to enjoy the foodie culture of the country. Additionally, if you are planning on visiting one of these high end restaurants, make sure to make a reservation. Reservations typically aren’t needed except at the highest rated restaurants, where waits can be long.
If you’re drinking in Portugal, drink wine. It is so cheap and so good. You’ll find amazing wine for $10-$15 a bottle at a restaurant. I don’t know what other drinks cost because – ya know $10 wine – so we didn’t drink anything else.
Transportation
Flights
Unfortunately direct flights to Portugal are rare from the states. You’ll likely have one layover even if you are coming from a major hub. However, they are getting more common. Additionally, flight prices are on the rise – they were one of the biggest increase I noticed when I updated this post from our 2022 budget to a 2026 departure date. Expect to pay around $900/person for flights from the USA to Porto or Lisbon.
Public Transportation Costs
Public transportation costs will vary greatly depending on your Portugal itinerary and the location of your accommodations. Definitely budget something, keeping in mind that you’ll need to budget more if you are staying farther from cities. Here are some of the things we spent money on to give you an idea of what your Portugal travel costs will be:
- High speed train from Porto to Lisbon – $75
- Taxi from airport to hotel – $15
- Bus/Metro/Tram ride – $2-3/connection
- Train ride to a suburb – $8-10
You could go your whole trip and only spend $10 on transportation or you could spend way more than we did – it really depends on how much you are willing to walk. Also keep in mind public transportation sometimes involves multiple connections. You will have to pay each time you get on any mode of public transportation – not for the journey as a whole. Because of this, it is good to map out your journey in both Bolt (like Lyft or Uber) and on Google Maps via public transit. You’ll get a better idea of the price and time difference between the two modes of transportation.
Car Rental Costs
Car rentals in Portugal are surprisingly inexpensive. However, they default to a manual transmission so make sure to book an automatic if you need one. A car rental for 4 days is around $40 for an automatic. If you book with this link, we’ll get a small commission at no extra charge for you – it pays to keep this site running 🙂
You will likely spend more on gasoline. We spent $100 on gasoline after driving around the Algarve. We thought this was a very cheap way to get around the Algarve. However, we would caution against having a car in Porto or Lisbon. While the car rental and gas were relatively inexpensive, parking in the tourist sections of towns is challenging. We’d opt for taxis or public transit.
Activities
We were surprised by how much we spent on activities in Portugal. Normally, we go multiple days without spending money on tours or admission tickets. However, we paid for multiple entry tickets each day. This really increased our Portugal travel costs. We spent about $37/person/day on activities. This included both entry tickets to things like museums and day tours like Sintra and the Douro Valley.
One thing we noticed was that every admission ticket and tour seemed so inexpensive at the time; a $5 entry ticket here, a $20 guided tour there. However, when we were done with the trip and added it all up, we realized we spent way more than we realized at the time. Be warned, it adds up!
Miscellaneous
We always forget to budget for the things at home when we travel. Don’t forget to budget for boarding your animals or getting a pet sitter and for parking or transportation to and from your local airport.
Tips For Saving Money In Portugal
Decline the snacks
At most sit down restaurants, servers will bring you olives and bread. These treats are not free or included in the meal. They are an extra fee. This isn’t a scam, it’s just a cultural difference. However, if you don’t want to pay for them, decline them before they set them down or ask them to take them back immediately upon receiving them.
…Or Eat More Snacks
When we travel we love the relaxing atmosphere of a sit down restaurant. However, Portugal has tons of well loved snack foods. From tasty pastries, to hearty sandwiches, to cans of sardines, the Portuguese have snacks worth trying. To save money, consider more of a grazing approach to one or more meals each day, rather than sit-down meals.
Bring Breakfast
We found it really hard to find breakfast at our breakfast time. Most breakfast places we saw opened later in the day – around 9 or 10 a.m. – and felt more like brunch places to us. To save money and help start your day earlier, consider bringing breakfast from home or buying breakfast at a grocery store and preparing it in your room. We love to travel with instant oatmeal and cereal. We can get started early and save a lot of money!
Walk When Possible
Most of Portugal’s top tourist destinations, like Lisbon and Porto, are extremely walkable. Don’t waste money on cars as driving places can be slower than walking in busy and congested city centers. Walking will keep your Portugal travel costs down and give you an excuse for more pasteis da nata, which are cheaper than the car rides.
Time Your Visit
Keep in mind that Europe is wildly busy in the summer. Prices skyrocket and crowds are massive, not to mention Portugal gets really hot. If you’re traveling in the summer because that is the time you have available, good for you. If you have flexibility in your Portugal vacation timing, seriously consider traveling in the shoulder seasons, Spring or Fall. This will save you money on accommodations and activities, while still giving you nice weather and lots of options for things to do. However, if you want to save even more money, consider visiting Portugal in the Winter. Winter brings chilly rains and fewer open shops but can be helpful if you’re trying to visit Portugal on a budget.
Stay Outside of the City
Lisbon and Porto are the most common destinations for a Portugal vacation. However, they are also the most expensive cities. If you are willing to limit your time in these cities or even stay in outlying suburbs, you can save lots of money on both accommodations and food.
Stay In Hostels
Scott visibly flinches every time I mention staying in a hostel – he pictures bunk beds and bumping into strangers in the bathroom at night. However, hostels often have private rooms with private bathrooms – or semi-private bathrooms. We have had great luck staying in private rooms in hostels – including in Lisbon! This is a very economical way to stay. Plus we love the community vibe of hostels and meeting other travelers in the common areas (just not in the bathroom in the middle of the night).
Take Taxis – As A Family
If you are visiting Portugal with a large group, avoid public transportation and rely on taxis or ride shares instead. Public transit typically costs a few dollars per person. However, if you’re traveling with a group of four – that’s about $10, which is the typical cost of a taxi or ride share within town so that will likely be the best option for you. Conversely, if you’re traveling solo or as a duo, it will almost always be cheaper to take public transit.
Enjoy The Beach
Beaches in Portugal are free. They’re also some of the best in the Mediterranean. If you’re interested in a beach going vacation, you actually will save a lot of money on activities compared with what we spent.
Do I Need Cash In Portugal?
Yes. I would recommend having some cash on you. Lots of small snacks and souvenirs we bought were cash only shops. We’re from the US and there are lots of small shops in the US where they have minimums for a card payment – similar small shops in Portugal just didn’t have card payments as an option. We used around $400 USD in cash on our trip.
We have a credit card with fee free foreign ATM withdrawals that we used at one of the fee free Multibanco ATMs to take out cash in Euros. This is a super inexpensive way to get the local currency. Be warned, the Euronet ATMs charge a fee – even if your card doesn’t.
We hope this has helped you to plan your own perfect Portugal vacation. We’ve provided you with our Portugal travel costs in the hope it will help you create your own Portugal travel budget. We also hope this has helped to dispel the myth that travel in Portugal is “cheap” – we would say this is a moderately priced destination compared to our other vacation destinations. For more Portugal vacation planning information, check out our guides below.
