How much does a trip to Portugal cost in 2026: daily budget and for 1-2 weeks

How much money should you take to Portugal for a week? The answer depends on three things: lodging, getting around, and food. The average hotel room price in the country in July 2026 was €154.9 per night (as of 07/2026, INE as reported by Jornal Económico).

Food and transport, however, cost noticeably less than in Germany. Lunch at a simple restaurant in Porto runs about €12 (as of 09/2026, Numbeo Porto), and a Lisbon metro ride costs €1.90 (as of 09/2026, Metro Lisboa).

Below you'll find prices by category, a daily budget table for budget and mid-range options, and a calculation for one and two weeks. Every figure has been checked against an official website or a price summary.

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How much a trip to Portugal costs in 2026

💡 In short:

• Lodging: average room price nationwide €154.9 per night, in the Algarve €203.2 (as of 07/2026, INE statistics for July 2026).
• Tourist tax: €4 per night in Lisbon (Lisbon City Council) and €3 in Porto (Porto City Council), as of 09/2026.
• Alfa Pendular train Lisbon to Porto: €35.70 in Turística class (as of 09/2026, CP fares).
• 95 gasoline: €2.093 per liter (as of 07/09/2026, European Commission Weekly Oil Bulletin).
• Prices and fares: 09/2026, checked on the official Museus e Monumentos de Portugal website and with carriers.

Portugal remains one of the most affordable countries in Western Europe for a one- or two-week trip. The biggest budget item is lodging, especially in summer in the Algarve, where rooms cost more than the national average.

You can save on food, city transport, and admission tickets. In Porto, a daily budget excluding lodging comes to about €25 per person if you eat at simple restaurants and use the metro. The table in the next section shows how that amount breaks down.

Daily budget: budget and mid-range options

The table is based on prices we checked in September 2026. Food and coffee prices come from the user database Numbeo Lisbon and Numbeo Porto prices (as of 09/2026), while transport fares and tickets are listed according to carrier and museum websites. Amounts are per person.

The grocery dinner in the budget column is 500 g of bread for €1.55, a liter of milk for €1.00, 1.5 L of water for €0.68, and a kilogram of bananas for €1.44, based on the Numbeo price database for Porto (09/2026). It is a modest set, but it gives you a sense of supermarket price levels.

The mid-range option is calculated from the national average room price (as of 07/2026, INE by region as reported by Jornal Económico). The price in a specific city and season can differ noticeably from the average. So treat the table as a framework and plug in your own accommodation price.

Budget for 1 and 2 weeks

The weekly budget is a simple multiplication of the daily amount. The budget option without accommodation, based on our rough estimate, comes to €24.80 × 7 = €173.60 per person for one week and €347.20 for two weeks. The mid-range option with accommodation comes to €136.66 × 7 = €956.62 for one week and €1,913.24 for two weeks. The Mosteiro dos Jerónimos ticket at €18 is added once: about €974.62 and €1,931.24 in total.

On top of these amounts, you add travel between cities. The classic Lisbon, Porto, and back route on the Alfa Pendular in Turística class costs 2 × €35.70 = €71.40 per person (as of 09/2026, CP price list for Alfa Pendular). The tourist tax is capped at seven consecutive nights in Lisbon (Lisbon city council, 09/2026).

Flights are not included in these amounts. If you are driving your own car, replace the train with fuel and tolls: the calculation is below, in the car section.

Accommodation: hostel, guesthouse, or hotel by region

Lodging is the most variable budget item. The national average price of an occupied room in July 2026 was €154.9, with the Algarve the most expensive region at €203.2, followed by Alentejo at €168.8 (as of 07/2026, INE summary of hotel prices).

Lisbon. The widest choice of accommodation is here: from hostels with shared rooms to riverside hotels. In summer, budget options in the center sell out early, so book several weeks ahead. A tax of €4 per night for guests over 13 is added to the room price (as of 09/2026, City of Lisbon website).

Porto. The center is compact, and staying in areas near Campanhã station or metro lines saves you extra trips. Hostels and guesthouses are also available in the old town. The tax is €3 per night (as of 09/2026, Porto city council).

Algarve. In summer, this is the most expensive region in the country by room price. Go in May, June, or late September: prices are lower and the sea is still warm. Apartments with a kitchen also save you money on restaurants.

Douro Valley. Here you stay at wine estates (quintas) and small hotels in Peso da Régua and Pinhão. There are fewer rooms here than in the larger cities, so book ahead.

If you travel by motorhome, overnight stays outside campsites are allowed for up to 48 hours in one municipality where parking is not prohibited. In nature reserves and Natura 2000 areas, overnight stays are not allowed, and fines are substantial. Prices for official motorhome areas are collected in the ENSO review.

You can compare prices for your dates in the selection of Portugal hotels on Trip.com.

CP trains and intercity buses

High-speed Alfa Pendular trains operated by CP run between Lisbon, Coimbra, Porto, and Braga. 2026 fares are effective from January 1; prices below are for travel from Lisbon (as of 09/2026, CP price table).

Turística class is a regular second-class car, and it will be quite sufficient for a daytime trip. Buy your ticket on the CP website or app: the operator runs promotions with discounts for online purchases made in advance, as in spring 2026 (ECO).

The Douro line from Porto to Pinhão and further along the river is served by regional trains. The fare here is noticeably lower than on high-speed trains, and the route itself along the vineyards works as a sightseeing tour (Douro line guide). Check the price for your date with CP.

In the Algarve and in cities without rail connections, Rede Expressos and FlixBus buses come to the rescue. Both operators use dynamic pricing: the earlier you buy your ticket, the cheaper the seat. Train and bus schedules are easy to compare in the train ticket search.

Lisbon and Porto metro and city transport

In Lisbon, a single metro or Carris bus ride costs €1.90, or €1.72 if you pay with a Zapping top-up balance, or €1.92 with a bank card. A 24-hour ticket for the metro and Carris costs €7.25, with the ferry to Cacilhas €10.35, and with CP suburban trains €11.40 (as of 09/2026, Metro Lisboa 2026 fares).

A day ticket pays for itself from the fourth ride onward. If you are taking the tram to Belém and back, plus the metro in the evening, buy it first thing in the morning.

Porto uses the Andante zone system. A Z2 ticket covers the center and costs €1.40, unchanged in 2026 (as of 09/2026, RTP). A Z3 ticket has gone up to €1.85 (as of 09/2026, Andante).

Porto's center is compact, and you will walk many routes. The metro is mainly useful for the airport, the Matosinhos beaches, and getting to Campanhã station.

Car rental, fuel, and toll roads

Your own or a rental car is what you need in the Algarve, the Douro Valley, and Peneda-Gerês National Park (Parque Nacional da Peneda-Gerês). In Lisbon and Porto, a car is more of a hindrance: parking is paid, and the old town streets are narrow.

A liter of 95-octane gasoline in Portugal cost €2.093, diesel €2.104 (as of 07/09/2026, EU fuel price bulletin). According to the same bulletin, 95 in Germany cost €2.331, in Spain €1.816. If you are driving through Spain, fill up before the Portuguese border.

Prices at specific stations are published by the DGEG portal; for a weekly national picture, the fuel price summary is a convenient reference. Stations on motorways are more expensive than those at supermarkets.

The main motorways are tolled. Driving the A1 between Lisbon and Porto costs €25.05 for a passenger car, and the A2 from Lisbon to the Algarve costs €23.80 (as of 09/2026, Observador). The A22 along the Algarve coast has been free since 2025 (Active Algarve).

Some toll roads are electronic-only. For cars with foreign plates, the Easytoll system works like this: a bank card is linked to the plate in advance (Turismo do Algarve). You can check your toll debt on the toll payment portal or at a CTT branch.

When picking up a rental car, ask whether it has a Via Verde transponder and how tolls are charged. Rental companies have different policies, so compare car rental options for your dates in advance.

Food: prato do dia, coffee, and supermarkets

Lunch in Portugal is cheapest on weekdays. Many restaurants offer prato do dia, a fixed-price dish of the day with bread and a drink. Lunch at a simple restaurant costs about 12 € in Porto and about 15 € in Lisbon (as of 09/2026, Numbeo, Porto).

A three-course dinner for two at a mid-range restaurant without drinks costs about 55 € in Lisbon and about 50 € in Porto (as of 09/2026, Lisbon prices on Numbeo). Portions are large, and a hearty lunch often covers dinner too.

© Kolforn ( Kolforn ) I'd appreciate if you could mail me (Kolforn@gmail.com) if you want to use this picture out of the W · CC BY-SAPhoto: Kolforn ( Kolforn ) I'd appreciate if you could mail me (Kolforn@gmail.com) if you want to use this picture out of the W, CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0), Wikimedia Commons

Bread, olives, and cheese are often brought without being ordered, but they are added to the bill as couvert. If you don't want to pay, just ask them to take the plate away right away.

Coffee here is drunk at the counter. A cappuccino costs about 2.73 € in Lisbon and 2.33 € in Porto (as of 09/2026, Numbeo for Lisbon), and a small bica espresso at a regular pastry shop is noticeably cheaper.

At Continente, Pingo Doce, Lidl, and Aldi supermarkets, prices are comparable to German ones. According to the Numbeo price database for Lisbon (09/2026), 1.5 liters of water costs 0.71 €, 12 eggs 3.52 €, a kilogram of local cheese 11.48 €, and a kilogram of chicken breast 7.10 €.

The prices in the table are averages from Numbeo user data for Lisbon and Porto (09/2026). Fish at the market and seasonal fruit are often cheaper than back home, while out-of-season vegetables cost more.

If you're renting an apartment with a kitchen, make breakfast and dinner yourself. That cuts your daily food budget almost in half.

Beer and wine: at the bar and at the store

Popular local beer brands are Sagres and Super Bock. A 0.5 L draft beer at a bar costs about 3 € in both Lisbon and Porto (as of 09/2026, Numbeo for Porto).

At a store, a 0.5 L bottle of local beer costs about 1.22 € in Porto and 1.16 € in Lisbon (as of 09/2026, Numbeo, Lisbon). Six-packs on sale are even cheaper.

Wine in Portugal is inexpensive. A mid-range bottle of wine at a supermarket costs about 5 € (as of 09/2026, Numbeo statistics for Porto), and that will get you through a whole dinner. Vinho Verde from the north of the country is light and pairs well with fish.

Alcohol deserves its own line in the budget. This is the easiest line to cut if you want to save money.

Admission tickets: Belém, Sintra, Porto, and the Algarve

The country's main museums and monuments sell tickets through Museus e Monumentos de Portugal. Admission to Mosteiro dos Jerónimos in Belém costs 18 €, and Torre de Belém costs 15 € (as of 09/2026, Museus e Monumentos de Portugal). Both sites are close to each other, and you can easily cover them in one morning.

© Joehawkins · CC BY-SAPhoto: Joehawkins, CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0), Wikimedia Commons

Prices in the table are as of 09/2026. In Sintra, the ticket to Pena Palace is tied to an entry time, and in high season convenient slots sell out in advance. Buy it online the day before (as of 09/2026, Parques de Sintra hours and prices).

The Livraria Lello bookstore in Porto sells entry tickets online, and the ticket price is credited toward a book purchase (official Livraria Lello website). Check the store's sales page for the current ticket price.

In the Douro Valley you pay for port wine tastings in the cellars and rabelo boat trips. Prices depend on the cellar, the wine selection, and the length of the route. Entry to Peneda-Gerês National Park is free, and it makes for a good day with no ticket costs.

Mobile service, cash, and ATM fees

Roaming within the EU works with no extra charges: a German plan works in Portugal exactly as it does at home. You only need a separate SIM card if your carrier is outside the EU. In that case, pick an eSIM for Portugal in advance and don't go looking for a phone store on your first day.

Cards are accepted almost everywhere, including markets, small cafes, and ticket machines. Cash is needed for the rare places without a terminal and for small tips.

© Luis150902 · CC BYPhoto: Luis150902, CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), Wikimedia Commons

Multibanco ATMs are available in every city. Both the ATM operator and your card's bank may charge a withdrawal fee. Withdraw a larger amount less often and pay by card.

Before your trip, check your bank's terms: how many withdrawals per month are free and whether there is a fee for transactions in another currency. This part of the budget is something you can know in advance.

How to save on your trip: 7 habits

Have lunch, not dinner, at restaurants. A weekday daily special costs noticeably less than a dinner from the menu.

Get a 24-hour Lisbon transit pass if you plan on four or more trips. It pays for itself by lunchtime.

Buy Alfa Pendular train tickets in advance. CP regularly offers early-booking discounts in the app.

Choose the low season: May, June, late September, and October. Rooms in the Algarve are cheaper then than in July.

Stay in apartments with a kitchen. Breakfast from the supermarket costs several times less than a cafe.

Avoid toll roads when time allows. The A22 in the Algarve is already free, and secondary roads are often more scenic than highways.

Plan free days. Beaches, Lisbon viewpoints, the Porto waterfront, and Peneda-Gerês National Park cost nothing.

⁉️🤔 Frequently asked questions

How much money do you need for a week in Portugal?

By our estimate, a budget option in Porto costs about 24.80 € per day without accommodation, meaning 173.60 € per week plus a hostel. A mid-range option in Lisbon with half a room at the national average price of 154.9 € comes to about 974.62 € per week per person, including one ticket to Mosteiro dos Jerónimos (as of 07/2026, INE report in Jornal Económico).

How much does the train from Lisbon to Porto cost?

The Alfa Pendular high-speed train costs 35.70 € in Turística class and 49.90 € in Conforto class one way. Tickets are sold on the carrier's website and app (as of 09/2026, official CP fares).

What tourist tax do you pay in Lisbon and Porto?

In Lisbon, the tax is 4 € per night for guests over 13, capped at seven consecutive nights (Lisbon city council news about the tax). In Porto, the tax is 3 € per night (Porto municipality website). It is added to the room price at check-in, as of 09/2026.

How much do gas and toll roads cost?

A liter of 95 gasoline cost 2.093 € and diesel 2.104 € (as of 07/09/2026, Weekly Oil Bulletin). Driving the A1 Lisbon - Porto costs 25.05 €, and the A2 in the Algarve costs 23.80 € (as of 09/2026, Observador on 2026 fares).

How much does restaurant food cost?

Lunch at a simple restaurant costs about 12 € in Porto and 15 € in Lisbon. A three-course dinner for two without drinks at a mid-range restaurant runs 50-55 €, and a 0.5 L draft beer is about 3 € (as of 09/2026, Numbeo statistics for Lisbon).

How much do tickets in Belém and Sintra cost?

Mosteiro dos Jerónimos costs 18 €, Torre de Belém 15 € (Museus e Monumentos price list). A basic visit to Pena Palace in Sintra costs 20 €, and the park without the palace costs 12 € (Parques de Sintra tickets). As of 09/2026.

In short: what to book

If you have a week and a Lisbon, Porto route, take the Alfa Pendular train in Turística class and stay near the metro. You don't need a car in these cities.

If you're going to the Algarve or the Douro Valley, book a car and lodging before summer. In July, rooms in the Algarve are the most expensive in the country.

If you want to visit Pena Palace and Jerónimos Monastery, buy tickets online the day before. That way you don't lose half a day in line.

If your budget is about 25 € per day without accommodation, stay in a hostel, have the daily special for lunch, and use free days for beaches and walks.

One last tip: check accommodation prices on Trip.com and car rental options for your dates. That way you will know the total cost of the trip before you even buy tickets.